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I’d scold her for it, but I would have done the same.
And had on many occasions.
Hospitals asked too many questions. They wanted to make police reports, then those men in blue would simply stand at the end of your hospital bed and smirk as if to sayyou’re a prostitute, you brought it on yourself.
I preferred the term escort myself, but who was I kidding?
“Sweetie, you can’t see that man again.” I hummed as I patched up the cut with a bandage, the guilt heavy in my stomach as Heidi sharply sucked air between her teeth. It was hard to cause her pain when she had been through so much, even though I was doing it in her best interests. She’d have one hell of a bruise, probably a black eye too, and if the cut didn’t heal right, likely a scar across her brow as well.
She pouted, wincing when the expression stretched the split in her lip, causing a fresh drop of bright red blood to glisten from the wound. “You only call people sweetie when you’re angry.”
“I’m not angry at you.”
“But you’re angry.” When I only hummed, she continued, “Paul likes blondes.”
“Tyson has plenty of blondes to offer him,” I answered.
Including me.
Tyson, ourmanager.Seriously, of all the fake titles he could give himself to cover for the termpimp, and he went withmanager.
Heidi turned her head, staring out the window as her lip started to tremble. “He likes the way I scream,” she whispered.
Honestly, I thought I was going to vomit. Swallowing it back, I took her hand and patted it with my other one while I gritted my teeth against the rage. To hand over one of your girls to a man who was known to get violent was bad enough as it was, but to give him the same girl over and over for such a sick reason.
I swallowed heavily at the burning bile rising in my throat. The fucker probably paid extra to Tyson, who wouldn’t turn down cash over a few cuts and bruises.
And broken ribs.
I didn’t want Heidi to have to be here, to be doing this with her life. She was young, too young. She told everyone she was eighteen.
I wasn’t so sure.
“I’ll take him next time,” I said.
Heidi whipped around to face me, terror in her eyes. “You can’t. Tyson will know I told.”
“I’ll change the fare’s mind, and he’ll want me instead.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking.” When she opened her mouth to answer, I stood. “Heidi, shush. Shut it and let someone take care of you for once.”
“Evie, there’s taking care of, and then there’s being stupid.” Her eyes were so blue, I could see why the fares liked her. Heidi radiated innocence. So, as she stared at me with those bright eyes, shining with tears, I knew I needed to do what I had to do to protect her. I could handle the fare.
I’d had worse.
I shushed her gently when she went to protest again, but I could see exhaustion was taking hold of her. Her eyelids were drooping as I lay her down, and her breathing had steadied before I had finished tucking her in. Brushing her hair away from her face, I sighed. This was no life for her.
If I couldn’t get her out of here, the least I could do was protect her. She was afraid of Tyson, but I wasn’t.
Liar.
Okay, that was a lie. I was afraid of him. I’d be stupid not to be. But I found if you don’t show fear, he’s less likely to beat you.
I had brought Heidi back to my apartment after I found her slumped against a wall on a street corner, bleeding and crying with a handful of cash clutched in her fist. I had to see Tyson. Once in the hall, I locked my front door from the outside. She wouldn’t be waking any time soon. It was almost four in the morning as I made my way out onto the street to find Tyson. He wouldn’t be hard to find, he was always at the same bar. I only hoped he wasn’t surrounded by too many of his friends. He tended to get cocky then and was more likely to do something stupid to show off to them.
The worse part about it was Tyson was the lesser of evils. He may beat us occasionally, but he provided rooms in a run-down local hotel to sell ourselves, away from our apartments so we never brought the fares home. He rarely skimped on our cut, although he did control our rent and spending money, and he protected us from the gangs who roamed the streets.
