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“Mom.” I went to her, brought my fist back, and punched the man holding her in the groin. I’d learned that was where it hurt the worst for boys.
He let out a groan and dropped to his knees. This wasn’t fair. Hot tears broke free as I punched and scratched at the kneeling man’s face. Why do I have to go through this? Air sawed in and out of my lungs. My vision went blurry with tears, but I kept attacking.
I was pulled away and tossed back onto the ground. My shoulders hurt along with my hands.
“You’re a liability.” He tapped his chin. “But I like you.”
I didn’t want him to like me. I wanted him to leave my mom alone and me. It wasn’t our debt.
“I’ll help you out, and in return, you will pay off the debt and the service fee.” His mouth pulled up in a smile showing off his yellowed teeth. He offered his hand to me.
“Will you leave my mom alone?”
He ran his finger over his chest in a cross-motion. “Promise.”
I knew first hand that promises meant nothing coming from a man’s mouth. My mom had taught me that, but there was little else I could do. I glanced down at mom. She was balled up. The only way we were getting out of this was if I did something. “Okay.”
“Good, we can set up a contract. How are you with deliveries?” He shook his head before I could answer. “Any talent besides going wild?”
“Could put her in cage fights, sir.”
He waved off the idea. “She’s too wild. We’d lose an investment.” He winked at me. “And if her mother is anything to go off of. She’s going to be a beauty.”
The feeling of ants crawling down my back assaulted me. I fought my body to keep from taking a step back.
“Can’t risk such a pretty thing being ruined in the fights; she might not be able to make the money back. Have to have other avenues just in case.”
“I’ll do them.” Anything to get out of the debt faster and free us. “I’m… I’m good at stealing too.”
His brows lifted, nearly kissing his hairline. “Oh, and what have you stolen?”
I audibly swallowed. I only did it when mom was gone for a really long time. It was an emergency-only thing.
“Food mostly.” I licked my lips nervously. My throat felt dry, and every second I spent standing in front of him was another. I risked us never getting out of there.
He hummed as he leaned back. “Food isn’t going to cut it. Ever stolen a car or money?”
I shook my head. “But I’ll learn.” Panic had my words running together.
“Eager little thing.” He gazed down at my mom, who hadn’t moved an inch. “Alright.”
“What’s your name, little butterfly?”
“Keegan.”
“I’m Wakeman. From now on, we’re going to work together.”
I nodded, unable to say anything. I wanted to go home. I wanted a normal life where my mom worried more about me than finding love.
He snapped his fingers, and a piece of paper was placed on the worn coffee table. He wrote the debt amount. I hadn’t seen that many zeros ever. Is our house even worth that much? I doubted it, but we could see it. Mom and I could make it on less.
“Oh, but this doesn’t include the investment I’ll have to make in you, so we will tack on another hundred thousand. Sounds fair, right?”
My stomach squeezed as my mouth began to water. The need to puke burned the back of my throat. I covered my mouth and nodded at him.
“Sign here.” He handed the paper over, and I did so. “I’ll get your mom to sign later. But if you ever go back on our deal… Well, just don’t do it. The last thing I want is to give a kid nightmares.”
Too late.
