big personality that I fell in love with from the moment I looked at her.
I wish Miguel could have loved us the same. Both of us.
It was so bad towards the end. He had whores in our bed, fucking them while I was in the next room injured or in pain from one of his beatings for doing some stupid shit to displease him. I saw injuries and pain more times than not, and all the while I had to nurse my baby and try to keep her safe.
When I got the news that Miguel had been killed in a police shootout, I wasn’t even sad. Freedom was my first thought. Freedom from that life. with the cartel and him. The night before Miguel was killed, I was in hospital, again. I had a broken wrist. He’d pushed me down the stairs for dropping one of his shirts on the floor. Thankful all I had was that broken wrist I jumped at the chance to take Rosie and flee, never looking back.
The memories stir the sadness in my soul and a wave of tears threaten to take me. Not wanting to cry, I stand up. It’s time to go home. I don’t want to be one of those people who cry in public, and I don’t want to upset myself before work tonight.
I walk over to Rosie who smiles at me when I approach.
“Hey princess, how about we go home and watch Mickey Mouse?” I ask.
She loves the Mikey Mouse Club House and I’m glad I can use the lure of watching it as a clever ruse to get away.
“Yes Mama. Can we sing the songs too?” she asks jumping up and down.
“Of course, sweet girl. We can sing.”
She comes to me willingly and I pick her up.
I carry her most of the way and only set her down when we get closer to the building.
That’s when I hear the wolf whistle behind me.
Turning, I find myself staring eye to eye with Brent and two of his thuggish friends. They all have smiles on their faces.
“Well look at this?” Brent says.
I pick Rosie up again and continue walking down the path leading to the apartment building. I planned to ignore them, but they all followed.
“Your titties look good in that top,” Brent cajoles. He gets up in my face and I notice his pupils are dilated and he stinks of weed.
“Get away from me,” I snap trying to move forward but the Neanderthals surround me.
“No, I want to know when I can fuck you,” Brent snarls.
“Me too,” says his friend.
“And me,” the other guy says.
Rosie rests her head on my chest. That’s the first sign that she’s upset and scared.
“Leave me alone, you’re scaring my child.” And me. I can’t say that though. They know I’m scared. I look it and I’m sure they can smell the fear coming off me.
“Heard you worked at The Dark Odyssey, angel.” Brent leers ignoring my request.
My throat squeeze’s and my lungs constrict. How did he know?
A sex club is definitely the kind of place I imagine him to visit, but not one as classy as The Dark Odyssey. Then again, he works for Lev. They have money. All you need to have is money to get into the club.
“Leave me alone,” I say again.
“Didn’t know that was the job you were going for.” Brent laughs. “Since we can confirm you’re a whore now, you must have a price list. How much for a group fuck?”
He starts laughing. One of them grabs my arm and I wrench it free. The jolt makes Rosie start to cry.
“Leave us alone,” she wails and my heart breaks.
My heart breaks further when one of them reaches out to touch my breast. I don’t even know which one of them it is.
“Get away from us,” I shout.
Rosie cries harder, tears that shatter me from the inside out, screaming to me how much I failed as her mother.
“How about we give you twenty bucks to suck our cocks, and a biscuit for the little girl to shut her up,” Brent says and laughs out loud, completely off key. It’s evident he’s off his face. However, I know he would be the same if he wasn’t.
With force and courage, I push through past him and the other guy, barging into their shoulders so I can make my escape. An escape I only know is possible because they’re either too drunk or stoned to catch me.
Rosie is crying so much she starts