she tells me how happy I look.
Rosie and I walk back home and my head is so full of Christian Giordano that I’m not paying attention.
If I had I know I would have most certainly waited by the elevator until Brent and his thugs walked by. But no, I walked right out into the group of them when Rosie and I turned the corner.
They hated I was able to find the money. They hated it was paid in full and I no longer owed. It was liberation that day when I walked into the bookie and slapped down that ten grand in front of Lev’s stupid face. Brent was right there with him and saw for himself. They haven’t bothered me since but I’ve mostly avoided contact, being clever with my time. Of course, too because of the stalker guy who I’m sure now is linked to Lev.
Now that they’ve seen me though, the look that brightens Brent’s face is pure delight. It spells trouble I’m about to have.
“Well look at this,” he begins.
Rosie squeezes my hand and I just carry on walking through the group.
“Wow, the whore is getting paid so much for sucking cock and fucking that she doesn’t need to tell people like us hello anymore,” he taunts.
God… this is not happening. Just the other week I convinced myself that we could be okay to stay here for a little longer. In a few months I’d be looking at buying a house. With the debt gone they should be gone too, I thought it would mean safety. Just for a little longer.
I keep walking and hope he’ll stop; hope he’ll just leave me alone. except he doesn’t. He follows and the rest of the men follow too. Four of them. All bulky looking meatheads you don’t want to run into on a dark corner.
Brent grabs my hand and when I wrench it free, Rosie starts crying.
“Get away from us!” I cry. I reach into my bag and take out my pepper spray. They laugh when they see it and I can just imagine how comical I must look.
Brent slaps it out of my hand, and it clatters to the floor, rolling away.
I pull Rosie closer, my heart pounding, my pulse racing. Fear has me gripped in its claws and I don’t know what to do.
“Leave us alone!” I say again but the smile recedes from Brent’s face and then I see the true nature of his intentions in his dark eyes.
What I see is darkness. And evil. I’m used to the look, so I know to grab Rosie and try to run. That’s exactly what I do, except I don’t make it past the first step.
Brent grabs me and one of the other guys snatches Rosie from my grasp. I scream reaching for her and even when Brent shoves me down on the ground and gets on top of me I still scream for my child. The sound of her cries makes my blood chill. I can hear her calling for me, but I can’t get this mad man off me.
“I’m gonna teach you a lesson Angel. One you won’t forget. We’ll see how good you think you are when I’m balls deep inside you fucking your brains out.” Brent snarls. He rips my top and my bra, tearing it off so I’m naked. I manage to lean forward and bite his hand. I bite as hard as I can and so hard that it hurts me.
He cries out from the pain, let’s go of my other hand and lands a fist in my face. Another punch snaps my head back and blood trickles from my nose.
“Stop it!” I scream.
He pushes me again and again and I think I might pass out from the searing pain. I will myself to hold on because I need to know where my child is. I can’t let them take her. I can’t black out, come to, and not know where she went. I can’t let people like this have her.
It doesn’t matter what happens to me.
“Nasty bitch!” Brent snarls. “How dare you fucking bite me? Boys hold her down so I can get a good fuck.”
I’m too weak to move. I’m too weak to do anything. My hands are held down by one of the guys while another fondles and sucks my exposed breasts. The tears come hard and I can’t form words. through the blur of my tears I see Brent unzip his pants and take out his cock.