Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
She reached for her bag, but he kicked it out of her reach.
“Crawl,” he snarled, giving her a kick on the backside.
The action sent her facedown in the mud. Before she could scurry away, he stepped on her back with his boot, pushing her deeper into the wet soil.
“If you ever come near my family again, you’ll regret the day you were born.” He lifted his weight off her. “Now go. On your hands and knees, bitch.”
With hurt and shame coursing through her, she crawled to the door and out into the garden when he opened it. Stones and sticks dug into her palms and knees. The sound of his boots crunching on the gravel followed behind her on the path, but she didn’t look back, not until she was halfway down the road. She dared a glance over her shoulder to see him standing on the pavement under the lamppost, the shears thrown over his shoulder.
From street-facing windows, curious faces looked on as she crawled naked under the streetlights to the corner. There, out of Doumar’s sight, she rolled under a shrub and curled into a fetal position, unable to stop her shaking. She took only enough time to get her breathing and tears under control, and then she got up and walked toward the city with a straight back. Thankfully, it was dark, and in the residential neighborhood she could dodge behind trees when cars passed.
Closer to town, she stopped at the first shop where a compassionate shopkeeper gave her an overcoat and asked if she could call an ambulance or the police. Sky declined but accepted the bus ticket the lady offered. The stop nearest to her place was only three blocks away. Exhausted and emotionally drained, she stumbled into her caravan, happier than ever to find the welcoming little body of the cat.
After feeding him, she washed outside and tended to the scrapes on her knees. Then she took a pair of scissors and fixed her hair as best as she could. Dinner was a tin of soup. She didn’t bother heating it up. She crawled into bed and stared at the stars she’d stuck on the ceiling. There was no saving for people like her. Niels deserved a better mother, but her heart wouldn’t let her give up on him. Not as long as she still breathed.
How she got through the night, she didn’t know. She alternated between shivering and crying. In the morning, she steeled herself with a few deep breaths, applied dark make-up, and got to the club just in time.
A shock ran through her when she entered Doumar’s office to report for the day. He sat behind his desk with Diamond on a leash next to him.
“Good morning,” he said in a sickening, jovial voice. “Nice haircut.” There was mocking in his tone. “Sleep well? Come here and give me a kiss.”
She eyed the dog with caution. “You know she doesn’t like me.”
“Keep your panties on. If I wanted you dead, I would’ve killed you last night. You owe me money. How much did you take?”
“You know how much.”
He tilted his head up. “My kiss?”
The dog snapped at Sky as she rounded the desk. Swallowing her repulsion, she pressed her lips to Doumar’s and retreated to a safe distance.
“Good. Now you’re ready to start making back the cash you stole.”
Relieved to get off so lightly, she made for the door.
“Not so fast,” he said. “You’re not going to repay me with fortune-telling. That’s for your keep, you unthankful whore. I’ve found another way for you to repay me.”
The door opened and Bono entered.
Taken aback, she stared at Bono’s tight face as he took in the situation, his gaze flickering between the dog and Doumar. When his gaze landed on her, shock registered on his face.
Disregarding Doumar, he strode to her and cupped her face, turning it from side to side. His expression turned dark when he asked, “What happened?”
From the corner of her eye, she saw Doumar’s warning look. She shrugged. “Time for a change.”
Bono turned to Doumar with a rigid back. “Why am I here?”
“I called you to do both of you a favor.” He leaned back in his chair. “You want my whore, and she needs money, so you’re going to pay to fuck her.”
The blood drained from her head. “Doumar…”
“Of course, if you don’t want to, I’ll find someone else,” Doumar continued.
A muscle twitched in Bono’s jaw. “How much?”
“Two thousand per hour.” Doumar got to his feet, jerking on Diamond’s leash. “Payment is upfront.”
Taking a credit card from his inside pocket, Bono threw it on Doumar’s desk and said with contempt, “Take as many sessions as you need.”
Doumar’s lips curved into a smile. “Come with me.”
Sky wanted the earth to swallow her, but her only option was to follow in Doumar’s steps, feeling Bono’s gaze burn a hole in the back of her head.