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  I grab my throat and cough, gasping for air. God, that was on the edge.

  The figure turns around and leaves, disappearing through a door I didn’t even know existed.

  I wonder what that was about … I could still feel his hand around my neck, claiming my skin as if it were already his to begin with.

  For some reason, my whole body shakes from the encounter, but I brush it off. I’m not supposed to think about this at all. Clients are … clients. Nothing more.

  But then why can’t I get his image out of my head?

  I frown as I push myself to walk to the door. I have to get the fuck out of here.

  My hand reaches for the creaked open door, and I step outside. I look around as I step forward into the hallway, checking my surroundings as I pass the staircase.

  “Are you going already?”

  “Jesus, fuck!”

  The old man’s voice makes me jolt up and turn around. He’s right there, behind the door, closing it again.

  He chuckles. “You don’t have to be scared.”

  “I’m not scared,” I say, shaking it off. “I don’t fucking get scared.” I clear my throat. “And yes, I’m going. I did my job.”

  “Hmm …” He walks toward me. “Well, I didn’t hear him say stop, but he did tell me to pay you, so here.” He pushes a check into my hand.

  “Gee, thanks,” I say.

  He smiles. “You’re welcome. You know, it’s not every day that he takes a liking toward a girl.”

  “Liking?” I raise a brow.

  “He asked for your name, didn’t he?”

  I’m flabbergasted. My lips part, but I have no idea what to say to this old dude.

  “Yes … he also grabbed my throat,” I say after a few seconds.

  The old man’s smile gives me the creeps. “He likes you, and it’s the only reason you’re still able to walk away.”

  My eyes widen, and my cheeks turn red. Why would he say something like that? Not that I care. I don’t have time for this shit, so I turn around and walk away. “All right, I’ll show myself out now.”

  “You should’ve listened when I told you the rules,” he says behind my back.

  I pause. A chill runs up and down my spine.

  I knew something was off when he never told me to stop.

  I looked at him.

  I fucking looked.

  He could’ve killed me … but I’m still alive.

  Swallowing away the lump in my throat, I shake it off and keep walking, determined not to ever make the same mistake again.

  Chapter 2

  Alexis

  I show Deangelo the check, and he bursts out into a squealing laugh. “Fuck, yes!” He grabs my face and kisses my cheek. “Baby, you’re so good at this shit.”

  “I know. That’s why you wanted me on this job.”

  “God, I fucking love ya, y’know?” he says, smelling the check I hold in my hand.

  I smile. “Nah, you just love the money.”

  “Damn right, I do.” He takes another whiff. “Whatever he made you do, it was worth it.”

  I nod but decide not to respond. I don’t know why, but I don’t want to tell him what really went down. Instead, I stick to the usual. “Ah, you know, I stripped, I danced, he came. End of story.”

  He muffles another laugh. “Well, you did good.” He pushes the check into the palm of my hand and closes my fingers around it. “Keep it.”

  “What? The entire thing?”

  “Yeah.” He winks. “You’ve earned it.”

  “Oh, my God …” I throw myself at him and wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him tight. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

  He pats my back. “No, thank you for being my best girl.”

  “No, I mean it. Thank you. I mean this is like an entire week’s pay,” I say as I lean back.

  “Yeah, but you need it.” He shrugs. “Besides, I still have the other check, so I’m good.”

  He takes a cigarette from his pocket and lights it, still partially grinning. “And ya know what? Tomorrow, Imma take you and your sis out to dinner. And before you say anything, it’s not a date. We’ll go as friends. I just like to do something good for my girls every once in a while. How’s that sound?”

  “Aw, you don’t have to do that.”

  “No, but I’m gonna.” He grabs my knee and squeezes. “We’ve got something to celebrate.”

  “Right. The job was successful. We cashed in good.” I give him a fake smile. Not because I’m not happy, but because celebrating something like this feels weird.

  “Ready to go home?” Deangelo asks.

  “Yeah. I’m so ready.” I sigh.

  He doesn’t even know how ready I am.

  Ready to forget it all.

  But I don’t think that’ll happen for a long time.

  ***

  When I get home, the lights are already off, so I don’t turn them back on.

  I throw my bag and keys on the single nightstand at the door and walk past the clothes scattered on the floor to the fridge. There’s not much left, and my stomach is growling, but when I think of all the money I earned tonight, I know we’ll have something good to eat tomorrow. Smiling, I grab a bottle of juice and chug it back. It won’t fill me up, but it’ll make it easier to sleep.

  I throw it in the trash and put some of the dirty dishes in the sink, letting the water pour over them. When I’m done, I turn around and take a breather. Every time I look around our room, which is nothing more than a bedroom used as an entire house, I feel grateful.

  Grateful we have a roof over our head now and we sleep under a warm blanket.

  I smile when I see Alisha lying facedown on her pillow on the bottom bunk bed. She looks so peaceful, as if she doesn’t have a care in the world, which is exactly how it should be.

  Kneeling next to her, I pet her softly, and she turns her head closer to my hand. Her eyes are still closed as I whisper to her. “Sleep tight, sis. Tomorrow’s gonna be a good day.”

  I peck her on the cheek and pet her until she sighs. Then I undress, put my jammies on, and climb up to the top bed.

  “You’re home …” Her voice cracks in the night.

  “Shhh … go to sleep,” I murmur as I lay down and wrap myself in my blanket.

  “I missed you …”

  I smile as I look up at the ceiling. “Missed you too.”

  “Love you …” A snore cuts off her words, and I muffle a laugh.

  This. This is why I do it. The reason I sell my body. Why I dance for men I don’t even know.

  I do it for her … Family.

  The only one I have left.

  And I’ll fight till the end to keep her safe and hidden.

  ***

  Morning

  Yawning and completely wiped, I sit at the table as Alisha prepares a bowl of cereal for us. While I bob my head in fatigue, she puts the bowl in front of me, waking me up again.

  “Enjoy!”

  As I grab the spoon and she sits down, I notice her bowl doesn’t have any milk in it, but mine does.

  “Milk?” I mutter, pointing at her breakfast.

  “We’re out.” She shrugs. “But I like them just as much this way.” She picks up a spoonful and takes a crunchy bite with a big smile on her face.

  I swallow, appreciating the gesture, and say, “I’ll get more today. Promise.”

  “Nah, let me. You’ve done enough.”

  I slowly chew on my food. “But you don’t have …” I narrow my eyes as she rummages in her pocket and takes out a small piece of paper, waving it in front of me. “Thief.”

  “I didn’t steal it. I found it on the table.”

  “Because it fell from my purse,” I say.

  “Whatever. Finders keepers.”

  Lunging, I try to snatch it away, but she jumps up quickly to avoid my grasp. “Give it back.”

  “Nu-uh. Not until you tell me how you got this much money.”

  I frown, sighing. “A job. Now, gi
ve it back.” I hold out my hand.

  “What job? Picking up trash? Selling crack?”

  “No … Really? Do you really want me to spell it out for you?”

  “Yeah.” She folds her arms. “I want to know exactly what you’ve been up to. You’ve been disappearing lately, like too long and too much. I don’t trust it.”

  “I come home with money. Isn’t that enough?”

  She points at my bowl. “Eat.”

  Reluctantly, I take another bite.

  “And no, I don’t care about the money. I care about your safety.”

  “I appreciate the sentiment,” I say, swallowing, “but without money, there’s no roof or food either, so we need this.”

  She sighs and places her hands on the table. “There’s got to be another way.”

  “There isn’t.”

  She folds her arms. “So you’ll just keep selling your body? How long do you expect me to accept that?”

  “For as long as needed.”

  She glowers, and then she turns around, storms to her bed, and grabs a few papers. She stomps back and spreads them out in front of me. “Look. Here’s something else.” She points at an article. “He’s looking for a cashier.”

  “A cashier?” I say with half a spoon full of cereal. “You expect me to become a cashier?”

  She raises a brow. “Why not?”

  I laugh. “You’re kidding, right? I mean have you seen me?” I gesture up and down my body. “I’m like a walking sex bomb. Nobody wants to hire me for a serious job.”

  “You haven’t even tried.”

  I point at her bowl now. “Eat.”

  But she keeps glaring at me with this judgmental look, so I add, “Sit and eat your breakfast, young lady.”

  After a few seconds, she says, “Young lady?” And then she bursts into laughter.

  Her smile is so infectious that I can’t help but laugh with her.

  “Oh God, that was horrible,” she muses.

  “Yeah, I know, but I had to say something. You’re getting way too sassy here.”

  “I’m not your little sister anymore, Lex. I’m a grown woman.”

  “You’re still two years behind me,” I say pointing the spoon at her. “And since I’m the oldest, I get to make the calls.”

  “What?” She scowls. “No fair.”

  “Boohoo, life isn’t fair.”

  She snarls at me, and as I put a spoon of cereal in my mouth, she throws some cereal at my face. I narrow my eyes at her. “You didn’t …”

  “Oh, yeah, I just did.”

  So I pick up a spoon full of milk and cereal, lifting it up like a catapult. Her eyes widen, but it’s too late. The shot’s already fired.

  She shrieks and then growls. “Lex!”

  I laugh. “That’s what you get for taking the piss.”

  We keep throwing shit back and forth until half our food is gone, but I don’t care. We had fun, and that’s worth much more to me than breakfast could ever be. Although, I barely managed to save the check in time before it got wet.

  When we finish cleaning up, we lie down on the bottom bunk bed together and stare at the top in silence. After a while, she breaks the ice.

  “If you’re going to keep selling your body so we have food, then I’m going to keep stealing so we have a roof over our head.”

  I lean up on my elbows. “No, Alisha, you can’t.”

  “I can’t let you do all the work.”

  “This is different.”

  “How?” She frowns at me. “It’s both illegal. And dangerous.”

  I take a deep breath. “Because … you could get caught.”

  “Oh, and you can’t?”

  “I have … protection.”

  “Condoms only protect your pussy, not your fucking life.”

  “I mean Deangelo,” I say.

  She rolls her eyes. “Right, your pimp.”

  “He’s a good guy, Alisha.” I sigh.

  “You say that, but he still uses you for profit, Lex. You can’t just ignore that.”

  “I’m not, but he’s in the same situation as we are.”

  “But you’re doing all the work. It’s not fair.” She taps the wood with her fingers.

  “He gets the clients, I do them. We’ve divided the work, so he does his share too.”

  “You just keep making excuses.”

  “Well, what do you expect me to do? I can’t just do something else. It doesn’t work that way.”

  The tapping stops. “Then I’m going to continue stealing.”

  “No.” I grab her chin so she’ll look at me. “Alisha. Please … don’t do it.”

  Her eyes get glossy, and that’s when I notice where her eyes are looking. At my neck. “But I can’t let you go through that … not again.”

  Immediately, I grab my neck, realizing there’s probably a mark. His hand. Etched into my skin just like his voice when he asked for my name. The figure behind the curtain … Just the thought of him makes me shiver.

  “Don’t think you can hide it from me. It’s already too late for that,” Alisha says. “The guy you were with last night … he hurt you, didn’t he?”

  I slam my lips together and turn the other way.

  “Tell me, Lex,” she says. “Why won’t you tell me?”

  “Because I want you to be safe.”

  “It wasn’t your pimp, was it?”

  “No,” I say looking over my shoulder. “It wasn’t him.”

  “Then it was your client … he touched you.”

  I grab my vest and wrap it tighter around me. “Men touch me every day. I’ve gotten used to it.”

  “Not like this.” She grabs my arm, but I get up.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Why not?” She sits up on the bed. “I’m not afraid of your pain, Lex. You want to hide what you do, always faking your smiles and telling me everything’s okay, but I can see the cracks, Lex. You keep it all inside you, but you gotta let it out, Lex. I can take it.”

  She stands behind me and wraps her arms around me, resting her head on my back. “I love my sis. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  Tears well up in my eyes, but I push them away. Instead, I cover her hand with mine. “I won’t get hurt. I’m not going back to that man. Ever.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  “Even if he offers you twenty more checks like the one I saw?”

  “Even if he offered me all the money in the world, I still wouldn’t take it.”

  I can feel her smile. “Good. Because I need you, okay? And that mark looks damn fucking scary. Too scary. I don’t want to lose you. Not to anyone, you hear me?”

  I nod. “You won’t lose me, I promise.”

  She squeezes my hand, and I squeeze back. We stay there, standing in the middle of our shoddy apartment, not giving a damn about the world. The world is nothing, not without her. We need each other more than we need anything … and if I had to, I would even sacrifice my life if it meant saving hers. That’s how much I love her. And I bet she’d do the exact same thing for me.

  ***

  Evening

  We’re eating dinner at the table with Deangelo, laughing and drinking wine. It’s a good night out, one of the few I ever have, so I cherish it. Especially when Alisha can come along. It’s not often that I see her at night, although she seems a little distant. Even when I make jokes, she won’t laugh, but I won’t say anything. I don’t want to upset her any more than I already did.

  “So you bought anything good yet?” Deangelo asks.

  “Just some groceries, but nothing special,” I say.

  “Aw, why not? You should go celebrate, baby! Get something special for yaself.” He takes a bite of his steak.

  “Yeah … maybe later,” I say, and I look over at Alisha, who’s holding her fork but not putting anything in her mouth. “Something wrong? Feel sick?”

  “Nah.” She picks up her knife and starts cutting her fish f
ilet. “I’m just not that hungry.”

  “Oh, well, it’s okay. Just eat whatever you can. Is it good?” I take a sip of my wine.

  “Yeah.” The left side of her lip briefly quirks up into a smile. “Haven’t had something this good in a while.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourselves, ladies,” Deangelo says.

  “Thanks,” I say.

  “Yeah, thanks for inviting me along too,” Alisha says.

  “No problem. I really want you to know I’m here for ya. Okay? I’m not just some pimp; I’m also your caretaker.”

  “Got it,” I say, taking a bite, but Alisha frowns without saying a word.

  “So with that in mind”—Deangelo wipes his mouth—“I have something for you.”

  “Really? What?” I say.

  “The money you got from that last job won’t last you forever. So I got another job for ya.”

  “Another client?”

  He winks. “Yeah.”

  Alisha suddenly scoots back her chair and jolts up.

  We both look at her. “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “You can’t do this, Alexis.”

  “Why not? Your sister can do whatever she wants,” Deangelo muses.

  “No,” she growls, looking at me. “You promised me.”

  “No, I promised something different, and you know that.”

  “He hurt you!”

  “What?” Deangelo interjects.

  I immediately hide the mark behind my hair. “Oh, nothing.”

  “Don’t lie,” Alisha says, making a fist. “He has to pay for that. I don’t care if you got money, you don’t do that to someone.”

  “It’s not like that,” I say. “He didn’t mean to hurt me.”

  “Yeah, how do you know?”

  When I part my lips, nothing comes out. I don’t know how to respond. I just … know, somehow, yet I can’t explain it, which is why I don’t say the words. It would sound stupid anyway.

  But what Alisha says next has my heart racing. “I rest my case. If you’re not going to make him pay, then I will, one way or another.”

  Deangelo raises his hands and leans back in his chair. “Wow. Now, hold on, little lady.”