Page 8 of Trig

Vega leans into my face as dramatic as he can be.

“Enjoy yourself in there,” he says.

I remain quiet as Vega backs up and the others clear the path and finally let me through. This little performance was just him throwing his weight around. Big man on campus type shit. Show off if you want, Vega. I’m not here for any of it. I take the short winding trail up to the mansion that has a million tall glass windows. I can see girls in bikinis dancing for a few men inside. I open the front door, step in, and look around for a minute. Two girls immediately approach me.

“Not interested,” I quickly say, looking past them.

“Come on, baby. We can both please you.”

I stare at the tall redhead with her hand on my cock. The brown-haired woman next to her is biting her lip while twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

“I said I’m not interested. Fuck off.”

She releases me, rolls her eyes and they both walk away talking shit.

I take a quick left to where Carmen usually hangs out. I immediately hear his demonic laugh echoing down the hall. It sounds like he’s grinding up bones when he chuckles. I follow the sound until I reach his rec room. A bunch of his boys are scattered outside with several women. A man named Mickey I’ve encountered before sits slouched on a stool next to the door. He quickly notices me and then nods for me to go inside. Once I step in, I see that Carmen has some young white chick in a pink miniskirt up on the pool table. The girl has her legs loosely wrapped around his waist, and one tit is hanging out from her bikini top. His fingertips are grazing her nipple while they stare into each other’s nonexistent souls. For fuck’s sake. Another Mexican girl is topless and hugging him from behind while kissing his neck. I clear my throat to get his attention.

“Trig, I was just thinking about you,” he says, not breaking eye contact with the miniskirt chick.

“Given what you’re doing right now with her, that’s super creepy to hear. Look, I’m here as requested. I did my job. Your car and your weapons will be left exactly where I picked ‘em up, like usual. Now I need to leave. Just wire my shit like normal people do.”

He remains quiet and instead turns to the girl behind him. He strokes her cheek.

“I can’t keep coming to Vegas. It’s dangerous enough to go through any U.S. airports. I’ve done everything you asked me to do up until now. It’s over, right? You have local guys that can do these contracts. This is just punishment. Let’s put this petty shit aside. We’ve all gotten our hands dirty in this process.”

“We have booze, pretty girls, and time is on our side,” he says, smiling at the Mexican girl.

“I don’t think you heard me, Carmen. I got stuff—”

“You have nothing,” he barks out, as he finally turns to look at me. In this light, his eyes look black as night. Fucking demon, I swear. A few seconds pass and he returns his gaze to the frightened girl in front of him. He smiles and then he pulls her into him. He turns toward the girl on the pool table, grips her chin in his other hand, and moves her head to look at me. “Do you like my friend, sweetheart?” The girl nods without hesitation. “Trig, close that door and lock it behind you.”

I briefly close my eyes and tilt my head back. I know what he’s asking. He grabs his beer off the pool table and takes a swig. He’s now looking back and forth at both of us. I make a stand.

“This is not my type of party. I’m out,” I say, as I start to leave.

“I said close the fucking door,” he yells.

I swing around.

“I’m not doing this. I’m not taking part in whatever sick shit this is.” My tone is clear.

“Oh, you are and you will, because if you don’t, my cousin in Fiji will take that gorgeous little daughter you have, and it’ll be tonight. He’ll groom and train her for the next couple of years to be the best little slut money can buy. There will be so many drugs pumped into her that if you ever accidentally find or meet her; you won’t even recognize her. When she’s ready, her going bid on the black market will be high. Trig, do you know how much young pretty virgins are worth nowadays? Do you? It’s lucrative. I’ll say that.”

I step forward, anger coursing through my veins, ready to snap his neck. He grins at me.

“Don’t even think about it. As you may have noticed, I have many men strapped with heat just outside this door and I have cameras everywhere. Eyes have been on you since you walked in. If you want to bring fists to a gunfight, you’re welcome to, but you won’t make it out of here alive.”

I don’t look up because I already know two cameras are in this room. I spotted them last time I was here. I stop in my tracks, breathing hard, filled with rage. I want to paint the walls of this room with his blood. I remind myself that this is a chess game, and strategy wins over everything. His death must take place at the right time for my family’s survival. He continues talking and I’m shaking in anger, one step away from biting off his face.

“Those men outside will rush in, fill you with lead, find, rape, and maybe even kill your woman, Nine, and then steal and prostitute Mya. If that isn’t clear enough to you, maybe this is. I have a really nice picture of little Mya from today. Right here on my phone.” He holds up his phone to show me. I shake my head and look away. I can hear the grin in his voice. “If you’re a smart man, as I know you are, you’ll calm down and play the game. It’s simple. Play by the rules and after this; you are more than welcome to go home. You’re done here. I’ll never ask you to come back to Vegas after today. All you have to do is close that door.”

I beat down all my instincts and swallow my pride as I walk over and shut that fucking door.

“Good boy, Trig.” He stares at the white girl. “Go ahead, baby. Show daddy what I like,” he urges, while pushing her toward me.

She comes over and rubs my chest while my arms stay stuck at my sides in an attempt to rebel. I’m still throwing eye-daggers into Carmen while he stands there smiling like a creepy kid in a horror movie. He’s started a game within games and he loves it. This is what gets him the fuck off. Tapping into your fears. He’ll box you in and watch you attempt to claw your way out. He eyes me as I struggle with the small remnant of morals I have left. Once again, I look off to the side, lost in my thoughts. I may just get to leave here with no consequences. It’ll be done, but if Nine ever finds out about this, what do I say to her? Hey babe, I fucked Carmen’s play toy for the sake of our family. No. I can’t do this, but on the flip side, if I don’t follow through with this, Nine becomes his bitch and Mya becomes a statistic in a sex ring. The woman now in front of me grabs my dick and starts to massage it outside my pants. I look at her, realizing she can’t be but maybe twenty-one.

“You don’t have to do this,” I grunt out.

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