Page 11 of Run From Me

The warmth of her body was really starting to register, and I was starting to question my self-control.

“Yeah. The empty tampon box I hide the dollars in. Someday I will escape. Someday I will find someone to save me.”

I shifted, biting back the desire that wanted to push me to claim this damsel in distress. No, more like a woman who was sneaky and conniving, and the snake pit didn’t seem to understand who they invited in.

Still, I needed to clear up exactly what she could expect from me. This time it was my turn to whisper in her ear.

“Sparky, I am no one’s hero.”

And with that, I backed away and out toward the door.

“Hurry up. We need to go.”

I grabbed my wallet and tossed all the dollar bills I had on her bed. Because why not donate to the cause? The cause that would win her her freedom. If only she knew there was never freedom.

“Pretty sure this is just paying it forward for the week,” I said before turning around to see her standing in the doorway, watching me.

I hated that I had every intention of stopping Ripple from touching her ever. I shouldn’t be throwing a forest at this damn fire brewing in our little fucked up corner of hell. I shouldn’t want to destroy whatever peace was still happening among the crews in the area, all because of a woman.

I hated it, but when she smiled at me, and not the dangerous smile of a cat catching a mouse but a flash of someone buried deep inside her, I wanted to burn this world down to give her heaven.

“Thanks. I’ll make sure to send you a change of address card.”

I opened my mouth and shut it. I didn’t need to voice the intrusive thought that said the only change of address I was allowing her was to wherever I was.

FOUR

calliope

There was silence,and then there was a silence-filled car accompanied by me having a death glare on the man in the car.

He’d given me a whole pile of ones. It could have been ten dollars or a hundred. It was more than I’d seen in a while. My allowance, if that’s what it was called these days, was pathetic. The Vipers expected more and more from me. I’d never been told how much my mother had sold me for, or rather how much she owed to them in drug money, but I’m certain it had been paid off long ago.

Fucking assholes. Couldn’t make a living honestly. Just through drugs and extortion. And I was damn tired of it. I wanted something different. I craved it. And I’d just about lost my mind if I was sitting right here, right now.

The Vipers were assholes, and the Spectors had a reputation far worse. Except me?

I was all about throwing myself into the clutches of the leader himself. Or, rather, one of them. I didn’t get the whole gang hierarchy. I didn’t want to know. But the way he held himself like nothing could touch him?

Maybe it was a death glare, or maybe I was just studying the guy. There was a scar behind his ear. Another peeking out from his collar. Under that jacket, I wondered how many more decorated his skin.

“Take a picture if you need something while you rub your pussy, Sparky.”

My fingers ached as I wrapped my hands into the small bag with a set of scrubs, just in case someone died and I had to care.

God, did I want to get under this guy’s skin.

“Fuck off. You aren’t that good looking.”

I turned and watched the streetlights go by as we drove down the roads into Spector territory. Why did going from Viper to Spector seem like a breath of fresh air? I needed to afford a better therapist, that was for sure.

Dollars aside, I had far too many minutes to replay that entire conversation.

Who the hell did he think he was?

I’d let him see inside me. I’d at least attempted to tell him something. It wasn’t like I’d asked for help. I didn’t think there was anything on this earth that could get me to actually ask for that. But hell. I’d let him in my apartment. Willingly. And all he said was he wasn’t my hero. Did I ask?

“I can practically hear you plotting my death over there. What’s going on?”

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