Page 91 of Alik

“I don’t think you understand,” he whispers. “Youoweme. I don’t help you. You do what I say when I say until I decide I don’t want your used up pussy anymore. This isn’t going to be like the old days, bitch.”

He pulls a baggy from his back pocket and holds it up for me. The needle shifts when he waves it. “This is your gift when I finish in your mouth.”

He goes to stand but pauses when I speak.

“I don’t use anymore.” I drag my eyes away from the needle, my skin itching.

I don’t want it. I genuinely don’t want it. My ‘evil twin,’ as Alik calls her, doesn’t agree with drugs, and I mean it when I say I’ll do anything to get her out of my life. I’ll scratch my fucking skin away before sticking that needle in my arm.

“Oh,” Creeper says, sounding unbothered. When he opens the baggy, I move my gaze to him, my brow furrowing. “Well then, I guess this is yours now.”

My eyes widen, but it’s too late to get away by the time I realize what he plans to do.

He shoves me onto my back when I try to scramble then presses my wrists above my head while straddling me.

“No!” I scream, whipping my head side to side. I lift up to look at the main road, but the cars are just specks in the distance. Even if anyone sees us, no one knows what’s happening. No one is calling for help.

“Creeper, please,” I beg, this time for real as he pinches the needle between his teeth and prepares the heroin. “Please, don’t do this. I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Creeper!” I sob when he continues to ignore me. “Creeper,please!”

He uses the needle to suck up the heroin then flicks out the bubbles. I slam my head onto the gravel out of pure frustration while sobs wrack my body, but when he puts the needle to the vein on my arm, my crying ceases.

I can feel resolve entering my body as the fight exits. The begging is useless. He doesn’t care.

I just have one last move to play.

“Do it after,” I whisper, my eyes clenched shut. “Drugged up whores aren’t as good unless you’re also high. You told me that yourself. And you can’t get high out here.”

The needle doesn’t break my skin.

“What do you get out of it?” he asks skeptically.

“I just need some time to accept it.”

A couple seconds pass, but I know I’ve got him when he doesn’t laugh at my attempt or press the needle in. When it leaves my skin, I arch my chin but hold in the sigh of relief my lungs beg to expel.

Creeper drags me up by my arm and around the Explorer to offer more privacy. Without missing a beat, he pulls himself from his blue sweats and brings my mouth to his rancid junk.

I close my eyes and try not to gag. Try not to remember the times I did this willingly with this man. I don’t know how I was ever attracted to him. I don’t know how I was ever attracted to anyone before Alik.

Alik.

What would he think if I went missing? Would he know it wasn’t by choice? Would he know I didn’t leave him?

Would he kill Creeper?

Would Iwanthim to?

Yes, he would do it. I’m confident. Alik is a killer, and he’s killed for me once before.

But no … I wouldn’t want him to. Creeper is associated with the Irish mob. Killing one of them has consequences. I’m not prepared to risk Alik. I can’t have him paying for Creeper’s death.

Besides, Alik has done enough for me. Creeper isn’t his problem. He’s mine.

Opening my eyes, I look up at Creeper and take him in my mouth. My stomach lurches at the taste and smell, but I try toignore it as I wrap one hand around his shaft while taking as much of him as I can in.

When he grunts, I know he’s distracted. I swipe up gravel in my free hand and bob my head a few more times until his grip in my hair relaxes.

---