Page 97 of Ramsay

“Some dick on the upper west side has been stiffing me payment. It’s time to show him who’s boss.”

“How do I factor in?”

“You get him to open the door. Brush your hair, would you? You look like shit,” he growls.

“Fuck off,” I snarl, pulling down the mirror and trying to do damage control.

I’m no stranger to this game because Jagger used to make me do it all the time. I’m curious if Hate has taken over his area, rather than Crush but I know the less I know, the better. I don't want to be sucked into this any further than I already am.

“What did they pay you anyway?” I ask, wincing as I apply mascara with my sore fucking wrist.

“Information,” he says with a sly smile, looking my way.

“Oh?” I ask. This could be good.

“Mm,” he says.

“Fuck! How much?” I ask, rubbing my brow. Whatever it is must be fucking good for Hate to be toying with me like this.

“I’ll let you know. I need to break down some chick who has an agenda. You help.”

“Break down how?”

“Doesn't matter. You get her to go out the back door.”

“Some chick I've never met?” I exclaim, my mind already racing with possibilities.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll give you some blow. She’ll follow the crumbs.”

Shit, do I want to be a party to whatever is going to happen to her once she’s out the door? Once upon a time, I wouldn’t have hesitated, and I call this progress.

Sensing my hesitation, he says, “I’m not going to kill her. I need info, and she has it. I don't beat women, Cherry.”

Right. “Okay, fine.”

Chapter Twenty

Willow

I’m exhausted the following day. Hate took me all over town to act as the front man or woman as it were. My job was to get whatever poor bastard owed money to open the door.

Of course, dicks like that can’t resist a pair of tits and it was easy work compared to what he could have asked of me. Still, I’m fucking tired.

I’m staring into nothing and wishing for a way out of my life when Dixie plops down across from me at lunch. I’ve skipped the food line and settled on a soda in the hopes that the carbonation will settle my roiling stomach.

Meanwhile, I studiously avoid looking at the table where the Sinners are. My crew of freshmen has disappeared, probably because of the bitter cloud following me wherever I go and until Dixie appeared, I was achingly alone.

I grace her with a wan smile as Maeve tentatively sits beside her. Is she unsure of my reception or just unsure?

“I’ll forgive you if you want to get back at my brother,” she says, her green eyes bright with concern.

Chuckling, I shake my head and say, “The first time was painful enough.”

She lowers her gaze and I sigh as Dixie says, “True that. So, what’s the plan?”

She cocks her head to the side, her pretty pink hair cascading over her shoulders.

“Plan?” I ask blankly, taking another sip of my soda.

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