Page 64 of Pushed

“I decide what's fair. Now let me see them.”

Peering at me through slit lids, he rolled his eyes towards the door. Snapping his fingers, he yelled, “Come!”

The door opened slowly and my heart sank inside my chest. Sitting up straight, I curled my fingers into my palms and bared my teeth. “Are you fucking serious?”

Was he fucking insane bringing me these two girls?

No. No fucking way am I paying anything for them.

“Machi, these girls are top of the line, these girls—”

Slamming my fist onto the table, I sliced his words in half. “These girls are underage!”

Holding up his hands, he pushed back in his seat. “Machi, they're exactly what you need. You need girls, I'm giving you that. And they're virgins, do you realize what a virgin could go for?”

Growling under my breath, I snarled, “I don't purchase children, Asshole.” Lurching over the table, I snagged the collar of his jacket, and yanked him to his feet. “And neither will you.”

A quiet gasp fluttered into my ears. Whipping my head up, I eyed the scared teenagers. They were pressed together tightly, hugging each other as if I was angry with them. But I wasn't. They hadn't done anything wrong.

I could tell right away they hadn't come by choice. Bruises and fingertip shaped marks spotted their arms, dirt and debris was strewn in their hair. They looked so innocent, like two injured baby birds who had fallen from their nest and needed help.

What are they? Fourteen, fifteen?

It doesn't matter, they're going back.

I was going to be the help they needed, I was going to make sure they got out of there unharmed.

What I did with my life was wrong, what I would do for my boss was wrong. I knew that and I wouldn't deny it.

But I would never take a child from off the streets, I would never allow the sale of an underage girl to pass through my hands.

The women I took agreed, the women who came to me knew exactly what the hell was going to happen. If they didn't like it, I'd send them on their way before anyone else knew I had them.

But most of them. . . Most of them had nothing else to live for.

They took my offer and accepted it with open arms. Because any roof was better than no roof. Because having a home; even if it meant surrendering to a man they had just met, was better than selling their bodies to a disease-infested jerk-off for a single bump off the knuckle.

I could never promise them protection, I could never honestly tell them that they wouldn't meet the hands of death with their master, and I made that very clear to them. To those women, they had already risked their lives ten times over, what I offered was no different.

But selling a child. . . Not a fucking chance in hell.

The table wobbled as Hans laid across the top, his eyes wide and shocked. “Your boss would want these girls, he'll kill you if you pass this up.”

“What kind of threat is that? We both know he'll kill me when he's done with me anyway. Besides, who said he's ever going to know about this?”

The girls clung to each other, allowing mere trickles of screams and yelps to hit their lips. Their eyes were closed tight as they huddled together, inching closer and closer to the wall.

Flicking my head up, I barked. “You two, go, get the fuck out of here. There's a door in the back, use it.”

They both stared at me with fear and uncertainty resting on their faces. They didn't know me, they couldn't be sure if I was telling the truth or lying through the skin of my teeth.

“Go!” I screamed. “Run, just fucking run and never look back!”

Their small dirty feet stumbled over the floor, tangling around one another. One girl fell to her knees as the other pushed off her, using her body as momentum to move.

Climbing back up, she started to run, but she stopped. Her tender, youthful eyes scanned my face as she swallowed hard. “Thank you.” Whispering, she took off like a wild rabbit, scampering away as fast as she could.

“No!” Hans yelled, trying to twist free from my grip. “Get back here! Get your fucking asses back here!”

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