Page 17 of Hawk
Chapter 6
Stella
Ipulled on a pairof jeans, tucked a knife into the pocket, slipped my gun into the waistband, and pulled on a clean T-shirt. This wasn’t a social meeting, so there was no need for me to paint my face with the makeup I wore to work every night. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and twisted it onto a messy bun on top of my head as I slipped a pair of tennis shoes onto my feet.
Zeus watched from the bed as I inspected my appearance in the mirror. “I guess I look better than the last time he saw me,” I remarked, and Zeus offered a small grunt as he rested his head on the blanket.
Vanity wasn’t something I suffered from, and I didn’t like random men’s attention. My business required me to smile and flirt, even though I wasn’t very good at it. If it meant I made more money, I’d smile to your face and roll my eyes when I turned away. Being friendly for business was different than looking for a hook-up, not that I wanted one of those either. Since I was rescued from the hell I’d been imprisoned in, I’d stayed away from men and all the crap they bring with them.
If I needed to get off, there were toys for that, and they did the job just fine.
Sitting at the table with a fresh cup of coffee, I pulled out the vape pen I used on occasion and took a deep draw from it, needing the numbing effects to stave off the memories of my past. They were threatening to push through the cracks in my armor, and the last thing I needed was the man who saved me to see me a worthless mess.
I would never be a victim again, and I refused to let anyone see me as anything other than a strong woman who forged her own path. As I sat in my small kitchen with my faithful companion by my side, I let my guard down and allowed the memories from all those years ago to overtake me, threatening to drown me in the pain.
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2005 - age 19
“IDON’T KNOW WHY YOUwant to get a job,” Alyona said as she watched me put the finishing touches on my makeup. I tried not to roll my eyes as she reasoned, “We get the stipend each month, so why work?”
Inspecting myself one more time in the bathroom mirror, I turned to look at her. “Because I want to make it on my own. Halina deserves more than this rundown house they rented for us, and I want her to be independent.”
“Jesus, you really are a bleeding heart,” she remarked with a bitter tone in her voice.
Alyona and I were reluctant roommates, and she never wasted an opportunity to get a personal dig in on me. Her hatred for me and my five-year-old daughter, Halina, was clear to anyone who met her, and for the life of me, I don’t know why they housed us together.
She and I were both rescued eighteen months ago from one of the whorehouses run by Adrik and his family. I was spared the worst of the situation, but Alyona had been put to work shortly after she arrived. Adrik claimed me as his possession and insisted I take care of our daughter while he ‘worked’. I knew that meant he was bedding the women in the house and as long as they kept him satisfied, he rarely touched me.
Remembering when Alyona first arrived, I was sure she was going to take my place at Adrik’s side, but when she was placed in ‘service’, she went ballistic, yelling something in Russian that I didn’t understand. Adrik backhanded her and yelled something back, causing her to cry uncontrollably for days.
When the feds raided the house, Adrik used an underground tunnel to escape, and in that moment, Halina and I were freed. They offered us housing and a monthly check to help us get on our feet, but when they housed me with Alyona, I almost wished to be back with Adrik.
She was cruel with her words and acted like she was better than me, but she never justified her reasons and I never bothered to ask. If I could get this job, maybe I could afford to get Halina and I our own place. Anything would be better than living with someone who openly hated me.
She’d come home last week and, in passing, mentioned a ‘help wanted’ sign at a local restaurant. I’d never waited tables, but I was used to serving drinks to people from my time with Adrik, so when I applied for the job, she increased her negativity.
I took one last look at myself in the mirror then turned to her and saw she had a smile on her face. It was rare she seemed happy, and I hoped it was the thought of her having the place to herself that was making her almost gleeful.
“Are you sure you don’t mind watching Halina for a few hours? I can get Ms. Johnson next door to keep an eye on her.”
