The text message gives directions to a motel along with the room number. It looks seedy as fuck from the outside. I peer around through the windshield and my gun sitting on the passenger seat of Niki’s Porshe makes me feel slightly better. There’s a neon sign saying rooms available glowing. Taking a deep breath, I check my cellphone for the room number again.
0914.
My eyes scan it one more time and commit it to memory before letting Carla know I’m here. The phone buzzes back immediately.
Jumping in the shower, doors open.
*Grabbing the gun, I get out and check my surroundings one more. The parking lot has a bunch of cars but its otherwise quiet. There’s a diner across the street and people are out in the parking lot there.
Walking on the bottom floor of the motel, I try to find my way to the right door. My eyesight feels poor or maybe it’s the dim ass outside lights.
I need to get Carla in a better spot, I sigh to myself. She shouldn’t have come back here.
Moments later I find the room, the door glares at me painted an angry red. Wiggling the doorknob, the door pops open. I glance inside and hear the water from the shower going.
“Carla?” Smells from the motel room hit my nose, musky mildew come to mind.
Its dark in the room and there’s a shape on the bed, but I figure it must be blankets.
“Carla…”
The motel door slams shut behind me, and I jump out of my skin. Twisting around to see what happened I come face to face with a man.
“Remember me bitch?” he sneers.
Instinctively, my hands go to my neck.
I remember him.
Mateo Dias is a nightmare made flesh. He has what seems to be even more tattoos dotting along his skin from what I can see in the dim light. My stomach is twisting, and I want to go for my gun.
I want to yell.
I want to scream.
“What’s wrong, cat got your tongue, bitch?”
My voice finally finds itself, “Where’s Carla?”
He smiles. “You mean my baby mama?”
I have to be hearing shit. “What?”
He smirks and moves over to the light switch and light floods into the room.
“You asked for me, lover?” A voice from behind me sends a shiver down my spine and I feel sick.
Carla.
I want to be confused and clueless but the fact is, I’m neither of those things.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
She comes over and kisses Mateo on the mouth, its deep and long. I want to wretch.
“He’s the father of your child? What about Anthony?”
Carla lets out a cruel laugh. “Anthony was just a place holder for Mateo. Bitch rent is astronomical. I hope you didn’t think stripping was paying all the bills.”