Page 5 of No Way Forward

Novette eyed Cee-Cee. She wore a dress cut so low in the front it was a surprise her boobs hadn’t already fallen out. “Where at? A strip club?”

The girl rolled her eyes. “No, but I have to dress up if I want to get the job.”

“Dress up?” Novette snorted in amusement. “Cee-Cee, if you dressed down any more you’d be naked. And no, I’m not babysitting for you. You never paid me the last time.”

“I did to.”

“You didn’t, and I don’t have time for your mess. I need to be in to work this morning.”

Cee-Cee sucked her teeth. “Y’all don’t have any customers until lunch time anyway. Your boss won’t miss you. Come on. Do this for me.”

“Pay me for last time.”

Cee-Cee stomped a foot and then yelped because she burned her scalp. Groaning, she turned away. “Okay, fine. Come and get three dollars. I’ll have to owe you for the rest. That’s why I’m trying to get this job.”

“You mean you’re trying to seduce the interviewer. What if it’s a woman?”

“Then I hope she’s gay!”

Novette shut her front door, checked that the hall was empty, although she couldn’t see much of the second floor because a light was out. She followed Cee-Cee into her apartment. The breakfast still on the table called to her, but she would eat it cold when she got back. Even if Cee-Cee did give her the money, she wouldn’t babysit.

A minute after getting the money from her neighbor, Novette escaped back to her apartment without committing to anything. She grumbled to herself about the taste of cold eggs and the need to find somewhere better to live.

“I sure can’t do it on three dollars. God, my life though.”

She slammed her door and locked it. When she turned back to her breakfast she froze. The plate was empty. She couldn’t have eaten it all, not with her belly rumbling the way it was. Okay, sure, she hadn’t had much in the fridge for days, but she never went to bed hungry. Her superpower of stretching a dollar beyond all reason could attest to that.

A muddy scuffmark on the cracked linoleum brought bile to her throat. She licked her lips and turned around to grab the bat again. Too late, a shadow streaked across the room, and she recalled the other enclosed place in the apartment other than the bathroom—the closet.

A thick arm came around her middle, and she was hauled off her feet and slammed against a male chest. She kicked backward and heard him cry out. Reaching over her head, she got a hold of his hair and ripped a chunk from his scalp. He yelled. A huge palm slammed against her cheek. Stars danced before her eyes, but she resisted fainting.

“Get your hands off me,” she rasped.

He clutched her tighter. For a minute, she forgot all her training and visions of this disgusting beast doing whatever he chose to do to her in her own apartment ran through her mind. No way. She would fight even if it killed her.

The man pressed a hand over her mouth. She bit the living crap out of him, drawing blood. He swore.

“She’s a wild animal,” he snapped. “Help me!”

Novette’s stomach turned. There was more than one of them. She reached behind her hips and tried her best to castrate her attacker. The hold loosened, and she dropped to one knee. Adrenaline had her up

on her bare feet, and she jetted to the door, flung it wide and jumped down a flight of stairs.

Chapter 3

Novette raced down the stairs to the first floor of her building. She flung herself out on the front walk, thinking no one should ever run barefoot around that neighborhood. Not unless they wanted to risk cutting their feet to pieces or worse.

She started for the parking lot, noticing a car just pulling into the lot. Heavy steps sounded behind her. One of her attackers grabbed her from behind. At the same time, two more men climbed out of another car.

Her head snapped back when the man behind her pulled her hair. He growled in her ear. “That’s just the start of your pain for what you did to me.”

She screamed. Tears filled her eyes, cutting off her vision. Someone else shouted, but she couldn’t make out what they said. Blood roared in her ears. She jabbed two fingers toward the face of the man holding her, but he was ready this time. He lowered his head, and her fingers jammed into his hard forehead. More pain.

He twisted one of her arms behind her, and she grew weak. Someone rushed up to them. “I said get your hands off her.”

A thwack and she fell to the ground. Strong hands lifted her immediately. She tried to fight, but her muscles refused to obey.

“Novette, are you okay?”

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