“I’ll get you more cash, just give me more time.”
My legs tensed, and I itched to sprint out the back door. But I was experienced enough to knowthat theycould sink a bullet in my leg before I reached the door. The inevitable was about to occur. Numbness crawled up my skin.
“Give me another day,” I tried again, but I couldn’t force much emotion behind it.
“Times up.”
Chapter 13
Rayraised a finger.“But there is an alternative.”
I already knew I wouldn’t like this alternative.
They continued moving forward, and I continued moving back. But I was running out of room, and soon my back was pressed against the unevendrywall.
Ray stepped forward despite my gun stillaimedat him. The gun was only a few inchesfrom his chest, but he ignored it and ranafinger down my stomach. I pressed further into the wall, androughbumpsdug into my skin.
“There is another way for you to earn that money back,” he said.
Fear threatened to close my vision down, but I shoved it back into that corner of mind.
“I have someone who’ll give me the money,” I said.
He ignored that. There were no magic words to get me out of this scenario. My fate had been decided the second they’d knocked on this door. His hand tapped on my hip. If I could’ve flinched away I would’ve, but there was nowhere to go. The remaining men were closing in on my sides.
“There are certainwaysthat you could pay your debt back… I’m sure you know what I mean,” he said.
Unfortunately, I knew exactly what he meant. I’d been too stupid to do my research before I’d accepted the money. But as the threats had gotten harsher, I’d looked into exactly who I’d made a deal with. Some people who didn’t pay their debts were tortured and killed. For others, the loan sharks took their anger out on the debtor’s family members. But for some… I almost shuddered when I thought of the images I’d seen. Women beaten black and blue, forced to offer their services on the street. Barely making enough money each day to make a dent with the insane interest working against them. The unlucky ones became addicts to escape from their reality, pushing them further into debt. I thought back to the expressions of the women I’d seen and suppressed a shudder.
“Well?” he said, his fingers tapping on my hip again.
I shook my head. “I’ll get you more money, I promise.”
“I know you will, one way or the other. You have 24 hours to get me ten grand. If you don’t, you’ll start paying back your debt onourterms.”
My stomach knotted as those women’s faces sprang to my mind.
“But first, a reminder of what happens to people who are late with their payments,” he said.
Rayheld out a hand for my gun. I knew that if I handed it to him, there was no way I could fight back against what was about to happen. But even if I used my gun, it wouldn’t stop what was about to occur. I couldn’t take this many men down on my own.
“Please,” I said, my voice quiet.“Don’t touch me… like that.”
He nodded, and the knot in my stomach relaxed. He was an asshole, but he was also always true to his word.
I released my grip on the gun, and he placed it in his too tight waistband.
He continued holding his hand out. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a knife. I dropped it in his hand hoping it accidentally impaled him.
Raynodded towards the men surrounding me.“No bruises chest and up.”
Then he was gone. The punches came from all directions.I didn’t fight back, I just let the waves of pain wash over me. Soon, I was on the floor, andtheykicked me further into the room. I tried to focus on the cold of the plywood digging in my spine, and ignore muddy bootssmashinginto every inch of my body.
A kick hit me in the fleshy part of my stomach, and I tried to curl up in a ball. Callused hands dragged my arms away, so my stomach was again exposed to their kicks.
This would pass. This wasn’t my first time taking a hit. I could handle it.
Finally, the waves of kicks subsided, and the men stepped back. Ray approached me and kneeledonto the floor. He grabbed my jaw and forced me to look up at him. I stayed still while he swiveled my face side to side. Then his eyes lowered, and he nodded.
