This is my comeuppance for coming here. Only, he passes by the stairs and leads us outside.
The fresh air hits me and wakes me out of the terror filled haze. I yank my hand back, feeling braver than moments ago.
“You aren’t taking me anywhere,” I snap, stopping halfway down the front path. Two Rottweilers are barking, restrained by their leashes tied to the wire fence around the house.
“I’m putting you in a cab, if one will come by here at this time of night.”
“A cab?”
My voice is small and full of disbelief. Is this a trick of some sort?
“Yeah, you know, a bright yellow car that you pay to use. I thought you rich girls were smart at your fancy schools.”
“I know what a cab is,” I snap. “You’re not going to rape me?”
His head shoots up to glare at me instead of searching for a cab number on his phone and I step back.
“The fuck would I need to rape you?” he asks, disgusted.
“That guy… he…”
His face softens and his shoulders rise and fall heavily.
“All I’ll say is you’re lucky I stepped forward. This night could have ended a fuck ton differently for you, if I didn’t. I don’t need an underage rich girl on my conscienceorrap sheet. Go homeand don’t come back around here. You’re not the streets and they’ll eat you alive if you do.”
He presses his phone to his ear, and I hear the ring tone from here. Someone answers and he barks out an address to come to, he looks at me and asks, “Where you going to?”
Before I can think, I blurt out, “1108 Gold Mile,” before it hits me, he now knows where I live.
He relays the information and hangs up. Digging his smokes out of his pocket, he side-eyes me and it’s like I’m naked as he roams the length of my body with his assessing glare.
“Your friend,” he says, putting a cigarette to his mouth and lighting it. “She’s good with Tar, he actually likes her. You don’t need to worry she’ll be raped by the Dogs of Dog City.”
His voice is laced with sarcasm, and I tut. “No, I just worry she’ll be dead by morning from all the drugs the guy who actually likes her is pushing on her.” I can be just as sarcastic and a small grin tugs on the corner of his mouth.
“Fair play.”
He inhales on the skinny white stick and exhales a long stream of grey smoke into the air. I look back at the house and wonder how I can get back inside without scar-eye seeing me. I can’t leave without Clare.
“She wants to be here, and I’m not letting you back in there. You’re getting in the cab when it arrives and you’re getting out of here.”
It’s like he can read my mind. I turn back to him and ask, “Why are you doing this?”
Taking another hit on his smoke, his shoulders lift in a lazy shrug.
“Why are you questioning it? You want me to put on my charm and fuck you six ways from Sunday? You want your own tales of being with a Dog?”
Crossing my arms over my stomach, I step back farther and look away from him. He chuckles.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I know my dick isn’t good enough for Gold Mile pussy.”
My head snaps up at his words and I frown. “You think I wouldn’t sleep with you because we come from different parts of the city?”
“Don’t kid yourself, we’re worlds apart in this world and we all know where we are on the wealth train. You saying that pussy is up for fun now?”
“No and not because you’re from around here. I don’t sleep with guys I don’t know.”
Arching his brow, he mutters, “Like I said, we’re worlds apart.” He takes another drag on his smoke. “The girlsIknow don’t worry about those details.”
