Chapter 1
Raven
I knew something was wrong the moment I put my key into the lock of the front door. It was dead silent on the other side. Usually at least two girls were awake by now, getting ready for the long night ahead. The door creaked as I opened it.
As I took a step inside, glass crunched under my boots. I followed the trail of glass to a broken vase a couple feet in front of me. The front desk was in complete havoc. Papers were flung everywhere and the few decorations I had were now laying on the floor in pieces. The couch, where men waited for their turn, was flipped upside down. The pillows thrown astray.
I shut the door behind me and continued into the room. All the girl’s rooms were upstairs beside Natalie’s room, which was to the left of the welcome desk. I turned to run up the flight of stairs to check on the girls when he came around the corner.
“I was wondering when you’d show up,” his voice send chills down my spine.
I snapped my eyes shut hoping this was all a bad nightmare and he would disappear.
“Turn around beautiful. I want to see that face.”
My stomach turned but I did as he asked. The Irish solider stood a few inches taller than me. His arms were covered in thick black hair and his gut protruded over his belt buckle. He looked like their average client. He ran a hand over his greasy beard.
“You’re late on your payment,” he said taking a step closer to me.
I took a step back and he paused.
“Don’t be scared, Princess I-“
“Where are my girls?” I snapped cutting him off. There wasn’t any noise coming from upstairs and that’s what scared me the most. I’d vowed to keep the girls at the house safe and so far I was doing a shitty job at it.
“The girls are fine. I took one for myself but the rest are upstairs being good little whores.”
I slammed her eyes shut again willing the tears away. I didn’t want to guess which girl he had taken for himself. Just because they worked in a brothel everyone treated them like they weren’t human.
When I opened my eyes again I jumped at how close he stood next to me. I squared my shoulders trying to appear strong. This man wanted me to be scared of him but I couldn’t give him that satisfaction. He reached his hand out almost like he wanted to tuck a loose strain of hair behind my ear. I quickly slapped his hand away. His yellowing teeth showed as he smiled.
“I like when they fight back. Gives me more of a challenge.”
“I’ll have the money next week,” I said. Anything to get this fucker out of the house. I needed to check on my girls, the silence from the floor above us was louder than the man’s voice.
“You said that last week and guess what? No money.”
He was right. The brothel wasn’t exactly doing as well as I thought it would. Not when I refused to cut the girls pay. They were the ones doing all the hard work. I wasn’t going to be like other owners in the area and degrade the women. I’d been in the same situation before once in my life.
“I will have it this time,” I gritted out between clenched teeth.
“You know there is another way to pay,” he said taking a step closer. He smelled like garlic and grease. “You could earn at least half of the payment.”
My stomach turned and I thought I was going to be sick. I tried to step back but hit the bottom of the stairs.
“Tell Niall to give me another week. I’ll bring the money personally to him,” I said even though the thought of walking into the Irish bar terrified me, I had to get the Irish away from my brothel.
I hated when they showed up like this. If I’d known when I took over the brothel that the Irish were involved I would have never considered it. I wish I could go back in time and fix my stupid mistake.
“You know if you’d just let us sell some of your whores it would cut down your loan by-“
“No,” I snapped. It was sick to think the things men like this did to women. Human Trafficking was one of their main sources of income. I wanted nothing to do with it. They’d offered me a position multiple times to oversee the sex trade but that was too sick and low. Even for me.
“Looks like you have bit of a soft spot for your whores don’t you?” He was teasing me like a Lion playing with his food before eating it.
“Looks like you have a soft spot for women who’d rather choke on their own vomit than sleep with you.”
His teasing smile dropped and his eyes turned dark. His hand smacked against my face so fast I barely had time to register the pain. My legs gave out and my back hit the bottom step on the way down.
“One month, Niall is feeling particularly generous. If I come back we will take all your whores and sell them across the ocean, including you. To men who make me look like a saint.”
The tears threatened to spill from my eyes but I kept it together not wanting this man to see me weak. Men like him didn’t deserve my tears. He kicked a piece of glass before turning around and walking towards the door.
“You should probably get this place cleaned up too. Its not a good look.”
He left out the door and as soon as it shut I allowed the tears to roll down my cheek. I’d give myself five minutes that’s all and then I needed to handle business.
I hiccuped as I cried all the emotion coming out like a tsunami that had been held back by a dam. My cheek burned from his slap and I knew there was probably a bright red mark across my face. I hated the Irish more than anything else. They were terrible people who got off on threatening the small Irish community. I wiped my face after a moment and stood to my feet. I readjusted my t-shirt and ripped jeans trying to act like all was ok before facing the girls. The women in my brothel had gone through enough in their life and guilt swirled in my stomach at the thought of putting them through more trama.
I climbed the wooden steps to the top floor. It was hotter up here than the rest of the building. Ten bedrooms were upstairs none of them had doors, just a sheet that hung over the door way. If a man got too handsy I wanted to make sure the other girls could hear it. And also that he wouldn’t try to lock the door.
“He’s gone,” I said to the empty hallway. The women came out of their rooms and instantly gravitated to me.
Erica got to me first and engulfed me in a big hug.
“Are you ok? I’m so sorry Raven,” she said. Erica was dressed in a silk nightgown with a robe over top despite the fact that it was 3 o’clock in the afternoon. They were all probably still asleep when he’d busted in the front door and started destroying things.
“Its ok he’s gone. We’re ok.”
“He’s going to come back,” Erica said.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. I couldn’t let him come back, not again. I had to have the money this time. I just had no idea how I was going to get it. I looked around at the girls. I counted nine.
They were all women of different shapes and sizes most coming from the same terrible background I’d come from. Many from foster care or abusive relationships with nowhere else to go. At least here they had a roof over their heads and money to earn so they could buy the things they needed.
“Where’s Evelyn?” I asked.
“In the bathroom…he came up here earlier,” Erica said.
I walked past the girls to the shared bathroom at the end of the hall. I knocked on the wooden door aware of the eyes on my back.
“Evelyn?” I asked.
The door opened and Evelyn stood there with a towel wrapped around her body. Her blonde hair was wet and stuck close to her face. She was the smallest of the girls. She’d lost a lot of weight after getting into some bad drugs awhile back ago but I had a strict rule. No drugs or I’d kick you out. Evelyn had sobered up quickly but hadn’t gain any of her weight back. My eyes instantly zoned in on the red mark around her neck.
“Are you ok?”
Evelyn nodded. “Yeah, he has a little dick.”
I smiled and pulled her in for a hug. “I’m sorry-“
“Its fine Raven. It could have been worse we’re fine. The house is still standing. Its ok.”
