Chapter Eleven

 

“Are you sure you want to go here?” the taxi driver asked as he glided to a stop in front of a rundown, boarded-up two-story hotel. Downtown Las Vegas was a mixed bag, with bright lights and party seekers on the popular Freemont Street, while vagrants, prostitutes, and thugs hung out among many condemned buildings just a few feet away.

“Yes,” Evie said shakily. A distant headache knocked behind her eyes, reminding her that she needed her pills soon.

“Want me to wait?”

Part of her wanted to say yes, but she didn’t know how long this was going to take.

“Um, no. I’m meeting someone.”

She handed over the money she owed and exited the taxi. Taking a deep breath, and ignoring the little voice inside that told her this was a bad idea, she headed around to the alley and the door that led inside.

The pungent stench of urine hit her nose as she ducked through the broken door. The only light trickling in came from one window socket where the flashing brightness of a nearby casino gave a two-tone effect. Broken boards, debris, and trash settled around the floor, covered in dust and dirt.

“I can’t believe you ignored me at the fight.”

Evie spun around and saw Craig Brogan emerging from the shadows. Even in the darkened room his smirk was obvious.

“Chris was with me,” she replied. “What was I supposed to do? You told me to never tell anyone who you were.”

“Nah, I get it,” he said, shrugging. “But hurt my feelings, is all.”

She didn’t know what else to say. They never really had conversations, just simple transactions where she handed him money and he handed her pills.

“C-can I have the medicine?” she asked.

He pursed his lips and he looked her up and down. “You just got here. Want to leave so soon?”

She held out her hand. “Please, Craig.”

Any pleasantness he showed disappeared instantly, and she shivered a little from the darkness that descended over his face. He held up a plastic baggie with round pink pills.

“You owe me a lot of money, Evie,” he said.

She reached for the baggie. “You told me three days.”

“Yeah, well, here’s the thing. I don’t think you’ll be able to get the money, and then I’m out this payment.”

His free hand grabbed her arm and held tight.

“I told you I’d get it,” she said, trying to tug her arm free. “What are you doing?”

“I think I need a down payment on our agreement.” He clamped his fingers tighter on her arm and pulled on it, trying to bring her closer. “So I figured we’ll renegotiate our terms.”

Evie tried to twist her arm out of his grip. “Let me go. I don’t agree to this!”

Finally, he yanked her body against his. “You want the pills, bitch? You’ll do as I say and do whatever I want, got it?”

Fear blossomed through her and she struggled against him, but that only seemed to add to his excitement. He thrust his hips against her and his hard dick poked her stomach. It made her want to vomit. He dropped the baggie of pills to control her and as much as she tried to break free, she couldn’t compete with his strength. In desperation, Evie reached up and brought her nails down the side of his face, scratching a deep divot into his skin. Blood instantly welled up and his screech of pain was more like music to her ears.

“You bitch!” he screamed. “You’re gonna pay for that!”

He brought his fist up and punched her across her jaw. Pain exploded, and she fell down hard, landing on her side. Her hand brushed against a piece of broken wood. Craig bent over to grab his face as blood oozed down his cheek to splash against the floor.

“I’m going to kill you,” he muttered through his fingers.

Fighting against the agony that gripped her, Evie grabbed the wood and got to her feet. She lifted the board high and brought it down over his head. Craig fell flat and lay unmoving. Evie threw the piece of wood away and ran, her mind completely blank except with the one thought of escape. Her heart thundered so loudly she heard it in her ears, drowning out everything else as panic caused her stomach to queasily roll. Out through the alley door, and back to the street, she didn’t stop running until a horn blared and caught her attention.

It was the concerned taxi driver who had brought her here. The man bounded out of his car and hurried toward her. She sagged in his arms.

“Jesus, let me take you to the hospital.”

“No!” she said, struggling to stand. “I just need to go home.”

The man hesitated.

“Please,” she whispered. “I just want to forget about this place.”

He helped her into his car and moments later they were on her way back to her house. She leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and cried.