He held me up against the wall by my throat, digging his fingers into my skin. He lifted me off my feet. I stared into his eyes, not making a sound. I couldn't let him know that I was affected by this. He couldn't know he was hurting me. 

"Give me the fucking money, you little skank."

"No." I choked. 

He's been harassing me for weeks. He thinks that if he attacks me enough, I'll start just giving him the money I'm making and become his slave like the rest of them.

"You can't keep fighting me. Your body won't last."

"Fuck you." I hissed, kicking him away. 

He dropped me to the ground and held his stomach. I fell to my knees, gasping for air.

I look of pure anger crossed his face and he pulled his gun from the back of his pants. He pointed it at my head, pulling back the safety. 

"Do it. I dare you." 

"Your smart mouth is what's gonna get you killed, sweetheart." He spoke. "This would all end if you'd just give me the fucking money. It belongs to me."

"Fuck you."

He kicked me in the chest and I fell back against the wall. 

"You dare to work on my fucking turf, and expect me not to try and collect payment...I know who you are, Ricky. I always have. You were the poor little prostitute that was taken in by a big bad drug lord, but he's abandoned you now, hasn't he?"

"Shut the fuck up."

"If he truly cared, you wouldn't be here on the streets, selling your body to survive."

"It's not like that! Don't fucking talk about something you know nothing about."

"Oh really? So why don't you tell me how it is?" He said, squatting down in front of me. 

I looked him dead in the eye and spit in his face. He pulled his fist back but someone grabbed his arm before he could hit me. It was a woman I didn't recognize. 

"Leave him alone, Devin. He's had enough." She spoke slowly. 

He stood up and turned to her. "Fuck off."

"You fuck off. Who is he anyway?"

He turned his attention back to me. "He's a little whore who thinks he doesn't have to pay me."

She came over to me and looked me up and down. "I've never seen you before."

"Who the fuck are you? His bottom bitch?" I snapped. 

He slapped me across the face. "Watch your fucking mouth."

I kicked at him again.

"Let him go. He obviously doesn't intend to give you the money, babe." She whispered to him. "If you want him to give it to you, you just have to be persistent. If he won't give it to you today, try again tomorrow, and the next day.  He'll break eventually."

He stared at me for a moment. "Get out."

I stood up off the floor. I flipped him off as I walked towards the door. He'd had me dragged up to his penthouse for the third time this week. 

"Just know, Ricky, I'm going to come for you every goddam day until you submit to me." He threatened. "I own this area. And I own every fucking whore who works in this area too. And you're no exeption. I'll have your money one way or the other. You don't scare me."

"Do what you want. You won't get shit from me."

With that, I left the apartment and went down the elevator.

I don't know how long I can hold up like this. Between him attacking me damn near everyday, and clients wreaking havoc on my body, I'm gonna fall apart soon. It's hell. I'm fucking lucky if I have time to sleep lately. I'll be fine. I can't think like that. If I think like that, I'm showing weakness, and if I show weakness, it'll be easier for him to get in my head. 

I fucking hate that stupid bastard. He thinks he fucking owns me but he fucking doesn't. He cant seem to get that through his stupid thick fucking skull. But I have a feeling that I won't survive daily beatings from him. The three to four I get a week are bad enough. It might just be in my best interest to play along for now, at least until I get close enough to kill him. But I can't just give him my money. I need to survive too. Most people in his position take 50%. That's it. Because they understand that even though we sell our bodies for a living, we still need to take care of ourselves. But he wants it all. He doesn't care what happens to any of us. He isn't the king because people like him, he's the king because people fear him.

Ash told me yesterday that there was a bounty out for me. But that whoever placed the bounty said explicitly that they needed me alive and unharmed. Which is kinda odd. I don't know who would put a bounty on my head in the first place, or why they want me unharmed. 

I walked down the street and made it to the alley that I slept in. It was still the same alley that Kuza had stayed in. It still had all his things too.

I saw him once, about a month after I left. I told him that I was wrong to get involved in Chris's affairs and that I could no longer be a part of it. It wasn't worth the trouble. I needed to be on my own and I needed to go back to my old life. I never told him that I was looking for Oli though. He'd want to help. And I can't have that. I need to do this on my own. I need these people to realize that I'm not the same person anymore. 

The only person who knows I'm looking for Oli is the contact I have. He worked closely with Oli before he went MIA after he framed Chris. He goes by Jinxx. I've done him a fair share of favors, in exchange for any information he might have on Oli's whereabouts.  

I plan to get in close to him and kill him when he least expects it, so he can feel what I felt. He gets to feel what it's like to love someone and have them taken away from you. I'll make him fall in love with me, just so I can kill him. I can easily change my appearance, and he saw me so briefly that he probably would never recognize me. 

I've gotta do this. 

For Chris.

For me.

---------------

So how do y'all like this so far?

Y'all got to see how Ricky's life is now, so comment what you think Chris will be like. 

~xxLux