Love On Fire

Sold Wife

We wave Foggy and Karen a good night at around 4am after we call them a cab because of their drunken state. They giggle and wave before stumbling into the cab.

Matt and I return to the rooftop, swinging our legs off the edge, drink ourselves as we stare out into the city.

Lights are still bright however the city is quaint. Whoever said that the city never sleeps, is not accurate.

I sway my feet as I take a swing of the vodka straight out of the bottle before passing it to Matt who sits to my left. He takes it and too takes a swing.

"I like your friends." I tell him with a smile as I close my eyes to feel the small gust of wind that passes through, moving my hair off my shoulders and to my back.

"They like you too." He says dryly due to the alcohol. I smile lightly before resting my head onto his shoulder, admiring the beautiful view of New York City.

"Daeva?" Matt asks catching my attention. I hum back to him, telling him that I'm listening.

"Who's Maxim, really an ex?" He asks lowly. I roll my lips into my mouth and take a deeper breath.

"I did say when I meet you're friends, didnt think this soon after meeting them." I say with a chuckle as I take my head off his shoulder.

"You don't need to tell me now, I don't want to rush you." He starts but I shake my head dismissing his worries.

"It's okay. The person I'm running from, he's dead now." I tell him.

"Dead?" Matt asks lowly as if scared to say it any louder.

"I didn't kill him if that's what you're worried about." I sigh as I look up at him.

"You were running from Maxim?" Matt asks.

"Him and everyone who works for him." I sigh.

"Who was he?" Matt asks as he turns to face me, but I don't move from my position. I look out to the city, the city I fought hard to live in.

"He was the King of Russian Mafia...the most feared among my hometown, Astrakhan. It's a poor town that only gets some money to maintain because of our location for fishing and because Maxim lived there. He helped the town, but it came with prices. He over taxed, stole from us the people." I start to explain. I look out and stare at the twinkling lights, lights that could only been imagined in Astrakhan.

"I worked with my mother and father. We lived by a port and owned a small wooden boat that we used to gain our money, but in all honesty we worked more than anything. We practically lived on that boat, only for 70% of our income to be stolen from us." I say as I bite the inside of my cheek.

"God we smelled like fish, it was wrenching working day and night to provide. There was no time to be a kid, especially once you hit 17. Everything changes once a young girl turns 17." I whisper as I feel tears start to strike my eyes.

Matt listens silently as he places his hand on my back in comfort. His warm hands nothing like Maxims stone cold ones.

"When a young girl turns 17 mothers and fathers must decide their daughters fate. Keep them at home and over work them. Or 'save' them, but the saving was worse than the work." I start to explain as a test falls down my face.

(Play Song)

"The parents who needed money would sell their daughters to Maxim. He would walk the streets and pick his next wife." I answer with a sob.

"I still remember when I begged my parents not to give me up. I pulled at my mothers dress begging to let her only daughter stay and work. But they wanted the money more than they wanted a daughter." I let out a sob as I brush my hair out of my face.