THE DEVILS ANGEL [18+]

TWENTY FOUR

Annabelle

When I was a kid I never thought I'd amount to anything. Just another poor neglected statistic that would end up like her mother. At the age of ten I had made peace with the fact that I was never getting out of Manchester. I remember looking around and seeing what my life was going to be. Knocked up by sixteen and if I was lucky I'd be in my twenties before the addictions kicked it. It was bleak but I would survive whatever was thrown at me, for Wren's sake.

So when Lucy had her overdose and we had a chance to escape, for the first time in well, forever, I was excited. My fourteen year old brain hoped that Lucy died so that we would never have to go back there. I was always ashamed to admit it, what kind of person wishes that their mother died. I was angry that she made it through but the guilt was all consuming.

Now, now I think those feelings with pride. All the women has ever done for Wren and I is cause us pain. The only thing I'm thankful for is that the junkie bitch finally managed to show her true colors and we were able to escape the clutches of the city that has caused me so much pain.

I was excited to move, the thought of exploring a new city thrilled me. Yeah, my living situation didn't get much better, but the old witch loved Wren so I was near enough free to do my own thing. For the first time since that little girl was born, I was able to be a child again. I was able to let loose and while that landed me in a heap of shit situations, I was able to learn and grow.

I could be unapologetically me without having to worry about about where our next meal would come from or if Lucy's quests would become a little too handsy.

I knew London would be the place is build roots, but I never thought I'd get to where I am today. It near enough killed me, but I survived, fuck knows how. Now I'm running a stable house for Wren and working in a company that wants me to progress and succeed. Finding someone who I can really see myself having a future with, for the first time in a long time I think things could be going my way.

Today marks the end of an era, tonight is my last shift at Aspire. As much as I'm excited and happy, I'm also extremely sad. It's a place where I was able to grow and find myself. It's where I found people who have become more like family than coworkers. A place where I have found true love for myself.

When I started here I was so lost, after my relationship with Tommy, he had managed to fill my head with poison and turn me into someone I hated. I was seventeen and drowning when I met Lee. I was working a mark who was a member of the club, that was my specialty. I have always looked older than I am and Tommy exploited that, he would make me go on 'dates' with men who were much, much older than me. Most of the time I was to get them extremely drunk so that I could steal their belongings, but other times I was needed to extract secrets. I'm ashamed to admit that I did near enough anything to get what was needed from my mark.

However, Lee took one look at me and saw right through my act. I can remember feeling so scared, locked in an office, thinking some thug was gonna come beat me up. What I was met with was a man who liked to think he was mean and intimidating, but he was different. For the first time since I moved to London, hell, in my entire life someone asked if I was okay. For a first time in a long time I felt safe and it was because of a complete stranger. He is the reason that I finally made the moves to leave Tommy and while it nearly killed me I found the courage because of one interaction with Lee.

"You okay kiddo?" Lee's voice fills me ears and I smile as I turn around.

"Everything is about to change." I voice my fears out loud, cursing that my voice cracks at the end. I don't want to fucking cry right now.