Arina

Chapter Ten

Arina skipped quickly past Kos who continued smiling at her. Kos was obviously expecting Arina to thank her for the compliment about her hair; everybody in the building had gotten used to Arina's politeness. However, that's not to say they enjoyed it.

             "Thank you," Arina said when she noticed Kos's expectant face. Kos looked satisfied and then continued to go about her daily business, completely ignorant of what had just happened. Arina tried to walk up the stairs just so she could have a shower. She felt physically sick, fundamentally because Mustafa had just touched her. She wanted to wash the filth off her skin but before she could, D stopped her in her tracks.

             "Come on," he said to her. He wore his leather jacket and had the car keys in his hand which, any person who worked for Mustafa knew, only meant one thing. 

             "Do I have to go?"

             "Yes. Zoe has a customer here so you're going to have to take her place."

It was actually quite sickening how organized this place was considering what actually took place in each and every room of the building. The adults had made sure that there was a rota for when the girls stayed in the dingy block, and when they went on their round. There were always more girls in the building only because Mustafa made more money this way due to the fact the men always paid more for girls who already provided the basic necessities such as a bed. With the round, men would have to organise a place themselves. 

             "Come on," D repeated as he gently held her elbow and pulled her along with him. He seemed a bit agitated but Arina brushed it off simply as stress. Answering to Mustafa was bound to have its toll on any person.

He continued to guide her until he stopped in front of the car and opened the car door for Arina to get in, which she consequently did. The other girls were already present in the car but this time, there was neither Zoe nor Natalie which made Arina immediately feel safer. She wouldn't have to worry about their nastiness towards her.

D got into the car and began driving. He started tapping his feet furiously against the bottom of the car; clearly, something was on his mind- something very burdening. Clenching his teeth, he suddenly began speeding at an uncontrollable pace.

             "Whoa- you're going a bit too fast!" A girl Arina had never come across before stated. D ignored her and kept going. It was as if he was venting his anger just by speeding, but little did he know that it was just going to lead into more trouble.

It was when they were just about to reach the designated street that the sirens could be heard. Police sirens. Trailing up behind the car. Following the car.

At first D considered whether to try and get away. To any police officer seeing four girls in the back of a car, dirty, barely-clothes and in a mess, would look suspicious. Inevitably, he was bound to get caught. D couldn't have that, but he also knew attempting to drive away would just lead to more trouble, so he stopped the car. He let out a sigh of defeat. It was clear that he thought the game was up, and that Mustafa's business would finally be unravelled. They'd both end up in jail. 

The police officer waddled out of his car and began approaching theirs. D lowered the car window just half way so he could see the policeman's eyes. 

             "Sir, would you mind pulling the window down further?" The officer said.

D looked around the car and met Arina's gaze. For the first time, she saw fear in his eyes- a burning kind of fear. She knew the cause of it wasn't that possibility of getting caught and arrested. Rather, it was the fear of what Mustafa would do to him if he found out. He looked away quickly and lowered the car window just as the officer had asked to do.