Motherless

29

Talia

Sitting in gym class, I struggled to concentrate on Coach's voice, but exhaustion pulled at my eyelids like lead weights. Last night had been another late shift with Dagger, the kind that left me gasping for sleep and desperate for a normal life. The clients were always so desperate, and while Dagger had made it clear I wasn't to have sex with them, the things he allowed them to do felt like crossing lines I was too terrified to challenge.

I had seen what happened to girls who disobeyed. One girl got slapped with a gun, then tossed out of a moving car like she was trash. I didn't want to end up like that—broken, discarded, and forgotten. So, I learned to play nice, to smile and nod, to keep my mouth shut. Every night, I'd sneak in and out of my foster home through the window, feeling like a criminal instead of a girl just trying to survive.

Last night was no different—I crawled in at four in the morning, the chill of the night still clinging to my skin, and set my alarm for six, hoping I could steal a few hours of sleep. Emma, who loved to bully me, was always on my case. She didn't go to my school, but she was a constant threat, ready to expose my secrets if I slipped up. I'd paid her off more times than I could count, handing over half of my earnings from Dagger just to keep her quiet.

"Where do you get the cash, Talia?" she'd taunted, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"Just leave me alone," I'd said, my voice small as I tried to walk away from her.

My thoughts shattered when my phone buzzed in my pocket. An unknown number flashed, but I knew who it was. Dagger had given me this phone; he was the only one who called it. I barely had a chance to check it before Coach barked, "Get off your phone!"

Ignoring him, I slipped out of the gym and ducked into the locker room, my heart pounding like a drum.

"Why the hell aren't you answering?" Dagger's voice exploded through the line, thick with annoyance.

"Sorry! I'm in gym," I stammered, trying to keep my voice steady, but the tremor betrayed me.

"I don't give a fuck! Someone asked for you," he snapped, impatience dripping from his words.

"I can't just leave school," I said, desperation creeping in, my mind racing with the consequences of defiance.

"Too fucking bad! I'm outside waiting for you, and you have five minutes before I come in there and drag you out myself," he growled, the threat hanging heavy in the air.

Fear coursed through me, sharp and cold, slicing through my already fragile composure. I didn't have time to argue. I rushed out of the locker room and bolted to the parking lot, my legs moving faster than I thought possible. Dagger's truck sat waiting, the engine rumbling like a beast. I jumped into the back seat, slamming the door behind me.

"Get in the back!" he barked, tossing a dress at me. "Change in the truck. Now!"

I flinched at his tone but didn't dare protest. I quickly moved to the back seat, glancing around to make sure no one saw me.

"Can't change here! It's too cramped," I protested, but my voice came out small, almost pleading.

"Don't give me excuses! Do it!" His eyes burned with fury, and I could feel the heat radiating from his body like a furnace.

With shaking hands, I pulled the dress over my head, trying to block out the reality of my life. I could feel his gaze boring into me, the pressure mounting as I fumbled with the fabric.

"Make it quick, or I'll leave your ass here," he growled, his grip tightening on the wheel. "I don't have all fucking day."

I wanted to scream, to tell him I wasn't his property, but the words died in my throat. I adjusted the dress, feeling the fabric cling to me in all the wrong ways. I had to comply—there was no other option. If I crossed him, he wouldn't hesitate to put me in my place, or worse.