The Wild Hunt (Downworlder Series, #1)

Chapter Six: The Brand

I let out a heavy sigh. She was still crying. She had cried when I had pulled her off the sofa, cried when I had lead her out of the office. She was still crying when the guard handed me a bag and she had cried the entire way down the stairs.

That had been the most grating and what had taken away all of my pity. The harsh grating sounds had echoed in the stairwell, the sound grating on my sensitive ears. The beast had growled at first before she had started whining in pain at the harsh noise.

"Stop it!" I gave Tatum a small shake. I couldn't stand her sobbing anymore. Tears did nothing on downworld, it was simply a weakness that people would take advantage of. "Do you think those tears will stop anyone? That they will be your shield? This isn't Haven, Tatum!" I gave her another shake. She needed to stop with the tears, she would be eaten alive otherwise.

"But- but-"

"No buts. So what? You are going to be a whore. Would you rather be dead?" I pointed at the brand at my neck viciously. "This is the only thing keeping me alive but do you think it stops people from trying to roll me? From gangs attempting to harm me? I have been beaten unconscious numerous times. I have been pulled out of my job because of my injuries! You can't be a runner, you wouldn't survive!" It was what I knew. She was too pretty, too delicate and too slow to survive in the job I did. I barely survived and that was only because I was quick on my feet and used my head.

"I don't want to be a whore!" She jerked out of my grasp and I grabbed her with a loud growl that had her hunching her shoulders and baring her neck in submission. We were more than her and she would listen to us.

"You won't be a whore, you will be an escort." I had given her that much. Stuck my neck out for her and my face still throbbed from it. It was going to be a nasty bruise, last for the night at least. Madame Lao would give me shit for it but I didn't mind, she would fuss for a bit and then call me stupid for getting hit.

"There is no difference." She was angry, that was better than tears. She needed to use her anger. I started dragging her down the street, the quicker we made it to Precious, the quicker I could get home.

"There is a difference. At Play Date you would be force fed either heroin or crack. They use it to keep their whores docile." Play Date was the worst of the worst. I wouldn't send anyone there, let alone someone from Haven. It was a shit hole where Octavia sent those she felt like she didn't have use for. Tatum had fallen into that category until I had opened my big fat mouth.

"I would rather be drugged tha-"

"Do you know what they do to the whores there? There is a fucking reason they require so many of them! There isn't a day where we don't get a call about one of them overdosing or where one of the clients got a little too rough and killed them." In three years I had seen and heard it all and I didn't want that for Tatum.

"It doesn't matter!" She was acting like a child. She wasn't seeing the good that I had done for her.

"I just got slapped across the fucking face by a giant of a man for speaking back to my Doyen. I'm fucking lucky that was all I got. I stuck my neck out for you. Don't make me regret that!" I pulled her down the nearest alleyway. We were ten minutes away from Precious if I took my standard short cuts.

"I'm still-"

"Listen very closely, you spoiled little Haven girl." I shoved her against the closest wall and held her there by her shoulders. "I gave you a chance. Don't fucking spit on that! No one gave me a chance when I got down here. I fought tooth and claw to get where I am. I have given you a chance!" Her chin trembled and I gave a low growl of agitation. She needed to be stronger. I had given her a boost up. I had given her the ability to be better than the rest.