The Only Home I Ever Loved

Prologue

HARRY
January 17'

I pulled the cigarette back from my lips and watched as the smoke filter past my face as I walked through the cloud.

3 am was a weird time. Some considered it morning and others considered it night. In this town most would consider it night.

Clubs still blared their music, gamblers were on their last coins and strippers were wiping the floor with cash.

City of Angels my ass. All I ever saw were devils but I'd be a hypocrite if i ignored the one I saw in the mirror.

I stared down at my hands, my knuckles bruised and skinned from my fight earlier tonight. They didn't hurt yet but they would in the morning.

I rounded the corner, the music from the clubs fading behind me as I made my way down the dark, barren street.

"Get the fuck off me!" A shrill voice echoed down the street and I dropped my cigarette, crushing it with toe of my boot. I walked toward the voice, following it down a dark alley way. "Get off me!" I strained my eyes as I squinted, two figures wrestling with each other.

As I got closer the taller, wider figure had the smaller girl pinned up against the wall. "You promised me sex." His voice was low but it carried down the narrow alley.

"Yeah and you promised me $150. I guess we're both liars." There was no fear in her voice, just malice.

He grabbed both of her wrists into his one hand and held his knee against her stomach. She wriggled underneath him and I dropped my gym bag on the ground. 

His head whipped around to where I was standing, his eyes narrowing to look at me. "Get lost. Go find another whore." He spat. I lulled my head back and cracked my knuckles before continuing to walk over to the two of them.

"Is that anyway to talk about a lady?" I questioned and he dropped his grip from the girl turning to completely face me.

"Are you deaf? I said get lost."

"Yeah, I'm fine." The girl said, regaining her composure. "Mind your busines-"

"Shut up, whore." The man turned and growled at her, her face dropping.

"I don't need this shit." She grabbed her bag off the floor and pushed past him, his hand darted out to grab her arm roughly as he pulled her back. The force threw her to the floor where she sat holding her elbow that had scraped against the concrete.

I had reached my boiling point and cocked my arm back before swinging, my fist connecting directly with his jaw. He stumbled back and tried to regain his composure but failed. He fell to the ground and his head rocked to the side before his eyes shut.  "C'mon." I reached my hand out and offered it to the girl on the ground.

She ignored my hand and once again grabbed her purse and stood to her feet brushing off her denim skirt. "Thanks. I've got to get goi-"

"I'll walk you home." I offered outstretching my arm so she could walk past me.

"Unless you're paying for a quick fuck or you've got blow I'm not interested." She said before walking past me. Her hips rocked back and forth as she strutted down the alley way.

Prostitutes weren't a new thing for me. When you make as much money as I do you spend it on stupid shit. "How old are you?" I called down the alley way and she turned around.

"I'm legal, don't worry." She called back, a small smile on her lips. I shook my head letting out a low laugh. I jogged after her, my hand grabbing onto her ass as she gasped. "Alright then, babe." She laughed as I totted her along to my car.

We climbed into the backseat and my $150 was well spent.