The four-story building was old, and only a few tenants still lived there, but over the past few weeks, the owners had made significant changes to improve the rooms and overall appearance. The rooms were small but perfect for a single person looking to start a new life. I’d been shocked at the low rent, especially as the utilities were included.
I rode the elevator to the third floor and located the apartment where Song lived. I didn’t know him before he sought me out. He was one of Nolan’s new workers. Someone at the brothel had mentioned what I did here, and he’d gotten in touch.
The door opened. At nineteen years old, he was slender, a few inches taller than me, with perfect skin, and black curly hair. I could only imagine how popular he had to have been for Nolan. We’d already been through how he’d ended up working for the pimp and how Nolan controlled his money, so he didn’t ever have enough to leave.
“Hi, Song.” My smile faded. He wouldn’t meet my gaze. “Song, is everything all right?”
He nodded. “Sure. Come on in.”
“Thanks.” I walked past him into the apartment. “Have you looked at the applications I sent you? Sully pulled a few strings—”
I froze. Nolan and another man I didn’t recognize stood in the living room, their focus on me, and I stepped back.
“Song, what did you do?”
“I’m sorry, Kit.”
“Don’t blame Song.” Nolan marched over to me and stopped in front of me with his hands at his side. “He had no choice but to do exactly what we said.”
“What do you want, Nolan?” I squared my shoulder and tilted my chin. I didn’t work for the son of a bitch anymore. “If you lay a finger on me, you’ll regret it.”
He eyed me up and down. The other man observed without saying a word.
“You.”
“What?”
Nolan slapped me hard across the face. I gasped, and before I could recover, two more hits followed in rapid succession, leaving my face burning and tears popping in my eyes.
“There, I dared to lay not just a finger but an entire hand on you.” Nolan cocked his head. “Is something supposed to happen now?”
I rubbed at my cheeks and stifled my sob. “Fuck you.”
Nolan grabbed me by the neck and shoved me back into the wall. “What’s this?” He grasped the necklace around my neck and yanked. The clasp broke and the necklace fell into his palm. “Is this how he’s been keeping you so loyal? With the use of expensive jewelry?”
“No, please, give it back. It’s a gift.”
He dropped the necklace to the floor and crushed it beneath the heel of his shoes. My heart sank. Sully would never find me now.
“It’s true what they say that money changes people. There was a time you would have begged me to fuck you.”
I clawed at his hand, but he was so much stronger than me.
“Stop it, Nolan!” Song clutched Nolan’s arm and pulled. The man let me go but shoved Song back so hard he tumbled onto the floor. He pulled back his leg, and seeing his intention, I doubled my fist and swung at Nolan’s face.
“Run, Song!” I yelled. “Run!”
The boy scrambled to his feet and sprinted to the door.
“What are you waiting for?” Nolan shouted at the other man. “Don’t let him get away.”
The man stood stock still and didn’t even flinch. “Your whores are of no concern to me, Nolan. We’ve found the boy we’ve been after. Let’s get him out of here.”
“Who are you?” I asked the man. Despite Nolan doing most of the talking, it was clear he was the boss.
“How rude of me not to introduce myself,” the man said. “I’m Talon Scott, and I’m Javier Grimaldo’s bodyguard. We’ve been trying to find you, Kit.”
The Grimaldos? My heart rattled in my chest. Oh god, if it was just Nolan, I might have stood a chance, but not with the Grimaldos.