Page 5 of Pit Stop

Four

Tillman

The slender man studies me for a few brief moments but they feel like a lifetime. It’s far too long to be comfortable. His pale eyes seem to access me in a way I’ve never felt before. My gut instinct is to run but there’s no way I’d make it anywhere. “Do you know who owns this store? This part of town?” I shake my head and shrug. It’s better to play dumb than to let on how much you really know. He shakes his head and clicks his tongue in disappointment. “Oh surely, you have some idea. It’s not a big secret.”

“I don’t buy into rumors unless proven to be the truth,” I comment back.

This gets me a nod of approval. “I like the way you think. You don’t scare easily, which is the biggest part of the proposition I have for you.”

I nod my head and silence falls between us until my stomach roars again. “So, are you going to tell me what this proposition is before I starve to death?”

“Boris!” The slender man's voice bellows throughout the office and carries out into the stockroom. The larger man appears moments later in the doorway. Judging by the look on his face, he’s prepared for a fight.

“Go grab some food for…” The sentence trails off and he waits for me to fill in my name.

“Tillman.”

“Any requests?” he asks. I shake my head and Boris disappears.

I take the ball cap off my head and run a hand through my hair. “Look I appreciate whatever it is you’re trying to do but you don’t need to buy me food.”

“I’m Emmet and I beg to differ, considering you were attempting to steal from a store that is the property of the SK. You must be awfully hungry to take that chance.”

Looking away I shrug my shoulders once more. “Or I don’t care what happens to me.”

Emmet nods his head. “True.”

Boris reappears in the doorway with a large burger that has cheese oozing from the sides of it. My mouth waters at the sight of it. The smell of hot, crispy, salty french fries hits my nose shortly after, causing my stomach to rumble once more. Boris deposits the food on the table and leaves.

“Have a seat Tillman.”

I take a seat in one of the two metal chairs sitting in front of the old-fashioned, green metal desk. Boris shows up once more and places a bottle of soda in front of me.

“Eat and then we can discuss the proposition.”

He doesn’t have to tell me twice to eat. Consequences of taking the handout are lost on me as I scoop the burger up, grease running down my fingers, and take the biggest bite I can.

Once every last bite is gone and my stomach is full, Emmet stands up. “What I’m about to tell you will not go outside of these walls or between you and I.” He doesn’t ask me; he’s simply telling me as if I’d be dumb enough to tell anyone about whatever deal with this devil I’m about to make.

“That seems like a given to me. My hunger might have made me dumb enough to attempt stealing those cakes, but I’m not dumb by nature,” I inform him. I don’t want him to think I’m some airhead.

He seems to like my answer. “Good, then follow me.” Emmet leads us through the dusty, dark stockroom. The smell of cardboard and mildew potent in the air around us. A heavy, gray door at the back is opened and we step out into the alley that I’ve seen a few times. It seems to be the safest alley to sleep in when necessary, but the trip across town is long. However, no one seems to mess with you in this alley and now I know it’s because the rumors are true. Across the alley is a two story, brick building. It’s definitely seen better days. It used to be a hotel but now it’s just an abandoned building; but something tells me that’s just what they want you to think. He knocks on a door that is barely hanging on the hinges. Words are exchanged through the door so quietly that I have no clue what is being said. Finally, the door opens and we are ushered inside.

The inside does not match the poor exterior of the building. Inside the walls of the crumbling building is something fit for a king. It smells of cigars, alcohol, and expensive perfume. Music plays softly throughout the first floor. Sheer curtains hang around certain areas giving some privacy but not nearly enough for what is going on. The dim lighting has a red tint to it, so it gives the feeling of a club. Emmet leads me to the elevator which shocks me because it’s the last thing I expected this building to have. “The first floor is not where you will spend your time. The second floor is the place you will call home. I like to refer to you as my princes.”

“Princes?” I ask.

“Yes. We can’t have you living on the streets if you are going to be doing work for us. That’s too dangerous. You'll have a room here; you will earn a certain percentage of money from the jobs we send you on. Mostly, it’s just collecting money from the businesses that are in our territory. Sometimes it could be something else, but either way you will be compensated. You will be allowed to eat anywhere within the district for free. There is only one rule. No one knows about anything.” Emmet turns to study me.

This offer is just too good to pass up. Is it dangerous? Yes, more dangerous than anything I could do in my life, but he’s offering me a place to stay, free food, and money to try and save for my future. Do I want to be a part of the Street Kings? No, but do I have another choice? Not really. Kids like me don’t get a lot of opportunities in life and this is one I’m going to take. Consequences be damned.

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