Page 6 of Knot All is Crystal
“I’m sure Puck mentioned that a new batch of fizz came in. This one is more potent than the last, so double the price.” When I balk, he waves his hand dismissively. “Shush now, you know they will pay anything you ask of them. Just flash them that million-dollar smile, alright?”
I nod, counting to twenty in my head, and then back down to one to ignore the crawling sensation under my skin from his touch. “I understand. I’ll get it all sold.”
“Excellent, thank you.” He breaks eye contact in a clear dismissal, and I scramble towards the door. But before I can exit, he calls out, “And Queenie?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Make sure you come to me next time as soon as the bite fades. I don’t want you going more than a day without my claim. Are we clear?”
“Crystal, sir.”
TWO
“Doyou need me to walk you to your car?” Trey asks, holding the back door open. “You know I don’t mind helping ya out, Queenie. Whole buncha weirdos wandering around here.”
“You’re the weirdest of them all, Trey.” My pumps hang from my fingers as I lean against the wall, waiting for him to open the door.
The wiry Beta grins, showing all of his teeth. He rests one hand over my head on the wall behind me, and my eyes zero in on the gun tucked into his pants. “Don’t forget it, baby.”
For an enforcer, Trey seems like a good dude. I don’t make it a habit to socialize with members of the Conglomerate outside of what I’m forced into, but Trey is impossible to avoid. He’s not as high-ranking as Puck, but he’s trusted well enough to vet everyone’s comings and goings.
I push off the wall and walk barefoot into the parking lot. “Night, Trey.”
“Night, Queenie. See you tomorrow.”
The door echoes as it closes behind me.
Tonight was long, and only a couple of hours are left before sunrise. That means I’ve got about four hours to sleep before I get up, head to the Clinic, and do it all over again.
The past four years have been brutal. I feel like I haven’t gotten a full night’s sleep since I took on this debt for my shitty brother-in-law. Partially, it’s been from anxiety about what is waiting for me around the corner and not doing enough to protect my sister and niece, but mostly, it’s the two jobs.
Besides the forced bond, I guess Kieran treats me okay. He did get me a job at the Design Clinic. He was thrilled when he found out I had my certification to work as a lab assistant.
Even though I’m mainly there to remind Walter Talbot who owns him, I do get to do work I love and am passionate about every day.
But despite doing the work I have always wanted to do, it’s tainted by the Conglomerate. If I had a choice, I’d be helping Dr. Valentine apply for research grants.
Dr. Talbot’s research on gene therapy for chronic illnesses is interesting, though. And at least I am helping someone.
It’s nice to know that I’m doing something good during the day when my evenings are spent pumping drugs into people.
Going to a secondary school and getting that certificate was a complete scandal when I was at the Omega Academy. I was supposed to meet a pack at one of the mixers and settle down as soon as I turned twenty-one. But I never wanted to be locked down to an Alpha.
Look at me now.
Living the dream.
My townhome is dark and quiet when I open the door. Usually, I leave a radio or something on so it doesn’t seem empty for most of the day, but I must’ve forgotten.
I try to flip the lights on, but nothing happens.
“Fuck,” I whisper, flicking the switch multiple times even though I know the result is the same.
My power has been turned off.
The Design Clinic doesn’t pay that well, and my position at Prism does not receive tips regularly. Since they pay for the entire room, my wage is included. If I’m lucky, some stoned businessman will slip me an extra hundred, like one of the guys did tonight.
I send money every month to my sister Eve to take care of my niece, Hannah, and I took on the payments for the Academy loans Eve took out when I turned twenty-one. They’re outrageous. The fees the Academy charges may as well be criminal. Between those two things, there isn’t much left over for me at the end of the month.
