Page 12 of Chula
“What?”
“I’ll lie for you. I’ll say you’re in.”
“No. I don’t do lies.”
“It’ll get you what you want. You can take care of your brother,” I tell her.
“No. I’ll hustle if I have to, but I won’t lie.”
“What’s with you? Huh? I’m willing to risk my own ass for you, and you don’t want it?” I snap at her. She turns to face me, stepping right into my space.
“I don’t know about you and your crew, but back home, we don’t take handouts. We don’t take what wasn’t earned, and it doesn’t matter how we had to earn it.”
“Even rape?”
“Fuck you, Marco.”
“You earned that right? Hmm? The right to be raped and dragged into something you never wanted to be in! How old were you, Chula?” I challenge her. I know she doesn’t want to have this argument with me right now.
“Leave me alone.” She turns to walk away, but I don’t let her. I grab the back of her neck and spin her back to face me before moving my hand and wrapping it around her throat. Fuck, it looks so goddamn good right there.
When she tries to fight, I walk her back and slam her against the outside of the apartment building. Her eyes stay on mine as I demand answers from her.
“How old? How fucking old?” I roar louder this time. Hock, Tony, and a few of the other guys all come out to see what the fuck is happening, but they don’t step in the middle of this shit.
“Leave me alone.”
“No. Tell me.”
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t fucking know! Just tell me!” I watch her swallow hard, feeling it against my palm as she holds her head high.
“Twelve.”
“Twelve? Twelve fucking years old?” Her eyes water now as she nods her head, and fuck do I feel bad for her. Tears cling to her lashes, but she holds them back, not willing to do it, not willing to cry in front of me.
“And you didn’t want it?” I ask this time. Her lips part before one word falls from her lips.
“No.” I don’t know what the hell I’m thinking or why I fucking do the things I do, but I lower my head and press my lips to hers. I kiss her. I fucking kiss this girl like our lives depend on it. I kiss her until heat courses through my veins and I can’t see straight.
I pull back as my chest heaves, and I look at her.
“Go home, Chula. Go be with your brother.”
“I need a job. I can’t just sit at home.”
“For now, you can. I’ll find you something.”
“Why?” she asks me quietly, and I have no fucking answer for her. I shake my head because I don’t fucking know why.
“Go home,” I tell her once more. I release my grip on her throat and step back before she moves. She walks toward the apartment door and goes inside as my cock strains against my jeans.
“What the hell was that about?” Tony asks in an amusing tone when he steps up next to me.
“She needs a job. She wanted Pete’s, but she has to be crew in order to do it.”
“That’s dangerous, Marco. Getting her in with Pete.”
