Carl. That was his name.

That name was now on my list.

I’d had one name on my list when I started this life. One. My sister’s boyfriend. Then his boss got added to the list. Bronski was put on there. A few other guys, and now Carl. One day, somehow, I’d cross out each and every one.

One day.

“Why’s he want her back?” Carl asked.

I almost sagged in relief, wanting to take a step back, as if I could melt into the background. But I couldn’t. That wasn’t how it worked, so I stayed firm, but I was thankful that question had gone to Raize.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. He wants to fuck her again?”

Raize was lying. And he wasn’t looking at me on purpose, or I guessed it was on purpose.

Carl studied him, then turned and studied me.

I felt seared from the inside out by the time he sighed. “You’re lying to me.”

I gasped, trying to remain silent, but the sound was out.

He turned that accusation toward Raize, who didn’t flinch, who didn’t gasp, who didn’t react at all. Total stone robot.

“Bronski got rid of her,” Raize said. “He sold her to Nelly to be a mule.”

“That true?” Carl asked me.

I nodded. “Yes.” Also, how did Raize know this? I’d already been with Slim before Raize got me.

So many bosses.

“Were you a mule for him?”

Shit. That’s when I knew.

Carl knew. He knew everything.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“I wasn’t, no.”

He raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, resting his hands on his desk. His fingers spread. “You both have one more chance at being truthful here. Why does Bronski want you?” He glared at Raize. “Start filling in the blanks.”

I opened my mouth—

“She’s got good hunches.” Raize beat me to it.

Carl’s shoulders lost some of their tension, and he eased back, standing upright again. He folded his arms over his chest. “Keep going.”

Raize looked like he was eating wood chips as he ground out, “She knows shit. Ask her a question, and she’ll know the answer. She has good instincts.”

“You psychic?” Carl asked.

I opened my mouth, again.

“No.”

Raize beat me to it, again.

“She doesn’t see the future or talk to dead people,” he explained. “But ask her a question with a yes or no answer and she’s right.”

“How right?”

“Nine out of ten, she’ll be correct.”

“You’ve tested this?” Carl was starting to sound impressed.

“Test her yourself.”

I hated when they did this. Despised it.

His first question was like a bullet. “Do I have a middle name?”

“No.”

He grinned briefly. “You’re right, I don’t.”

Question two. “I have a gift for my lady friend. Is she going to like it?”

“No.” And I did not want to know anything more about that situation.

He didn’t respond right away, but then came a third question. He spoke more slowly this time. “There’s a guy behind you. Turn and look at him. Then turn back to me and tell me if he’s skimming from me or not.”

I turned, but my gut already knew.

The guy held a gun and at my look, he started to bristle. He grew red in the face.

I turned back, finding Carl watching me intently.

“Yes.” I moved aside.

“Wha— I didn’t! The bitch is lying.”

Carl asked Raize, “She’s not wrong?”

“Nine out of ten.”

“Carl.” The gun guy stepped forward, his arm hitting me on purpose. The tendons in his neck bulged. “I’m not lying. I never skimmed on you. Ever! She’s a whackjob. You can’t believe her.”

“The question was if you were skimming me, not if you had skimmed me. Your answer confirmed hers.” He reached into his desk drawer and produced a gun.

A hand grabbed my arm.

He raised it, and I was pulled to the side just as he pulled the trigger and shot the guy in the forehead. Raize had yanked me out of the way.

Just like that, again, I had blood and brain matter on my face, hair, and shirt.

I was so sick of seeing people killed in front of me.

The door opened. Another security guy poked his head in with Jake.

Jake looked at Raize and me. Raize motioned to him, and he stepped back outside.

Carl motioned to the body. “Take that out of here. Dispose of it.”

The security guy looked back into the hallway, and two more guys stepped in, picked up the body, and carried it out. One guy cleaned the blood as they went.

Carl leaned back against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. “I need a reason why you killed Bronski’s man, Raize.”

“I told you.”

“Bronski fucked up. He didn’t know what she could do. He raped her, then sold her. He’s too stupid to have her. I’m not.”

I studied Carl, searching for a clue as to what he would do. He was Bronski and Raize’s boss. I knew the stakes here, or I was getting them at least. If Carl found in favor of Bronski, I’d be returned to him, and Raize would get a bullet in the head. That was how it worked. If he didn’t find in favor of Bronski… I didn’t know. Probably nothing would happen because Bronski was the one wronged by Raize.

They didn’t give a fuck what Bronski did to me.

Women had minimal uses in this world. Being a mule or a sex worker were the two most common options. I had a different purpose, and thank fucking God for it or I’d probably be dead with a busted drug bag in my stomach or hooked on drugs and pimped out on some corner, in some bed, in some motel, or in some gambling game. Who the fuck knew. I’d hit the jackpot with Raize, I was finding out.

Carl sighed, nodding. “Fine. You can keep her, but on one condition.”

Raize stiffened.

I held my breath, too scared to do anything else.

“I have a job for you in Texas.” He pointed to me, his finger extending lazily. “And you’re going to use her.”

Raize’s jaw tightened. “What’s the job?”

“We’ll talk more later. Go and get your things ready. You’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

With that, Carl left the office, and Raize finally turned to me.

I was still holding my breath.

“We’re going to Texas.” He brushed past me, and I swayed back and forth on my feet for a second.

Texas.

What was in Texas?

“Breathe, Girl.” Jake’s voice drifted in from the hallway. “We all lived another day.”

Right.

Living another day was also on my list of things to accomplish, but I was going to keep Carl’s name there anyway. ’Cause fuck him.

I bet he’d never been raped.

3

Carrie

“You got family here?”

I was surprised at the question and also who was asking. It was Jake.

Looks wise, he was six feet. Not as tall as Raize, but not short. Medium build. I’d guess that he worked out, or lifted on a regular basis. He was black. Dark eyes. His face was a little round and high cheekbones.