Perversion (Perversion Trilogy #1)

“What’s going on in here?” Marco asked, leaning casually against the doorframe. “I told you to bring them up here, not to host a welcome home party.”

He glanced to the bible on the floor. Leo hung her head. I’m wasn’t sure what she did to piss him off, but she was clearly in trouble.

I picked up the bible and clutched it to my chest. “We were praying. Thanking God and Jesus for our new circumstances and for this great new apartment.” I smiled, the lie flowing easily from my lips.

“Ahhhh,” he said with an amused smile. I was a great liar, but he wasn’t buying it. He walked around Leo so that her back was to his front. “Into prayer now, are we, Leo? I tell you what. Why don’t you go to my office and wait for me on your knees? When I get back, we can pray together.”

Leo kept her eyes to the floor as she hurried out of the apartment.

“Now.” Marco rubbed his hands together. “It’s time to learn what’s expected of you.”

“Expected?” Gabby asked.

He gestured to the bed and the walls of the room. “You didn’t think all this luxury was for free, hermanita?”

“I-I-I…” Gabby stuttered, shaking her head. “I didn’t really think anything.”

“You’re in my house now. My town. You’re going to have to earn your keep just like everyone else,” Marco told us, plucking the bible from my hands and tossing it onto the bed.

“How?” I asked. “We’re kids.” A terrified feeling ran through me like static electricity on the back of my heels or a thousand fleas biting at me all at once.

It was probably the fleas.

Marco shrugged. “You’re not kids anymore. And I don’t give a fuck HOW you earn. But I tell you what, since you’re both new here, we’ll start small. One thousand.”

“How are we going to come up with a thousand dollars a month? And what about school?”

“School?” Marco laughed. “You don’t need no school. That’s for yuppies and polo wearing shitheads who grow up to hate life and fuck their fat secretaries.” He folded one arm over his chest and rested his chin on his fist. “Life is your education. That’s a thousand dollars a week, not a month. Leo can give you a few pointers on how it’s done. Your youth will earn what your inexperience won’t. But don’t worry, you’ll catch on soon enough.”

His meaning clicked. I immediately felt sick.

“You want us to…” Gabby started, echoing my own thoughts. “No!”

“What do you mean, no?” Marco snarled.

“There’s another way,” I blurted with all the confidence I could muster. “We’ll get your money for you, but we’re not doing…that.”

“Another way to earn a thousand each without doing it on your backs?” Marco asked with an amused glint in his eyes. He stalked over to me, breathing in my face. It’s exactly what I wanted him to do. “And how exactly are you going to do that?”

“I’ve got other talents,” I assured him.

Marco laughed. “Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Pick-pocketing,” I said with a shrug.

“Pick-pocketing? I’ve read your file from CPS. I know what you’ve been up to, and you’ve been caught.” He shook his head slowly. “Petty theft ain’t gonna earn you the kind of scratch to keep you off the streets. Try again.”

I stuck out my chest. “You’re underestimating how good I am.”

“There’s no way you’re that good.” Marco walked to the other side of the room, and by the time he turned around, I had my hand out, holding his wallet. His eyes widened with surprise as he snatched it from my hand. “Impressive, I’ll give you that. Wallets are one thing, but there’s no way you can lift anything of value just as easy.”

I took my hand out from behind my back.

The one holding his gun.

Marco growled, snatching it from my hands, tucking it into his waistband. He muttered something in Spanish I couldn’t understand.

“We’ll get it for you. We can do it this way. More even,” I said, since Gabby was still frozen with her mouth hanging open in shock and fear. Her temporary joy of us being together and moving in with her brother had just been smashed to pieces, and I could feel her breaking all the way from the other side of the room.

My words were saying that we would do whatever he wanted, but what I was really thinking was how we were going to get the hell out of here and head for the nearest bus station the second he left this room.

“Fine. Your way. For now,” Marco said, crowding me until he pushed me up against the wall. He trailed his fingers down my jaw.

I did my best not to flinch. Or blink. Or anything that would give him reason to think I was weak. Assholes like him prayed on the weak, and I refused to be a lamb when I was a wolf in preteen clothing.

“You should know,” he all but growled in my face. “I’m doing you a favor, here. All of the other unattached girls are fair game to any member who wants a go at her. But you two? You’re fucking royalty. Get me my money, and you’ll both get to keep your legs closed…for now.”

“And when we turn eighteen? Then, we can go?” Gabby asked hopefully.

Marco’s laugh boomed out so loud, I jumped back involuntarily. “Los Muertos is for life. You don’t get to leave at eighteen.” His face hardened. “You don’t get to leave EVER.”

The instant the words were out of his mouth, I pushed the fear aside and started forming our escape plan.

Marco looked at me knowingly. “And don’t even think about calling your case worker. She’s been paid enough not to care. Or the police. I own those bitches, too. If you try to run, you will be found. I’ve got eyes and ears everywhere, and if you run, you ain’t family no more. You’re deserters. You’re traitors. And traitors don’t get to keep their privileges.” He leaned in and whispered his next warning against my ear, “You run, and you’ll both be fucking a dozen dicks a night out on the street, but not before each and every one of my boys has broken you in first.”

“Why are you doing this?” Gabby asked, her voice shaky. Her eyes were red and rimmed with tears. “I thought…I thought you wanted us here.”

“Doing what?” Marco snapped. “I brought you home, Gabriella. Is it so much to ask that you contribute to your own family?” Marco asked, like we were the crazy ones threatening to prostitute minors. “Is it?” he asked, roughly grabbing Gabby’s chin and forcing her to look up at him. “Now say, thank you, Marco.”

“Thank you, Marco,” Gabby whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“We won’t run. We will do what you ask,” I said with determination.

For now.

He released her, paced a few steps back and steepled his hands. “You see, I knew I did the right thing. This is why I chose you two and not Mona. I read her file. She’s got all the brains and no balls. She’s not meant for this life. But you two,” he chuckled. “I knew you two had what it takes to make me proud. That’s why I brought you here. Well, it’s one of the reasons.” He headed for the door. “You can come and go as you please as long as you make your quotas. Stay out of Immortals’ territory, and if I find out you even put a toe into Bedlam, I’ll…” He clenched his fist and collected himself. “First payment is due this Monday and every Monday after that.”

It was Thursday afternoon. He wanted a thousand dollars from two twelve-year-old girls…in less than four days.

Marco paused at the door. “Welcome to the family, blanquita!” He shouted as he left. The echo of his wicked laughter lingered long after the slam of the door.

I fell onto the bed next to Gabby, feeling like I’d just been in a car accident. Tense, sore, aching, dizzy.

“Welcome fucking home!” Marco shouted again. His voice booming through the open window from the floor below was like a shock to the spine, sending Gabby and me jumping into each other’s arms.

Our worlds had been torn apart and put back together and torn apart again over the course of one very confusing day. My mind raced with a million possible solutions, but each one was met with the same result.

There was no escape.

My locket pressed between Gabby and me. I held on tightly to my only two sources of comfort in the world.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.