Read Online Disengaged: A Dangerously Forbidden Love Affair by Jamie A Magee - Free Book Online
Authors: Jamie A Magee
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mean? Why did you have to clean that money—how do you clean money?”
He looked at me like I was crazy, like that should have been the last question I asked. But I couldn’t help it. I’d seen the world those men came from. I’d felt the darkness of it. I didn’t know for sure where the money Slayton gave my dad came from, but I had a pretty damn good guess that it came from him winning that fight. If there was a way to trace bills, those guys would know that Slayton was defending my father and me and not doing his job. I just had to know how bad this could get.
“Where did he get it from?” my dad asked as we watched Slayton talk to the men below. I even thought I saw a grin on his lips.
“I don’t know. Maybe the man who asked him to fight.”
My father slammed his eyes closed like he’d just heard tragic news. “Malcolm.”
“This is bad?” I asked. And a received a ‘no shit, little girl,’ glance.
“Malcolm runs all the fights, the bets.”
“Why did he call you a Unicorn?”
His face went white, then flushed with anger. A look that had me flinching back before I found my courage.
“How do you know that boy?” he snapped. “Are you playing me?”
“He took me,” I snapped. My father didn’t deserve to hear that Slayton took me to save me, that he had stood guard over me since. No, he deserved to feel the sick, regretful feeling I saw take over his stare.
“I manage bets,” he said hoarsely. “I gather a pool of people to bet then send in a fool to place the bet. If we lose—it’s harder to collect because the guy placing the bet is never sure who organized it all.
“You owe them two hundred thousand dollars?” I asked.
He swayed his head. “It was more,” he glanced to his side at me. “I’ve worked hard to get it down that low. I have to bet to do so.”
“You have to win,” I said shortly. I knew he wasn’t trying to get out of this. He was trying to float. I’d heard of him doing this my whole life.
My dad gripped my arm. “As soon as this is paid we’re getting out of here. I’m done.”
It was a lie. I didn’t even have to look deep in his stare to know so. My gut told me that every good intention he said would be slaughtered by the demons he found comfort in.
“And what about this Zee guy? What was that stuff?”
My father cursed as he stared down at Slayton and the others, angry that I knew about any of the people he dealt with.
“I told you I needed cash. Zee’s people ask me to hold their stash sometimes. Easy money.”
Oh shit, he’d just robbed Peter to pay Paul!
“And they do the fight-betting thing too?”
He didn’t answer me, so I shoved him.
“No,” he grunted. “Whores. Sex slaves. And the drugs to make them ready to give it up.”
I almost hurled. Doom had never felt heavier. What made it all worse was this man, of all people on the planet, should protect me. Keep me far from anything that even looked this dangerous. He didn’t. He pulled me out of the only home and town I knew and planted me in the middle of hell. An offering to the evil he courted.
My father let me suffer for long minutes as we watched the men below. “He touch you?”
I would’ve refused to answer him if I had the chance. Instead, a pound on the door had us both jumping and the familiar demon of fear staked it’s claim on me again.
SEVEN
I double-checked to make sure no one had left the car below before I moved. My father gripped my arm, but I jerked it away and crawled far from the window then stood as the pounding went on.
I was almost to it when I heard. “Ember. Job or no job!”
Mrs. Jin.
My father, who had found the same relief I had charged toward the door and barely cracked it before he hissed. “No job.”
I don’t know what clicked with me. If it was a whispered understanding from a divine source I’d never understand, or if I was finally falling into place with this underworld, but I knew right then I needed to back up Slayton’s
He looked at me like I was crazy, like that should have been the last question I asked. But I couldn’t help it. I’d seen the world those men came from. I’d felt the darkness of it. I didn’t know for sure where the money Slayton gave my dad came from, but I had a pretty damn good guess that it came from him winning that fight. If there was a way to trace bills, those guys would know that Slayton was defending my father and me and not doing his job. I just had to know how bad this could get.
“Where did he get it from?” my dad asked as we watched Slayton talk to the men below. I even thought I saw a grin on his lips.
“I don’t know. Maybe the man who asked him to fight.”
My father slammed his eyes closed like he’d just heard tragic news. “Malcolm.”
“This is bad?” I asked. And a received a ‘no shit, little girl,’ glance.
“Malcolm runs all the fights, the bets.”
“Why did he call you a Unicorn?”
His face went white, then flushed with anger. A look that had me flinching back before I found my courage.
“How do you know that boy?” he snapped. “Are you playing me?”
“He took me,” I snapped. My father didn’t deserve to hear that Slayton took me to save me, that he had stood guard over me since. No, he deserved to feel the sick, regretful feeling I saw take over his stare.
“I manage bets,” he said hoarsely. “I gather a pool of people to bet then send in a fool to place the bet. If we lose—it’s harder to collect because the guy placing the bet is never sure who organized it all.
“You owe them two hundred thousand dollars?” I asked.
He swayed his head. “It was more,” he glanced to his side at me. “I’ve worked hard to get it down that low. I have to bet to do so.”
“You have to win,” I said shortly. I knew he wasn’t trying to get out of this. He was trying to float. I’d heard of him doing this my whole life.
My dad gripped my arm. “As soon as this is paid we’re getting out of here. I’m done.”
It was a lie. I didn’t even have to look deep in his stare to know so. My gut told me that every good intention he said would be slaughtered by the demons he found comfort in.
“And what about this Zee guy? What was that stuff?”
My father cursed as he stared down at Slayton and the others, angry that I knew about any of the people he dealt with.
“I told you I needed cash. Zee’s people ask me to hold their stash sometimes. Easy money.”
Oh shit, he’d just robbed Peter to pay Paul!
“And they do the fight-betting thing too?”
He didn’t answer me, so I shoved him.
“No,” he grunted. “Whores. Sex slaves. And the drugs to make them ready to give it up.”
I almost hurled. Doom had never felt heavier. What made it all worse was this man, of all people on the planet, should protect me. Keep me far from anything that even looked this dangerous. He didn’t. He pulled me out of the only home and town I knew and planted me in the middle of hell. An offering to the evil he courted.
My father let me suffer for long minutes as we watched the men below. “He touch you?”
I would’ve refused to answer him if I had the chance. Instead, a pound on the door had us both jumping and the familiar demon of fear staked it’s claim on me again.
SEVEN
I double-checked to make sure no one had left the car below before I moved. My father gripped my arm, but I jerked it away and crawled far from the window then stood as the pounding went on.
I was almost to it when I heard. “Ember. Job or no job!”
Mrs. Jin.
My father, who had found the same relief I had charged toward the door and barely cracked it before he hissed. “No job.”
I don’t know what clicked with me. If it was a whispered understanding from a divine source I’d never understand, or if I was finally falling into place with this underworld, but I knew right then I needed to back up Slayton’s
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