will treat her, because she is hurt, and she needs me.”
“Oh no,” Corgan said. “No, no. You don’t need to treat her.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his mobile phone. He pressed a key, held the phone up to his ear, and wandered over to the window, looking down.
“Paul?” he said. “Yes, sorted. No, keep her in the car, she’s done here. Look, shut up and just fucking listen. I want you to drive her over to Nicky’s, ask him to keep an eye on her. Can you manage that? Don’t arse it up, there’s a good lad.” He pressed a button, finished the call, and gave me a pleasant smile and a shrug: staff, what can you do? Then he pressed another button, and waited for someone else to answer. “Kav? The girl Elena—she’ll be at the flat with Nicky. I want the word putting out—she’s back in business. Yeah, yeah I know. No, not at all, she can start today. Ring round some of the clients. Some might want a discount, as she’s damaged goods, but here’s what you do: you up her price, don’t drop it. Up it. And tell the clients that’s because all rules are off now. If they pay, they can do whatever they want.”
“No,” I shouted, and he ignored me.
“I know she’s a bit special, Kav, but you know how it is, plenty more to choose from. If she’s in this condition we can’t blame the punters if she comes back even worse, so just get her back out there, earn what you can while she’s still saleable. I know we haven’t got—yeah I know—but we’ll find another, one who can take it. Or can be made to.”
“No,” I shouted again, and I ran towards Corgan, not knowing what I was going to do when I reached him, but he reached out a lazy hand, gripped my face, and pushed me away hard, so that I fell backwards on to the bed and cracked the back of my head on the metal radiator.
“One second, Kav,” he said, and he lowered the phone and stared down at me, his eyes cold. “What? What is it, Anna? I thought we were finished with each other?”
“You cannot—”
“Do not tell me what I can and can’t do. Don’t ever do that. And what’s your problem anyway? You said you didn’t want to be involved with her. So you’re not. You got what you wanted. But if she’s not being treated by you she might as well go back to earning. Otherwise what the fuck is she for?”
“She’ll get hurt again, worse—”
“Not your concern. You washed your hands of it all, remember. Your choice. Your principles.”
I lay on the bed, my head banging with pain. Corgan stood calmly at the end of the bed, holding his phone a little away from his head, waiting patiently.
“Bastard,” I said. “Burn in hell. Burn in fucking hell, pig. Bring her back. But she cannot work until she is well again. She cannot. And you are scum, Corgan.”
He stood there for a moment, looking down at me, and I felt very vulnerable, lying on the bed, conscious of the power of the man, the size of him. Then he smiled, and said, “Good girl. Spin it out though, and I’ll take her off you again, get her back out there. Might even offer you as a side dish. You understanding me here, Anna?”
“I understand you,” I said.
Again he looked, for a long time.
Then he nodded. “OK.” He lifted the phone again, said, “Kav, change of plan. As you were.” Another press of buttons. “Paul, bring her back here. Yes, I know what I said. Do I have to repeat—” He snapped the phone shut and dropped it back into his pocket. Then he held out his hand towards me. “Up you get.”
I did not want to touch him, but I did not dare to refuse in case he changed his mind about Elena. I lifted my hand, and he took hold of me, and pulled me to my feet, his touch strong but very gentle. He held my hand, as if he wanted to kneel down and kiss it. Again he looked at me for a long time. Then he punched me in one of my breasts, so hard I span round and fell down onto the bed. Then he walked over and bent over me.
“Don’t ever demand
“Oh no,” Corgan said. “No, no. You don’t need to treat her.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his mobile phone. He pressed a key, held the phone up to his ear, and wandered over to the window, looking down.
“Paul?” he said. “Yes, sorted. No, keep her in the car, she’s done here. Look, shut up and just fucking listen. I want you to drive her over to Nicky’s, ask him to keep an eye on her. Can you manage that? Don’t arse it up, there’s a good lad.” He pressed a button, finished the call, and gave me a pleasant smile and a shrug: staff, what can you do? Then he pressed another button, and waited for someone else to answer. “Kav? The girl Elena—she’ll be at the flat with Nicky. I want the word putting out—she’s back in business. Yeah, yeah I know. No, not at all, she can start today. Ring round some of the clients. Some might want a discount, as she’s damaged goods, but here’s what you do: you up her price, don’t drop it. Up it. And tell the clients that’s because all rules are off now. If they pay, they can do whatever they want.”
“No,” I shouted, and he ignored me.
“I know she’s a bit special, Kav, but you know how it is, plenty more to choose from. If she’s in this condition we can’t blame the punters if she comes back even worse, so just get her back out there, earn what you can while she’s still saleable. I know we haven’t got—yeah I know—but we’ll find another, one who can take it. Or can be made to.”
“No,” I shouted again, and I ran towards Corgan, not knowing what I was going to do when I reached him, but he reached out a lazy hand, gripped my face, and pushed me away hard, so that I fell backwards on to the bed and cracked the back of my head on the metal radiator.
“One second, Kav,” he said, and he lowered the phone and stared down at me, his eyes cold. “What? What is it, Anna? I thought we were finished with each other?”
“You cannot—”
“Do not tell me what I can and can’t do. Don’t ever do that. And what’s your problem anyway? You said you didn’t want to be involved with her. So you’re not. You got what you wanted. But if she’s not being treated by you she might as well go back to earning. Otherwise what the fuck is she for?”
“She’ll get hurt again, worse—”
“Not your concern. You washed your hands of it all, remember. Your choice. Your principles.”
I lay on the bed, my head banging with pain. Corgan stood calmly at the end of the bed, holding his phone a little away from his head, waiting patiently.
“Bastard,” I said. “Burn in hell. Burn in fucking hell, pig. Bring her back. But she cannot work until she is well again. She cannot. And you are scum, Corgan.”
He stood there for a moment, looking down at me, and I felt very vulnerable, lying on the bed, conscious of the power of the man, the size of him. Then he smiled, and said, “Good girl. Spin it out though, and I’ll take her off you again, get her back out there. Might even offer you as a side dish. You understanding me here, Anna?”
“I understand you,” I said.
Again he looked, for a long time.
Then he nodded. “OK.” He lifted the phone again, said, “Kav, change of plan. As you were.” Another press of buttons. “Paul, bring her back here. Yes, I know what I said. Do I have to repeat—” He snapped the phone shut and dropped it back into his pocket. Then he held out his hand towards me. “Up you get.”
I did not want to touch him, but I did not dare to refuse in case he changed his mind about Elena. I lifted my hand, and he took hold of me, and pulled me to my feet, his touch strong but very gentle. He held my hand, as if he wanted to kneel down and kiss it. Again he looked at me for a long time. Then he punched me in one of my breasts, so hard I span round and fell down onto the bed. Then he walked over and bent over me.
“Don’t ever demand
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