Chasing Spring(41)

He spun a chair around and took a seat with his legs hanging over each side. “Y’know, I’m sad to see it end this way Elaine. I was really pulling for you. There aren’t many whores like you in this shitty town. You know that?”

Elaine turned to him, but she couldn’t meet his eye. She focused on the scar that stretched down his face, specifically at the point where it ended halfway into his lip. Someone had nearly sliced him in two when he was younger and she found herself wishing they’d finished the job.

“Boss, she could have the money, you haven’t even asked her yet,” Carl laughed as he continued rooting through her cabinets. Other than the empty cereal boxes, there was nothing left in the cupboards. She’d sustained herself on ramen and tuna fish for the past few weeks.

Donny chuckled. “Right, right, right.” He pressed his hand to his chest and then extended it to her. “Elaine, please take a seat and tell me you’ve got twenty thousand hidden somewhere in this shitty ass apartment.” He leaned back with a wicked smile. “That would make my f*cking night.”

She pointed at the peanut tin on the floor. Inside, there was a hundred dollars, a hundred dollars she’d desperately wanted to spend on a gift for Lilah, a little something by which she could remember her mom.

One of the new guys—the one who’d taken a hit of cocaine on the way in—bent to the ground and retrieved the tin. He pried it open, chuckled, and showed it to Donny.

“Is this a joke?” Donny said, ripping the tin from his crony’s hand and slinging it across the room. It collided with a picture frame propped up on the kitchen counter, shattering the glass across the room. The bills still sat folded inside of it.

Elaine shook her head, trying to keep the tears from clouding her vision.

“Fuck this, Donny. Get on with it already. We gotta pick up that delivery across town in fifteen.”

Donny nodded and stood. He rounded the corner toward Elaine, scratching his beard and assessing her with wicked eyes. She held her breath and watched him reach into his pocket out of the corner of her eye; he was reaching for the switchblade.

She jumped up out of her chair and flew across the room, holding her hands up to keep the four men away from her.

“STOP! I can get you the money.”

Donny turned and pounded his fists against the table in anger. “Fucking lies, Elaine!”

The wood threatened to buckle under the force of his fists. She watched it crack in the center, splintering out in two directions. Donny caught his fists just before he rammed them into the table again. He held them aloft and then loosened them, blinking away his anger. He turned toward her and smiled as if the last ten seconds had never happened. She swallowed down her fear as he stepped toward her with the patience of a man stepping toward a scared deer.

“Baby, you can’t get me the money. You say that every single time.” His voice was soft and comforting, and it scared her more than his shouts. “And you know what happens?” He was so close to her face then, breathing right onto her skin. His warm breath stank from rotted teeth. “You never f*cking deliver.”

His hand dipped into his pocket for the switchblade and she stood immobile. Her heart hammered in her chest, rioting for her to do something. Act. Move. Run. Instead, she stared up into Donny’s dark brown eyes as tears started to flow.

“Please Donny,” she choked out through sobs. “Please. This time I really mean it. I know where you can get the money.”

Donny laughed and turned back to his men. “You guys hearing this? Maybe she has a few more f*ckin’ cans of peanuts layin’ around.”

They chuckled along with him, the sound of it ringing in her ears until Donny flipped open the switchblade and the laughter stopped abruptly. The dull blade caught the light and Elaine finally found the courage to move. She fled past him, trying to make it to the door of the apartment, but he was quicker. He reached out and yanked her by the arm so hard it gave way from the socket.

She screamed in agony as he twisted her back to him, holding the blade right up in the groove of her neck.

“Donny. DONNY, I know this house, I-I-I…” she stammered. “I know when they’re not home, I know where they keep everything. Lots of antiques, a-and jewelry and shit.”

He laughed in her ear and pressed the blade into her skin, slicing through her like she was made of paper.

“No more fairytales,” he bit out.

She squeezed her eyes shut and visualized the brand new TV the Matthews had purchased a few months back. It wasn’t worth twenty grand, but it was a start, just a little something to appease Donny until she could think of what to do. Hell, she’d become a whore. She’d strip. She’d go back to selling drugs, anything to stay alive for Lilah.

The blade cut deeper and she felt the rush of blood to her head, pounding with adrenaline and self-preservation.

“WAIT,” she pleaded as heavy tears slid down her cheeks. “PLEASE. PLEASE. I’ll show you. This house right across town. They’ll be gone tomorrow, I swear! They have good stuff, Donny. Good stuff.”

The pressure of the knife eased up and she inhaled quick, deep breaths.

“We can go first thing tomorrow. I know exactly where they keep the spare key,” she promised. “It’s a clean job. Super clean job. In and out.”

Donny moved the blade and shoved her away. She collided with the edge of the table and groaned as she slid to the ground, sobbing with the relief of getting to live another day.