Dirty Money

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P R O L O G U E

I grew up in an orphanage that uses little children to earn money with their twisted little tricks. I've been starved and beaten like I was some animal unworthy of affection. There wasn't a day where I was ever full— until I started playing my own little game. I remember that day like it was yesterday, the rain was pouring and I had once again stepped out of line. The cruel look on her bony face when she slammed the door shut. Behind the door was a click, signifying it being locked. 

My body stung whenever the swollen whip marks came in contact with the cold concrete and my empty stomach made me weak. I heard shuffles behind me and I could just make out the shadows in each corner of the room. Something must have clicked in my brain because I had never felt such strong desire inside me. I came closer to them, and it was then when I could see them clearly. Three boys that were stick thin and it was like looking into the reflection. The only way I could tell them apart was by their hair, ash blonde, chestnut brown and jet black.My lips curl into a smirk as I leaned in, breathing slowly.

"Don't you think it's time we decided our own dinnertime."

That was the first time I defied the rules but it most definitely wasn't the last. Greed filled us and we wanted more as each day passed— or perhaps it was the beautiful feeling of risk.

Of course, good things don't last long and soon they realised the food supply has begun running low and caught us red handed. They tried to send us off but oh the pranks we pulled to those who attempted to adopt us. In the end they had no choice but to leave us out on the streets to fend for ourselves. That chapter of my life was the most horrible thing I have ever experienced. The four of us begging for money and scraps of food, I never want to go through that again. That's why I never trust anything but money. Tell me how exactly is love going to keep me alive? Its pathetic.

We had to find some way to survive, so we started helping criminals. It started out as the four of us when we were only fourteen. The more jobs we did, the more useful they realised we were. Slowly we began running our own illegal business by helping them. And then Aspen came. At first we were wary but she proved that we did, in fact, need her.

Each of us has our job. Logan works the technology; printing out fake ID cards and helping us bypass security. Aspen is somewhat similar to a hospital. Her medical skills are what kept us alive. And then there is Carson, he knows his way around the law, working out what the lowest penalty of years we would have to face in jail. Hunter Reed. His physical strength is above normal and assists us in jobs where we need to use hand-to-hand combat. Finally, there's me. I like to think of myself like the brain. I make the plans and execute them.

We started this five years ago. Most people would believe we would be great friends, but it's far from that. The only thing we are is partners in crime and the reason we have not split up is solely because we need each other. A body can't function when it's missing one hand, so how can we? Also. The only thing I need in life is not friendship or love. It's money.