Roses & Thorns

Chapter Twenty Two: Dead Woman Walking

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I stared out the window of the moving car and sighed as we rolled past rows of brick structures and iridescent street lamps.

A hand on my exposed thigh prompted a switch in glance that alerted my captor.

"You've gained weight." Greene chuckled to himself and gave my thigh a squeeze. I shook my head, knowing good and well that Greene didn't know me well enough to notice weight gain. He simply said anything to disrespect me.

"Must be from all the dick you're taking. Isn't that what they say?"

"Who's 'they'?" I didn't really care, but I hated these rides back to his apartment or to various hotels. They were awkward and I generally spent them contemplating my life choices.

"I don't know but it's true." He claimed.

I moved his hand from my thigh and peered back out the window. We were going past the St. Regis Hotel and that seemed odd to me, especially since it was a Sunday night and he usually checked us in for our escapades.

"You passed the hotel."

"I know. We need to make a stop." Greene said without his usual cocky grin. In fact, his delivery threw me off so much that I looked at him until the car finally came to a stop at a building along Riverside Drive.

A lanky man slid into the back seat of the car without a word. I turned to try and makeout his face but a dark shadow was cast over half of it. What was this? A taxi service now?

"Cinnamon, come out the car for a minute." Greene ushered me to follow him out. Furrowing my brows, I followed him to the side walk a few feet from the car. "That's one of my business partners. You're gonna blow him off."

"What?"

"A blow job. Don't mess up my backseat though."

"I'm not giving him a blow job. What's wrong with you?" I nearly pushed Greene back but he caught my arm with a tight grip.

"I thought our arrangement was clear, you dumb bitch. Do what I say and you get what you want." He squeezed tighter.

"It's between me and you, not you and your-friends." I winched in pain from his grip.

"It's whatever I say it is so get your ass in that back seat and suck his dick or I'll make sure that you never get a hold of what you want." He threatened with a final squeeze of my arm.

My throat was tight and my vision slowly blurred as my emotions were in high. Greene stared me down and a smile slowly appeared on his face.

"Good girl. Now make it quick because I'm next." He released me and walked in the opposite direction of his car to leave me to service the unknown business man in his backseat.
                                       
• • • • • •

The memory was an unflattering one considering that I currently held the very file that Greene had hovered over my head that very night. I'd done horrid things to try and obtain it but Donovan had handed it over without degrading me. He could've asked me to do anything and I probably would've done it.

But he knew I was a fool for trusting him. He knew before I even knew which was the absolute worst part because now I was on my way to the city with no way of redeeming my stupidity. I wasn't sure when I would ever see him again but I knew it would be incredibly different. Greene held me captive by contract but Donovan held me captive through his presence.