Expectations (Violentine)

Chapter Four: Crashin' With A Dead Beat

A/N: TW- Very slight mentions of attempted sexual assault

"How much do I owe you?"

A sigh. "Thirty."

"For two g's???"

"Look, I don't price it, ok? You know it isn't cut with shit... Just... Give me the money, Eddie."

The man sighed, reaching into his back pocket. "...Minnie's making you do it again, isn't she."

"Just give me the money, Eddie..."

"You can go to the cops, Violet. Tell them. Get a lawyer; you can get a plea deal if you sell her out. I've seen the bruises-" "-Leave it, Eddie! Just give me the money..."

"Minnie?"

Violet's hands pushed the hood back off her head, eyes tired and sunk with anxiety.

"Minnie, I'm back..." She mumbled, voice half broken and throat dry. She couldn't exactly stop in a 7-11 for a drink while selling. Furrowing her eyebrows, Violet glanced around the crummy apartment, only to feel a pair of arms around her waist. She couldn't help but tense in disgust at the touch.

"How much?"

"120..."

"Only???"

She shook her head, pulling out of Minerva's grasp and ignoring the glare she received as a result. "Noone wants to buy anymore, Minnie. Their friends grow, or their friends have a friend who does. Everyone's afraid you're gonna cut it with something..." "Me? I'm going to cut it?" "Minnie, you know what I m-"

Her vocal chords broke at the contact of an arm to her throat, a whimper escaping as she was shoved against the wall, all air flow restricted.. "I don't cut anything, Violet. Either start selling more, or-" Violet opened her eyes at the pause, frowning. She knew what was coming. "-you do remember I know where your grandmother lives, right?"

"Minnie-" "-or should I say where you put her? What kind of grand daughter puts their grandma in a home?"

Violet's eyebrows furrowed, hand reaching up and grabbing at the arm against her throat. "You ga-gave me no choice!" She choked out, shoving Minerva back and taking several deep breaths for air.

Minerva grinned, leaning in a little too close for comfort. "Tomorrow you're going back out. Down to the hills. If you can't sell the cheap stuff, you get the expensive shit. Bring me five. Don't get mugged or you'll wish they killed you. Understand?"

Violet frowned. She didn't want to do this anymore. She wasn't even making any money for herself. Instead, she was forced to be around men who tried to manhandle her and a girl who threatened the only thing she had left in this world. She wanted it to stop.

"I said," Minerva's voice dropped as she practically growled out the rest. "Do you understand?!"

"I understand..."

Violet kicked off her shoes, fighting the urge to cry. The bruising on her arm. The hand marks on her throat. She hated going downtown. She hated having to sell to all hours of the night when men would come up to her and think they could get whatever they wanted-

She shook her head, taking a shaky deep breath before crawling onto the couch. Of course Minerva was too stingy to get her a bed. She was, "doing [her] a favor" by letting her stay there.

It was bullshit and they both knew it. Minerva was forcing her to stay there. Holding her captive. Blackmailing her into selling illegal amounts of drugs to people who tried to have their way with her. What Was she supposed to do? She wouldn't be able to knock out every guy that tried to rape her, and Minnie wouldn't let her carry any weapons.

Grabbing the filthy shirt with the man's smell all over it, Violet fought to contain a choked sob as she ripped it off, leaving her in her tank top and ripped jeans. She hated everything about this.

Before she had even another second to hate where she was, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, touching at her stomach and hands resting on her hips. The stench of liquor filled her nose as she felt sloppy, rough kisses placed against her neck and shoulders.

She couldn't. Not anymore.

The choked sobs she'd been fighting to keep back escaped, turning into full blown sobs as words echoed from behind her and a hand moved further down her stomach.

"Shhh ...It's okay. You're fine, Vi. You're here with me. Aren't you happy about that?"

Violet found herself staring down at the wad of cash in her hands, the other clutching the gun she'd stolen; pale faced and sick to her stomach. Should she have stolen a gun from Minnie? No. Did she even have to use it? No. Was she going to be in big shit anyways when she got home? Definitely. It was nearly four in the morning, and she'd made only a third what Minnie had asked. She was going to sell her off for it. Do whatever it took to get the other money; even if it meant selling Violet to rich men in france who would use her as their toy-

She stopped dead in her tacks, eyes wide, shoulders slumping.

There at Minnie's apartment building, seven or so police cruisers with red and blue lights lighting up the whole block. Drug dogs were being led out of vehicles and the other sellers Minerva worked with were being hauled out and into cars.

She glanced down to the cash in her hand, lightly touching the revolver in her sweatshirt pocket before taking a deep breath, grabbing the rest of what she had on her and wiping it with her hoodie sleeve. She'd already touched it.

After cleaning it for several seconds to the point she was sure they wouldn't be able to get any prints off the baggie, she dropped said baggie in the dumpster of the alleyway she was standing in. She glanced down to the decent sized wad of cash in her hand, taking several deep breaths in attempts to calm herself, before backing up and taking off down the alley.

There were photos of her and her grandma on the shelf. One of the only ones she had left since she had seen her so many years ago. Smiling. Happy.

They were going to know who to look for.