THEA

“What’s going on?” Thea hoped the tremble in her voice went unnoticed. Chad, the local dealer, dragged his eyes from her chest to her face. “What?” Thea narrowed her eyes. Short and stout with a scruffy beard, Chad hit on Thea relentlessly. He disgusted her, but drop-offs for him were a quick way to make extra cash when she desperately needed it. She bridled her fear and spoke firmly. “I told you I’m not doing these drop-offs with more than one man in the room.” Actually, she didn’t know if she could call the “things” in the room men. Thick, twisting horns sprouting from all around their heads and their bloated, distorted faces resembled monstrous beasts. Hefty and deformed, they glowed a deep ruby-red that almost hurt her eyes. She had never seen anything like it but tried to control her rising panic. They had to be wearing costumes. Two leaned against the wall on either side of the room, one stood by Chad staring into space, and another paced behind him. Chad glared at her. “What are you talking about?” The beast standing by Chad turned a frowning gaze on her. The pacing one slowed, and the two against the wall turned to watch her, their snout-looking mouths twitching. Pure dread bloomed in her at their sudden attention, but she held her stance. Signs of weakness didn’t go over well in this neighborhood. She jutted her chin toward the ugly men. “Get them out.” Chad glanced around the room, but his squinty eyes didn’t connect with the creatures. He returned his gaze to her, his suspicion clear. “Stop trying to delay. Did you get them or not?” The red beast-men glanced at each other, one of them pushing off the wall and turning toward her. Shit. Thea resisted backing away, but fear made every muscle tense and prepare to fight. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t been in brawls before, but the menacing costumes unnerved her. “I’m waiting, Thea,” Chad said, his fat fingers twitching. She forced herself to inch forward and threw him the packet of USBs she’d collected, containing the information he wanted. The men tilted their heads in confusion as they observed her. Thea tried to avoid looking at the monstrous faces glaring at her, but a strange sense of danger in the air urged her to pay attention to their every move. “These better be the right ones,” Chad said, ripping open the packet. “The last time I told you to make a collection, my contact said you approached—” In a sudden blink of an eye, the glowing costumed men disappeared. What the ****? Heart pounding, Thea scanned the room. They were nowhere to be seen. How’d they manage that trick? “Thea! Did you hear me?” Her attention snapped back to him. “Yes. Give me my money.” After taking the envelope and checking her payment, she backed away from him toward the door behind her that led to the rusty, old fire escape—her access to Chad’s drop-off apartment. He shook his head as he watched her, annoyance etched into his face as he cursed her under his breath. When she was on the fire escape, she glanced back into the apartment as Chad closed the door, and there they were again—grotesque beasts, glowing red. Thea climbed down the fire escape to the alley below and breathed out steadily. Was she going mad? Had those men been some kind of joke? If so, what was the point? Halloween wasn’t for months yet. Maybe Chad was trying some new intimidation tactic, and if that was the case, it fucking worked. Something about those men made her skin crawl. She hurried down the alley, eager to get as far away as possible. As she turned onto the busy road, she breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be among a crowd; however, the uncomfortable edge of fear that twisted in her chest transmuted to a strange prickle at the back of her neck. It was late on a weeknight and the streets bubbled with activity; a discord of voices, the scratch of heels on the pavement, and the grumble of passing cars clashed with each other as strongly as the mangled smoky, metallic, and rotten stenches of the city. But beyond all that, drifting between the city’s vigor, came the sudden awareness that she was being watched. Thea looked around carefully. The familiar worn and dilapidated buildings in her neighborhood took on a different edge in the dark, looming above her with an imposing menace. She was used to it—comforted by it even—but that wasn’t what this sudden strangeness was. Her searching gaze was drawn to the things people usually didn’t see or want to see; the dark corners where gang members lurked, the stray dog rummaging in discarded trash bags, the young girl swaying unsteadily toward a hard-eyed man with bills in his fist, the homeless man mumbling to himself as he lurched down the street—everything seemed normal, and yet something was off. Turning, she headed down the street and crossed the road, trying to shake off the sensation. She was clearly just unnerved by what she’d seen in Chad’s apartment. The beast-men had been a prank… although Chad acted like they weren’t there. Maybe she was under too much stress and seeing things? They had disappeared in front of her eyes for god’s sake— She collided with something hard and solid, smashing her cheek against it before jumping back, her thoughts startled out of her head. Swallowing the yelp in her throat, her eyes widened as they traced up a broad chest to the face of a tall man. The streetlight cutting harshly across his face highlighted his chiseled features and threw a shadow over his eye sockets, so they remained pools of darkness. “Sorry.” The apology came out breathier than she intended. Squaring her shoulders and pushing her hands into her pockets, Thea lowered her head a little. “Didn’t see you,” she muttered in a firmer voice, “but you could have just stepped out the way.” She darted around the man before he had a chance to respond, but he didn’t move an inch or reply. The strangeness she’d been battling intensified as she stepped passed him, urging her to pay attention to… what exactly? She glanced back at the man she’d bumped into and abruptly stopped. He was no longer behind her—or anywhere, for that matter. Thea pushed away the strange feeling that gripped her, forcing herself to start walking again, and firmly telling herself to stop being ridiculous. If she were becoming this skittish, she wouldn’t be able to survive one more day in this neighborhood. She had to get a grip. “No, no, I booked this weeks ago!” Thea heard Amber’s voice before she saw her. The line outside La Teria, one of the most popular five-star restaurants in the city, stretched around the building, filled with the kind of people that spent the equivalent of Thea’s monthly rent on their underwear. Amber stood at the doorway, dressed in a gorgeous, glittering blue dress that accentuated her petite shape. Thea almost felt under-dressed in her black jeans and an off-the-shoulder top. “I want to speak to the manager,” Amber snapped at the hostess. As she turned and saw Thea approaching, her green eyes softened. “I’m so sorry, Thee.” “Hey, Amber, what’s going on?” “I booked the table over a month ago, and now I’m being told my name’s not there,” Amber said, her voice hardening. “You know how packed this place gets. We might not even get a seat!” Thea shrugged. “It’s okay, we can go somewhere else.” Amber’s jaw clenched. “No. It’s your birthday, and this is the only place I wanted to take you.” She flicked her head toward the reception desk. “These people can charge the price of a fucking MacBook for an appetizer, but they can’t hire competent staff.” “It’s okay, Ambs, let’s just go somewhere else.” “No.” To Thea’s surprise, angry tears formed in Amber’s eyes. “I had an issue with Leo about getting out tonight, Thea. I just want this evening to be easy and simple. I want you to enjoy your birthday.” Her voice began to tremble. “I’ve been saving for it and you deserve it.” Rubbing Amber’s arm, trying to soothe her, Thea tried to hide her shock. It wasn’t like her friend to get upset about something like this. What the hell had happened with Leo? A big man in a navy suit appeared beside them. “How can I help here?” “Are you the manager this evening?” Thea asked, before Amber could speak. When the man nodded, Thea asked, “Can I speak to you in private for a moment?” He led her inside the doorway and turned to her. “Listen, young lady, I’m afraid this establishment only accepts a certain clientele—” “Do you know, I’ve always wondered how you managed to survive so close to the rougher parts of this city,” Thea said, smiling at the sudden flicker of uncertainty on the man’s face. He recovered quickly, but she carried on. “Most restaurants of this caliber are uptown, being charged rental prices that would make most people’s eyes water. Then, I found out a few weeks ago that you do have protection… just like every other business in this area.” A dark glint flashed in the man’s eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “I’m sure Breaker won’t be pleased to know you sent members of his gang away.” The manager’s face slacked, and he looked Thea over. “You are a member of a gang?” “Not just any gang,” Thea hissed. “Breaker’s.” She squared her shoulders. “Do you know why he’s called Breaker?” The man tried to maintain his confident demeanor, but if she was right, he’d met Breaker and was terrified. He swallowed. “There’s no need to—” “When someone doesn’t live up to their end of any agreement with him,” Thea leaned forward, dropping her voice to a hoarse whisper, “he breaks every bone in their body.” The man stiffened, but from his expression, it wasn’t news to him. “Sometimes he does it all at once,” Thea said casually. “Other times, he’ll do it over months.” She paused. “Do you know how many bones there are in the human body?” The man lowered his voice as he hissed, “I didn’t agree to host gang members here! This a fine-dining establishment—” “Then he breaks their families,” Thea interrupted, her gaze fixed on him. “Their business, their reputation, anything they hold dear.” She held the man’s gaze as he paled and then softened her voice. “My friend booked us a table. I’m just asking that you honor it.” The man breathed deeply as he glared at her for a long moment, then his shoulders slumped. “I’m sure we can make an exception—this time.” Thea smiled. “Thank you. I’m sure Breaker will be pleased if we report back what a good time we had here. Please, can we get a private table?” The man took a deep breath and then regained his composure. “Of course. This way.” He beckoned Amber from the doorway and led them to a table near the back in the private area. “Enjoy all drinks and desserts on the house.” Amber’s green eyes widened in surprise as she watched him hurry away. “How did you do that?” Thea dropped onto one of the chairs and grinned. “I’ll tell you after dessert.” Amber shook her head, disbelief etched on her face. “You’re the luckiest person I know.” Thea stuck her tongue out and grabbed the menu. She wouldn’t say she was lucky—just good at reading people and twisting the truth, and although sometimes she felt guilty about it, she was grateful for the ability to think quickly on her feet. Her life hadn’t exactly been a bunch of roses, and being perceptive saved her *** too many times to count. In this case, she wasn’t about to let Amber feel like a failure for not booking their table—not when it seemed really important to her, and not when, in reality, it was the manager’s elitism that caused the problem. The food was delicious, as expected, and the cocktails even better. Thea and Amber giggled the evening away, reminiscing about their ill-conceived stunts when they were teenagers and the various antics they pulled to complete jobs for some of the gangs in their area. Eventually, they pushed away their dessert plates and Amber sighed. “That was amazing.” Thea nodded. “They charge those prices for a reason.” “Well, now you have to tell me how you changed the manager’s mind and got me out of paying for desserts and drinks.” Thea sighed, knowing her friend’s sparkling eyes would dim. “I used Leo.” As expected, Amber’s face dropped. “Oh.” She was quiet for a moment. “He really believed we were members of his gang?” Thea nodded. “Surprisingly, yes. I’m sorry, Amber, I just—” “No, it’s okay.” Amber waved away her explanation. “I just didn’t realize how far his… reach went.” Leo’s gang, the Razors, was slowly gaining control over the whole neighborhood; he was in constant battle with the other gangs because of it, which Amber hated. “They’re a big gang,” Thea said, lamely. “That doesn’t mean they should expand beyond the neighborhood,” Amber said, stirring her cocktail with her straw. “You know what kind of attention that draws from the bigger mobs.” Thea nodded, but it was clear that’s what Leo wanted. He’d been expanding his influence and growing his gang since they’d known him, but somehow Amber didn’t seem to remember that part. As far as Thea was concerned, the man was a manipulating, controlling asshole. He had a stronghold on almost every business in the neighborhood and took morbid delight in punishing people that didn’t bow to his every word. Thea had seen businesses torched at his request, girls turning to prostitution to pay back a debt they never asked for, strange coincidences forcing people to join his gang, and even families ending up homeless because of him. He completely lived up to his street name, Breaker. By the time Thea had realized it, Amber was already entirely charmed and dependent on him. Thea steered clear of him and hoped Amber would wake up and see his truly awful nature, but the annoying thing was, he kept the worst of it from her. Thea had tried explaining, tried to show her what he was really doing to their neighborhood, but despite her anger earlier, Amber was generally mild mannered and easygoing. She simply didn’t get easily suspicious and thought most things could be explained without nefarious intentions being the true cause. Leo had complete control over her because she lived with him, and she no longer spent as much time in the streets with Thea like she used to, but Thea couldn’t understand what “good” Amber always said she saw in him. A year ago, one of the girls they’d grown up with had been beaten to death by a john—she’d been forced to sell herself because of Leo. Thea and Amber had argued so badly after her death, they didn’t speak for nearly a month. It almost broke Thea. Of all the things she could endure, she couldn’t be without Amber, no matter how misguided she might be, and she’d worried about her constantly. If Leo had no remorse about the people whose lives he destroyed, why would he care about Amber? And if he did, how long would it last? So Thea resolved to not ever let Leo get between them again, which meant keeping her mouth shut most of the time. Sooner or later, Amber had to eventually see the real Leo, and when she did, Thea needed to be there to help her through it. “You said you were having issues with him,” Thea said, taking a sip of her tangy cocktail. “What did you mean?” Amber explained that last night they had gotten into an argument because Leo hadn’t wanted Amber to go out for Thea’s birthday. He insisted that she spend the night with him. Although Amber was a sweetheart, she could be forceful when she needed to be, and she was always at her fiercest when it came to Thea. So she’d refused, and Leo argued with her until he realized he wouldn’t win, then stormed out. She hadn’t seen him since. Thea squeezed Amber’s hand in support while she spoke, but in truth, she was livid. The way Leo tried to control Amber made her uncomfortable. She feared he’d somehow convince Amber to work for his gang. What if the upbeat, good-natured girl she had grown up with, turned weak and insecure, or even worse, ended up dependent and working for him. If that happened, Amber would never be the same. “I worry about him,” Amber said, before downing the last of her pink, fruity drink. “He seems to be under more stress than usual, and strange things are happening with the gang, I think.” “What do you mean?” “I don’t know… I can’t put my finger on it. He rarely sleeps, gets furious about things that aren’t a big deal, and then forgets he even mentioned it to me. He’s had meetings on the other side of the neighborhood that aren’t even in his territory… I don’t understand why.” “It’s probably better you don’t know, Amber.” “But what if he’s in danger? What if he’s not safe when he goes there?” “He has a big enough support system to help him if that happens,” Thea pointed out. “You getting involved won’t help him. And he’ll only be annoyed.” Amber shot her a strange look. “I never thought you’d be one telling me to keep the peace, Thee.” Thea had to bite the inside of her cheek to not answer the way she wanted to. If Amber didn’t want to leave him, what else could Thea tell her to do? She didn’t want her to end up with intimate knowledge of his gang dealings that could make her vulnerable, and the best way to do that was to remain ignorant of his activities. “Sometimes there’s no point in aggravating a situation you can’t change,” she replied carefully. Amber pursed her lips in thought, then nodded in agreement. “As long as you feel safe with him.” Thea hesitated. “He wouldn’t… hurt you, would he?” “Thea.” Amber looked at her sharply. “He’s never done anything like that.” She leaned forward. “I know you don’t like him, but you know I wouldn’t stay with him if that were the case, right? He’s never done anything like that.” The determination in Amber’s emerald eyes chased away Thea’s concern. She nodded and smiled, relief filtering through her. Amber returned her smile and sighed. “Good. I’m just worried he’s taking on too much too quickly for no good reason.” She propped her elbow on the table and dropped her chin in the heel of her hand. “Maybe I should just avoid men. It seems to work for you.” “Hey,” Thea said, affronted. “I don’t avoid men. I just know I can’t rely on any of them.” Amber lifted her head and crossed her arms. “Unattached sex isn’t as rewarding as a relationship, Thea. You should try it.” “A relationship isn’t worth the risk of a broken heart when your man runs off with your rent money and leaves you practically homeless, Amber,” Thea threw back, her voice a little too harsh. Maybe she wasn’t over it as much as she thought. Amber rolled her eyes. “They’re not all like that.” Thea lifted her brows. “Name one man we know who’s proved reliable.” The waiter set their multi-colored cocktails down before them. She took a sip, swirling the sweet, icy liquid around her mouth before swallowing. “I’ll wait.” Amber lifted her eyes and bit her lip as she thought; it was the same look she always had when thinking of an impossible answer, even since she was seven when they met. At that age, they made a pact that they would always look out for each other like family. Amber had grown up bouncing in and out of a string of foster homes, and Thea had a strained relationship with her only parent, so they both needed each other. They formed a friendship that helped them get through many distasteful jobs and tricky situations until they finally got to a place where they felt relatively secure. And through it all, Amber managed to keep her inherent kindness intact. In a way, Thea was glad Amber had some semblance of security with Leo. She met him at fourteen and, never having had a stable home before, Leo offered her stability. She no longer had to do the jobs that Thea was forced to do, worry about her rent, or dodge the unsavory figures in the neighborhood. But Thea saw the signs: Leo was going down a path that could only end badly for Amber, and Thea didn’t know how to help her. A man like that had no business dating her petite, sensible friend, but who was she to criticize their relationship? She preferred criticizing just him. “I honestly can’t think of anyone,” Amber said finally, picking up her drink. “That’s because there are none.” “Yeah, well,” Amber said, between sips. “We don’t exactly hang with a bunch of saints.” Thea chuckled. It was true. Everyone they knew had some distasteful past or was involved in something dishonest. The rest of the city looked down upon their run-down neighborhood, which was filled with shadowy corners and even shadier people. Thea was used to it and embraced her life with relish. She didn’t need to rely on anybody to get by—she lived alone, worked mostly alone, and made sure Amber was all right. The small group of people they knew weren’t really friends, just connections from various jobs they did along the way or people they had known growing up. It was becoming trickier to find male companionship when she needed it, though. The last time she had a relationship with a local man, it’d been hell to get rid of him, and then he stole from her. Before that, a guy used her to target a restaurant she was working at. They always pretended to want to look after her, like she was helpless, or they simply used to her for their own gains. Some girls were fine with that—as long as they could get good sex—but **** that. After the last douche-bag coward left her high and dry, she swore she wouldn’t allow it to happen again. She was happy on her own. As they rose from their table, she glanced out the window and saw a man standing underneath a streetlight staring right at her. His gaze sent a beam of nervousness straight to her stomach. Broad and muscular, he stood almost unnaturally still while people walked past him. That strange feeling came over her again as she tried to place him, but it was difficult to see his face. When she turned away, a jolt shot through her as she realized it was the man she bumped into. She swung back to the window, but he was gone. “What’s wrong,” Amber asked, as Thea peered out the window and down the street. This time there was no way he had time to walk away without her seeing him. He’d simply disappeared. “Uh... Nothing.” A growing dread churned in Thea’s stomach. “I just thought I saw someone I know.” After they left the restaurant, they headed into the chilly night, strolling toward a nearby nightclub. She and Amber were almost the complete opposite of each other in every way. Tall and shapely with long, mud-brown hair, Thea had blue eyes while Amber was petite and graceful with curly golden hair and green eyes. Amber remained positive and upbeat no matter what; Thea had been told she was fiery, distrustful, and occasionally goofy. “I can’t wait to dance the night away,” Amber sighed. Thea hummed in response but couldn’t help but remain alert, her eyes darting around trying to take in her surroundings. What if that man had been from a neighboring gang? What if Chad was trying to threaten her? It wasn’t as though she hadn’t had run-ins with people attempting to intimidate her before, but this felt different. “Do you still want to go? We don’t have to…” The uncertainty in Amber’s voice drew her attention and Thea smiled at her, pushing away her negative thoughts. She shouldn’t let her paranoia spoil the evening Amber so badly wanted to enjoy. “Of course I do,” she said warmly. “It’s been too long.” “Since when?” Amber’s eyes sparkled. “The last time your bed saw some action?” Thea shoved her gently with her shoulder, a laugh escaping. “Shut it, Amber.” She sobered, her breath quickening. There it was again—a glowing crimson beast, lounging on the other side of the street. Thea’s heart jumped into her mouth. “…find a cute guy that you’ll keep this time.” “What about him?” Thea asked on impulse, tilting her head toward the monster on the other side of the road. “Who?” “That one hanging out by the kiosk.” Amber looked over and frowned. “No one there, Thee.” Thea glanced over. The thing was still there. Amber linked her arm with Thea’s as they moved toward the club. “Don’t worry, I’ll find you someone.” Thea smiled, but inside her heart pounded. She must be going crazy if no one else could see these things, but she didn’t have time to think about it. She’d figure it out tomorrow; today was her birthday, and she was going to use the rare night out to forget about her problems, including this one.

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