2
The streets were a cruel, harsh place. But, coming from Liberty City meant that Valencia could navigate her way to downtown Miami without getting killed or something worse. She’d limped all the way, avoiding streetlights and ducking behind dumpsters whenever she heard voices.
Everything in the neighbourhoods she passed looked just as miserable as she was used to. Burnt-out cars on the street, boarded-up houses and streetlamps shedding flickering light over big drops of blood, drying on the pavement.
Distant sirens had reached her ears, and dogs barked in the night, making her fear and anxiety rise with every passing minute. It wasn’t even the night she feared, it was the thought of a hand grabbing her arm and turning out to be her father’s. Fuelled by terror, one agonising step at a time, she’d made her way through the night, determined to get somewhere.
When she’d reached downtown, many eyes followed her through the night. A thin girl with ragged blond hair, thin pyjamas and bare feet in the cold. Of course, she was drawing attention.
She’d limped through the dark alley between two old buildings and had been lucky to come across a few fallen items of clothing. She’d glanced up at the washing lines high above her head, spanning from one building to the other. Snatching up the clothing, she ducked into a dark corner and started putting them on.
A hoodie that was far too large and an equally oversized pair of shorts, which luckily had drawstrings she could tie, but sadly did nothing to warm her bare legs and feet. She looked through the other fallen clothes, but they were mostly male underwear.
Wincing, she tugged the sleeves of the hoodie over her fingers and looked up and down the alley. Unlike the other places she’d passed in the noisy city, this one didn’t seem to have too many criminals loitering about. There was one box moving suspiciously toward the other end of the alley, but it was just a sleeping hobo.
Swallowing hard, she clutched herself, deciding to stay where she was for the night. Her feet were so cold, every step hurt.
She couldn’t move her nose, and one of her eyes was swollen shut. If she walked around and ran into bad people, she was in no condition to escape.
So, clutching herself, she slowly dropped into a crouch and leaned against the wall. She stayed that way all night, trying not to cry. There was no point crying. It wasn’t the first time they’d beaten her, and it wasn’t the first time she’d run away.
But it would be the last.
Valencia didn’t know when she’d fallen asleep. Brightness was suddenly burning into her eyes, and pain was throbbing through her side as a hard shoe roughly dug into her rib.
“Hey! Wake the fuck up. Who the hell are you?”
She jolted awake, scrambling back against a wall like a frightened wild animal, surrounded by predators.
A group of men in black clothes stood in a semi-circle around her, caging her in against the wall as they stared down at her.
“Yo, ain’t that your hoodie?” one of them said around the cigarette in his mouth.
“Man, the damn clothes keep falling off, I’m gonna start takin’ ‘em to that little Asian wash down the street.”
Another of the men leaned over, grimacing at her face. “Man, they fucked you up. Who beat you that bad?”
“You know whose backstreet this is?” another asked, chewing gum. “This Sly’s backstreet, lil mama.” He nodded at the hobo who was calmly folding his blanket near the exit. “Besides old Moe over there, ain’t nobody allowed here.”
Valencia was too scared to say a word. She couldn’t even mentally work out how to deal with them because, from what she could see, the men were of different races and nationalities, so it was hard to say what kind of gang they were in.
“Hey, what’s goin’ on over there?” a girly voice suddenly yelled.
“Stray cat,” one of the men called, making the others chuckle.
“Move,” a woman said, pushing past the big men so she could get to the front.
When she saw the girl on the floor, she stilled, frowning. “Really? You guys bullying a kid?”
“Fuck off, Karma,” one guy said with a scowl. “Sly know you out here bitching when you should be in there sucking some rich guy off?”
The other guys laughed, shoving each other around.
The woman rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Why’re you acting like me and you don’t suck off the exact same men, Rio?”
The men roared with laughter, holding their friend back as she tried to hit the woman.
“Ay!” a male voice called from the open doors behind the men. “Y’all get in here, some drunk suckers in the club are trying to start something.”
“Shoo,” the woman said, smiling at Rio. “Go do your little bouncer job.”
“At least I’m not riding dick for money!” Rio spat back, getting tugged inside.
“Yes, you do!” she fired back, earning more laughter from the other guys.
When they were gone, she sighed and finally turned back to the girl on the ground. She raised a perfectly arched brow. “And you? What’s your name?”
Valencia stared up at the woman before her. She was absolutely beautiful. Her brown hair was sleek and straight, swaying down her back as her whiskey brown eyes melted with warmth. Her clothes were very scanty and provocative, and they successfully made her look very sexy. A feat she clearly needed for her profession.
Attempting to speak, Valencia opened her mouth, but the cut on her lip instantly had her wincing in pain.
Karma studied the girl for a moment. “Listen, clearly you’ve been through some stuff, but you better get outta here now. You’re in a bad area, and very bad things happen to girls like you around here.”
Swallowing hard, Valencia nodded and slowly pushed herself to her feet.
Karma stared at her, slowly drawn into her own thoughts and feelings as she studied the girl. Something delicate and vulnerable flittered across her beautiful face, visible even through all the make-up.
It was like looking into a mirror. Years ago, Karma had looked just like this girl. Beaten, abused and rejected.
Her throat was suddenly clogged with emotion, and she lowered her gaze to the ground. That’s when she saw the dirty bare feet.
Valencia tried to turn away and leave, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
Karma quietly slipped off her slides and, bending over, placed them in front of her. “Put these on.”
Valencia stared at them for a moment, wondering what to do. Why was she offering her slippers? Uncertainty simmered in her mind. What was the catch?
“It’s okay,” Karma said. “You can wear them, I have more inside. And I can see your feet are bruised, I’m sure it… hurts.”
Silently meeting her gaze, Valencia nodded her thanks and slipped the slides onto her feet.
Karma sighed. “Come inside.”
The girl’s eyes widened. Instantly, she kicked off the slides.
“No, I meant—” Groaning, Karma grabbed the slippers and slapped them onto the ground before her again. “Put them on! I’m not asking you to come in to do anything weird. It’s cold out here, and I know you’re hungry. Just have something to eat, you can leave after if you want to.”
Valencia lowered her gaze, thinking it over for a moment.
Karma patiently waited, knowing she needed to build trust, so rushing her wouldn’t help. When the girl slowly stepped forward and put the slides back on, a breath of relief blew out of her.
“Before we go in,” she started. “I need to make sure you’re safe while you’re here. So, how old are you?”
Valencia stared at her. A bitter memory from last night resurfaced in her mind like a corpse floating to the surface of a river.
She’s sixteen, they’ll feast on her!
Tensing, Valencia briefly panicked and forced herself to speak. She was alone in the world now, she had to protect herself.
“I’m… I’m eighteen.”