Chapter 6: The Deal

The idea lit me up from the inside. My hands trembled as I watched Harold shuffle back to his trailer.

I waited for the loan sharks to leave, then followed them under the dim security light. They were still joking about Harold, laughing at how low he’d sunk.

I took a deep breath, pulled a mask over my face, bundled up in a hoodie, and strode over. "Hey, guys, wait up."

They eyed me suspiciously. "Who the hell are you?"

"I want to talk business."

They exchanged looks. "What kind of business?"

"I heard someone wants to sell his daughter’s first time."

Bleached Hair’s eyes narrowed, and Tattoo Arms edged behind me, just in case.

I tried to keep my voice steady, holding out a pack of Marlboros. "I want to buy her."

They stared at me, confused. "Why come to us? Go talk to him. We just want the money."

I pressed on. "Look, you’ll get paid. I’ll pay off his debt and throw in a grand as a tip."

They hesitated, tempted. I added, "You really think Harold can get three grand in a week? Let’s be real."

They took the cigarettes, and I could see them weighing their options.

"How’s this work?" Bleached Hair asked.

"You tell Harold you’ve got a buyer. He brings his daughter over and drugs her, three days from now."

"Why should we trust you?"

I pulled out my wallet and peeled off two hundred bucks. "Deposit. When I see her there, I’ll Venmo you another grand. The rest after it’s done."

Bleached Hair pocketed the cash. I made my pitch: "We all want something. You get your money. I get what I want. No one needs to get screwed over."

He thought for a moment, then nodded. We hammered out the details, and they left.

I ducked behind a dumpster, peeled off the mask, and wiped sweat from my neck, heart thumping like a jackhammer. For a second, I questioned what I was doing—if I was any better than Harold or the loan sharks. But I couldn’t stop now.