He had one gold tooth that shone when the light hit it. I think he got it to make himself look tougher, but I thought it made him look like a phony. I didn’t dare say that aloud, though. Not there. Not in his place of business.
I looked him in the eyes to let him know I was serious about this and that I was not going to back down. He wouldn’t loan me the money if he sensed even a small amount of fear.
“I want to bet on myself for my next fight.”
Markie’s eyes lit up with excitement, and his lips spread across his face with a sadistic grin. “Careful—you don’t wanna get cocky.” He nudged his bodyguard, who snorted lamely. I looked at the bodyguard and wondered why someone would want to live their life surrounded by fake affection. The guy was clearly only into Markie for the power and money. I could tell he didn’t really think his boss was funny.
I leaned in a little bit. I didn’t want to seem like I was backing down. I stared Markie down for a few seconds. I didn’t blink. I didn’t turn away.
“I’m serious, Markie. I can win. I know I will, but I really need the extra money right now. I’ve got old bills piled up so high I can barely see straight. I’m sick of it. Something’s gotta give.”
I really needed for him to take me seriously because if he didn’t, who knew what would happen to me. This place was full of Markie’s minions. They would have me out on my ass in a second if Markie gave the word.
“You know it’s gonna cost you a pretty penny, right?” he asked.
“Yeah. That’s why I was hoping I could get a loan from you,” I said. My voice was firm, confident.
Markie laughed and picked his cigar back up. He took a long puff and blew it at me. I thought it was rude, but I knew better than to say anything. “You know what happens when people don’t pay me back, right?”
I tried not to show how nervous I was. I knew exactly what happened when someone flaked on Markie. They got hurt. Badly. Sometimes they lost their house. Sometimes they lost a finger. Sometimes worse.
“Yeah, I know,” I said with a confident nod.
“It’ll be a pretty penny. Ten grand is the lowest I go.”
“I’ll take it,” I said quickly. I didn’t need to think twice about it.
“Alright. You understand that if you don’t pay me back, I’ll come after everything you own and everything you love.”
“Yes,” I said without breaking eye contact. I held out my hand. We shook on it, and I excused myself. I heard him laughing as I left the bar.
When I stepped back outside, I made sure to cover my head again. I went right home and thought about the decision I’d just made. It worried me more than I wanted to admit. I did have a daughter, and he was great at threatening families. Still, I knew I could do it. I’d be able to pay off all the back bills, win my fight, and pay Markie back. There wouldn’t be anything for me to worry about after Wednesday. I pushed the sick feeling down and cleared my head. I didn’t want to think about what could happen.
I let my mom know I was back from running my errands, and she returned with Margie twenty minutes later.
“Daddy! Grandma took me to the play area in the mall! I met a little girl named Lily, and we played together the whole time!” she said as she wrapped her little arms around me.
“That’s awesome, baby,” I said and held her close. I was determined to make her proud of me and to give her an amazing life. She would have everything her heart desired.
I thanked my mom again for watching Margie and said goodbye. After she left, I sat down on the couch to watch a movie with my beautiful, smart, funny daughter. I needed to spend more time with her.
I started to realize how selfish it was to go get massages all the time. Both because it cost money and because it took away from spending time with Margie. As much as I enjoyed seeing Anna, I knew it wasn’t necessarily the best thing for my daughter. I held Margie close and came to a conclusion that made me a little sad.
Chapter Four
Anna
Sunday drug on endlessly. It had been a rather productive day. I cleaned my house and then went into the studio to make sure everything was organized. I was a good masseuse and needed to stay fit for my clients, so I never spent a lot of extra time just laying around. I stayed busy, but my mind never drifted far from thoughts of Justin. When Monday finally arrived, I couldn’t help the way I felt.
There were still a couple hours before Justin’s appointment, but I was already nervous. I didn’t understand why I was so nervous. I was always more excited for Justin’s appointments than my other clients. That part wasn’t new, but I had never been so nervous before one of his appointments.
I busied myself with paperwork so I wouldn’t hype myself up too much before he got there. When I heard the front door open, I whirled around quickly with a smile already on my face. I turned to see Ally walking in. My face fell immediately. I hated to admit it, but I was disappointed it wasn’t Justin. I thought he had decided to show up a little early.
“There’s my favorite sister,” Ally said in her “I just graduated college and don’t have much to worry about right now” voice.
Her lack of responsibility made me a little jealous. She lived with roommates, so her rent was fairly cheap. She had a paid internship for the summer, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it was like to be her, so relaxed and care free.
“I’m your only sister,” I said. I didn’t want to deal with her right then. I was too nervous, and I didn’t want her to sense it. I knew she would pull my leg again like she did at Justin’s fight. As hard as I tried though, I just could not seem to calm down. My face, like always, gave me away.