Vincent and Eve: The complete Series Read online

  My eyes dart from side to side as my breathing turns erratic. I’m fresh meat, and these animals are in it for the kill. Screaming won’t make a difference. How many times have I heard yelling outside my bedroom window, but never thought to help the victim? Countless. Maybe it’s karma. Maybe I deserve this for all the times I dropped my head and tried not to get involved. If I only listened to Janelle and made sure not to be alone on the streets at night—

  Carlos steps back, pulling a cigarette from behind his ear and placing it between his lips. Taking a black lighter from his front pocket, he flicks it on and off, letting the fire burn at his will. Bringing the flame to the end of his cigarette, he takes a hard pull, turning the tip into a shining ember. With an exhale, smoke wafts around his face and blends into the night. He stands silently, assessing every detail of my trembling body.

  “Looks like we’re gonna have some fun,” he laughs as his boys cackle in delight. My jaw slackens as my mind searches for an escape. If I can’t physically get out of this, maybe I can force my mind to move elsewhere.

  He grabs my upper arm. I can feel the bruising take shape as he turns me around forcefully, dragging me like a rag doll toward the Blue Houses. The others trail behind us, reminding me with every step that I have nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. Nowhere to run.

  Pushing through the front door of the building, we stop in front of what I always thought was a storage room. Carlos stuffs his hand in his pocket, removing a key. Shoving it inside the keyhole, he throws the door open, using his free hand to push me into the room. I trip over my own feet, the cement greeting me as I fall to my hands and knees. He flips a switch and the light casts a shadow below me. I lift my head and see a tiny barred window above a small bed. I look to my right, only to see a kitchenette with a round table surrounded by plastic chairs. Carlos bends down, grabbing me by the neck and pulling me up to face him. I want to scream, but my throat is closed. I see the exhilaration in his eyes and briefly wonder if death isn’t the better option.

  He loosens his hold on my neck, and I take deep, but shaky, inhales. The moment I catch my breath, he slaps me hard across the face. My body gets the message—he’s the one in control. I open and close my mouth, shutting my eyes and willing my brain to tune out and turn off.

  He grabs my chin. “I’ve been seeing you around. And get this? You’re just the one we need for tonight. You see, we’ve got lots of energy we need to burn off after where we’ve been.” He licks his lips and I can see the dull yellow of his teeth. “I know you like to hide in those baggy clothes with those books in your hands, but I think it’s about time you show us what you’ve got goin’ on underneath all that shit.” He laughs, pulling out a fresh cigarette and lighting it up. “Take your clothes off for us, and do it niiiice and slow. I think we’re all in the mood for a little live show tonight.”

  A chair is pulled out and I lift my head to the sound. I make eye contact with one of the guys and his head snaps back in recognition. “Oh shit, Carlos, that’s Janelle’s little sister.” It’s Jason. His hair is styled in an undercut, buzzed on the sides and long on top. I’m shaking so badly it takes me a second to realize he’s staring right at me, waiting for a reply.

  “Y-Yeah,” I stammer. “I’m J-J-Janelle’s sister.”

  He shrugs casually at the guys. “Let’s get rid of her. She’s harmless. You know Janelle; she’s the one who does all the old ladies’ hair for free, and—”

  Carlos throws a hand up in the air, silencing him. “Rid of her? Like, shoot her in the head?” He cocks his head to the side in question and the blood drains from my face. “Nah. I don’t think I want to kill her just yet. Fuck her virgin brains out, yeah. Let all you guys take a turn when I’m done, hell yeah. Afterwards, you can kill her if you still want.” He smiles and grabs my hand, lifting it above my head. I shut my eyes as he twirls me in a slow circle, showing me off to his crew. I hear wolf whistles and try to turn my thoughts into white noise.

  A scratchy voice from the side of the room starts up. “Don’t rough her up too much at first. I want her to have some fight left when I get my turn.”

  Tears drip from my eyes, burning as they fall down the sides of my face. “I’ll d-d-do anything. Just let me go. Please…” I beg, dropping down to my knees and lifting my hands in prayer. “I’ll do anything you want, but I don’t want to die.”

  “Anything, huh? Get up,” he commands. I stand on wobbly feet as Carlos grins maliciously. “Ah, you take directions. That’s good. Very good.” He lifts his steel toe boot, kicking me in the stomach. I double over.

  Carlos bends low, grabbing my hair to lift my head and bringing his lips to my ear, his voice a dark growl. “Let me give you a piece of advice. Shut the FUCK up and take what we’re all about to give you. You may even enjoy it after the first few times.” He puts his nose to my neck, smelling me deeply as he presses a sharp object against my side. My eyes widen; I feel the cold sharp edge of a blade drifting from my ribs up to my chest.

  “Listen to what I tell you. Don’t want to mess up that gorgeous face. But…” My breathing stops. “I will, IF you don’t do as I say. You want to live? Shut up and take it.” He moves his knife back to his pocket. “Strip.”

  He chuckles.

  I oblige.

  I remove every layer of clothing and stand crumpled. My shoulders are curled down and my arms cover my bare breasts. He thrusts my arms away.

  His dirty fingertips grope my intimate parts as if he owns them. The body I thought belonged to me is now on loan. Finally, my mind separates from my body and floats away. But Carlos, unwilling to let me go in body or mind, pulls the cigarette out of his mouth and presses it against my shoulder.

  I let out a scream from the burn.

  He laughs.

  Carlos turns to his boys, rubbing his hands together in eagerness. “I’m gonna make sure she’s good enough for you all, first.” They all chuckle at the joke, while one of them stares at me with rapt attention and a look of utter excitement.

  “Poker—”

  A cabinet opens and shuts.

  The smell of old and wet laundry.

  I close my eyes.

  “Open your eyes and look at me!” Yelling, he grabs my neck to face him, forcing me to watch his ministrations.

  My eyes connect with his, nothing but evil lurks in his depths.

  I’m thrust forward, face down on the bed. I hear pants unzipping and falling to the floor. I hold my breath. If I hold it long enough, will I die?

  “Yo, snake charmers! Cartel is In. The. Houssssse!” Voices and laughter radiate straight through the barred window and into the room. Carlos pauses, turning toward the glass and screaming, “We’re coming MOTHERFUCKERS!”

  My body shakes uncontrollably. I can hear him pull his pants back up, heaving. “The FUCK? If the Cartel is looking for a fight tonight, we’ll give em’ one!”

  I dare to crack my eyes open, watching as they nod to each other. The rivalry between the Snakes and the Cartel is vicious. While the Cartel has fewer members, they make up for less manpower with intense and frequent bloodshed.

  I’m in a state of shock, watching them pull weapons from their pants. Am I going to die? I shut my eyes again, moaning.

  “Yo!” Carlos slaps my ass so hard I bite my lip, tasting copper. “Don’t think you’re off the hook, bitch. I got a glimpse, and now I want in. I’m coming back for you.” He raises his gun and thrusts it into my mouth. I choke as he pushes it deeper down. Tearing it out, he nods—his version of a guarantee.

  Seconds later, I feel warm hands on my naked back. “Open your eyes and get up.” The voice is soft but urgent. Jason is on his knees by the bed, my clothes in his hands. “Put your clothes on, and get out of here!” he whispers loudly.

  Somehow, I stand. I’m a machine, clothing myself like I’ve done millions of times before. He has the decency to turn his head as I put one foot and then the other into my underwear. As I slide my T-shirt and sweatshirt over my head, I realize I am no longer the priority to these criminals. If there is a time to run, it’s now.

  I take my bag and run out of the room with a speed I didn’t know I was capable of. Opening the heavy stairwell door and running up the steps, I take two at a time as sweat pours down my temples. Are they after me? Are they coming? I want to turn my head back to see if they’re behind me, but my fear won’t let me turn around.

  I hear cursing and some screams, but all the sounds are muffled by the whooshing sound in my ears. The stairs seem to vibrate with the sound of gunshots. Have I been shot? Adrenalin mixed with confusion pumps through my veins as I jet up the darkened stairwell; the lights are all out on the third floor, and it feels like I’m running through a black hole. My heart pounds into my throat.

  In a blink, I’m back inside my empty apartment, staring in a trance at my gray threadbare living-room couch. I look at my feet and realize I’m barefoot. Oh shit, I’m going to need to buy a new pair of sneakers. I wonder if there’s any in my size at the thrift store.

  Turning toward my bedroom door, my mind registers the crack down the center. I briefly remember one of my mom’s old boyfriends throwing a vase against it, splitting the wood. I walk into my room like a zombie and complete my nightly routine of brushing my teeth, washing my face with soap and scalding hot water, and changing into a clean pair of pajamas. In the recesses of my mind, I know what just happened to me is horrifying, but I keep telling myself if I just act normal, maybe it’ll all just go away.

  Before getting into my bed, I kneel on the floor, fisting my worn-out navy comforter in my hands. Prayers tumble out of my mouth to God, begging him to get me out of here before Carlos finds me. All at once, I feel punched in the gut. I run to the toilet, dropping my head into the bowl and emptying all the contents of my stomach.

  Are they going to come for me tonight? Should I hide? I shut the bathroom door and curl up in the fetal position by the toilet, too afraid to go back into my bedroom where there’s a window.

  What feels like seconds later, I hear the front door open and close. As footfalls get closer to the bathroom door, my chest constricts, my mouth gaping open and poised to scream.

  “Eve, are you in the bathroom? Get out, I need to wash up!” Janelle throws the door open and looks down at me on the floor, momentarily confused.

  She gives me a once over. “You look like shit, girl.” Her voice is quiet and laced with concern. “What are you doing in the bathroom? Are you sick?” I hear her, but can’t manage a reply. She squats down, placing the back of her hand on my forehead.

  “Holy shit, Eve, you’re burning up! And your face is pale as hell. You think it’s food poisoning or something? Let me get you some meds.” She helps me up off the floor and walks me to my bed, letting me lean on her as we walk. A few minutes later, she drops two pills into my hand. I put them on my tongue when she hands me a glass of water. I swallow the medicine and a few minutes later, I’m plunged into sleep.

  2

  I wake up to the sound of the shower running and pipes groaning. I shut my eyes again, savoring the few minutes of relative quiet before Janelle comes back into our room. When I hear the water turn off, dread pools in my stomach. I can barely get enough air into my lungs to complete a solid breath. Every part of me wants to pretend like last night didn’t happen, but I need to tell her if I want to stay alive. Oblivious to my anxiety levels, she shuffles into the room and hops into my small single bed, a fluffy pink towel draped around her tall and thin frame. She presses a hand against my head, checking my temperature.

  “You’re getting me soaked,” I complain, my voice a morning rasp.

  “I’m glad you’re up! And I guess your fever is gone. It must have been food poisoning, right?” She hops off the bed and opens our shared closet, pulling out a white tank top and skinny jeans, getting ready for work. She’s a hair stylist at the salon at Bergdorf Goodman. It’s a job any girl in her industry would kill for. Most of the salon’s clients are celebrities or rich uptown girls with trust funds; they book months in advance for a cut or highlights, ranging upwards of three-hundred dollars. After sliding on her jeans and a lacy white bra, she looks down at her phone, smiling at whatever she’s seeing. Her face lights up.

  “Oh my God, Eve.” She turns to me with a smile and then brings her gaze back to the phone. “Guess who’s coming into the salon today? Gwyneth!” She jumps up and down. “Louis just texted me.” She looks down at herself, eyebrows low. “Shit! I need to change into something better than this.” Reopening our closet, she rummages through clothes.

  “Janelle…” I start. She swivels her head, turning to me.

  “What is it?” she asks nonchalantly, pressing a navy blouse against her chest and staring at herself in our long mirror.

  “Something really bad happened. We need to talk.” I drop my head nervously. When I look back up, I see anxiety clear in her eyes.

  Placing her phone beside her, she sits next to me. “What’s going on?”

  I have to swallow a few times, but eventually, find the strength to tell her about the Snakes. She sits in silence until I’m completely done with every horrifying detail. It’s agony to recount the story, but I need to tell her the truth. I need her help.

  “Oh, Eve.” Her face crumbles and tears well in her eyes. She draws me into her chest as we both start to cry.

  “The Snakes.” She sobs. “Those guys are psychotic!”

  “I know I messed up big time, Janelle.” Embarrassment mixed with agony blazes through me. I’m old enough to know better. I was literally saved by a stroke of luck. I could have been raped and beaten. Left for dead.

  “Janelle,” I sob. “It’s all my fault. If I had just listened to you and didn’t lose track of time, none of this would have happened.” I curl into her side, bawling uncontrollably.

  She pulls back, staring at me hard. “Eve, stop this. This is not your fault. Do you hear me? It’s NOT your fault. Walking home late at night does not mean that anyone has the right to take you or to touch you against your will.” Her words echo in my head. “I never want to hear you talk like this. We live in a dangerous place and God knows you do everything you can to stay under the radar. But you have to live, right?” She pulls me closer to her body, holding me together when it feels as though I’m being torn apart. “I’ll figure out how to get you out of this. He won’t come back for you, all right? We’ll figure it out together.”

  A memory rushes to the forefront of my head. “I forgot to tell you, but Jason was there.” I stare off into space, remembering how he thrust my clothes at me and practically begged me to run.

  “Jason Mendes?” A half smile forms on her lips and my face immediately falls.

  “Don’t even think about it, Janelle!” I hiccup, knowing what she’s insinuating.

  She has the decency to drop her head for a moment. “Come on, Eve. Chill out. He isn’t one of them, just a hang-around. His mom is on the sixth floor and sick with cancer. I do her hair sometimes and met him when I was over there. He deals some drugs for the Snakes on occasion, but nothing really too serious. I think he’s a mechanic or something, actually. Anyway, maybe if you were closer to him,” she says, raising her eyebrows at the word closer. “They’d leave you alone. Wasn’t Vania saying the other day that he’s into you?”

  “No,” I tell her, my voice shaking. “Why don’t you go out with him? If he was with you, he’d probably protect me too, right?”

  “Everyone knows I’m with Leo these days. Otherwise, I’d hit him up in a heartbeat.” She winks at me in an attempt to lighten the mood.

  She and Leo have a crazy relationship. One minute he’s the best guy ever, the next she’d be screaming at the top of her lungs and cursing the day he was born. I haven’t met him yet, but I’m not too eager considering all the drama he causes. Just the thought of him has me rolling my eyes.

  She looks at me and huffs. “Stop being so judgmental, Eve. I see the look on your face and it isn’t pretty.”

  “It’s not unwarranted judgment. The guy takes you on an emotional roller coaster on a weekly basis! You deserve better than him.” I get out of bed, agitated and feeling weirdly hollow.

  “Unwarranted judgment?” she repeats, standing up tall. “Okay, Miss Big-Shot attorney.” Her condescending voice is like a kick to the chest. “Anyway, he cares about me.” She lifts her head up.

  “A man who cares about you won’t put you through that,” I sass, surprised at my tone.

  She places a hand on her hip and shifts her weight to one leg. “Did your books teach you that? Because one stupid make-out session with Juan doesn’t qualify you as a relationship guru. And clearly, you don’t exactly have the best intuition, huh?”

  My heart sinks.

  “I—” My face crumbles and her face falls in regret as she steps forward, throwing her arms around me. I lean into her, my tears running like a faucet.

  She sighs, holding me by the shoulders. “Look. I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have said that. Especially after what you’ve just been through. I know jumping into a man’s bed for protection is the last thing you’d ever do. But girl, we’ve got to figure something out!” Her voice is desperate as she pulls me back into her chest, rubbing my back. I keep crying, and she continues to shush me gently.

  When I finally catch my breath, she sits us both down at the table. “I don’t want you worrying about Carlos. I have so much goodwill in this building, did you forget? I’ll cash in a favor. Someone will talk to him and tell him you’re completely off limits, okay?” I manage to nod my head. “You know these morons have short attention spans. One second, it’s all about you and the next, they’re on to someone or something else.” I look up at her and see hope shining through her glassy eyes.

  As a favor to some of the older ladies in the building, Janelle sometimes spends her time cutting and coloring their hair for free. Especially when the elevator is dead, it becomes too hard for older people to take the steps and leave the building. Even if they are strong enough to walk all the way downstairs, most of them are afraid of taking the stairwell all alone, and rightly so. With the lights always going out, bad shit will often go down in there.