Kristin was fast asleep when someone shook her awake. She startled as her eyes opened and standing over her wasn’t Soothe but Hanger, his eyes wide and bloodshot.
“Get up and pack your shit.”
“Wait. What’s going on?”
She propped herself up on one elbow, still thinking she might be dreaming. They had only gotten home an hour before. Exhausted and sore from a busy night on a different track, she’d crawled into bed and was fast asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow.
His hand grabbed her wrist, twisting it hard. His other hand reached over and grabbed her by the hair. She almost fell out of the bed. He let go and kicked her hard in the side, knocking her back against the side of the bed.
“Don’t ever make me repeat myself. You hear me?”
She nodded, tears starting to stream down her face.
He left. She stood up, clutching her side, and started to look around. Mercifully Soothe appeared with a suitcase in each hand. She opened the closet and started throwing stuff in to one suitcase, seemingly at random. The other suitcase, she tossed on to the bed.
Kristin began grabbing whatever she could see and stuffing it into the suitcase on the bed. She had no idea what was going on. She wasn’t about to ask again. So, she just did what she’d been told to do.
Soothe threw one of her jackets.
“Here, put this on. We gotta split.”
With a random assortment of clothes and makeup jammed into the suitcases, they stumbled out of the apartment and into the hallway. Soothe locked up. Hanger was nowhere to be seen.
The building was quiet as they hauled the suitcases to the elevator, down to the lobby and out into the cold night air.
A black BMW sat, engine idling at the curb, Hanger behind the wheel. The trunk popped open, and they threw their suitcases in.
Soothe walked around to the front passenger seat. Kristin got in back. It was a nice car. The leather interior smelled brand new. She had been inside more cars in the past few days than she had in her previous fourteen years. Most of them, like the men who picked her up in them, smelled bad.
She was still too shocked and frightened to ask what was going on. She couldn’t say why, but she sensed it was something to do with her.
Hanger glared at her in the rearview mirror, confirming her suspicion.
“You’re going to need to make me a whole bunch of money to make up for this.”
She wanted to ask what he meant. Before she might have, but she knew better. Soothe had explained to her the rules of the pocket. You didn’t speak to Hanger unless he asked you something. You never made eye contact with another pimp. Ever. That would get you a beating. Maybe worse. You did what you were told when you were told.
Hanger lapsed back into a gloomy, spiteful silence. Kristin couldn’t think of anything she had done wrong.
She stared out the window as they drove. They reached the freeway and kept driving. She had no idea where they were, but they seemed to be heading east, out of Los Angeles.
The car was warm, and still exhausted from working, Kristin fell asleep. The car coming to a stop woke her up. They were outside a motel. Soothe got out, pulled on sweats and walked to the manager’s office. Hanger lowered the window and smoked a joint. He seemed calmer but Kristin kept her eyes half shut so he’d still think she was sleeping.
Five minutes later, Soothe was back. Hanger drove around to the back of the motel. They all got out.
Hanger opened the trunk without getting out. Soothe and Kristin had to pull the luggage out and stagger up the stairs to the room.
Halfway up the stairs, Kristin saw the BMW reverse out of the spot and screech out of the parking lot. Kristin was glad to see him go. Maybe now she’d be told what was going on.
Inside, the room was basic. Two double beds. A TV. A desk. A wardrobe. A bathroom with a toilet, sink and a shower.
Finally, as they unpacked, Kristin found the courage to ask, “How long are we going to be here?”
Soothe shrugged. “Get some sleep. You’re going to be real busy.”
Kristin’s stomach turned over at the thought of what that meant.