Ghosts of Koa, The First Book of Ezekiel by Colby R Rice Read Free Book Online

working girl. I assume Julie told you that already."
    "Yeah, yeah, but she didn't tell me how fine you'd become, either. Mm!" He bit his lip, a gold tooth protruding from his crooked grin. He looked like some broke-down comic book character or something. "Time flies like a goose from Christmas dinner! One minute I'm cheering you on at your ballet recitals and martial arts competitions, and next thing I know, you're all woman and wiggle."
    "Look. I don't generally do business with pimps. So let's get on with it. I'm already struggling to re-swallow my lunch."
    "Pimp?" He laughed and shook his head. "That's a filthy thing you're callin' me, baby. Me, I'm more of a manager... a manager of lovely ladies of leisure."
    "Whatever. Manage your dick out of our business, and we'll do just fine." She threw the bag   down at his feet, its contents clanging together. "Everything you asked for. Where's my money?"
    "A business woman. I like that." Davy reached into his pockets, produced a thick roll of green, and started counting it. "You know, you ain't always gotta bring the bag, girly. You got some zippers of your own to sell that I'd pay real nice for. Others too--"
    "Keep counting, David. Four hundred, clean."
    "Ah, come on, I count dough in my sleep. We can talk."
    "We have nothing to discuss except the exchange."
    "Oh, we got plenty to discuss! What? Don't act like you've never bartered your God-given slice, baby. We all know where you got that work pass from. Now you think your shit's too hot to swap with civvies, eh? Think I can't afford it? Azures ain't the only guys that get to be treated nice, you know."
    "What I think is that you wouldn't know what to do with it. You couldn't come if I called you."
    Davy paused in his counting, look at her, and scowled. Zeika never broke her gaze. Inside, she hated it, talking and acting that way. Hustling meant she couldn't be the best of herself, but worse would be to end up like Julie: bouncy, cute, and getting her ass handed to her every night. In order to be taken seriously, to keep both her and Manja safe, Zeika had to be rock hard. This was the lay of the land now, this was the game, and if she wanted to stay a step ahead, she had to speak the language. She often wished she could be softer... but out here, soft didn't survive.
    Guess Davy bought the tough girl act because he sneered, breaking their gaze to look back down at the money. He shook his head before starting his count again, pretending as though he hadn't lost his place. "All you civvie bitches, swinging from the Azure boner branch like fuckin' monkeys," he muttered. "And now you're all used up, the lot of you. A sad world we're in when Jills can't get it hot for their own Jacks."
    "Yeah, because that's the only time when the world gets sad, right? Get over yourself. Hand me the money, and get the hell on."
    "Yeah... because you need this money, don't you?" Davy looked up, smiling slyly. He'd finished his count and was now looking at her with a carnivorous gaze, like a cat who'd cornered a rat.
    Zeika regarded him with suspicion, suddenly very aware of how small the bathroom was, of the fact that she was leaning against a wall, of how he was slowly halving the distance between them. She tensed, watching his movements.
    Don't do it, asshole. I really don't want to hurt you.
    "The mighty have fallen, yourself and your Papa included, baby. So you'd better play nice," Davy continued, still advancing. "The meek like me have inherited the earth. We're highly favored. 'Specially me. So many good things just gravitate towards my energy--"
    "Like flies are attracted to shit," she said, making a face. "Yeah, totally. I can totally see that."
    "You come work for me, and you ain't gotta flip another waffle ever again in your life. I'll take care of you."
    Zeika extended her hand, waiting for the money, but Davy kept on.
    "I've been real nice letting the daycare use my secret place, haven't I? Someone's gotta pay up, right?"
    Hairs raised