He chuckled again. “But you are.” He took another step toward her. “Your body, that laughable amount of money you think you have saved up.”
Her heart nearly stopped at his words. “Why, Phillip?”
He looked genuinely curious. “Why what?”
“Why are you doing this, keeping me here like this?” He brought women home all the time, even forced her to watch as he fucked them. Because he seemed to like the junkie girls he brought home more than he did her in the sexual department, she was at least thankful for that. But then there were times like these, where he was wasted out of his mind, and she was the only one around. “You have plenty of others to please you.” Her throat was dry, and her heart was beating fast and hard. She was ready to run, and she was ready to fight for her life. For far too long she had subjected herself to this back alley lifestyle, but she wouldn’t be defined by it a minute longer.
“But I like having you here, Adrianna. I like knowing that I can do whatever I want with you, whenever I want.” He took another step toward her and she took one back. “I like the knowledge that you came from a shitty life, and I was able to mold you to be my perfect fucking cunt. You aren’t like the junkie sluts that I stick my dick in. You’re my whore, and I intend to keep you that way.” He was on her before she could even comprehend what was happening. With his hand around her throat, and his strength climbing as the adrenaline and drugs pumped through his veins fast and hard, Adrianna knew that if she didn’t do something drastic this would escalate with her beaten to hell or worse. He lifted her easily off the ground so only the tops of her toes touched the floor.
Opening her mouth, trying to get something out, was an act that she couldn’t do. She struggled, clawed at his hand, kicked out and connected with his shin, but still Phillip only seemed to tighten his hold on her harder. Who knew what other drugs he had taken before the alcohol and coke?
“I like knowing that you’re mine. All mine. If I want to slap you around, so be it.” He took a step forward, and she found herself pressed against the wall. “If I want you to watch while I fuck another whore, I like that option, too.” He leaned in and bared his teeth. “You have no one, Adrianna. Before I came along you were barely scraping by. No family, no friends, you’re a sad excuse for a human. You’re lucky I even want to keep your fat ass around.” He let go of her and took a step back. “I mean look at you. You’re fat as fuck, and make me sick.”
She fell to the floor, gasping for air and blinking back the stars and darkness that had threatened to take her under just seconds before. Lifting her gaze from the ground she looked over at Phillip. He leaned over and stared cutting another line of coke. Adrianna stood, braced her hand on the wall, and then slowly turned her gaze to the razor blade that was sitting on the end table. There was always a razor blade around when junkies lived in the house.
“You’ll do best to keep your mouth shut and do what I say.” He leaned over, and she heard him inhale the white line. But he wasn’t done yet and started cutting another one. “If I want you to wash my fucking laundry and cook my meals, you’ll be smart to jump right to it.” He leaned over at snorted the next line. She moved over to the end table, her bare feet making no sound on the stained and aged hardwood floor. Reaching out, placing her thumb and forefinger on the edge of the blade, she quietly slid it off the table. Her pulse filled her ears, and she swore she could hear the blood rushing through her veins. Her vision narrowed, and all she could see was Phillip in front of her. What was she actually planning on doing? Killing him? Watching him bleed out? God, this wasn’t like her. Before she could place the blade back on the table he turned, and his gaze zeroed in on the razor she held.
“You little fucking cunt.” He charged forward and brought his fist across the side of her head.
Stumbling back, Adrianna had to brace her hand on the wall again. Blood filled her mouth, and she started choking on it as it slid down the back of her throat.
“What are you going to do, fucking slice my neck?” He charged forward, but something inside of her snapped. She saw red, tightened her hold on the blade, and waited until he was close enough.
“You piece of shit asshole.” The words tumbled out of her mouth at the same time she blindly swung her arm out. Right now she was acting on instinct, not able to focus on anything except surviving. The next sequence of events happened in a blur. She saw the blade go into his flesh and felt his warm blood gush out of him. He swung out at her again, but she ducked and moved. He clutched at his throat, stumbled into the wall, and left a trail of blood in his wake. He started gurgling out his buddies’ names, but they didn’t move. Adrianna didn’t waste any more time, didn’t run to the back room to grab her meager belongings. She ran out the front door just as a flash of lightning raced through the sky, and seconds later a crack of thunder echoed around her. She ran fast and hard, and when the rain started down pouring and her feet ached from the pebbles being embedded in them, she kept pushing forward. It felt like her heart would explode from her chest, and all she kept thinking about was if she had killed him. It was the middle of the night, but she’d go to the bank in the morning, withdraw the little bit of money she had, and find out what her next course of action would be. But right now all she wanted to do was put Phillip, and the prison she had allowed herself to be trapped in for too long, as far behind her as her legs could carry her.