Chapter 4: Deck of Misery

He slowly leaned away from me, then put the gun away. I watched as he slowly stood up, then walked slowly towards the hoodie James had thrown away. It was a small distance away from James' fallen body. The glass of his watch cracked under his feet, and I gasped, my eyes wide. I knew exactly what that meant. He didn't care about the watch. I was now the commodity to replace it.

He picked up my hoodie and then brought it back to me, his eyes thin. Without a word, he brought out a card, then let it go on my lap.

"8 a.m. I expect you there by 8 a.m, Annalise."

My eyes widened as he walked away, his footsteps precise and relaxed, and the sound slowly faded into the distance.

I turned to the card, my chest heaving. I slowly picked it up and brought it to my eyes. Emerald Dawn Hotel. It was the largest five-star hotel in the city, and it catered to an array of wealthy people. From A-list celebrities to men of power and generational wealth.

I turned to the watch. The band was still valuable, and if I really needed to go to a place like that, I would have to wear something presentable.

I stopped, my chest heaving. What does he want to do in a hotel? What if...

I shook my head but couldn't get the fear out of my mind. I slowly wore my hoodie, then pulled myself to stand. I turned to James. I definitely wouldn't miss him.

With a bloodied mouth and a limp to my steps, I walked out of the alley, the broken watch in my hand. I walked into the nearest pawn shop and presented the watch.

"Valuable band," the elderly man behind the counter said, his eyes darting between me and the watch. "But the glass is broken."

"I can see that. The man who tried to steal it is dead, too." I met his eyes as fear crossed them, his brows furrowing. "Just additional information about how much this watch means to me."

He nodded. "O.. of course. Of course. Do you have a price in mind?"

"Fifteen hundred."

"That's...-"

"I am only accepting that amount because it is broken. Do you want it, or should I take it somewhere else?"

He shook his head and gave a small smile. "Fourteen."

"No." I grabbed the watch, my hand closing around it.

He sighed. "Fine. I will take it."

I let the watch go, and he slowly brought out a couple hundred bills. He counted them, added three more, and then handed them to me.

I accepted it, then counted it, too. It was complete. I checked for originality, then nodded and turned towards him.

"Thank you," I said, nodding as I walked away, limping.

I took a cab and went straight home, for the first time in years, feeling completely free. I guess I was thankful to the stranger for eliminating James and for helping me.

I removed the hoodie, then swallowed, my eyes taking in my skinny body in the mirror. I wondered what would have become of me had James gotten his way.

I pulled off the remaining clothes and went to the shower. The water was running, and I stood under it, my head tilted upwards so the water hit my face first before running down my skin.

I slowly walked out, wrapped a towel around me, and then opened the fridge. It was still stocked, and the electricity had returned. I thought of the kind guy, Dan. I would miss him for sure. He treated me better than everyone else I had met before.

I ate slowly, my eyes resting on the card. What could he want? Would he ask me to work for a few years? Humiliate me? Kill me? That shouldn't be part of the options, right? I was doing this because he had agreed not to kill me.

I finished eating and dressed up, pushing whatever reason he could have to the very base of my mind. No matter what it was, I needed to go. I owed him my life, and I may be a thief, but I knew honor.

I made the shirt trip to the thrift market, where I found different arrays of dresses. None was elegant enough for that hotel, but I was who I was, and he knew what I was before asking me to meet him there.

I picked out a white dress that stopped at my knees and a black pair of sneakers. A black sling bag caught my eye, and I bought it too, putting it together. I spent a little less than a hundred dollars, and feeling pretty proud of myself, I went back home.

I stayed up and washed the dress, then dried it off. I hoped the electricity would be on by the time I woke up so I could iron it out.

I went to bed, my eyes closing, a small sigh escaping my lips. Like a curse, once I closed my eyes, the memories came pelting down on me.

That man from three years ago, and James. All the times I had been manhandled, the times I had done so much to survive.

Tears filled my eyes, and I closed them tighter, my hand slightly pounding on my chest to relieve the tightness.

With a small sigh, I opened my eyes again, then wiped away the tears, my eyes blinking up to the dim light on the ceiling.

I wasn't sure how long I watched the bulb flickering in front of me, but I slowly fell asleep, my bones weak, my muscles tired. The exhaustion washed over me, and I sighed, letting myself go into the dark abyss of a dreamless sleep.

Even though my mind was filled with images of blood and gore and images of what could happen tomorrow, I let the sleep take it all away. I would tackle it like I always did, and it could make or break me, but this is my life.

These are the cards I have been given, and I had to play them for the rest of my life.