NIGHTINGALE
***
“Where did you hide it? Come on, tell me.” Quetzal asked and I considered telling her immediately, but that wouldn’t be fun.
“A magician never reveals her secret.” I said and she folded her arms with a knowing look.
“It’s in your shoe isn’t it?” She asked and I smiled. Smart girl.
“Close but still off. It’s actually in my socks.” I said to her.
“And your socks are in your shoes, so I got it.” She said and I tapped her nose.
“You get to decide what we eat since you’re so smart. And just so you know, I never doubted that you could get the lead role. I am so proud of you for taking steps to overcome your stage fright. You may not have completely won the fight, but you’re getting there and I will be with you every step of the way. I will cheer you on during your presentation even if you freeze up and forget your lines. I will take a front row seat and throw you roses. I will blow you kisses and give you a standing ovation. I’m your biggest fan, don’t forget that.” I told her because I knew she was worried about how the presentation would go.
“I love you Nightingale, so much. I don’t know what I would do without you.” She said to me as she hugged me tight.
“We’ll never be apart so you’ll never have to find out what being without me is like.” I said as I hugged her back and kissed the side of her head.
“I just wish I could do more for you, for us.” She said as she pulled back to look at me.
I wiped the tears that rolled down her face.
“Everything will turn out fine soon. Let’s just hold on a little longer, okay? Can you do that for me?”
“Pizza. That’s what I want us to have. Pizza and ice cream.” She said with a small smile. That was her way of telling me that she was with me to the end.
“Your wish is my command, princess.” I said and she laughed as I bowed.
The sound of her laughter made it all worth it. I would endure everything life threw at me no matter what just to keep a smile on her face. She is my everything.
“But you can’t go out looking like this. You need to take a shower and change. I’ll help you put on concealer.” She said as she led me to our shared bathroom.
After she was done fussing over me, I untied my ponytail so my curls would cover most of my face. We left for the pizza place a few blocks away. We hadn’t had pizza in months and ice cream for almost a whole year. They were both low on the food and priorities list so we could only afford to get them on rare occasions like this.
After getting pizza and ice cream, we walked to a park close by to eat. We sat down on the grass opposite each other and set our food between us. We talked and laughed for hours till it was almost time for my night shift at the bar so we returned home.
This was the time of day that I dreaded the most, leaving Quetzal home alone. My father would be home soon and she would be here with him. Even though she always locks the door and hides in the small compartment I built inside our room, I was always terrified to leave her here with him. My night shift was in a bar and I couldn’t take her with me. I also couldn’t stop working there because it was our biggest source of income. Without it, our escape fund would not have gone even halfway by now.
“Stay here and don’t come out till I return and come for you, Quetzy. Stay in here no matter what.” I said to her and she nodded.
I told her the same thing every night, she always complied and nothing ever happened to her but leaving her almost brought me to tears every single day. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but I couldn’t take any chances with her safety.
“I will, Nightingale. Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself.” She said to me but I shook my head.
“You are more important, Quetzy. Use your penknife if you have to. Do not hesitate. I love you.” I kissed her cheek and closed the camouflaged compartment door inside our wardrobe.
***
When I got to the bar, it was already filled with people as usual. I got in through the employee entrance and then to the changing room. I sighed as I saw my outfit for the night. Normally I was mandated to wear a short skirt and really tight top, but sometimes we had to wear special outfits, nights like tonight. Tonight’s ensemble was a red body con dress that showed as much skin as a bikini and ridiculous red heels. It even had a red cat ears headband to go with it.
‘You’ll leave all this soon. Just endure it all for a few more months. You’ve done so for years, a few more months is a piece of cake.’ I told myself as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
I changed and almost quit my job then and there. If I made the mistake of bending in this outfit, even just a little, I would be practically naked. I stepped to the main floor where I was stationed to start working. The earlier I finished my shift the sooner I could get home. I was just serving the third round of drinks when Trevon walked up to me. He also served drinks and doubled as a handyman.
“Hey Night, the manager wants to see you in his office now.” He shouted so I could hear him over the loud music that was blasting through the enclosed space.
“Why? Is there a problem?” I shouted back.
“I don’t know, I was sent to deliver a message and I have. See you around.” He said and left.
As I dropped my tray and turned towards the hallway that would take me to the manager’s office, I wondered why I was being summoned.
NIGHTINGALE***On second thought, I turned back and picked up the tray. It wasn’t big, but it was metallic, strong enough to be a good weapon. The manager of the bar was as sleazy as they come. He was short, and with enough belly fat that would make you think he was pregnant if he was a female. He wore expensive suits and watches and always smelt like tobacco. One of his teeth was pure gold, he had a double chin and below it, his neck was always filled with gold chains. He wore more rings on his finger than the planet Saturn and he was almost completely bald. All in all, he was a disgusting old man.During the time I’ve worked here, he has repeatedly tried to touch me inappropriately and I’ve always found a way to escape him. There were other girls I worked with that were all over him for money's sake so they kept him busy enough to keep me safe from him. I had a really bad feeling about this impromptu office call, especially since I was wearing next to nothing. I wished I could run
NIGHTINGALE***He was so close to me and the stench of sweat, smoke, alcohol and excessive cologne made me nauseous. He leaned closer and sniffed my hair.“You smell so good." He groaned deeply like he was already having an orgasm. "Now turn around like a good girl.” He took a step back and watched to see if I would obey him.‘Do it for Quetzal. Do it for Quetzal.’ I chanted in my head till the syllables blended together and reverberated in my brain.“I don’t want to have sex with you. But I’ll do… other things.” I said so low that I barely heard myself.He laughed like I had told the funniest joke in history right before he forcefully turned me around and pressed my face into the wall.“You’ll do what I tell you to, girl. I own you now. And before you leave here tonight, I’ll have every hole in your body. And make sure to scream like the bitch you are, it turns me on.” He spoke against my neck and a shiver of disgust went through my body.The more he spoke, the more I realised that
NIGHTINGALE***“What happened, Nightingale? What’s wrong?” Quetzal asked me as she cried with me.I just hugged her tighter and continued crying, I couldn’t speak to save my life. I had been absorbing so much emotional trauma and refusing to cry for so long, but now my limit had been passed and I could no longer hold the tears in. I absorbed all the comfort she had to offer and cried till I felt physically drained.“Please talk to me, Nightingale. You’re scaring me.” Quetzal said and I moved my head back from her shoulder to look at her.I tried to smile as I replied to her.“I’m fine, Quetzy.” My voice sounded hoarse from crying for who knew how long, and my throat felt so dry.“You’re not fine, Night. Please, talk to me, I’m your sister. You know I love you, and I’m here for you. I know you think you’re protecting me by keeping things from me, but I’m not a child. I can handle it, I just want to help you.” She said as she cleaned the stray tears from my cheeks.The concern in her e
NIGHTINGALE***My father ripped my blouse and put his face between my breasts that were still in a bra. I realized that I was in shock when I didn’t move or make a sound. It was like I was watching this happen to a stranger, like it wasn’t happening to me and I was just watching from afar. My father was physically abusive, yes, but he never outrightly abused me sexually. Confusion commingled with absolute terror in my mind as he began to fondle my breasts. He squeezed them roughly and rubbed himself through his boxers, he was already hard.“You both have been nothing but a burden to me, it’s only fair if you pay me back for all the misfortune you brought to my life. When I’m done with you, Nightingale, your sister is next, then you both will go out and let other men have you till we’re swimming in money. You both will make me rich again, you owe me that. You…”There was a loud sound as my sister hit our father on the head with a frying pan. He groaned and dropped to the side of the b
HAKAN *** We finally found the dump that Pedro was holed up in. It was a rundown house in one of the shittiest neighborhoods in the city. The bastard must have come here thinking I wouldn’t be able to find him on Destros’ property. This territory wasn’t mine… yet. Destros had run these parts of this city for far too long and I would take them from him by hook or by crook. He was making a mess of it anyway. It seemed impossible for people to be living here because even the air smelled like death and despair. But I had lived in places like this in the past, so I knew how possible it was. And people that lived in places like this usually did so because they had no other option. Pedro was a thieving idiot that used to be one of mine till he betrayed me. Now that he had been found, I could have left him to be dealt with by my men but I wanted to kill the bastard myself. I stepped out of the car with just two men. The rest were in the other three cars. I came with enough reinforcements j
HAKAN***As I walked to the car, my right hand man, Tivan, quirked his brow at me. He’s not the only one who has a sceptical look on his face as they all probably expected me to shoot the girl for crashing into me out of nowhere. Most of my men looked like they thought I'd lost my mind, but none of them would dare say it to my face. Tivan was more than just my second in command, he was my brother though not by blood. He was the only one that would have the guts to actually ask if I’ve lost my mind, but he knew his place when we were in public, so he would leave ribbing me for when we were alone.I carefully get into my car to avoid hitting her head against the metal, and settle in the seat with my arms around her. Tivan gets in with me and shuts the door. He pressed the button that controlled the car’s privacy screen. When the privacy screen was up and the driver could no longer hear anything from the back seat where we were, that was when he spoke.“I don’t know what the fuck is goi
NIGHTINGALE *** I was trapped. My arms were pinned down, my legs were tied to restrict my movement and my father hovered over me with a sneer on his face. “Did you really think you could escape from me, Nightingale?” I tried to scream for help but then I realised that I was also gagged. There was nothing I could do and no one to help me. My whole body shook and I felt tears flow from my eyes as I saw his eyes leave my face to rove over my body. His intentions were written plain as day on his face. He inspected me like I was a piece of meat he wanted to purchase at the market. Last time, I was able to get away from him. Now, I knew that that I wouldn’t be able to escape from him again. I was too weak to set myself free and no one was coming for me, he was going to rape me like he wanted to. I couldn’t even plead with him and try to at least appeal to whatever little bit of humanity was left in him. Even if I could speak and beg him to let me go and not defile his own daughter, I do
HAKAN ** I saw the Nightingale’s eyes fixated on my pendant and I knew the exact moment that she realised who I was. If she lived in that kind of neighbourhood, then she was a street kid like I had been, raised around violence and some of the most depraved sets of humans to ever exist on the planet, my kind of people. Of course she would have heard of me, I was infamous as Scorpion. Hardly anyone knew my real name was Hakan, except those closest to me like Tivan who called me Kan even though he knew how much I loathed being called that. Throughout my life after being trafficked from my home to this country, I had never once regretted all I had done to survive and get to this point. But as she stiffened in my arms and her breathing rate increased as her pupils dilated in fear, I felt a twinge of regret. I wished I wasn’t the kind of man she automatically had to fear. “Y…you’r.re …” She stuttered as she tried to move away from my arms but I didn’t let her. Instead, I wrapped my arms