The Stripper Woman

Most of the time, most days, I don't feel anything. Not today.

Today, fear has a choke hold on me. It makes my stomach churn with nausea.

Did I kill him?

I hope I did.

Because if I didn't....

If Gregorio isn't dead, I will be.

Tucking my dark hair into the hoodie and pulling the hood up, I weaved through the people on the street. Pushing against the sea of people I move further from the apartment.

I need to get out of town, now. Today.

I tossed my phone in a trash can around yhe corner, knowing they'll track me through it, before heading to the bus station. Keeping my head down and footsteps hurried I rack my brain over where to go. All I know is that I need to leave Angelfall. The fifty bucks I snatched on my way out of the apartment along with my father's diary, the only thing I have of him, burns a hole in my pocket.

The station gets closer by the second and my panic rised. I need to figure shit out fast. Come on, Alex think. I urged myself to find a solution.

You could always go home. A little voice at the back of my head whispers.

No, I can't. RIGHT? That'd be stupid. But know one would know to look for me there. I never told Gregorio where I came from and he didn't care. I should have dumped his ass a long time ago but when I met him, I had nothing. Quite literally. I lived in an apartment, with five other girls and three guys, that was ready to collapse on top of all our heads.

I worked as a bartender in dingy bar that barely paid enough to feed me and had me kicking a different guy's ass who couldn't take no every night. Not the safest job but the only one I could get back then. The other girls where strippers or prostitute, same with the guys, and I couldn't go back to doing that again. Stripping that is, luckily, I've always managed to get by without being forced to sell my body to survive.

Gregorio and some of his buddies came into the bar one night, looking so out of place in their expensive button ups and thousand dollars shoes. He took a glanced at me and decided I was going to be his. Greg was charming and nice at the start. His short dark blonde hair and bright green eyes weren't hard to look at either. When people started hearing I was dating him I got less trouble at work.

Being his girl gave me protection. So, when he asked me to move into his penthouse apartment, I said yes. Things were great. Until we had our first fight and he pushed me into a table.

The next day he was so sorry and swore it wouldn't happen again if I'd just behaved. I realized now what a manipulative jerk he is. In one breath he could tell me I was his everything while also calling me a worthless slut. It fucked with my head. I was so starved for love that I didn't care if he beat me from time to time.

And as those times drew closer and closer together I didn't notice. Being beaten is something I know how to live with. If the other kidd at the orphanage didn't beat you the Miss Lana did. There we starved most of the time and was beaten almost daily. So, living with a fully belly in a luxurious penthouse is great in comparison in spite of the abusive boyfriend.

A therapist would probably have a field day with my self-esteem issues along with all the other ones. Daddy, mommy, trust, abandonment, you name an issue and I've probably got it. I stayed with Gregorio because I'd rather face the devil I know than the one I don't and there are too many of those out here.

Shaking my head, I halted my mind before the memories of the last twenty-four hours can creep in. I'll deal with that later.

"Where to?" The man selling tickets asked from inside his booth. He eyes my bruised eye but doesn't say anything.

Making a split decision I buy a ticket to a city five hours away, two hours from home. From there, I'll take another bus to King's cove. If or when Greg comes after me it'll lead him in the wrong direction first, buying me more time. Hopefully enough time to get in an out as quickly as possible.

I'll find some quick easy work to get by during my stay, figure out who from my past is where and how best to avoid them then I'll find where the treasure my father's ancestors buried somewhere is, take it and get the hell out of the country.

Should be easy enough.