Hot Pink Heels
By Adrienne Dawn
Copyright 2013
This book is dedicated to my husband James, as a thank you for putting up with all of the late nights of writing and for always being my biggest fan. Thanks for motivating me to finally go for my dream, and thanks for a really rockin’ cover. I love you. To Erica, for letting me use some really great shoes, and to my son, Nason, for helping his dad with the book cover and wanting me to become a “famous author.” Thanks!
In memory of the greatest grandma a girl could ask for, Laura Brunner. I still miss you!
~Little A
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Amanda closed her eyes, wishing for a bed and food, in either order. Who was she kidding? Sleep was always the priority. Give her a horizontal surface of any sort and she’d be out in less than a minute.
Her mouth was dry and gritty, a reminder that it had been hours since her last drink. Her eyes popped open as she realized she was drifting off. Can’t have that happen again. Amanda’s thoughts drifted back to three nights ago.
“I can’t believe you fell asleep,” said Billy. “Sleep on your own time! This time is my time!”
“I know, I’m sorry, I’m just so tired,” Amanda admitted, hanging her head. “It won’t happen again Billy, I swear!”
“You’re just lucky you didn’t fall flat on your face,” Billy sneered. “I don’t like my girls wasting my time like that. What guy is going to stop and pick up a snoozing tramp like you?” He moved closer, backing Amanda against the wall of the alley, cold, rough brick rubbing against her bare back.
“I said I was sorry, I don’t know what el—“ stars exploded behind her eyelids as Billy grabbed her shoulders and slammed her against the brick wall, her head banging just after her shoulders hit.
She heard a scream and recognized her own voice, thick with tears, begging Billy to stop. How could she have been so fooled by him? How could she have fallen for that smooth voice promising to help her out, do her a favor?
“Now, get your ass back out there and make an extra $50 tonight, ‘cause Billy’s girls don’t sleep on the job!” Billy’s face was close to hers and to the passerby they might have been just a couple sharing an intimate moment. Amanda was still pressed against the wall, her ears ringing from the blow to her head.
He lifted her chin with his fingertip, raising her eyes to meet his. “Now Mandy, you know you’re my favorite girl, right?” Billy whispered, crooning the words and slipping into that sweet voice that had nabbed her from the start. “Maybe you can come on up to my place later and make up that extra fifty a different way, huh?”
His other hand came up and grabbed her scantily clad breast, squeezing in a way that once might have made her beg for more. Now all Amanda felt was disgust mixed with terror. She’d had the so-called “pleasure” of being with Billy more than once and it certainly did not live up to the hype.
Tears sprang from her eyes and were running down her face before she could stop them. Billy hated it when his girls cried. She looked away quickly before simpering, “I’ll get the extra money, Billy, I promise.”
“That’s my girl,” Billy smiled, giving her breast one more squeeze. “I knew I could count on you, Mandy.” She pushed past him, pulling up the strap of her sheer top. Her head was pounding, but she knew Billy was watching her, so she put a bit of extra sauce in her step as she walked away. “Hell yeah girl, you know what they like.”
The tears were still falling but she brought her head up when she reached the mouth of the alley, wiping her face carefully after turning the corner. Gingerly, she felt the back of her head, touching the raised lump that had formed there. Feeling no blood, she sighed with relief. That was one thing about Billy, he might mess her up, but it wouldn’t show. He wouldn't normally leave marks on his precious girls—he left that to the monsters that picked them up.
Chapter 2
Amanda had worked extra hard that night, making up more than the $50, but she didn’t tell Billy about the extra twenties she’d hidden in her stash. She knew a lot of the girls had a secret stash they were working on, trying to build up enough cash to get out of the system, but it was never enough.
Billy or one of his slimy thugs would find the cash, or their only pair of stiletto heels would break and have to be replaced or even worse, they would get sick. Amanda was determined to stay healthy and to keep her stash well hidden. She had to get out, especially now. She couldn’t afford to lose a single precious dollar from that stash.
The sound of a car’s throaty purr snapped her back to reality. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Whitney moving toward the car, but Amanda knew she needed that car. She needed every car.
She kicked her heel off the wall behind her, launching her body toward the car. She threw in the saucy step Billy had complimented several nights ago and watched the driver’s eyes zero in on the bottom of her miniskirt. Bingo. Amanda let a smile slink onto her face, act one of her little performance already halfway through.
Bending over to give her potential client a glimpse of the merchandise, Amanda sent him a flirty smile. He was gorgeous and so was his ride. She had a flashback to a scene from her favorite movie, and she let out a derisive chuckle.
The man mistook the chuckle as a laugh at him, when really she was wondering how she had slipped into the seedy lifestyle she had once idolized as a young girl. He smiled hesitantly, his dark grey eyes sparkling. “Don’t worry, I am driving my friend’s car, but no, I’m not lost.” He bit his lip as soon as he said it, but Amanda burst into a real laugh, her first in ages.
“If I had a nickel for every time a cute guy pulls up in a nice car…” Amanda trailed off as she got her first good look at him. She realized he was much younger than she had first assumed, maybe late twenties. “Ok, I’ll bite. What’s a hottie like you doing out here in this area of town?”
Leaning farther into the car, Amanda tried to angle her body to give him a better view of the goods, but her favorite pair of four inch hot pink heels chose that moment to slip out from under her, sending her toppling into the car head first.
“Whoa! You okay?” A strong hand caught her around her upper arm, attempting to help her back up, but Amanda was already struggling back to her feet, her face the same shade as her heels as she silently cursed her clumsiness. She felt her shoes touch the sidewalk again. Probably ruined this deal. Way to go, idiot.
Her stomach heaved from the flip-flop into the car and her head pounded from the still tender lump she’d received from Billy the other night. Although she was grateful for her long, dark hair, Amanda realized she was seeing stars again.
“Hey, hey, hey!” She heard the man yelling at her, but his voice sounded tinny, like he was at the end of a tunnel. She saw the ground rushing up at her and heard Whitney shout her name and then there was blackness.
Amanda moaned and opened her eyes, but the
bright light had her squeezing them shut again. She turned her head to the side and tried to raise her arm to block the light but found it trapped by her side. Panic had her opening her eyes again as she struggled to move her arm. Looking down, she saw a strap across her chest and one across her legs.
The scene came rushing back to her, and she looked around for Whitney or the man from the car. Both were standing there, as well as two people in uniforms, one of which held the flashlight that was pointing at her face. Whitney had a look of fear on her face and the man was on his cell phone with his back to Amanda. When he heard her moan, he turned quickly and spoke into the phone, “I gotta go. I love you.”
He’s married. Somehow, with everything else that was going on, those three words were the ones she caught. She knew a lot of the men that stopped were married, but somehow this one really irked her. His pleasant voice on the phone sounded believable as he declared his love for the woman on the other end of the line.
Struggling against the straps, Amanda wiggled and tried to speak, but the oxygen mask was firmly in place. Whitney moved up close to her and whispered in her ear. “Mandy, I’ll cover for you,” she said. “I won’t rat you out to Billy, but if he hears about this, he is going to freak out,” said Whitney.
Amanda closed her eyes again. Just when she was starting to get ahead, this had to happen. When she realized the stretcher was moving, she frantically tried to get the attention of one of the emergency personnel pushing the cart. A gloved hand moved the mask so she could speak and the words started pouring out.
“Whitney, you can’t let them take me! HEY! Buddy, c’mon man! Dammit, I can’t do this right now,” Amanda pleaded. “I’m fine, really, I just slipped and I am not going anywhere with you.” The stretcher stopped moving, so she increased her efforts, pleading now with the man from the car. “You saw it, right? I just slipped while I was walking down the sidewalk.”
“Ma’am, you hit your head pretty hard and it’s amazing you didn’t open up a gash,” said the attendant who was examining the new bump just inside her hairline above her temple. “You were blacked out for almost a minute. We can’t just let you go, plus you might’ve twisted your ankle when you fell. We’re just around the corner from the hospital, we could be there in 30 seconds.”
“You’re lucky we were already pulling onto this street when we saw you greet the sidewalk with your forehead,” said the woman at her feet.
“Listen, we were arguing and she twisted her ankle in those ridiculous shoes,” said the grey-eyed man. “Honey, don’t I keep telling you not to wear those shoes? She doesn’t listen to me. She hates being so much shorter than me.” He turned toward the attendant with a shrug.
Amanda’s eyes widened, but she kept silent, sensing the attendant’s hesitation. The woman at her feet addressed the grey-eyed man. “Sir, is this your wife?”
“My wife?” He looked at Amanda, his gaze silently questioning her. Her eyes begged him to agree, but she remained silent. “It was four years yesterday, as a matter of fact,” he said, grinning at her shocked look. “We’re celebrating how we met at that little bar just down the street, and she’s had a little too much wine, right honey?”
The female attendant at her feet looked at Amanda. “Ma’am? Is this true?”
Amanda let a sheepish smile cross her face. “Yeah, it’s silly, really. We were fighting about whether it was three or four years, but he’s always been the numbers guy,” she grinned, sending her surprise hero an impish look. “That’s why he makes the big bucks,” she said, nodding toward his Camaro.
“That’s right, ma’am, she’d had her limit so we were walking back to the car and she twisted her ankle and just went down,” said Grey Eyes, as she was dubbing him for now. “She insisted on wearing those shoes with this outfit. She wanted to recreate the whole night we met. Of course, I tried to catch her, but I wasn’t close enough,” he laughed, winking at Amanda.
She caught a glimpse of Whitney in the background, a stunned look on her face as she switched her glance back and forth between Amanda and Grey Eyes. Sensing things were somehow under control, Whitney disappeared into the darkness to resume her post a bit farther down the sidewalk.
When Amanda felt the straps releasing her arms and legs, she tried to sit up, but gentle hands pushed her back down. “Hold on, miss,” said the attendant at her shoulder.
Amanda saw Grey Eyes signing some paperwork and shaking hands with the female attendant before turning toward her. “Ready to go, honey?” He reached for her hand and the attendant helped her to a sitting position.
“Just take it slow, miss,” the man said. “Are you sure this is ok?” He looked at his partner uncertainly. The woman shrugged. She could care less about the situation.
“I promise to bring her right in if there are any problems,” said Grey Eyes. His hands came to her waist and he gently lifted her down from the stretcher. “Thanks for everything. I am sure we won’t forget our fourth anniversary anytime soon,” he said, winking at Amanda.
Amanda smiled again, wisely keeping silent at this point. Grey Eyes guided her to his car, helping her into the plush seats and fastening the seat belt around her, playing perfectly the part of the doting husband.
The nerves set in as Grey Eyes shut her door and rounded the car. What am I doing? Fourth anniversary my ass! Who is this guy? Billy’s going to kill me. Thoughts swirled in her pounding head and she held her breath as the he slid in beside her.
“We still have an audience,” said Grey Eyes. “So, let me finish playing my part.” He pulled her close in an embrace designed to convince the EMS attendants of his concern. Amanda shrank back into her seat, and then realized he was just picking up where they’d left off before her spill. Remembering her place, she forced herself to melt against him, ready to spout off her services and the appropriate fees.
Slipping back into her “Mandy” persona, Amanda attempted to ward off her sudden dislike for this married man who was now her unwanted hero. Why did he have to be married? For some reason, she wanted this one to be different. She sighed inwardly as she ignored her pounding head and slid her hand between their bodies.
Chapter 3
“Jackson,” he whispered into her ear.
“What?” Amanda started to pull back, but he held her close.
“My name,” he said. “My name is Jackson.” He chuckled as he pulled back. “I think we’re past shaking hands, so I don’t know where your hand was headed, but I thought an introduction was in order, since we are celebrating our anniversary.”
“Oh, uh, yeah, my name is Mandy—Amanda,” she corrected, laughing nervously. She sensed her relationship with him would not be the typical one, so she gave him her real name. Her street name was just that—the one she used on the streets. Her parents were the only other people who had ever called her Mandy.
The ambulance pulled away and Amanda breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks a lot, mister, um, Jackson. You really saved my ass back there,” Amanda’s words started tumbling from her mouth and with the stress of the fall, the EMS attention and the fight with Billy earlier in the week, she was mortified to feel tears threatening to spill over. Damn female hormones. She reached for the door handle as the ambulance drove over the hill and out of sight, intending to get back to her spot on the sidewalk before Billy knew anything had happened.
“Hey, wait a minute,” Jackson said, reaching for her arm as she attempted to escape.
“Oh, ok, I get it,” Amanda turned back to face him. “Listen, I’m a step up from favors in a car, but if you take me to that hotel down the street, I’ll give you a freebie. One freebie. I mean you probably did save me a…” she trailed off.
Jackson was looking at her, a stunned expression on her face. Now it was his turn to blush, and though she found it endearing, she squashed the feeling and pasted a flippant expression on her face. His grey eyes were flecked with gold, but suddenly she realized they were laughing eyes.
“Are you laughing at me?” Inc
redulous, she turned to get out of the car, nimbly avoiding his grasp a second time. She nearly slammed the door on his gorgeous face when she saw the grin he was wearing.
“Frickin’ unbelievable!” Amanda huffed as she closed the door, careful not to break his nose, but not so careful it wouldn’t jar his teeth. “You stopped to talk to me, remember?”
“Yes, ah, sorry, but this is going all wrong,” he sighed, running his hand through his sandy blonde hair.
“You better believe it, mister!” Amanda stuck her head back in the window of the car to give him a piece of her mind.
Jackson held his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m a pastor, and I was just—“
“So?” Amanda cut him off. “You’re not the first and I’m sure you won’t be the last man of God to get on my list,” said Amanda, practically spitting the words at him now. “Listen—you get one freebie because you kept me from a world of pain, but you better decide quick, because I’m losing money here!”
“Damn right you are, Mandy!” Amanda froze, her gaze locked on Jackson’s face. She felt the color draining from her cheeks and once again, she was helpless, with only a stranger to lean on as she turned to face an angry Billy.
She prayed to the gods he hadn’t heard the part about the freebie or she was toast. Billy did not tolerate giving out “freebies.” The last girl who’d been caught giving one out had ended up in the hospital with a mysterious case of internal bleeding and was off the streets for over a month. Angry Billy was not a force to be messed with on any day and he would mess you up if you crossed him like that.
Of course, this was not the angry Billy she’d seen in the alley the other day. No, he reserved his true evil for when there were no onlookers, but he was menacing nonetheless as he grasped her by the elbow. He squeezed just hard enough to make her gasp in pain, but not so hard as to leave a bruise as he yanked her from the window. He was careful with his girls. That’s why he’d never been busted on anything other than a few minor charges.
Hot Pink Heels (The Street Series) Page 1
