Chapter Three

I was not comfortable. I knew I was wrong for what I had done, but I was forgiven like nothing had happened. Concerned, however, Shannon asked questions about what had happened and where I had been. I told her it was best kept for a day when we could sit down and finish a very long story. I asked if she could give me some clothes and watch Kiarrah while I take a shower. Without hesitation, she sat in the living room laughing and playing with my daughter. As I walked towards the bathroom I started thinking again.

The water was flowing down my body. As it fell from my head to my toes, I went into a lucid trance of memories. I was seeing things I didn't want to see and feeling pain I didn't want to feel. I didn't know how I had been so strong. I wasn't sure how I made it through those three years without breaking. After his girlfriend and I got into a fight, he called to tell me that the police were called because she wanted to press charges. I warned him that if he did that, I would charge her for pandering and him for pimping. The police never showed up, so I could only assume they dropped the charges. He always did have a way with words. He probably convinced her not to have me arrested because I was the one bringing them money.

As I sat waiting for the police I remembered the time when I had called the police on him in an attempt to get away. I had just gotten a really bad beating from him for failing to bring $9000 home from Vegas. It was one of the first few I had gotten. I called the police and gave them all the information; where I was, who I was, who he was, dates of birth, what had happened. When the knock on the door finally came, I answered. I was not prepared for what was about to happen.

"Corey?" "Yes." "I'm Gregg Philips and I work with the FBI." I had remembered hearing that name from his mother, but could not remember why. "Can I come in?" "No. I'm by myself and not sure why you are here, but I'm not comfortable letting you in." "I'm here to give you a message: if you call the police on Mr Forrest again, I will personally see to it that you disappear and that no one will even wonder where you or your daughter have gone. Have a nice night." It was his brother, that's why I heard his name before. I slammed the door shut and ran to the bedroom crying.

I found myself on my knees in the shower weeping and Shannon heard me and knocked on the door to ask if I was alright. "I'm fine. I just need a few more minutes." I continued letting the water run down my body and tried to think of something good to change my mood, but I couldn't. My life was about to change and I was not sure what direction the course was going to follow. What if he looks for me? What if he finds me?

I could hear the slot machines as if I was standing in the middle of Caesar's Palace or some other Wynn property. I could see Abby palming more and more chips while making eye contact with the dealer. He could see everything that was going on, but for whatever reason I could tell he wasn't going to say anything. Everyone else at the table was focused on their cards in hopes of beating the dealer. The very next hand, Abby lost and went to get up from the table, but the man whom she had been taking chips from grabbed her arm. I thought he was going to ask her for his money back, but instead, he handed her a black chip and told her to keep playing because she was bringing him luck. So she sat back down and continued playing. She played the chip in one hand and won. As she pulled her winning chip back, she swiped another one of his chips in a single motion. I watched with amazement because this girl had just made around a thousand dollars without going into a room and it took her all of twenty minutes.

When she lost the money he gave her to play he insisted on giving her more to keep her there longer and she said "if you wanted to spend time with me all you had to do was ask!" He looked at her for the first time and whispered his room number and something else. She winked at him and he smiled. She walked over to the dealer and shook his hand. The dealer nodded and we walked straight to the bathroom together. She opened up her sleeve which was full of chips and kept hidden by her purse and dumped the black and yellow chips into her bag. I didn't even realize how much she had taken from this man and I don't think she did either. There had to be close to two or three thousand dollars.

She powered up her nose and said she had to meet him in his room in fifteen minutes, so she had about five to supervise me. "Wink at the dealer when you find a table to sit at. If he nods at you, he knows you know to take care of him, that way he won't give the signal for vice." "Vice?" "Those are the plain clothed police that walk around the casinos looking for free lance girls. You will learn to smell them from a mile away. Let's go get you on a table and see what you can do!"

When I got out of the shower I found Kiarrah passed out in Shannon's arms. She was not too far from dozing off on the couch either. I took Kiarrah and Shannon went to her room. I cuddled up with my baby on the couch. This was the first time I had slept beside her since she was a little baby. It brought some tears to my eyes because I realized, she was the reason I had made it through all of the beatings. I was strong for her. I survived for her. I made it that far for her and I couldn't give up. I had to keep going. This was just a new beginning and I knew I couldn't let anything get in my way. She needed me!