Beckie.

  “...No.”

  For a moment, Rebbecca just stood there, her big goofy smile still pstered all across her face, mind not really registering what the syndicate's underboss had just said.

  “N-no? What do you mean no?”

  “No, as in I can’t buy these, or sell them, not for you, at least.”

  Another snort from Tish had Beckie wanting nothing more than to reach out and strangle the other girl's bird-thin neck, her own starting to flush slightly, even beneath her rich skin, golden eyes glowing with rapidly mounting disbelief.

  “Look…” Chris muttered, pushing the bag away while gncing at Beckie with a sigh, “Anyone else and I’d of considered the deal but, with you—mhm…”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, Beck,” He nodded, though not without a degree of sympathy, “seriously.”

  “What?” Tish barked, pointing a long and overly manicuted ‘cw’ at her with the widest expression of amusement she’d ever seen on the bitch, “You think just because you like to pretend your not a dog with a leash, that the damned colr doesn't exist? You’re bought and paid for, girl! Ain't no amount of money gonna change that! Woof, woof slut!”

  Beckie felt her guts drop right from under her, jaw working as she turned to look around the table, her distress at everyone's expressions, from the sympathetic to outright sadistic, making her start to sweat…

  “Chris…”

  “No. It's not my call, Beck. In fact, I honestly don't want to have anything to do with your and Masons 'holywood' drama bullshit.”

  “You literally said you were going to repo me this morning! What the fuck?”

  “You know exactly ‘what the fuck’ this is,” Chris countered, grunting while folding his arms.

  “He means Mason's done pying prince charming,” Tish smirked, forked tongue fshing with delight, “what, he didn't tell you? He got daddy involved—”

  “Seriously Tish?” Liam interjected, looking disapprovingly at his partner, who merely rolled her bright blue eyes with exaggerated annoyance, “Sorry, he got the boss involved. Anyway, I’m amazed you didn't hear about it; he’s been bragging all day.”

  “About—what exactly?”

  “Rex, he’s not trying to have you killed,” Candy intoned, though her 'assurance' wasn't very convincing...

  “But he is calling in your debt earlier than I otherwise would have,” Chris added without apology. “Normally, I’d just push you into ‘big girl’ jobs and get those mods working for the syndicate, lord only knows you’ve gotten away with more than most others…

  "But, the kid’s convinced Pete to have you pced under his direct authority as one of his ‘hitters’. And, since you're not making us any money and are defaulting, well... mhm... Sorry, Beck, I was going to have a word with you about it in the morning, after you failed to come up with payment but—”

  “But I did come up with payment!”

  “Doesn't matter.”

  “The fuck it doesn't! I—”

  “You nothing!” Chris barked, immediately causing Beckie to cringe slightly and shy away, not because of his physical stature, but because Chris had always been, well, not fatherly, but maybe more like an uncle? A bad uncle... Either way, though grudging, she respected the man, and so rarely was it that he lost his temper that it was simply a genuine shock...

  “You owe a debt to the syndicate Beck, and let's be honest, you've pranced around here like royalty these past years. It’s time to pay the piper,” He added a moment ter, voice softening a fraction…

  “But I have payment! I—I can pay off my loan, I promise, I—”

  “She’s really not getting it, is she?”

  “Nuuupe…” Liam muttered, popping his lips with awkward tension, though he was a lot more sympathetic than the almost cruel glee of the woman across from him. A moment ter and he caught Rebbecas gaze, “Look, we all know Masons a fuckup, but he’s still family, he’s still Pete’s family and that means he’s in charge. I hate to say it, Beckie, but you’ve only got yourself to bme here…”

  “But I’ve got the money!”

  “No, you've got ‘junk’, not cred,” Chris stated, expression hardening. “And honestly, at this point, even if you had the cash, the decision’s been made. Nobody crosses the syndicate. And Pete is the syndicate, Beck. We're all bought and paid for here, time to do your job just like everyone else.”

  “I really don't see what the problem is,” Tish sniggered, all but reveling in Rebecca’s distress, “All you’ve done since you joined up was get shitfaced and act like you were better than everyone while frolicing about with the bosses son. Honestly, I doubt anyone will even notice the difference between now and a few months ago.”

  Rebecca ignored the gloating online attention-whore and turned back to the shorter man still looking at her, Beckie’s mind racing to try and find a means to avoid what was starting to feel distressingly inevitable as it was distasteful…

  For a few moments, her mind churned, brain chugging along while endeavoring to find an easy out for herself.

  But no, the dickhead had apparently gone and—what? Bought her? Ha! Oh dear god, he’d fucking purchased her! Like she was some fucking—meat at market!

  ...Fuck!

  God damn it!

  Her jaw slipped as the very idea propagated itself in her head, lips quivering with anger as her new reality settled in like a crusty teenager's bnket. Exactly as uncomfortable and itchy as it indeed sounded…

  “Seriously!” Tish began again, tone loathsome as could be, “You should be honored! You've got the most expensive coochie he’s ever paid for! And he has paid for it, pretty much the only way I hear he actually manages to get id these days…”

  “Tish!”

  “What? It’s just gossip.”

  “He’s still Pete’s son…” Chris warned, adding to Liam’s outcry and warning.

  “Well, sorry if it’s true, either way, Beckies pretty much a prostitute at this point, only, she wont even be making any money because, spoiler alert, he fucking owns you now! Oh, you’ve no idea how happy I am for you, truly, it couldn't have happened to a worse person!"

  “And—we're keeping the hardware,” Chris added after a beat, all sembnce of his prior sympathy fading. “I’ll pay ya for it, Beck,” He added when her scowl shifted to something nearing the dangerous, “but what’s done is done. Best not to fight it, now that Pete’s involved, there's just not really much to say…”

  “Okay, but, you can’t buy a fucking person! What the hell does he even want from me?”

  “Pussy,” Candy helpfully added, even as her partner caughed and waved her somewhat unhelpful comment away,

  “Ahem—best get used to the idea that those sorts of ws only apply if you're more than a gutter-rat,” Liam stated, groaning slightly as he pulled himself to his feet. “Anyway, dies, let's be on our way then, yeah? We’ll leave these two to hash out the details; we’ve got a job to get going on."

  “Hah! Beckie's gonna have a 'job' to get going on too!” Tish ughed, her musical voice contrasting against the outright cackle she produced as she slipped by a still reeling Rebecca, one of the shorter woman's hands rapidly jerking the air while the other contented itself with flipping her off again.

  Candy offered her little more than a short gnce, her expression rgely devoid of anything noteworthy; meanwhile, Sally at least had the good grace to pce a conciliatory hand on Beckie's shoulder, giving her a small squeeze before departing.

  Before long, it was only Chris and Beck that were still in the room, yet for all her racing thoughts and hurtling emotions, Rebecca could hardly manage more than a dumbstruck stare…

  “What the fuck is happening?” She eventually whispered, feeling as though her entire life was crumbling at the edges! “What the fuck does he still want from me?”

  “Beck…” Chris began, lifting himself from his seat, just so he could sit right back down again, only this time, against a nearby table, “We both know 'what' he wants from you. The kid’s been—obsessed ever since you two met…”

  “But I’m not his! He can't—”

  “He did, you are, and this is happening. Look,” he added, suddenly popping back to his feet, striding over across the room to meet her eye face to face, “I’m not gonna stand here and tell you this isnt a shite deal. But Tish wasn't wrong Beck, you’ve had it easy with us, and sadly, that fact ain't bought you as many friends as your pretty face and good attitude, yeah? But your a smart kid, and smart kid’s can figure out how to make the best of shite situations, you catch me?”

  “I don't ‘want’ to catch you…” Beckie muttered, tone as dark as her spiralling mood.

  This wasn't just your every day run of the mill bullshit, this was—fucking—ugh! What a god damn bitch! How had she ever seen anything in the asshole? And who the fuck forced another person to be their—their—okay, maybe there was a good deal of that sort of thing that happened, b-but, she… she… She was different, wasn't she? Not better than that but, well, no fuck it, Beckie was better than being forced into fucking—prostitution! I-in so many words…

  “Rebecca.” Chris soothed, catching her attention like a startled animal with the use of her real name, “You've got options, not good ones,” he admitted softly, “but you’ve got options, which is more than most out in the Port’s can cim.

  “He’s going to—”

  “I realize what he’s going to do,” The underboss interrupted with a snap, “and what he’s going to demand of you. And it ain't nothing more than what a solid third of the girls upstairs already put up with. It ain't nothing special, Beck.” He consoled, pcing his hands on her shoulders. “But you still have a leg up on all of em! You’re not without your cards to py.”

  “He fucking hates me!”

  “He loves ya,” Chris countered with a harsh whisper, “You broke his heart Beck, you tore him up into little itty bitty pieces and he resents you for it, but that doesn't mean he ain't still smitten all the same,” Then, he pulled away, straitening back to his full, albeit much shorter height while his prior underling defted, eyes growing dull, “I’m not saying it’s gonna be pleasant in the shorterm,” he added, “And I don't doubt that he’ll try his best to get back at ya for what happened, but he still loves ya, for whatever it's worth, so the only advice I can give ya is to be smart about all this!”

  “Smart?” Beckie barked, rolling her eyes before they hardened like steel. "You keep saying that over and over but I don't see what it really means." Still, before she could shout, before she could rage, before she could—well, vent, the older underboss sighed, lifting up a hand to forestall her inevitable outrage.

  “Smart. Aye, you heard me right. Smart… Like it or not, this is happening, and unless you want them to force ya down and intall a fucking 'loyalty chip' in yer head, you’ll py right along.”

  “T-they wouldn't…”

  “We would.” Chris warned, his expression slipping towards the cold, “Not legal, but they’re far from rare and nobody who cares would give a damn if some punk from the slums got herself kitted with one. Either way, you doing something stupid ends in a fate worse than death so long as Mason wants to keep a bullet from the back of your head.

  "You're in too deep, you owe too much, and sadly, it ain't you who gets to dictate what you 'think' is fair. But like I said, you’ve got options kid, better options than anyone else would have.”

  “Hah… and those would be?”

  “To take advantage of your advantage.” Chris replied, pulling in a deep breath, “Mason’s a fuckup,” He added without remorse, “Always has been and always will be. I like the kid, but he’s an idiot, even his old man know’s it. But, he’s still family. That being said, perhaps, if you put that brain of yours to use for something outside of smashing bricks together, you can figure out how to apply your leverage over him and use his position to do something constructive with your life…

  “Or,” He breathed, clearing his throat and backing away, pointing a finger at her chest as he did so, “You can give in to the life of 'service' and 'servile' expectation and become exactly what Tish called ya. Regardless, it’s time to face the music. My advice? Go home, get some rest, and come at the problem with a fresh head in the morning.”

  Beckie knew when she was being ‘dismissed.’ And despite the fact she felt rather—well, floaty about the whole afair, ‘going home’ to get a ‘fresh head’ was about the very st thing she wanted to do right now…

  She wanted to Rage!

  She wanted to be angry!

  Fuck, Beckie was angry, furious, and only the sheer stupifaction she was experiencing did anything at all to dull those simmering emotions that were already hissling like a kettle.

  She gnced briefly at the bracelet she still wore, eyes drifting to the pile of cybernetic limbs still stuffed in the bag, then back at the underboss who was watching her, his posture loose but—telling.

  He half expected her to do something stupid, didn't he?

  Ha!

  If only he knew…

  Silently, Beckie felt her inner emotions break free from the dam. All the previous pain, all the hate and disgust and waning empathy she'd had for her ex-lover, all of it mixed together until only an unidentifiable 'blob' of resentment remained.

  The lip-biting fury that left warm iron on her tongue as it rose in her belly like a hissing snake...

  Turning to leave the small underground conference room, Rebecca smmed her way through the door, bypassing the silent watcher who still remained outside, her boots stomping along as she marched her way upstairs, a growing sense of righteous wrath filling her heart.

  Mason could go fuck himself.

  In fact, she’d help him do it, even if it was the very st thing she did in this world...