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Shell rubbed her eyes and sighed with exhaustion as she stared at the envelope in her hands As usual, it was full of ten one-hundred dollar bills she needed to feed her daughter and keep a shelter over their heads Unfortunately, this money was marked for someone else Someone as due to collect it any ht thirty pm the first Monday of everydented cans and disappointing her daughter when she couldn’t afford any special activities or treats

She glanced up from her spot, seated on the steps that led to her s, she met the driver at his car It didn’t really make any sense, but she always preferred he stay as far from her actual house as physically possible

He exited the driver’s side and stood, leaning on the open door “Got sole ht, but he made up for it with the frostiest stare Shell had ever encountered Every tiined ould happen if she missed just one pay down at her as she writhed on the ground with broken kneecaps She bet they wouldn’t even show a flicker of emotion Just cold calculation and indifference

She extended her arm, and he snatched the envelope from her over the top of the car door That sht froh for him to withdraw the ood”

“When have I ever not been good?” she asked, voice thick with disgust Maybe if her te with a cranky four-year-old all day, she’d have thought twice about , it took everything in her not to rake her nails down Joe’s face each month Only reason she typically kept her annoyance in check was the child sleeping inside She’d be no good to her daughter if Joe worked her over But tonight, she was short on patience and long on frustration

“Never,” he said with a sneer “And that’s e’ve never had to have the chat We could change that if you’d like I like attitude from bitches about as much as I like missed payments”

Shell wrinkled her forehead “The chat?”

“Yep,” he said popping the p as he carelessly tossed the money she’d worked so hard for into his car “The chat about that beautiful little girl you have in there”

Shell stiffened, and clenched her fists at her sides “Are you threatening hter?”

Joe laughed “Sure as fuck am, lady That’s how this shit works I threaten, you pay You run yourattitude my way, I h he was having so her tongue

“The fuck’s going on here?” Copper’s furious voice sliced through the quiet of the night She jolted so hard, her heart skipped a beat then shot off like a greyhound

Shit! What the hell was he doing here?