"Well, I was wondering if you could increase it. I need to help Juju out with some of the expenses for Seth," she said honestly.

"Ha! You're fuckin' kiddin' me, right? Get the fuck outta my face before I knock the shit out of you. I don't care about Juju and that little asshole kid of yours."

Maggie remained silent and angrily left the house. When she walked into Juju's apartment fifteen minutes later, the two girls looked at each other, and Maggie shook her head.

"You know what? This is a bunch of bullshit," Maggie said, stomping her foot. "We're making these jerks a lot of money, and they won't share any of it with us. This is really pissing me off."

"Yeah, I agree. We know Rock isn't going to give me a bigger cut of the profit from selling, and I can't charge more for my dope to keep more money 'cause I'll price myself out. My customers will buy from someone else," Juju said thoughtfully.

Then an idea began to form in Maggie's head.

"That's it! I know what to do. I'll turn a couple of extra tricks a week and just keep the money. You know, nothing big, just two or three tricks would give us enough money," Maggie said with confidence.

"Um, yeah, that sounds like a shitty idea. Do you know what would happen if Rock ever caught you doing that? It's happened before, and he found out about it. The girl disappeared, and we never saw or heard about her again. That's too risky. There's no way you'll keep it a secret. They have a lot of people who work for them, and you never know who's watching you," Juju warned.

"I would never tell anyone, so there's no way Rock would ever find out. That girl must've told someone what she was doing, and that's how she got caught. I mean, the new girls would never get away with it, but Armando only cares that I meet my weekly quota. I think the risk is low. We both keep our traps shut, and no one knows any different," Maggie persisted.

Maggie felt an obligation to Seth, and it was her intent to keep him safe, fed, and loved, just as she had promised him. If it meant taking a small risk to earn a little extra cash, then that's what she'd do. She told herself that it wasn't like she was stealing from Armando. After all, it was her body being sold and her skill earning the money. The way she saw it, she was the one who was being robbed, not Rock or Armando. With her mind made up, Maggie assured Juju that everything would be fine.

That very night, Maggie sold herself to one more customer before finishing her shift. When she was done, she went to Juju's apartment and gave her the thirty dollars. Then she walked back to the house of whores to give Armando her earnings. He took the money and counted it in front of her, something he did routinely with all of the girls. Content because Maggie had earned her quota, Armando walked into the room where the other men sat drinking and smoking.

Well, that was easy, Maggie thought as she stretched out in her "spot" on the dirty living room carpet. Piece of cake.

During the months that followed, Maggie turned a couple of extra tricks each week. This made her capable of earning enough money to help Juju with the expenses. The two girls even were able to stash away a bit of money for the future. Everything seemed to be working as planned, and Maggie was proud that she was able to help all of them.

One Sunday afternoon, while they were eating Chinese takeout in Juju's tiny apartment, Maggie talked about expanding her profits.

"Look, Juju. No one is even noticing a couple of times a week. It's really simple; if I just turned one extra trick a day, it would give us extra money. We could save it all and someday get the hell out of this rotten place. No one has noticed me doing it so far, and they're not gonna notice if I do a couple more," Maggie explained.

"What happens if you get caught? Huh? What will happen then?" Juju argued, with no chance of winning.

"I won't get caught. I have it all figured out, OK?" Maggie insisted.

Maggie truly believed she could do it without anyone noticing. But Maggie was dead wrong.

Chapter Eighty-Five.

Maggie was turning an extra trick every day and, as a result, the girls were able to save a little money. They were even able to buy Seth some secondhand clothes dirt cheap. It was on Maggie's birthday, when she went back to the house of whores wearing jeans and boots that Juju had bought with some of their savings, that Armando became suspicious. The men who ran the house never gave the girls enough money to buy things on their own. Clothes were bought at rock-bottom prices when the men decided that a few new items were necessary to keep the customers attracted.

Armando may not have noticed had it not been for the younger girls ogling and commenting on the new items Maggie was wearing. But the real giveaway was that Maggie tried to downplay the gifts. Armando pretended not to notice Maggie secretly hushing the others. He knew something wasn't right, and it all added up to another deception by Maggie. The next evening, Armando secretly followed Maggie. He watched her take johns back into the tall grass of the open field, and he counted them. When she came home that night and handed him her earnings, she was one trick short of his count.

Armando spent the next week watching and counting until he was sure about what Maggie was doing. Only then, did Armando have a private sit-down with Rock. He told him everything he'd found out.

"We can't have this shit goin' on. The others will catch on, and before we know it, they'll all be scammin' too," Armando said. "I think it's time we talk to some of your associates. She's young enough that we can still sell her or maybe even get a good swap for her."

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea," Rock agreed. "We can't be havin' this bitch stealin' from us. Besides, she's marketable. I just need some time to get everything hooked up. In the meantime, keep your eye on her."

As Rock drove back to his house, his thoughts were racing, and he was furious that Maggie had deceived them once again. He'd already given her too many chances. The time for her to go had arrived. Before Rock went into the house where Thelma and Joey were waiting for him, he thought, after I eat dinner, I'm going to make a call to New York; see what that bitch, Maggie, is worth.

Rock dialed the number and then sat back in his chair, waiting for the phone to be answered. On the third ring, the man picked up. "Myles," the voice announced.

"Myles, it's Rock. How you doin', man?"

"Rock, it's been a while. How've you been?"

"Good, man, good. Hey, ya remember our last transaction? That girl, Maggie, I bought from ya a few years back?" Rock asked, knowing damn well that Myles would remember her. Maggie had the type of beauty that no man could forget.

"Yeah, sure. I remember her." Myles thought about little Maggie. She'd been his favorite for quite some time. So sweet and innocent. Of course he remembered her. There'd been many others since Maggie, but she would always stand out in his mind.

"Well, I got a little problem. Bitch gave us some shit in the beginning. Lying and doing things she shouldn't. We took care of all that. Things have been good for some time. Now we just found out she's scammin' us. She's turning extra tricks and keeping the dough. Ya know what happens when one of the bitches does this and gets away with it," Rock remarked.

Myles smiled on the other end of the phone, thinking of clever little Maggie. She always was a smart one. "Yeah, I understand. Once one gets away with it, they all think they can do it. So why are you calling me? What are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for a buyer," Rock stated. "I'm gonna need a good price for her. Remember, I paid ten grand for her just three years ago. I'm looking to double my money, at least. I've trained her, and she's even hotter now than she was then," he said, trying to talk up the sale.

Myles thought about it for moment. "OK, I'll see what I can do. No promises. You're asking for a lot of money. Remind me how old she is," he said.

"Seventeen. But I'll tell ya, she's one fine-looking bitch," he said enthusiastically.

"Seventeen? Rock, you must be smoking crack. Twenty grand is a lot to expect for a seventeen-year-old. I don't care how hot she is," Myles told him.

Rock could feel the muscles in his calves tensing into tight knots. He knew Myles was right, but he couldn't just let Maggie go, and he couldn't keep her in the house with the other girls; not anymore. She'd killed the little trust he had in her.

"She'd make a good porn star," Rock said without thinking, desperate to get a good price for her.

"Hmmm. That's not a bad idea. Let me make some calls and see if there's any interest. I want you to take some pictures of her and send them to me right away."

"Pictures. Yeah, OK. I'll take some pictures and get them out to ya tomorrow. I'll be talkin' to ya."

Rock hung up the phone and called Armando. "I need you to get me pictures of Maggie. I want hot, sexy pictures. Get her a couple of those 'fuck me' outfits. I'll be over later tomorrow. Make sure it's done before I get there," he ordered and hung up the phone.

The next morning, Armando woke Maggie up early. "Come on, let's go," he told her.

She followed him up to a bedroom on the second floor. Ugh, she thought with deep disgust, the scumbag wants sex. She was surprised when she entered the bedroom. There were red satin sheets on the bed, and across the room, several sexy outfits were spread out on an oversized chair. Oh great! Now he wants sex and for me to dress up. Yuk!

"We need to get some pictures of ya. Sexy pictures," Armando stated.

"For what?" Maggie asked, surprised.

"Bitch, who the fuck are ya questionin'? Get your smelly ass over there and put on one of those outfits I bought ya. Then go comb your hair and put on some makeup I left for ya in the bathroom. Hurry up!" Armando yelled.

When Maggie emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, she looked like a Victoria Secret model.

"Get yourself over here on the bed and do some poses," Armando stated coldly.

Maggie did as she was told. Armando told her how to pose-raise your arms, spread your legs wider, push your hair out of your face, take your bra off, pull your thong over...the instructions went on and on. The photographer must have taken a hundred pictures of her.

When they were finished, Maggie put her clothes on and went back downstairs. She nervously noticed that none of the other girls were being taken upstairs for pictures. Why only her?

She thought about it for a few minutes and then let the worry slip away, convincing herself that everything was fine.

Chapter Eighty-Six.

Three days later, the phone rang. Rock answered. "Yeah?"

"It's Myles. The pictures were fabulous. You were right, she's even better looking now," Myles confirmed.

"Good, good. Do you have a buyer?" Rock pressed, wanting to ditch the small talk.

"Let's just say I have someone who is very interested."

"Oh, yeah? They're going to put her in porn movies, then?" Rock asked curiously.

"Not exactly. They're looking at her for a snuff film," Myles said casually.

Fuck. That sucks, Rock thought. They're gonna buy her and kill her in a porn film. Oh, well! As long as they pay me my price, I don't give a shit. For Rock, everything came down to money. All of his decisions were based on how he could make the most money possible.

"So what now?" Rock asked.

"We wait. I'll let you know when I hear back," Myles said.

The next day, Myles extended an offer of five thousand dollars for Maggie.

"What the fuck is this? I paid ten grand for her. Why the fuck would I sell her for five?" Rock asked, outraged.

"Because she's seventeen years old, and all they're going to do is make one film with her, and she'll be dead. I'm sure you made your fair share of money off her over the last three years. You've made back that ten thousand many times over."

"How much is your cut?" Rock asked.

"It's 15 percent. It ain't much. I'm not in this particular deal for the money. I'm just trying to help two people I know make a deal," he said.

"Five thousand ain't enough. I need at least ten," Rock told him.

"Fine. I'll call my contact. I'll let you know."

Rock sat forward in his chair and slammed his fist on the top of the table. He was angry that Maggie had betrayed him yet again, and in the long run, he would lose money. But keeping her put too much at stake. She had to go as soon as possible.

A week later, Rock went to see Armando to let him know he'd made a deal to sell Maggie for eight thousand dollars. Armando was disappointed at how little they'd gotten for her. Rock gave Armando explicit instructions. "I'll be driving her up to New York in two days. Make sure she's here and ready to go. I'll pick her up in the morning."

Rock wasn't any happier about the sale than Armando was. From a business standpoint, it was a stupid move. But when he took in the bigger picture-the larger implications of Maggie's actions-he knew it was something he needed to do. On his way back to his own home, Rock drove slowly down Kensington Avenue. Sitting at a traffic light, he noticed a crowd had gathered on the sidewalk next to a car with its windows open, blaring music. A group of men were bouncing around, hooting and hollering. When Rock took a closer look, he saw Maggie. She was pole dancing on a street sign.

Rock parked his car and watched from across the street as Maggie worked the crowd of men. She shimmied up the pole effortlessly and moved to the music. Her long, lean body was magnificent as she smoothly and eloquently became one with the pole. Rock was captivated by her elegance and sensuality, her muscles tensing and relaxing. Her body appeared to be flawless. He had to admit that she was a good pole dancer.

When the music stopped, Maggie led one of the men behind the building. She returned fifteen minutes later and took a second man behind the building. When she came back the next time, the music was screaming from inside the car again, and Maggie did her pole routine. Well I'll be damned, Rock thought, she found a way to boost her own business. As the other prostitutes watched and threw annoyed glances, Maggie was the center of attention for the paying customers.

Rock thought about Maggie's fate. She was so talented and attractive, a real money-maker. It seemed such a shame to throw all that potential money out the window for a measly eight thousand bucks. He sat in his car for over an hour, watching the men feed off her. The other hookers were practically turning green with envy. There had to be another way for him to salvage her. He needed to think of something spectacular. Rock remembered what he had learned as a young man from Thelma's father. You must always think in terms of money, even if it means doing something you've never done before, the old man told him. This is a tough business, and only the men who understand human nature will succeed.

Rock watched for a while longer, and then slowly the idea formed in his mind. He played the idea out in his head as if he were watching a movie. Then he decided.

Rock knew exactly what he was going to do with Maggie.

Chapter Eighty-Seven.

"The deal is off," Rock told Myles. "I have something else in mind for Maggie."

"Well, I can appreciate that, but you do know you've put me in a bad situation. My client is going to be very unhappy. I had to work some difficult angles with this low-life to put this deal together," Myles responded.

"I know, I know. I appreciate all you've done. But the girl is worth too much to me. Tell your client I'll make it up to him another way, another time. But Maggie ain't for sale. I got new information that gave me a solution to my problem. I didn't have this info when I called you. I'll be more than happy to pay ya for your time. We've known each other a long time, and I've never backed out of a deal. I hope we can continue to do business in the future," Rock said.

"All right, well, I hope you're making the right decision. Maggie is a smart girl, and you have your hands full. As for my time, let's just keep it at you owe me. I'll call some other business owners and see if I can find a girl for this snuff film. Whatever you just found out about Maggie saved her life. Like I said, she's a smart girl. I'd keep my eye on that one, if I were you," Myles warned him.

"Yeah, man. I hear ya. Hey, thanks for your help. Let's stay in touch."

Rock sat back in his chair, and relief washed over him. He knew it was bad business to cut a deal and then back out of it at the last minute. He also knew he'd only get away with doing it once before no one would do business with him. Maggie better come through, he thought, or I'll kill her myself.

The next person Rock called was Armando. "Did you tell Maggie we were taking a little trip?" Rock asked.

"Yeah, I told her. The bitch was full of questions. I had to slap the shit out of her to make her stop talkin' and told her to be ready to go when ya get here," Armando said, sounding like a tough ass.

Rock smiled as he held the phone to his ear. "Yeah, she ain't like the others. That one has a mind of her own. Well, were gonna keep her with us. I have another plan for her. I'm gonna move her out of the house to make sure none of the other bitches pick up her habit of scammin' us."

"What's your plan?" Armando asked, shocked. He did not want to lose the income he made off Maggie.

"I'll explain it to ya later. I'm going to Juju's to talk to Maggie now, so she ain't gonna give ya no shit. Don't worry. I'll make sure ya see some green from what she earns. I'm gonna give ya 5 percent," Rock explained, sensing what Armando was thinking. Rock needed to keep his crew of men happy; after all, they dealt with the day-to-day bullshit of the business.