Array Ashley - Murderville

“There has to be a catch,” Liberty stated.

“No catch, Liberty. This is the life. We don’t deal with bullshit johns that make you feel worthless. Our client list consists of politicians, stockbrokers, judges, athletes, oil tycoons… the elite of our society. Many of our ladies don’t stay in the business long. Many have been turned into the wives of the men that frequent here,” Abia stated.

“What’s the split?” Liberty asked as she weighed the pros and cons of the situation. Part of her wanted to leave and never look back, but there was something so intriguing about Abia’s offer that Liberty could not refuse her.

“60/40,” Abia replied frankly. “But all of your other needs are taken care of… you get to live in this fabulous home rent free. You get to drive foreign cars and rock designer clothes. You get to live the life that most people only dream of.”

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation as another girl entered the room.

“The glam squad is heeerre,” the girl announced excitedly as she clapped her hands together.

Abia smiled knowing that her team of professional stylists was right on time.

“We’ll be down in a minute,” Abia told the girl. She turned back to Liberty. “There are clothes and toiletries in the walk-in closet. You should be able to find something that can fit you. If you decide to stay you’ll be given a stipend each month to update your wardrobe to your tastes. You get yourself together while I go freshen up. I’ll meet you downstairs in a few and then I can introduce you to everyone.”

Liberty nodded as Abia left her to soak it all in. Liberty immediately entered the adjoining bathroom and ran herself a bath. She hadn’t been allowed to ever relax and unwind. Bathing was a rare occurrence back at the warehouse and as she entered the steaming water, her body melted from appreciation. The tub was large enough for a group of people to sit inside and she stretched out as the scent of shea butter entered her nose. This is crazy, she thought. 24 hours ago she didn’t even know that something like this existed… now here she was thrust in the middle of it all, feeling slightly overwhelmed because she was unsure of what was expected of her in return. It all seemed too good to be true.

Liberty soaked her body until the water ran cold and hurried to the closet to dress. She was taken aback when she stepped inside. It looked like a fashion boutique. She had never owned more than one outfit a day in her life and as she thumbed through the racks of designers she was floored. She picked out a long-sleeved, backless, mini-dress, with studded shoulder accents and matching designer shoes. The expensive fabric felt so foreign on her skin, and she felt slightly out of place.

A knock at the door caused her to turn around.

“It looks good on you,” Abia said. “You ready? The others are waiting for us.”

All of the ladies gathered in the personal salon and for the first time Liberty saw the type of women she would be working with. They were a completely different breed than the ladies on the track. Everything about these new bitches shined. It was obvious that they were getting money; even after the house took its cut, the girls were stacking paper. Everything from their Brazilian blowouts to their perfectly manicured hands and feet indicated that they were far from amateurs. This wasn’t a hobby… this was a career, a lucrative one. Abia put her hands on Liberty’s shoulders and escorted her to one of the styling stations. As she stood behind her looking at Liberty’s reflection she saw a gold mine. Once Liberty was cleaned up she would undoubtedly be the most valuable girl in the house.

It took hours for Liberty to make her transformation. Her long bone straight hair and Chinese bangs accentuated her face perfectly. Abia had gone all out… no expense had been spared. By the time the makeovers were complete the new girls couldn’t be distinguished from the old. Even Liberty was in awe of her own beauty and tears accumulated in her eyes as she looked at her reflection in amazement.

“This is unreal,” she whispered, unable to quit staring at herself.

“It’s real Liberty… you just have to embrace it,” Abia whispered as she handed her a crystal wine glass. Abia turned to the group of women and raised her voice so that everyone could hear her as she addressed all of the new girls that she had just rescued from the warehouse. “You all have a choice to make. You can stay or go, but this is the time to decide. If you would like to walk away… there is the door. You can do so without any repercussions, but if you would like to stay and live this life then lift your Pinot Grigio in the air.”

Abia waited and noticed that every single glass was lifted in the air except for Liberty’s. She turned towards her and asked, “What do you say? You can go out into the world and be ordinary, or you can stay here and live extraordinary.”

Liberty lifted her glass and Abia smiled in satisfaction. They sealed their agreement with a toast… it marked a new beginning for Liberty. It was the next phase for a young woman whose life was predestined for tragedy.

A’shai pushed the all-black Range Rover down I-75 on his way to East Detroit to check on his father’s crack spots. Baron quickly introduced him to the family business, and he took to the streets like a duck took to water. A’shai had quickly moved up the ranks and became his father’s eyes and ears to the streets. By day he was a college student but by night he ran the most sophisticated and lucrative drug operation Detroit, Michigan had seen in years. He couldn’t help but to think about how Baron handled Bonzi earlier that day. It made him reevaluate his tactics. Baron was a strategic thinker and it was as if he had played chess with Bonzi… and won.

A’shai pulled into the housing projects that sat just off the highway and parked. He made his way to the ‘trap spot’ and knocked on the door in a five knock rhythm that was the only way to gain entry. A woman opened the door and the aroma of cooked crack cocaine hit him in the face.

“Oh, it’s Shai!” the young redbone yelled enthusiastically as she stepped to the side to let him in. She gave him a flirtatious smile and cocked her hip to the side in hopes to get extra attention from him. However, A’shai paid her no mind, despite the fact that she wore no clothing. He stepped into the apartment and a wave of greetings and stares came his way. A’shai remained silent, only nodding to the girls acknowledging him. All the girls were naked with doctor’s masks on; all of them doing their part in the elaborate drug operation. A’shai didn’t allow them to wear clothes while working in order to prevent theft. Some cooked the crack, some chopped it up, and some girls weighed it. It was all a smooth operation that trickled down from Baron’s regime. The trap spot was one long apartment that was originally three apartments until Baron knocked down the walls, combining them. Baron owned the building so it didn’t throw up any red flags to the authorities. On top of that, the handsome pay that he bribed the local police department with kept the law out of his business.

“Yo, where’s Nico?” A’shai asked after he glanced around the spacious apartment.

“He’s in the money room,” one of the girls said as she bagged up the product while sitting at the table. He headed towards the back where the profits were counted and the closer he got to the money room, the louder the sound of the money machine got. The sound of bills running through the machine was like a sweet melody to A’shai’s ears. When he opened the door he saw Nico sitting at the table with a smile on his face while he put a rubber band over a stack of money. A smoking blunt hung from the left side of Nico’s mouth and the smell of Kush weed filled the air, accompanied by smoke. A’shai looked over and also saw a young lady sitting at the table with him. He instantly frowned and looked at Nico and shook his head in frustration.