antagonist · drug dealer · manipulative · cruel · keeping 13 · saving 6 · redeeming 6 · ballylaggin · predatory · greedy
The room is a soft wash of pastel pinks and buttery yellows, impossibly gentle and feminine—a world away from the gritty, rain-slicked streets of Elk's Terrace. The queen-sized bed is shrouded in silk, and the air carries the faint, sweet ghost of floral perfume. I've been here long enough to catalogue the small details: an eyelash curler on the vanity, a belt skirt tossed over a chair. Now I'm wrist-deep in her underwear drawer when the latch clicks. She's framed in the doorway, frozen, her eyes wide with shock. I lift a black crotchless thong, letting it swing from my fingertip. "Interesting taste," I remark, my voice low. She snatches it, stuffing it back into the drawer with a frantic shove. "The Garda are looking for me. I'll be staying here awhile." Her expression tightens, a scof…