The cool night air hit Logan as he stepped out of the bar’s door. The loud booming throb of the beat from the jukebox followed him until the door slammed shut, and even then it hung in the air.
Cracking his neck he dug his keys out of his pocket and searched the parking lot for any signs of life, one too many run ins with the brotherhood had given him an even greater instinct for self preservation.
The parking lot was empty of all but one lone soul who looked and smelled like she would rather be anywhere else. Her slim body had more angles than curves, an indication of one too many missed meals. Her breasts appeared too large for her body, their bounty a sick twisted little joke when one looked at the distinct curve of her ribs outlined under her sheer black top.
A tattered mini skirt covered her hips, falling to a jagged hem mere inches below the apex of her thighs. Fishnet stockings covered her legs, flowing into thigh high, ‘fuck-me’ boots.
Shaking his head Logan sniffed and inhaled the acrid stench of her fear mixed with innocence and desperation a combination he remembered all too well from another bar in another time.
Her eyes were old, older than her body, and told of countless nights of hunger, fear, and anger. Their pale blue depths told of a desperation so great that she was willing to trade her wings for horns, sell the only thing she had left for the next meal.
“Hey sugar,” the slight tremor in her voice wouldn’t have been picked up by anyone else without a find ear, and certainly not by one of the drunken slobs from inside. “You looking for some action?”
“Maybe,” Logan shot back as he headed for his truck, “How much?”
The girl swallowed painfully, “Twenty.”
With a slight nod Logan headed for the driver’s side of his truck his keys jingling. Turning his head slightly he looked at her steadily, “You comin’?”
“Sure, sure sugar, just waiting to see what you decided,” the girl declared and tottered along after him, the smell of her anger, hatred, and loathing rising dramatically.
The slam of the passenger door had Logan glancing at her and he took in the pale locks that surrounded her face, the blonde waves that trailed down her back, the full lips, the gauntness in her face and sighed to himself. Damn his soul he knew what he was going to do and he glanced at the small picture that had a place on his keychain.
Smiling to himself he turned the engine over and drove down the street to the run down hovel that he called a home for the night. Opening his room door he ushered the girl in, noting the way her eyes almost immediately went to the left over food sitting on the table. The sound of her stomach growling only reinforced her hunger as he saw her take an unconscious step towards it before stopping and turning to look at the rumpled bed.
“You hungry?” Logan asked tossing his jacket onto the back of a chair and reaching for his shirt sleeves. Unbuttoning them he eyed the girl who was looking more and more nervous and trying to hide it.
“No, no. Lets just umm.”
“Eat kid,” Logan growled, “You’re fuckin’ half starved.”
The girl bristled and glared, “Look buddy, I ain’t got all night. You wanna fuck or not cause if not I’m..”
“Sit down and eat before you fall down,” Logan ground out and pointed to the food, “Before I change my mind.”
Plunking her ass into a chair the girl grabbed for the food and started gobbling it faster than was healthy, Logan knew if she didn’t slow down she’d wind up in some back alley curled around herself with cramps. “Slow down, ain’t going anywhere.”
Flopping down on the bed Logan turned on the television and left her to eat in peace. As soon as she was finished he saw her shift, smelt her indecision even as she reached for the hem of her top.
“Leave it on,” he snapped grabbing a blanket and tossing it at her, “Here. You can crash in the big chair.”
“I ain’t..”
Logan looked pointedly at her.
“Uh you want to do it in the chair?” the girl looked uneasy as she stared at the large, leather bound chair.
“I ain’t interested in what you’re sellin’ girl,” he replied softly, as he turned to look at her, his arms crossed on his chest, “How many times ya done this?”
“Lots.”
“Bullshit. You’re so scared you’re ready to faint. My guess is I’m the first or pretty close to it.”
The girl flushed and blinked at the tears that appeared in her eyes but held his gaze steady, “So? What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Whatcha been doing up to now?”
“Mostly blowjobs and hand jobs,” the girl whispered, “I’m good at them – but they don’t pay well.”
“How old are you?”
“Old enough.”
Logan nodded and stared at the girl until she shifted uneasily, “I’ll make you a deal kid.”
“What kinda deal? You’re gonna fuck me and not kill me?”
“You quit turning tricks of any kind cause you’re better than that. I’ll set you up in this place I got provide you with clothes, food, the necessities.”
“In exchange for what?”
“You get your ass back into school, get an education. Stay off the streets kid cause you don’t wanna be here.”
The girl shifted, “I ain’t got anywhere else to be.”
“Now you do. Take it or leave it, it’s a one time only deal.”
“What about sex?”
Logan smelt her fear at the words, even as he realized what she meant. “What about it?”
“You can have it for free..”
“I ain’t interested kid,” Logan explained softly. “Put your cards on the table kid, you gonna get a better offer anytime soon?”
“No,” the tiny whisper held uncertainty even as the girl picked the blanket up and wrapped it around her body, “I’ll take it.”
“Good. We’ll head out in the morning. Best get some sleep,” Logan said turning his attention back to the game.
“Name’s Angel.”
“Logan. Get some sleep kid,” he drawled ignoring her completely.
Wrapping the blanket tighter around her body Angel settled into the chair and closed her eyes. She’d wait to see how this played out – until then the food was making her sleepy.
“Hey darlin’,” the soft affectionate tone woke Angel who bolted into a sitting position her gaze darting around the room. Spotting a thin, weak line of light under the closed bathroom door she relaxed marginally.
“Rogue you know better than to listen to that bullshit. They don’t know a damn thing. Look I’ve got one stop left then I’ll be there,” there was anger, and concern in his tone. “Found a kid in trouble. Gonna take her somewhere safe...”
“No I’m not gonna fuck her. I’m droppin’ her off in Selkirk and heading back to you. Yes I’m sure Rogue. I promise Marie, I’ll be there by the end of the month or die trying…Sorry bad choice of words.”
Angel pulled the blanket a little high and sighed softly even as she listened to the one sided conversation.
“Tell Chuck I ain’t listening,” the words were clipped, furious, “You’re my girl and I don’t give a shit what they think. I don’t give a damn about your skin either. Hell it just puts us on an even playing field…Jeannie ain’t got half an ounce of street smarts, don’t worry ‘bout her…Yeah I miss you to. I wish I was closer to you, closer to home…I’ll see you then, love ya darlin’.”
Closing her eyes and feigning sleep Angel listened to Logan moving around the room. He was obviously faithful and devoted to the woman he’d spoken to if the conversation was anything to go by. Trusting her instincts Angel let herself slip back into sleep, her body needing it almost as much as her soul did.
Glancing at the man driving Angel stared at the three story brownstone style home that appeared before them, “You own this?”
“Yeah won it in a poker game a couple of years ago. I stay here when I’m in town but that’s seldom,” Logan explained getting out of the truck and grabbing the duffel bag he’d filled with clothes for her, “You can stay here as long as you need to. Only got two rules for ya, stay in school cause I’ll know if you don’t and no tricks.”
Angel nodded quickly, the gruff, often grumpy man had proven to be a fair ride, he hadn’t groped at her, hadn’t asked for sex, rather he just drove silently, his gaze on the road.
“Good. I’ll send you money once a month, make it last because you won’t get any more, and I check up on what you’re spending it on if I want to. I know the place is too big for one person so you can pick what part of it you wanna use and leave the rest.”
“What about people?”
“What about ‘em?”
“What if I see someone who needs help like I did, can I let ‘em stay here?”
“As long as you let ‘em know the rules and you enforce ‘em I don’t see a problem. You do whatcha need to survive kid.”
Angel nodded and smiled shakily, “Thank you.”
“Hell kid, you ain’t no streetwalker and you don’t wanna get into that life. Now I know you were desperate but you’re not now. I’m gonna trust you to keep your word, don’t make me regret that.”
Angel nodded quickly, “I won’t.”
“Good. Now I’m gonna head out. Here’s two hundred bucks, you’ll need to buy groceries. The store is that way,” he pointed north, “and the school is two blocks east of here. Good luck.”
“I’m not the first one you’ve helped am I?” Angel put her hand on his arm to stop him.
“No, no you’re not,” Logan replied a calm, soft smile crossing his face as he thought of the first girl he’d helped, and the woman she’d become. “You’re pretty close though.”
Angel watched as the truck disappeared down the street before turning to look at the rambling old house. Sucking in a deep breath she walked up the steps and stepped inside with only a hint of hesitancy.
“Home sweet home,” she muttered softly as she glanced around, dropping the bag on the floor and heading to investigate her new place of residence. She was no fool, she knew she owed him big time, but would she ever be able to pay him back?
The slight jingle of charms barely disturbed the nights silence as the slim shadow waited, watched the gathering crowd of people. Eyes darkened by experience watched like a hawk as men and women, boys and girls appeared upon the street their bodies disposable, their souls gone.
Living skeletons as she referred to them, they were the sludge, the scrapings of the pond, and the lowest dregs of society. To her though they were the lost, the forsaken and an old promise kept her from forgetting about them.
Scanning the growing populace she smirked to herself at the familiar figure of a local pimp who liked his girls to be young, the younger the better. Youth equated to more money, more money meant he could dress better, pay for more souls that he could condemn to hell.
Unlike many though he had come to know the dark shadow that haunted the night, the shadow that unlike the police, or the social Services never really went away. Like a ghost the shadow could and often did appear and stay for several nights, taking with it the youngest, the innocence of the world that he tried desperately to taint.
Slipping through the throngs to stand near him a shift of muscle, a movement of an arm and the dark cloak surrounded him even as he pulled a painted faced girl no older then twelve toward him.
“First night bitch, make me money or else...” he hissed only to freeze at the familiar snort from within the blackness. Whipping around he stared into eyes colder than ice, a mask carefully orchestrated to hide the innocence, the beauty beneath it. “If it ain’t the Shadow.”
“She’s mine,” the words were even; low, and yet the tone left no room for doubt. “What did I tell you last time I saw you? Huh, Mentor?”
“Not to find ‘em young,” the man croaked his grip tightening on the girl’s neck.
“Exactly. How many more do you have?”
“Six,” the man whispered softly. “This is the first to be...”
“You have until midnight to bring me the other five,” the cold, harsh order left no room for doubt, “Or I will exact my vengeance.”
With a swift nod the man all but raced off leaving the girl standing in horror in front of the cloaked figure. “I’m...”
“Relax,” with a softening, a gentling of the tone, of the voice, a hand appeared to smooth away some of the makeup from the girl’s face. “You’re safe now.”
Withdrawing deeper into the shadows the figure ushered the girl back to the meeting point, her mind racing even as she felt the charms begin to melt together, to form a solid band around her arm.
As soon as the girl was safe within the confines of the shelter she stepped back into the night and lifted her hand to reveal the shimmering metal of her bracelet as it covered her fingers, becoming a living extension of her.
With the crack of material loud in the darkness she hurried through the night to the place she’d elected to have deliveries made and waited impatiently until the pimp showed up with five young girls ranging in age from thirteen to seventeen in tow.
“These are the youngest...” he stuttered only to gasp for breath at the sudden clamping down around his throat.
“I told you no more stealing of the innocence. You were warned I would not allow anymore of this perversion and yet you persist in it. Why?”
“Money, the color’s more important than the...”
“Wrong,” with a snarl the hand tightened even as he felt the familiar blade appear from off the back of the wrist to rest against his throat, “You’re gonna disappear, if you don’t I’ll hunt you down and kill you.”
With a quick nod the man scurried off, barely pausing long enough to glance back. He knew that whoever the shadow was the threat was real.
“Look we don’t...”
“Shh,” without a word she pushed the girls deeper into the shadow, heading back to the shelter before she took them to their new haven.
Closing the door behind her she pushed her cloak’s hood back to reveal blond hair, blue eyes and a tattoo on her face.
“I’ve heard of you. You’re the Shadow Angel, the one that’s got half the pimps in the area scared to death.”
“Yes. Come on, it’s time you came home.”
“Home?” the eldest asked sarcastically. “Like I’m gonna go back to that...”
“Home is not where you grew up. Home is where you will get a new start, a chance to be whoever you want. A chance to live life not be crushed by it.”
Amid looks of mixed horror and skepticism the girls followed her into the darkness to a waiting van.
Rolling to a stop in front of the old brownstone Angel smiled, there was no outward indication of what she’d done with the place, no obvious sign that she’d turned it into a shelter for runaways and young prostitutes, instead it looked like most of the other houses on the block.
Unlocking the door she held it for the six rescuees of the night and closed it behind them all. “Alright girls, around here we only have a few rules. Rule one, no tricks allowed. This is a haven, a safety net for y’all. Rule two, you have to make an attempt at continuing your education or get some sort of vocational training, rule three; no drugs, alcohol, or firearms. Rule number Four: This is a place to heal, not everyone gets to join the ranks of Logan’s Fallen Angels, and here as long as you obey the rules, and honor the code of honesty, virtue, and respect you’ll do well. Twice a week we have a group meeting to discuss any problems you may have or line up medical treatment. Any questions?”
“Who’s Logan?”
Angel smiled, “A fallen angel that let me keep my wings. This place is called Rogue’s Haven in honor of the woman he loves.”
“When does he come by?”
“Been and left. He only shows up once a year but I am in contact with him if I need to be. I’ll show you to your rooms.”
“Why are you doing this?”
Angel paused and looked at them, “Because someone did it for me and I’m honoring that.”
Leading the way down the hallway, Angel opened three doors and stepped back, “These are your rooms. As long as you’re here I expect you to clean up after yourself because I won’t do it.”
“Okay,” the youngest muttered glancing around. “Follow the rules, clean up after ourselves and we’ll have shelter.”
“Something like that. Goodnight.”
Retreating to the upper balcony Angel stared out over the city. It had been three years since Logan had pulled her back from the brink and she’d done a lot in those three years – it was high time she paid him back.
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