Chapter 329: D Like a Dust Dog
In another shop, there was a skinny guy standing behind a counter that looked like it had not been cleaned in years. He leaned forward, and Saya could see his eyes slowly sliding down to her chest before they finally moved back up to her face. He had this gross, greasy smile on his face that honestly made her feel sick to her stomach.
"Look, I can probably find a spot for you in the back rooms," he said. His voice dropped into a low, creepy whisper that made her skin crawl. "The pay is actually decent. But you already know how things work down here. You scratch my back, and I scratch yours. Just give me a little taste of those pretty lips after the shop closes, and the job is yours today."
Saya ground her teeth together. She shoved her fists deep into the pockets of her big, oversized hoodie, squeezing them tight.
"You are all the fucking same," she muttered. She did not even wait for him to say anything else; she just turned around and walked away.
She stepped back out onto the street. At this hour, the Underground was dim, lit up by flickering neon signs that cast a weird glow over everything. Her sneakers made a slapping sound against the cold, hard asphalt. Her head was spinning, and she felt like a heavy cloud was wrapping around her brain, making it hard to think.
Her phone started vibrating in her pocket again, but she completely ignored it. It was probably just Vargas or Roam wondering where the hell she was right before a big game.
"Go to hell," she thought to herself. "Just go to hell, all of you."
It was pretty clear to her now that there was no future with the Dust Dogs. The team was exactly what the name suggested: they were just a bunch of wild dogs destined to turn into gray dust and disappear into the cracks of the Underground streets without leaving any kind of mark on the world. It was just a slow, miserable way to die.
As she crossed the street, she had to dodge some dirty homeless people and avoid the thick, smelly steam coming up from the grates in the floor. Maybe that was a tour to her future home?
Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain hit her chest. It was guilt. It was that heavy feeling of finally realizing she was paying the price for what she had done to Nash.
"Why did I even do it?" she whispered to herself. Her eyes started to well up with tears again. "Why the hell did I leave him? Why did I humiliate him in front of everyone and call him a useless shrimp?"
She remembered his eyes, they were a calm green. She thought about the way he used to look at her before she decided to throw his loyalty in the trash. She had done that just to chase some fake dream with Roam. Nash would have actually protected her. Nash would have never let Vargas or a hundred other men touch her or leave their filth inside her. She had basically traded a real king for a pack of rabid dogs, and now she was the one who was paying the price.
Right now, her only goal in life was to get rid of the parasite growing inside her womb. Just thinking about it made her feel like she could not breathe properly.
She stopped walking and just froze there on the sidewalk. Across the dark alley, she saw a small shop that sold lingerie and underwear. The front window was actually clean, which was surprising for this area. Inside, she saw a young woman working as a cashier. The girl was sitting comfortably behind the desk, just scrolling through her phone, not having a single care in the world.
Saya looked at her and felt a wave of dread. Another woman. Another job. It would probably be another place that would eventually ask her for the same gross things.
Saya stood there for a long time, just watching the girl through the glass. Her chest heaved up and down as she let out a long, shaky sigh.
"What the fuck did I do with my life..." she whispered. "Is there really no fucking way to just find a female boss? Just a woman in charge who will not try to fuck me just to give me a useless job?"
The answer seemed pretty obvious, and not in a good way. She reached up and wiped a tear off her cheek, straightened her hoodie, and took a deep, shaky breath. She needed a place to hide. She needed to disappear. With her heart drumming hard against her ribs, she stepped off the curb and walked straight toward the shop.
Finally, at night, the big moment finally happened. The Neon Pink Arena was already super loud, with people screaming and making a ton of noise.
Outside the building, the whole street was glowing under these thick pink and blue lights. Huge crowds of people were pushing their way toward the entrances, shouting, laughing, and even arguing with each other. There were vendors everywhere selling drinks that cost way too much and snacks that looked pretty cheap.
High above the main gate, big screens were playing old highlight reels over and over, and the words "Dust Dogs VS Baby Boom" were flashing in bright, glowing letters.
At least for once, everyone was united behind the same team.
Inside the stands, Nash was sitting with Victoria, Lina, and Sarra. Their seats were not the best ones in the house, but they still had a clear view of the court. Lina was leaning forward, resting her elbows on her knees. Sarra stayed really close to Nash, clinging to his arm and looking up at him every now and then. Victoria sat up straight with her arms crossed, but she was not really looking at the court; her eyes were scanning the whole arena, looking for something or someone.
A few rows away, Harlan was watching the same court, but he had a completely different kind of interest in the game.
His goons were standing right behind him. One of them leaned in close and whispered.
"Boss... the girls are right there. Should we try to take them back while we still have the chance?"
Harlan turned his head slowly. He gave the man a cold, dark look that felt like a threat. The goon immediately shut the fuck up and stepped back quickly.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
Harlan looked back at the court. In his head, those girls did not even matter anymore. Thanks to Nash’s manipulation, to him, they were just a way for Hector to keep him on a leash, like a dog. While Harlan was stuck doing all the dirty work, Monique was climbing higher and higher in Apex. Thinking about it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Then, a small, mean smirk appeared on the corner of his lips.
He couldn’t wait to see the look on Hector’s face when he finally took Victoria’s virginity. He had not even washed his dong in days on purpose. He wanted it to be filthy when the time finally came. He wanted to ruin her properly and leave a mark.
On the other side of the arena, Victoria shifted around in her seat, feeling her skin prickle.
She leaned over toward Nash and asked in a quiet voice.
"What if Harlan decides to turn on us now that we are actually here? Isn’t there a risk he ambush the girls?"
Nash didn’t look worried at all. He had seen everything he needed in Harlan’s trigger, so he just shrugged.
"The security stuff we set up is enough," he answered her. "And I already have a Plan B and a Plan C ready for after the match. Just relax and enjoy what is about to happen."
Victoria looked into his eyes for a second, then she nodded and turned her attention back to the court.
When her man was so fantastic and never failed, why would she doubt him?
Meanwhile inside the Dust Dogs locker room, things weren’t as fantastic.
Roam was standing in the middle of the room without a shirt on, his heavy gold chain losing its color as it swung back and forth against his chest. He looked like he was ready to fight someone, but his eyes looked frantic and stressed.
Around him, his teammates were acting weird. Tylo was just staring down at his sneakers, while the twin substitutes, Kiel and Kael, were whispering to each other in a dark corner.
"What are we even doing?" Kael muttered. "We are not making the playoffs. What are we even supposed to do once the Breakball season is over?"
"And where is Saya?!" Vargas roared. His face was bright red and dripping with sweat. He was pacing back and forth like a trapped animal. His phone started vibrating violently in his hand, and he picked it up with a shaky grip.
It was Frank, their dangerous sponsor. Vargas started babbling into the phone, making pathetic excuses while Frank’s muffled, angry voice screamed through the speaker.
Vargas slammed the phone down hard. His eyes looked wild as he glared at Roam.
"Get this sorted out, Roam! Sell your asses, beg, fight, I don’t fucking care! I don’t care what you have to do, but don’t lose this game! Because if I lose my balls, I am dragging every single one of you down with me! Do you know who I am? Do you think I am some nobody?"
He turned around quickly and slammed the door.
The room stayed quiet for a second. The players looked at the door with total disgust.
"He can go to hell," one of them growled. "The second this ship sinks, I am moving to another team."
Roam’s temper finally snapped. He stepped forward, his muscles tensing up as he tried to get his team under control.
"Shut up, all of you!" he yelled. "Get your heads back in the game! This is Breakball! Everything can change in a single match if we push hard enough! We are playing against a bunch of idols! Are you really going to lose your nerve to a pack of girls?"
The other players barely even looked at him. They ignored his shouting, treating his words like background noise.
Rin was sitting on a bench, lazily tying her sneakers. She looked up with a cold, sarcastic smirk on her face.
"Oh, chill out, Roam. Who do you think you are? The captain?"
A couple of the guys on the bench let out a laugh. Roam’s face turned deep red, and he grinded his teeth together as he stared at her, feeling insulted that she had no respect for him.
Tylo stood up and grabbed his jersey from the locker.
"It’s the same old routine," he said, his voice sounding flat and bored. "Honestly, I don’t even care about the score anymore. Tonight, I am playing for myself. I am playing for my own highlights and my own image. The team is getting dissolved anyway. Anything is better than staying here with this group."
Tylo walked toward the exit. One by one, the other players followed him out, walking right past Roam. Each one of them gave him a mocking, pitiful look. Rin stopped right in front of him, her eyes full of glee.
"What is the matter, Cucky? Or should I call you Speedy?" she teased him. "You are trying to act all tough now? You think you are Nash? Please."
She turned around and walked out, letting the door open behind her.
Roam was left all alone in the silent room. His chest was heaving with rage because he felt helpless. With a scream of frustration, he spun around and punched a locker.
"Shit!" he screamed, his knuckles bruising against the steel. "Shit! Shit! Shit!!!"