A.N. I thought the last one was done, but the I realized how much was left unsaid, so... back to the story.

Alex looked ahead determinedly. The one good thing that would come from all of this was that Mr. Justin would stop wasting his money. He supplied the women's shelter with enough cash to keep the place open. There a meal at least once a day. And though she was ashamed of her and her mother's work, Alex managed to stay away from dangerous situations by being a choosy prostitute.

Then she caught his eye; The Chief.

And that was the day that the women's shelter, run-down flea bitten home, with one (occassionally working) toilet, lumpy mattresses, lumpier pillows, and stained walls, was burned to the ground.

It was beautiful now. Alex ignored the tides of women who weapt beside her. There were a half dozen elderly women who depended on the dilapidated walls for comfort from the wind, and the hole-ridden roof to protect from the rain. As gross as it had been, Alex had a home. She and her mother were building a life. Ernesto actually volunteered to drive them back to their village on Sunday to visit the family. It had been a wonderful time. And with shelter, and food, came education. Theresa was getting old, and found some of her old clients were actually willing to pay her to do legitimate work like sewing and cooking.

Alex thought she could quit the life. Max was starting to get involved in gangs. She hoped to pull him out. One day, she was walking to get him when she drew attention to herself. It was no mystery what her job was, so when The Chief offered her some cash, Alex declined for Max's sake. He had to know he was more important than some money. The pushier the mobster got, the more resistant Alex was.

Now there was this. There was no doubt in her mind how the shelter had caught fire. All that money had been wasted on her. She should have just let Mr. Justin use her and throw her aside. Instead, he had given her hope, he had given her a life.

She hated him for that.

Theresa was wailing into Max's shoulder. He had already learned the lesson; power is more important than family. Alex looked back at her family members, then stepped away into the shadows.

It did not take long for them to grab her. Filthy hands forced her unresisting body into a car. Alex allowed it. She knew this would happen sometime. After a ten minute ride, they opened the door. The Latina got out as if she were a movie star arriving on set, even nodding politely to the gangster who helped her out of the vehicle.

Alex had been taken to a mansion. It was spectacular. She ignored the indicators of money that had mattered so much to her a year ago. The mobsters marched her in like a prisoner, but she kept her head high.

The Chief was there, surrounded by women. He smiled as she approached. Alex looked around bored. He was talking, and that bored her. She was a desert flower, an oasis for a thirsty man... compliments hastily spit out before a man screwed her. Eventually she held her hand up for silence. His eyebrow cocked.

"What do you want?"
Her tone was cold. Everyone wanted her for some reason. Except for Mr. Justin, every man who ever laid eyes on her wanted her for their own ends. She did not expect anything more from this man.

"I want you. And I have to have you."

"It is not easy to get me," She growled this, aware that he had just destroyed her home.

"Oh... I know. But, Margarita... I can give you so much more! Money!" He threw bills in their air, signalling for the harem girls to scramble, "Food!" He plucked a ripe grape and held it in front of her. They looked each other in the eye. It took all her will not to spit on him.

She opened her mouth for the grape, but as his fingers passed her lips, she bit down. He howled in surprise, and clutched himself. It was not so bad that he would be angry, but it was enough to communicate her opinion, "What about my family?"

"They will be compensated."
"And Max... he is to be put to real work. Max must act like a man, not one of your goons!"

The Chief put his hand over his heart, "Senorita, you wound me. But yes, I will make sure he gets a real job. You should say goodbye though... I like to take my ladies on the road with me."

She would never see her family again. Ernesto, Mom, Max... they were gone to her, as gone as the shelter that once protected them.

She wondered for a moment about Mr. Justin. Would he be sad the shelter was gone? Would he visit, looking for her? When he found out what she did with herself, would he be ashamed of her? Or would he already know this was where she headed.

Alex looked ahead with determination she had to or else she would see her life flash away into nothingness.