Free Healing Melody by Priya Grey, Ozlo Grey

really difficult for me. That’s why I always went back to the Middle East. That all changed when I realized Monique was in really bad shape because of her drug habit. When I saw my son being raised in that environment, I realized I needed to do something. I finally took on my responsibilities as a father and put my combat days behind me. Max moved in with me. Monique disappeared. I still don’t know where she went. I hope she’s alive and hasn’t died from drug abuse.  
    Max and I had a few happy years together, just the two of us. I channeled my PTSD anger issues into MMA fighting. But when the traveling became too much, I decided to open my own gym to spend more time with Max. Everything felt like it was finally falling into place.
    I was finding joy in being a father.
    Then Max got sick.  
    When I buried my son, my life fell apart. I lost everything.  
    Max’s medical bills amounted to several hundred thousand dollars. Shane paid every one of them, on one condition: He owned me until the debt was repaid.
    He owns my gym, and I have to fight in underground matches he promotes. He keeps all the earnings; I don’t see a dime. But that’s not where it ends.  
    He also owns my body.
    Shane pimps me out through his website.   Apparently, there’s a huge demand among rich LA women for former military men who are built like me. So, when I’m not training for the next fight, I’m on the clock fucking.
    I’m a whore. And Shane is my pimp.
    This was the deal I made with him in exchange for paying Max’s medical bills. To Shane, this is purely a business transaction. He needs to make back the money he loaned me. And the only thing I have of value is my gym and my body. In his view, this isn’t personal. It’s just business.
    I don’t know how much more of this I can take though. I’ve grown so numb to people, my surroundings…  
    I’ve come close to killing myself on more than one occasion. I keep a handgun in the drawer of my nightstand. On two separate nights, I’ve placed the muzzle of that gun in my mouth and tried to pull the trigger. But both times, the realization that I’d be letting my son, Max, down stopped me from going through with it. I believe Max is in heaven looking down at me. And I know he’d be really disappointed in his father if he quit on life.  
    But I’ll be honest, it’s getting harder for me to justify living in such a senseless world. What do I have to live for, anyway? I still have Layla, but I avoid seeing her and her family as much as possible. I just feel like my sad presence brings everyone down. I see the sadness in their eyes when I show up to their house and it reminds me of everything I’ve lost.
    I force myself to stop thinking about all this as I take the next exit off the freeway. I’m about to meet a client. I have to get in the mood to fuck. As I weave my beat up Corolla through the curvy Hollywood hills, I glance at the mansions lining the street. So this is how the other half live – in a world where money is never a concern, and the future is always bright from inside your hilltop mansion. Must be nice.  
    The GPS tells me I’ve arrived at the address. I park my car.
    I still don’t know if I can go through with this tonight. I’m in such a sad, miserable state. But if I don’t, I’ll have to provide Shane an explanation. I don’t feel like dealing with that either. I take a deep breath and get out of my car.
      A full moon is shining in the night sky, casting shadows on the ground. I look at the modern mansion before me, overlooking LA. I make my way toward the gate. A red Volkswagen bug is parked down the street. It calls my attention because I can see the silhouette of someone inside the car. Looks like a guy with a beard. But it’s dark, so I’m not sure.
    I press the button on the intercom.  
    “Yes?”
    “It’s me. Kade.”
    “It took you long enough. I almost changed my mind.”
    “Well, you’ll be glad you didn’t,” I respond. I