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“Jillian?”
“As long as Rubin is safe.”
The rest of Seth’s team entered the kitchen. Each of their faces reflected the anger and disgust they felt. The men stood against the walls, giving Jillian plenty of room.
Without a word, Violet went to Jillian’s side and examined her wrist. “When the peas thaw out, I’ll give you a cold pack. Twenty minutes on every hour. Need any over-the-counter pain meds?”
“No, ma’am.”
“What’s going on, Seth?” Noah asked.
“Jillian is a minor. Peters has been forcing her to have sex with him,” Seth said flatly. “He’s also threatening to punish Rubin, Jillian’s boyfriend, if she doesn’t cooperate.”
“What’s the plan?” Marsh asked.
“We help Jillian and Rubin escape.”
Jillian gasped. “But where will we go? I can’t go home again. Please, don’t make me.”
“It’s not safe for her to go home, sir,” Rubin said. “Her father is an abusive drunk. He beat her, and her mom did nothing to stop him.”
Seth held up his hand to prevent further comments. “The first thing I need to know is if you’re willing to leave The Brotherhood.”
“Anything to protect Jillian,” Rubin repeated. “Anything.”
“Jillian?”
“Yes, as long as I don’t have to go back home.”
“Second question. Are you willing to testify about everything you’ve seen and experienced in this camp, particularly regarding Peters and Richardson?”
Blood drained from her face. “They’ll kill me.”
“They won’t touch you,” Teagan promised. “We’ll arrange a safe house with bodyguards for you and Rubin if you’re willing to testify.”
“I didn’t think you were cops anymore.” Rubin’s brows knitted together.
“We still have friends on the force. The question is will you do exactly what we tell you to do? Think hard before you agree, Rubin. You’ll have to cut ties with The Brotherhood. Depending on how wide-reaching their influence is, you may have to move away from this area altogether, perhaps assume new identities in order to stay safe after testifying. Are you ready to give up everything to protect Jillian?”
“Yes, sir. We were already talking about getting married when Jillian turned eighteen. I’ll get a job and support us. I just want her safe.”
“All right. Stay here. Teagan, with me.” Seth pushed back from the table, led the way to his bedroom, and shut thedoor. “Burnett can provide a safe house and protection but it’s problematic. We don’t know who we can trust in our house.”
“Fortress is a better option. We have our own private witness protection program. Maddox will provide security for the kids and transport them to court when it’s time to testify.”
“Call him. Let’s find out how soon we can arrange for Rubin and Jillian to leave.”
Teagan slid her phone from her pocket and called her boss, placing the call on speaker. After explaining the problem and what they wanted to do to help the couple, she said, “How soon can we set up the safe house, boss?”
“One hour. Contact Iona. Work out a plan for Rubin and Jillian to leave tonight. We’ll take care of them.”
“Thanks, Brent.”
“Yep. How are you holding up, Teagan?”
“I’m fine, sir. I talked to Marcus. He helped.”
“Good. Dixon?”