Page 57

His fingers trace the line of my jaw. “I fucking hope not.”

Licking my lips apart until our tongues meet, he kisses me to prove it. I feel the heat of him through my limbs, electric and real.

Yeah, I think, definitely real.

“Where did you come from?” I ask, body glued to his. “How did you get here?”

“Your mom. I could have waited until morning, but—”

“No!” I kiss him. His mouth, his nose, his forehead. “Never wait.” He laughs, but it sounds tired. His arms wind around my body. “So, my mom found you?”

He nods against my shoulder, chin scratchy with stubble. “Yes, me and the others were at the hotel. Anex sent us a message days ago that there had been some trouble and to lock the doors and wait. We had no idea about the raid at Serendee until your mom showed up with the FBI.”

“She came with the FBI?”

“Yeah. She came in first and,” he runs his hand through his hair, “honestly, I was kind of out of it. It was easier to stay fucked up than deal with everything going on. But she told me that you were here, and the guys are being detained. I thought she may have me arrested too, but she didn’t. She actually made the Feds go easy on us.”

I don’t have to ask why. Even with my mother’s bias about Serendee, she understands the circumstances Silas has been living in are not of his making. “Because you’re victims.”

Of sex trafficking, I don’t add.

His eyes darken. “I don’t know about that, Little Lamb.”

“What he made you do—me do. That wasn’t with our consent. Not really. That was stripped away from us a long time ago.” I’ve seen Silas work and I’ve felt Silas’ love. Although I know his mind is a mess over it all, these are two different things.

“I thought we would go to the police station but instead we spent the day in the hospital undergoing an exam and then the FBI came—asked a lot of questions.”

“So many questions,” I agree, laughing lightly. I touch his cheek. “Are you okay? Physically?”

He nods. “All my tests came back clean, but I wasn’t working—not like that. Some of the girls… they’ve got infections. Hopefully nothing worse. The medications and supplements Anex had me give them… I don’t know. I’m not a healer, but I don’t think they’re effective.”

“Did Mom bring them back here?”

“A few stayed in the hospital overnight, and I think she has some other friends in her network that took the girls in.” He exhales and tightens his arms around me. “I’m just happy to be with you.”

He’s skinny, but so am I. His eyes are tired, but so are mine. This is who we’ve become but we recognize it in one another.

“Does Camille know you’re in here?” I ask.

“She didn’t stop me.” That’s progress. Maybe I got through to her. “I told the police everything I could to get the guys released. I don’t know if it’s going to work, but I tried.”

“I know you did.” I kiss him again and watch his eyes flutter shut. “Sleep and we’ll figure out what we’re going to do in the morning.”

His breathing evens outand I find myself drifting off to the rise and fall of his chest. I’ve got one of my men back, but I won’t rest until the other three are also home.

22

Silas

I wake in the bed alone, daylight waning outside the window. I slept all day. Or more than one day? My brain is foggy. The sleep was so good.

The bed next to me is cool, making me wonder how long Imogene’s been gone. Across the room I hear movement behind the bathroom door.

“Come in,” she says when I tap on the door.

I walk in on her standing in front of the mirror, naked, hair long and wet, and dripping over her shoulders. Gorgeous, but battle worn. Her body showing the markings of a soldier.

For the first time in weeks, my cock thickens at the sight.