Page 87 of Deliverance

"Really?" he questioned. "I didn't hear anything." If he didn't hear Ric and Frankie shooting in the house, then he wouldn't have heard thebadguys either.

Krissy shrugged. "I'm not sure how you didn't. It was so loud, and I was freaking out."

Having us tell this stranger our pretend story with everyone around was good. We could all get on the same page. But what about Martin? He was Madam's chef, so why would he be a prisoner? He was one in the penthouse, but that was guarded with only one way out, except for the service elevator I'd recently found out about. The mansion had several places to escape from, so why would Martin have stayed?

I stepped over to him and said under my breath, "You need to say you're one of us too. It won't make sense if you don't."

"Shit. Okay."

"And I think you'll need to pretend you were there to fulfill men's desires for other men."

He slowly smiled. "That part won't be a problem."

I grinned at him.

"Let me make some sandwiches or something for you all. You have to be starving. Do you need anything else?"

"No." I shook my head. "We were allowed to bathe because of …" I hesitated to play up the part. "Because of what she made us do with clients."

"I'm so sorry," he said. "Do you know where Saffron is now?"

Yes.

"No." Tifarah shook her head. "When we didn't hear anything for about an hour, we came out of our rooms. Madam was nowhere in sight."

Just like at the penthouse, the lakeside mansion had several bedrooms, and all had beds in them. Each of us had pretended to claim a room. Ric and Frankie put handcuffs on the beds, and we were told to claim we were locked to the beds when Madam or Frank weren't there. Since the story was that they had been there when somebadmen showed up, we hadn’t been handcuffed and could escape.

It didn't take long for the cops to show, and then everything was a whirlwind. We went back to the house, where notes, evidence, and pictures were taken, and then we were taken to the police station. Everyone was separated and interviewed. I stuck to the story we had planned and prayed we all lined up with each other. There was a missing person's report out on me, and I was able to call my parents to come pick me up. I wasn't going to call Steven until I knew his status because I didn't want to involve him. I just wanted him to know that I was still alive and finally safe. I wanted to call Ric to come and get me, but I knew I couldn't. There wasn't a way for me to explain who he was to me since I had beenmissingfor ten years.

My parents still lived in Albany, where I had been born and raised, so it took them close to three hours to get to the station. After hugs and tears, they took me to their home. The cops, of course, wanted me to stay close in case they had any further questions or anything. They started a search for Madam and Frank, but I knew they wouldn't find them, and that was the reason I was able to sleep at night.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Ric

When I woke the next morning, I rolled over to check the time and noticed I had a new friend request notification on social media and a new message.

Erin Moreland

6:12 AM

Hey, I think I know you, and this is crazy, but here's my number, so call me, baby.

I chuckled to myself at Erin's play on the song lyrics of "Call Me Maybe." Yeah, I knew her. I knew the way her tongue felt as it moved against mine. I knew the way she tasted with my head between her legs, and I knew the little whimper she made when she came.

I dialed her while still lying in bed. "Hello?" she answered after three rings.

I smiled, hearing her voice. "Hey, it's Ric."

"You're up early."

"Aren't I every day?"

"Well, you don't have to be now."

"True, but I slept in some. It is almost seven," I teased.

"Were you up burning the midnight oil or something?"