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Penny looked at her suspiciously. “How do you know this woman wants to leave here?”

“I don’t, but I would like the opportunity to talk to her and convince her we can protect her.”

Silence.

“Her name?”

Penny wasn’t making it easy to talk to Claire, and Sam appreciated how she defended her clients and wouldn’t give out their names even though she knew Sam reasonably well.

Sam told her Claire’s name. Penny stood and said, “I will ask her if she wants to speak with you. You understand there are no guarantees she will. Will you promise me not to make a scene if she doesn’t want to leave?”

“Yes.”

Penny walked out, and Sam heard her footsteps going up the stairs, then murmuring of voices in the room above her.

A few minutes later, Sam heard a door close and the two women talking low as they came down the hall. Claire trudged into the room with Penny trailing her.

Sam stood and walked over to Claire and hugged her. “Thanks for hearing me out.”

Penny asked Claire if she would be all right alone. Claire nodded, and Penny left, closing the door behind her.

Claire sat with her hands folded on her lap, her head down. “I’m so sorry to bring my troubles to you and Mark. I came to Florida because I needed a break to get my head together. I never expected it to go this way.”

“Claire. Look at me.”

Claire looked up. It hurt Sam to see the pain in Claire’s eyes. She took Claire’s hand in hers. “We’re not sorry you came to Mark’s house. We’re glad you did. But we are sorry that you didn’t trust us enough to keep you safe. ”

Claire rubbed her brow. “You don’t know Keith. He’s a powerful man and always gets what he wants, even if it’s underhanded. He’s ruined lives. I don’t want him to ruin yours.”

“As if.” Claire had no idea what KnightGuard Security could do to scum like Keith.

“I have the means to destroy him, and he wouldn’t even know who did it.

But that’s not the point; we want to help you.

Protection is my business. KnightGuard Security can protect you and help you get on with your life.

We would love to have you come back to the house and let us put together a plan so that you’re free from Keith forever. ”

“I…” Claire faltered; a tear slipped down her cheek. “I don’t know.” She twisted a tissue in her hands, took a deep breath. Exhaled. “Don’t think I haven’t asked for help before. I’m not that stupid. However, anyone who helps me gets hurt. I’m so afraid that’s what will happen to you.”

She sat back in the chair, wringing her hands. “Most importantly, I can’t, won’t go back to Keith. I’ve suffered enough abuse, and now it’s time for me to stand up on my own.”

“Claire,” Sam demanded. “You are never. Going. Back to Keith. And that’s a promise. We will not let him hurt you. Please, let us help you.”

Sam sat patiently and waited for Claire to mull over her offer of help.

Claire fidgeted and kept rubbing the side of her shorts as if a genie would pop out and grant her wishes.

She knew this was a decision Claire had to make herself and be comfortable with.

She never wanted her to feel she had been coerced into coming back.

Sounds of children laughing and running around lightened Sam’s heart. This house was a safe place for them.

“Okay. I’ll come with you,” said Claire.

Whew. Sam wasn’t sure which way this was going to go, and this was the best possible scenario. She went over and hugged Claire. “Thank you for trusting us.”

“Let me go get my things. It’ll take just a minute.” Claire left, and Penny came in.

“Everything go okay?”

“Yeah. I wish Claire trusted us more, but I can understand why she doesn’t.”

“Trust is something these women have until they don’t,” said Penny. “I’m glad you’re helping.”

Claire walked back into the room, pulling her little carry-on. “Ready,” she said too brightly.

Penny hugged Claire goodbye. Sam and Claire walked out into the heat and humidity.

A half block away, Keith sat in his rental, parked at the curb, and watched the shelter.

He had seen a couple of women leave the shelter and walk down the sidewalk laughing like they didn’t have a care in the world.

Had they abandoned the men in their lives too?

Emasculated them? Taken away their children?

He wondered if Claire had a job yet. She’d only been here a few days, and he thought she had to be practically penniless by now, although he wasn’t sure how she got ahold of any cash at all.

Probably that bitch Sheri gave her money.

Thank goodness for Sheri. If he hadn’t put that mic in her apartment and connected that monitoring spy app on her cell, he wouldn’t be in Florida.

He would never have guessed Claire would come back to the place where she grew up.

And he would never have imagined that Claire would leave her cousin’s house to go to a shelter.

If he hadn’t been parked down the street from her cousin’s house in disguise waiting for the cousin to leave for work so he could grab her, he would have missed seeing her get into the taxi.

It had been easy enough to follow the cab and then follow her to the shelter.

She didn’t even have the common sense to disguise herself or look around at her surroundings. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

He would grab Claire if she left alone. She wasn’t getting away with humiliating him anymore.

His daydreams of bringing Claire back to New York City were shattered when he saw a small, self-assured woman help Claire into a black SUV.

Yes, she was small, but he could sense the intensity and self-confidence emanating from her.

Yet another woman who thought she was better than a man.

She wouldn’t be easy to tangle with. The woman scanned the street before she got into the vehicle.

Had she spotted him? He didn’t think so.

He was far enough away. Besides, he hadn’t seen her at Mark’s house, so she shouldn’t have recognized him. He pretended to look down at his phone.

What the hell just happened? Who was that woman?

And how had she found Claire so fast? She pulled out, and he let a car get between them before he followed them.

He assumed she was driving Claire back to Mark’s house, so he let various cars get ahead of him.

Didn’t want to make it too easy for the bitch.

Besides, he had a nondescript white sedan.

Not unlike every other car in Florida. He wondered how many people Claire was going to involve.

Didn’t she remember what would happen to them?

When he finally got ahold of Claire, she would fully understand what leaving him meant.

And he would find out who the bitch was that helped Claire and ruin her too.