Page 24 of Protection for Asher (Safeguarded By The SEAL #4)

Asher couldn’t stop thinking about what Nichole had said about human trafficking. After Nichole left, she started searching information about the subject and the numbers were staggering. Helping seemed almost impossible. Knowing where to turn was so confusing.

She looked up degrees that would get her into an area of work that would help fight human trafficking. Becoming a social worker might be interesting. She could combine that with working with the police. They always needed people to help them work with victims.

Her phone rang, and she checked to see that it was Nichole. Hey, thank you for spending the night here with me last night. It helped.”

“Sure. I enjoyed it. I was wondering if you’d like to meet with my editor and agent. They are going to be in town next week.”

“Oh, why would they want to meet with me?”

“Because they were thinking about a book.

That's just what they do. They see opportunities and take them. I know it might be overwhelming, but putting a face on the issue is helpful. But I want to warn you, the book industry can also be manipulative. Sometimes, they want to make you into who they want you to be. You have to watch what you allow.”

“I don’t understand.”

Nichole took a few seconds before she started speaking.

“Let me find the right words. You have to make sure your interests are represented. If something comes from this, you’ll have to have an advocate on your side.

Someone who can make sure you aren’t being taken advantage of.

Publishers are about money. You want to make sure they aren’t forcing something to take advantage of you. ”

“Okay.”

“Dollar signs are great, but sometimes it’s not worth it to tell your story.”

Asher nodded. “I get that. I don’t know if I’d be interested or not. I want to help people. I was looking at universities today. I wonder if I could be a police officer working with victims.”

“It’s possible. What degree were you looking into?”

“Social work, maybe.”

“That would be good. Victims need support.”

“I think I could do it. It would mean a lot to me to be able to help people.”

“I like that for you.”

Would Squat support her decision, or would he think the job was too difficult for her? It would be hard to work as a police officer. Maybe she was trying to take on too much. She couldn't even spend the night alone. She would have to get her life together if she had any hope of ever helping anyone.

They ended the call, and she thought about what she and Nichole had discussed.

She felt paralyzed by the thoughts and got nothing done between the call and heading to Danika’s place.

When she knocked on Danika’s door, she was still in a bad mood.

The door opened and at first Danika was smiling, but then her eyebrows knit together and a frown replaced her smile.

“What’s wrong?”

Asher waved her hand in front of her face and rolled her eyes. “Nothing. I’m being ridiculous.”

“Well, come in and tell me so we can talk about it.”

She stepped in and headed to the couch, placing her overnight bag on the floor beside her.

She sat back and met Danika's gaze. “I want to help other people, and I've been thinking about what I can do for work.

I mean, I know I don't have to decide right now, but Nichole and I were having a good talk about it, but now I don't know.”

“What were you discussing?”

It was almost embarrassing to talk about it because now that she was thinking about it, it was way too ambitious to think she could do it.

“I was thinking I could get a degree in social work and become a police officer. But I can’t even stay at home by myself.

There’s no way I could be a police officer. ”

“I think you would be great at working as a social worker in the police force.”

“But I?—”

Danika raised her hand, cutting off Asher's words.

“You can't judge how you'll do based on how you feel right now.

You haven't recovered, and it will take time to get there.

Plus, getting a degree takes time, and that's perfect because you need time. And once you have the degree, you could end up wanting to do something else.”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

“How about we forget reality and turn on some music and dance?”

“Dance?”

“Come on. We’ll pretend like we’re at some posh club in London.”

Asher burst out laughing. “I’ve never been to a club in London. Heck, I don’t really go to clubs here. I’m not a party person. But sure. Let’s have some fun.”

“Well, I have a dance playlist. We can bounce around and act like we're hot shit. I have lasagna in the oven, and we can stuff our faces after we dance.”

Asher shrugged. “Okay, I’m game.”

Danika moved the coffee table and turned on the music. They both started bouncing around, laughing as they wiggled to the music. It was fun to let loose and not worry about anyone else watching or looking to hit on her.

Breathing became easier. It was like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders as the music pulsed around her. Happiness bubbled up along with laughter. Dancing in Danika’s den was so freeing.

They kept moving for about an hour, and then they dropped to the couch, both of them out of breath. Danika cut the music, and the silence was shocking.

“Oh my, that was freaking amazing,” Asher said.

“I do that sometimes when I’m alone. It’s fun to just move with the music and not worry about what other people think.”

Asher let go a heavy sigh. “What will people think if they find out I was held by some guy who used me for sex and shared me with his friends?”

Danika moved to kneel in front of her and squeezed her hands.

“Anyone who thinks badly about you is an asshole.

And it's none of their business. No one, and I mean no one, has the right to that information from you.

You get to decide who to tell. Even doctors.

You don't have to tell doctors what happened. You get to decide who has information about your past.”

Asher pressed her lips together. “Do you really think it’s that easy?”

“I know it is. I go in for STI checks every year because of my past, but I don't tell the doctor or nurses what happened or how my ex shared me with his friends. They don't get that information. It's mine to tell.”

Asher nodded. “I probably should tell the therapist.”

“If that’s why you’re going, then yes.”

“I'd never really thought of it that way. I mean, all the guys know what happened because they were there when I was rescued, and I figured you all knew?—”

“I don’t know any details other than what you told us. Sharp told me nothing about what happened or that you were even rescued.”

“Damn. I didn’t realize they were that tight-lipped.”

“They are. There are things they do that we'll never know about, and that's okay. I know that Sharp is dedicated to me. He would never do anything to harm our relationship, even if I don't have any idea what he's doing when he's overseas.”

Asher nodded. “They’re very loyal.”

“They are.”

The timer for the lasagna rang. When Danika pulled it out of the oven, Asher’s stomach rumbled. It smelled so good she wondered if she would be able to wait to plate the food.

“Yum! That smells so good.”

“Thank you. It took a while to perfect the recipe. I enjoy cooking. I like finding recipes and making them better. It’s always little things, like adding spices for my personal tastes.”

“It smells like it will hit the spot for my personal taste.”

“We just need to let it sit for a bit while I heat the vegetables.”

Asher grabbed two plates for them while Danika heated the vegetables and some Italian bread. The food looked like a feast, and she would be lying if she said it didn’t tempt her. No question, she wouldn’t forget to eat if she had something like this for lunch.

Once seated, she leaned in and sniffed the food. It smelled like heaven. The first bite on her tongue brought forth a moan. She swallowed and then pointed her fork at Danika. “I usually don't make this much noise when eating, but this is the best lasagna I've ever had.”

Danika blushed, her eyes twinkling. “Thank you. I'm glad I learned how to make it and get it right.”

“Well, you did an excellent job at making it work.”

They finished eating, and Asher wished she could eat more, but she was stuffed.

She helped Danika clean the kitchen, and then they watched a little TV before heading to bed.

As she pulled the covers up, she wondered how everything would work out.

An odd feeling of peace came over her. She could do this.

She had the support of a good man who cared about her.

It would take her a while to adjust, but she could do it.

She was excited for Squat to come home so she could tell him about her plans.

Life was moving forward, and she felt like she was moving with it. It seemed like nothing was in her way.