Page 85 of The Twins

“We have been three weeks. A long time.” She frowned at me. “And you?”

“Not that long, a few hours perhaps.”

“Then you are lucky.”

I wasn’t so sure about that, but I guessed she saw it that way. “Did they touch you?”

“No, we are unharmed. Hungry, scared, but not hurt.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Really? In three weeks?”

“Yes, I heard them talking, we would sell for less if bruised and battered and…” She pursed her lips. “No longer virgins.”

“Jesus.” My mouth fell open. “They were going to sell you?”

“He was, Bateman, he tricked us all to coming here, to United Kingdom, said he had good job and nice house for us, that we would be cared for and…and it was all lies.”

I studied the other two girls. One had red streaks in her short dark hair, the other, also dark, had curly hair and big hooped earrings. They were also very pretty, slender, and elegant.

“How did you meet him?” I asked. I figured I already knew the answer.

“Online, Facebook, he was so handsome, kind, had a big house, fancy car, he offered me…all of us…a new life.” She squeezed the hands of the other two girls. “They don’t speak English too well.”

“So how did they communicate with him?”

“Bateman speaks…spoke Romanian.”

“Ah, I see.” My mind was spinning. How many other girls had he done this to, and where were they now?

Movement out of the front windscreen caught my attention. A thick-set guy, gorilla-like neck, had emerged from the barn and was racing toward the farmhouse.

In hot pursuit was Cillian, Finn, Jamie, Phil, and Dalton. They all had their weapons at the ready and masks pulled up.

One of the girls behind me let out a squeal and slapped her hand over her mouth. I could understand why she was terrified. Galahad were mean as fuck and as efficient as a deadly SWAT team. They were in full predator mode; only one outcome would satisfy.

Their prey ran into the farmhouse, and the door slammed shut. But this didn’t stop my masked guys who took it down in three expert kicks.

My heart was hammering, my skin prickling with adrenaline. Galahad disappeared into the house, and I held my breath. What if it was Bateman? What if he’d lured them there to kill them all?

Nausea gripped me, and my body tensed to steel. I curled my hands over the seat in front of me and stared, unblinking, at the wide-open door, wondering what was going on in there.

More shots fired, five in total. I jumped with each one, even though they were muffled coming through the van. And then a great billow of black smoke came from the door.

“What is happening?” Sorenna asked, shooting forward, her face beside mine.

“A fire.” I shuddered. “Something is on fire.”

“Should we go see?” she said.

“No!” I was horrified. “We were told to stay here. The guys will handle it, I know they will.”

“You know these men?”

“Yes, they came to save me, and it seems, that meant they saved you, too.”

“They are good men?” She frowned as more smoke puffed onto the yard. A cat darted out and galloped toward the barn.

“Yes, they are good men, we are safe with them, I promise.”