Chapter 25
BECCA
“How are they doing?” Heidi’s face is filled with concern as she meets my gaze through the computer screen.
“I’m not sure.” Last night we got back to the Airbnb and all three girls ate more food than I’ve ever seen anyone consume.
Then they took showers, and passed out in one of the rooms, sleeping in a pile on one bed.
“They’re still asleep. I think Pierce is hoping to let them recover as much as he can before we start asking them questions. ”
I feel bad that we basically have to interrogate these girls the second they get up, but it’s the only way we’re going to have any hope of finding more of them. It’s only a matter of time before turkey neck realizes they didn’t simply get away on their own, and starts trying to cover his tracks.
He might already be doing it.
“This is all so fucking messed up.” Heidi rubs her temples.
“I mean, I’ve seen a lot of fucked-up shit doing this job, but I think this is the worst.” She lets out a long sigh, hands dropping to her keyboard.
“I’ve got our facial recognition software going through all the footage we were able to get off of the lapel cameras Owen and Luca wore last night.
Hopefully we can identify some more people.
That’ll give us one less thing we have to grill those poor girls about. ”
“Good.” I glance around, noticing that it’s just me and a bunch of men here in the downstairs office. “I wish we had some more women they could talk to.”
“That’s actually a really great idea.” Heidi turns away from her keyboard and picks up her phone.
“I’m going to call Zeke and see if he can arrange for Savannah and Audrey to come there.
They should be able to get to you relatively quickly since they’re in Nashville, and both Savannah and Audrey have some experience with similar situations.
That way it’s not just on you to try to provide comfort to them. ”
That’s probably a great idea considering I’m not really the warm and fuzzy type. I never have been. It’s part of why my parents and I were never close. They wanted a kid they could parade around. A kid who wanted to be up their asses. That was never me. I was always quiet. Always independent.
Always weird.
Certainly not the sort of apple they wanted their friends thinking fell from their tree.
I’m sure it made it extra difficult that they struggled so much to have me. When they had Amanda fifteen years later, they believed it was their second chance at getting the kind of kid they wanted. Their gift from the universe. And she is. She’s all the things I’m not.
Friendly. Outgoing. Social.
I was always happy for her because it meant they were better parents to her. She was able to find acceptance I was never offered. That’s probably why it’s been so difficult for them to consider the reality of what’s actually happened to her.
Because she’s never going to be the same again.
I wait while Heidi talks to whoever’s on the other end of the phone, arranging for the other two women to join me here in Memphis.
Once that’s done, she and I go through the information I was able to obtain last night.
Admittedly, it’s not much, but I’m okay with that.
Because what I did get out of that place is so much better than just information.
Three young girls are safe today, and it’s partly because of me. As soon as we’re able to talk to them, we’ll reunite them with their families and hopefully they can find a way to move forward. Heal. Live happy, healthy lives.
And hopefully they know something that can help me find my sister.
Once Heidi and I are finished, I log off and head to the kitchen, making myself another pot of coffee as I wait for the girls upstairs to awaken. I’m halfway through the first cup when the doorbell rings.
Savannah and Audrey got here really freaking fast.
Since everyone else is still in the office, I hurry across the atrium,pausing to see who it is through the peephole.
I know Butch—and likely every other man in here—will lose their shit if I just open the door.
Everyone’s already a little irritated with me for what Raven and I did last night, but they can get over it. I don’t care.
And apparently neither does she, because she’s standing on the doorstep grinning wide.
I fling open the door, eyes locking onto the bags in her hands. “You brought breakfast.”
“Yes, I did.” She steps inside, closing the door behind her. “You had a really busy night, so I figured you would be starving today.”
I snort out a little laugh. “You have no idea.”
“I have a pretty good idea. I saw the way your boyfriend was looking at you before I left.” She carries the food to the dining room situated on one side of the large open area.
“I’m betting as soon as he got you alone, he pounded you all the way through the mattress.
” She pulls a container from one of the large brown paper bags, setting it in front of me. “And probably also the drywall.”
So maybe she does actually have an idea.
Raven sighs. “What I wouldn’t give to have a man plow me through a mattress.” She pulls out a second container, lining it up in front of her as she sits down beside me. “Hell, at this point I would settle for a mediocre, five-minute fuck.”
“I’ve heard five minutes is a minimum, so you should absolutely insist on more than that.” I flip open the lid of my food, stabbing the tines of the included plastic fork through the plastic packaging. “And you should definitely negotiate a deal where he agrees to perform cunnilingus.”
Raven stares at me for a second, and my stomach drops.
Shit. I got comfortable. Let the words just flow out of my mouth. And now she knows just how odd I am.
“We don’t negotiate deals.” Raven leans forward, her expression deadly serious. “Boys who don’t eat, get thrown in the street.” She shakes her head, opening her own plastic ware. “Life is too short to fuck with men who don’t go downtown.”
Now I’m the one staring at her. Because instead of looking at me like I’m strange, or as if she’s silently judging me, Raven is treating me like we’re friends. Normal, relatable friends.
I smile, sitting taller in my seat. “I think those are good rules to live by.”
“I agree.” Butch steps in behind me, peeking over my shoulder at the food Raven brought me. He reaches in, pulling out a square of fried potato and popping it into his mouth. “Morning, Raven. How was your night?”
“Not nearly as exciting as yours apparently.” She stabs her fork into the rolled omelette that is essentially a smothered breakfast burrito crafted with an egg wrapper. “Have you guys had a chance to talk to the girls yet?”
“No.”
“That’s classified information.”
Butch and I answer her at the same time, and I turn to look at him, confused about why he doesn’t want to tell Raven. “We’re not the government. Nothing is classified for us.”
“It’s not classified for us, B.” He steals another potato, tipping his head at Raven as he turns away. “It’s classified for her.”
I roll my eyes, because if I want to tell her what’s going on, I’m going to tell her. Raven was freaking awesome. She didn’t hesitate to jump in and help me when she saw those girls were underage.
Plus, I like her. She sort of reminds me of Shelly. She’s a little wild. A little loud. Confident and sassy.
Just without a husband and children to keep her occupied all the time.
“Do you think you’ll ever want kids?” I ask, just so I understand the parameters I’m working with.
Raven shrugs. “That seems like a pretty irrelevant question right now. To have kids, I would have to get dicked down. And it is hella hard to find a man out here.” She picks up the drink carrier she brought in, pulling out one of the foam cups and setting it in front of me before taking another for herself.
After swallowing down a large mouthful, she sighs.
“I just want someone who’s not a piece of shit, you know? ”
I nod my head, even though I do not know. I don’t understand the concept of wanting someone in general. Hoping some nameless, faceless man will find you and that you’ll magically want to let him sex you up. How is it possible to anticipate that from someone you don’t even know exists?
Raven turns to me, angling her body my way. “How did you find Butch?”
“It’s a really long story.” I take a sip of my own coffee, startling when the mouthful is sweet and creamy instead of black and sharp. “What in the hell is this?”
“It’s a café mocha. I didn’t know what you would like.” She takes my cup away, setting it beside hers. “Apparently I guessed wrong.”
I shove in a mouthful of food, trying to kill the overwhelming sweetness lingering on my tongue. “How can you drink that? It tastes like melted ice cream.”
“You are literally explaining how I can drink it.” She swallows down a few gulps from my cup. “And now I want melted ice cream, so thanks for that.” She gives me a smile. “Thanks for letting me come hang out today.”
“Sure.” I don’t mention I didn’t actually let her hang out. I just opened the door and let her inside. “Are you going to stick around?”
She turns, looking around the open floor plan. “Am I allowed? Or are they going to try to kick me out like they did last night?”
“You’re allowed.” I don’t know if that’s technically true, but I work here too, right? If I want to have a friend over, I’m allowed to have a friend over. I’m a grown woman.
With a freaking friend.
And if they try to take her away from me, somebody is getting a stepladder to the face. Or possibly a hammer to the head.
Raven gives me a bright smile. “Awesome.” She pokes at her food.
“I know this is going to sound really fucked up, but I had fun last night.” She tips her head, the dark waves of her hair falling over one shoulder.
“I like what I do, but it’s not exactly exciting.
It’s fun and a good creative outlet, but it’s not quite the same as saving girls from sex trafficking. ”