Chapter 22
“Are you sure I’m not in trouble?” the girl asked from the backseat.
“Positive.”
“Why were you at the gas station?”
“That’s a really good question,” I said, scrambling for a believable excuse. “I was there to take over for Buddy. He knew he was in trouble, and when he saw me, he freaked out and made you leave. He thinks he’s getting fired.”
“Is he?” The hope I heard in her voice nearly broke my heart.
I glanced up to meet her eyes in the rearview mirror. “I promise you that you’ll never have to worry about Buddy again.”
She held my gaze for half a second, then dropped it to her lap. “What about Savannah?”
“What about her?” I asked, filing the name away. Was she another girl? Or a handler?
“She’s the one who usually takes over for Buddy.”
I’d heard it wasn’t uncommon for trafficked girls to age up and start taking on some leadership positions. Was that who Savannah was?
“She’s busy with something else the boss is dealing with.” I kept my voice steady. “I’m Amber, by the way.” I used my alias on instinct. “Sorry—I forgot your name. Things happened fast.”
“Lexi,” she said. Silence stretched for a few seconds. Then, softly she asked, “Is Nixon mad at Buddy? I heard him say Buddy isn’t bringin’ in enough money.” Her fear-filled eyes lifted to mine in the mirror. “Is he mad at me too?”
My heart kicked hard. Nixon. A direct connection to Knox.
“I didn’t make my minimum tonight,” she continued, sounding panicked. “We just got started. I only made the fifty from that guy, and I hadn’t even done nothin’ yet.”
“It’s okay,” I said firmly. “I promise. There’s something big going on, so Nixon pulled us. He told me we need to lay low for a bit.”
Her face was a mess, so I leaned over, grabbed my backpack from the passenger-side floor, and pulled out a pack of wet wipes. I handed them back to her.
She took them, gave me a questioning look, then pulled out a wipe and started to wash off her face.
“Are we goin’ back to the other girls?” she asked in a small voice.
I considered telling her the truth, who I was and what was happening, but it felt too soon. I needed her to feel comfortable with me first. “No, not yet. It’s not safe. We’re worried the police are about to raid the house.” I watched her reflection to gauge her reaction.
Her eyes widened with fear, confirming my suspicions. They’d probably told the girls that if the police ever got hold of them, they’d be the ones in trouble.
Fresh tears streaked down her face. “Are Maya and the others gonna be okay?”
If I were her handler, I’d put the fear of God into her and use it to keep her obedient.
I wouldn’t be doing that. “Yeah. That’s what Savannah’s doing—moving them somewhere else.
They’ll be fine.” But I had to wonder how much time we had before Knox realized Buddy and Lexi were missing and then tied their disappearance to me and James.
“How old is Maya?” I asked gently, figuring it made sense I wouldn’t know. I was “new” after all.
“Fifteen.”
I nodded slowly, then lied. “But if they do get raided before the move, she’s young enough that the police will take her into the station, then release her. And one of the others would be there to get her.”
She nodded, looking torn between relief and resignation.
I wasn’t sure how long I could keep up this ruse, but I needed to wait until we were holed up in a motel room before I came clean and, hopefully, got information from her.
I’d already merged onto the highway, heading west on I-30, putting Little Rock behind us. The more distance I put between us and Knox, the better.
Even if it meant putting more distance between me and James.
Then again, maybe he had the same idea.
After about ten minutes, she glanced out the window and stiffened. “Where are we going?”
“The police might be looking for us,” I said gently. “I’m trying to make sure we’re safe, which means driving out of Little Rock a little bit.”
She went still, then started shaking. “Are you moving me somewhere else?”
“You mean to another house?”
She slowly shook her head. “Another city. Maya said they were probably gonna move some of us to Memphis soon.”
I fucking hated these people. “No, Lexi. I promise, we’re just going to hide for a bit. We’re leaving Little Rock, but we’re not going far.”
“Okay.” She relaxed at that, sinking back into the seat.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
Her gaze flicked up to mine in surprise. “Buddy says I shouldn’t eat before I work.”
I lifted a shoulder into a lazy shrug. “We’re done workin’ tonight, right? We might as well pick up something to eat. What sounds good?”
She looked even more stunned. “You’re lettin’ me pick? Buddy never lets me pick unless I had a really good night.”
Buddy was a fucking prick, and I hoped James gave him what he deserved. And more. “Well, I’m hungry and I’m having trouble coming up with what I want,” I said. “So, I thought you might have something in mind.”
“I can pick anything?” she asked in a small voice.
I wasn’t a hugger, but every part of my being wanted to pull over, wrap my arms around her, and promise her those people would never hurt her again.
But I couldn’t do that yet, so I kept my tone light.
“Anything. You may not have made your minimum, but you did exactly what you were supposed to tonight, so consider this a reward.”
Her face brightened, confirming what I’d already suspected: she’d been trained to please her captors, likely because they rewarded her when she did.
She seemed to mull it over for a few seconds. “Can I have some fries?” she asked, still tentative.
Fries? That’s all she was asking for?
“Surely, you want more then fries,” I said.
“What about a hamburger? Hell, we don’t even need to get fast food.
We could get Chinese or Mexican.” I couldn’t take her into a restaurant, but I could have Carter order something for me to pick up.
Either way, I figured I’d need to let him know where Lexi and I ended up so someone knew.
“Can we get McDonald’s?” she asked wistfully. “I like their chicken nuggets.”
“McDonald’s it is,” I said, already scanning the roadside for signs. “But I’m in the mood for a feast. I say we got lots of food, so what else would you like? A shake? Hot fudge sundae?”
Her eyes widened, then her expression tightened as she became guarded. “You’re not like Buddy or Savannah.”
I held her gaze in the mirror for several seconds. “No, Lexi. I’m not. I will never hurt you. I believe in treating people with kindness.”
I worried I’d gone too far, too fast. An older girl would probably have been more suspicious, but she must have believed me because her shoulders loosened.
“I like you, Amber.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and gave her bright smile. “I like you too, Lexi. A lot. Which is why we’re gonna buy lots of food. Maybe one of everything.”
She giggled, and I couldn’t help thinking she should be laughing with friends her age, not in the backseat of a car driven by a woman she believed would drive her to her next sex act.
A few miles later, I pulled up to a McDonald’s drive through. I didn’t order everything, but I did buy enough food to feed ten people.
While we waited in line, I sent a few texts to James, letting him know that Lexi had confirmed Buddy worked for Knox, and that Nixon was Buddy’s boss.
I also told him someone named Savannah was another handler, and a girl named Maya had said she thought they’d be moving girls to Memphis soon.
The more he knew, the easier it would be for him to tell if Buddy was telling him the truth.
When we reached the window and the cashier started handing in bag after bag, she said, “You must be feeding an army.”
I shot a grin at Lexi, then said, “Something like that.”
Lexi smiled shyly when I passed the bags back to her.
As I drove away from the window, Lexi pulled a carton from one of the bags, then started digging through the next one. “I’ll just take some nuggets and some fries,” she said quietly. “Then you can have the rest.”
She probably thought this was a test.
“All I want is the quarter-pounder,” I said, my stomach growling. I hadn’t eaten much of our room service hours ago, and the smell of grease and salt was making me hungrier by the second.
She handed me the box, and I set it on my lap as I merged back onto the highway, trying to decide how far out of Little Rock to go. Close enough to get to James if he needed me, but far enough to feel safe.
I ended up taking a Benton exit, about thirty minutes out from Little Rock. Anything farther and we’d probably be pushing an hour.
When I pulled off the highway, Lexi froze with a chicken nugget halfway to her mouth. “Where are we goin’?”
“Remember?” I said gently, setting the now-empty burger box on the passenger seat. “It’s not safe to go back yet. So, we’re gonna stay in a motel until we hear the all clear.”
“Oh,” she said carefully, like she wasn’t sure she should believe me.
As I pulled into the parking lot of a cheap motel, a new worry hit me. Did I bring her in when I booked the room? Or leave her in the car?
I didn’t think she’d run. If she’d been scared enough to go with Buddy at the convenience store, I doubted she’d take off at some highway motel when she had no idea where we were.
Still, I decided to give her the choice. If she understood she had options, maybe she’d be more open when I told her the truth about who I was or, more accurately, who I wasn’t.
I parked the car, turned off the engine, and turned in my seat to face her. “I need to go in and book a room.” I paused, holding her gaze, grateful she wasn’t as withdrawn as she’d been earlier. “What would you rather do? Come in with me or wait in the car?”
Her eyes went wide. “You’re lettin’ me pick?”
“Yeah,” I said.
She looked confused, but I was relieved she didn’t seem scared. “Is it okay if I come in with you?”
“You bet.”