Chapter Thirteen
ARI WASN’T SURE exactly what time she’d fallen asleep after going through every option to figure out how to get out of this situation without help. Of course, it had been a mistake to ask Rex for help, but she didn’t know what else she could have done.
So the next morning when she was attacked in bed, it was way too early. Or at least it was until she realized she knew the voices of those people who were on top of her. She bolted upright. “Livi? Owen?”
“Ari,” a tiny figure screeched, launching itself into Ari’s arms. Her brother wrapped his limbs around her like a monkey, and she could see her sister perched on the edge of the bed.
Ari hugged her brother tightly and stared at her sister, her mouth opening and closing. “What? When?”
Her eyes finally left the beloved little face and scanned the room. Rex was standing in the doorway, watching them. He was dressed head to toe in black. There were dark circles under his eyes, but he surveyed them with a small smile. Noticing her watching him, he gave her a small nod.
“I’ll have Betsy send up an extra-large breakfast tray. I’ve got small bags of clothes for both of them, but I’ll have more brought over,” he told her.
Ari swallowed hard around the lump in her throat. “Thank you, Rex. This is… I mean…” She stared at him, the words of gratitude seeming inadequate.
“I’ll give you guys the morning and then Stella has agreed to keep them occupied for a few hours in the movie room this afternoon so we can talk,” Rex told her, but his expression didn’t give any clue what they would talk about.
“Ok, thank you,” she said.
“I’m going to get cleaned up quick, then feel free to have them use the tub or whatever,” he told her.
Ari looked at him in confusion, but he didn’t explain any further.
“Enjoy your family. I’ll talk to you this afternoon.”
He left her without another glance, and she returned her focus to her siblings.
When Rex had left the room, Livi finally crawled over the mountain of blankets and settled against Ari’s side.
“Ari, I missed you,” she whispered. Ari’s eyes filled with tears, and she didn’t bother to blink them away.
“I missed you too,” she said, her voice catching on a sob. “I’m just so glad you’re safe.”
Olivia’s eyes widened. “Are we? Safe?”
“Of course, we’re together now,” Ari told her, hugging her close.
“But he took us. Daddy wasn’t home and Mommy was asleep. They don’t even know we’re gone.”
Ari swallowed. How did she explain this? She decided to get some information first. “Where was Daddy last night?” Ari forced out. She hated that Stan had made the twins call him daddy. There was nothing any of them could do about it, but it still bugged her. Maybe if he were a different kind of stepfather, one that cared, it would be different, but he’d never been that.
Owen was the one who answered her question. “He’s been gone forever looking for you.”
“What do you mean forever, buddy?”
“He told us a few days ago that you’d run away, and he was going to look for you. He hasn’t come home yet.” A loud rumble from his stomach punctuated his answer. Ari’s throat closed in fear.
“Owen, did Mommy feed you dinner last night?”
He hesitated, his eyes looking down, then shook his head.
“When was the last time you ate?”
Owen didn’t answer, but Olivia did. “We ate apples for breakfast yesterday, but they were the last ones. Mommy didn’t wake up to make us lunch or dinner.”
Ari’s tears flowed again, and she hugged them both to her. She was about to go grab a couple of protein bars from the stash in her side table when there was a knock on the door. Ari climbed out of bed and threw it open. She was so happy to see Betsy with a tray of food that she kissed her on the cheek.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice rough from crying.
“Of course, dear. You call me if you need anymore, understand?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Ari took the tray and set it on the table by the chair and loveseat. “Come on, guys, let’s eat. Betsy is a great cook. Oh, look pancakes! Your favorite,” she finished, forcing herself to keep her voice bright.
Both children scrambled off the bed and all but attacked the two plates of food. They were absolutely heaping with food so she guessed Rex must have known and given instructions for a lot of food. Ari watched them and picked at her own food. Both kids drank two glasses of juice before she forced them to switch to water. The longer she watched them, the more she realized how bad things must have gotten since she was taken away. Olivia’s hair was a tangled mat and Owen’s stood up in every direction. Both of their faces were grimy and had been even before the addition of syrup to the mess.
After they finished eating, she parked Owen in front of the television with some cartoons. Olivia would take longer because of her hair, so she started with her.
The bags Rex had promised were sitting in the bathroom. Olivia undressed and while she wanted a bath, Ari insisted on a shower first with the promise she could have a bath before bed if she was good.
Her heart fluttered a little at the sight of kids No More Tears shampoo and conditioner sitting in the shower, but she quickly squashed that feeling. She picked it up and helped Olivia wash her hair, giving her a washcloth already lathered to work on her face and body. Once she helped her out of the shower, Olivia stayed quiet while Ari picked the tangles out of her hair and then combed them. Ari knew her sister was quiet because she’d been trained to be that way for the last three years. She could only hope with time Olivia would go back to the happy little girl she’d been before her mother had brought Stan home. After bundling Olivia up in a warm pair of pajamas, she tucked her into bed.
Greg’s shower didn’t take as long and he wouldn’t let her help him much, but she made sure he got clean and laid his pajamas out for him. Afterward. he crawled in bed next to his sister and watched Ari move around the room, cleaning up.
“Ari?” he finally asked quietly, and she turned to look at him sitting up in the bed.
“What’s up, buddy?”
“Are we going to have to go home?”
Ari chewed her lip. She wasn’t sure how to have this talk with them yet. “I’m not sure yet, buddy. I have to make sure its safe first.”
“Why did you leave us, Ari?” His lip trembled a little. “I missed you.”
Unable to resist, she climbed on the bed and hugged him tight. “I didn’t want to, buddy. I promise. I can’t explain yet, but I promise I will someday.”
Ari wept silent tears as she held her little brother close until he fell asleep. Even then, she didn’t move for nearly an hour. Only when she was absolutely certain that he was asleep did she carefully tuck him in and tiptoe from the room. She was still in her pajamas, but she didn’t want to risk making noise and waking the kids up, so she went down to Rex’s office as she was.
She knocked gently and waited until he said, “Come in,” mindful of the rules he’d set down.
He was sitting behind his desk looking half asleep, but he still asked, “How are they?”
Ari shrugged. “Ok, I guess. Scared. They’re asleep now.”
“I’ll be quick, I’m sure you want to be there when they wake up.”
Some tension left her. She was grateful he understood.
“There was no sign of your stepfather and based on what your brother told me, he’s been gone a few days. I’m guessing your mother couldn’t deal with you and him disappearing because she was passed out cold. I almost thought…” he trailed off.
Ari shrugged again. “She’s tried to overdose a few times.”
Rex let out a long, slow breath. “I wondered. Anyway, with the circumstances, I decided we should lay a paper trail, so I called the cops. Thats why it took so long. I planned to have them back here shortly after midnight.”
Ari gaped at him. He’d called the police? He’d dealt with the authorities, which must not have been fun, as he tried to explain why he was there in the first place.
“I don’t know what to say. Thank you seems inadequate,” she said with a small smile. Then another thought occurred to her. “Oh shit, what did Tommy say?”
He cocked his head to the side slightly and gave her a long look before saying, “I’ll deal with Tommy. He was out of line last night. I’m sorry.”
Ari felt like the world was tilting unsteadily. A mob man was apologizing to her and dealing with the cops on purpose. There was something inherently wrong with both of those things, but she didn’t say that out loud.
Rex interrupted her thoughts by continuing though. “Unfortunately, that means I had to tell them all that’s happened to you.”
Ari’s raised eyebrows made him grin. “Almost all. And admit that I’ve been doing vigilante work,” he told her with a grimace. “They aren’t thrilled, but they’ve offered some assistance. First, though, they want to talk to you and verify my story. I told them to come by this afternoon.”
“What about my mother?” Ari asked.
“The cops sent her to the hospital. Stable, but unconscious at the last update.”
Ari nodded, then asked, “When is the next auction?”
“Next weekend. They meet twice a month. You don’t need to worry about that, though. I’ll have law enforcement support now. I won’t put you through that.”
She hesitated before saying, “I really don’t mind. I want to help.”
Rex jerked. “Are you sure?” he asked, surprise clear in his voice. “I thought it might be too traumatic.”
Ari shook her head. “I’m fine. Or at least I will be now. My family is safe and if there is anything I can do to make sure no more young people’s lives are destroyed by those men, I’ll do it. You’ll keep me safe, right?”
Rex stared at her, then nodded. “If you’re sure, then definitely. I’ll talk to the cops, and we’ll come up with a plan. And we’ll have to take some time this week to go over expectations.” He hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Would you be up for a little field trip?”
Ari stared uncomprehendingly. “Field trip?”
He coughed, and it surprised Ari to see some color highlight his cheeks. “It’s a club. A consensual one, but it would give you an idea of the behavior that would be expected from a girl at the auction.”
Ari frowned but answered anyway. “Alright, let me know when. Will someone be able to watch the kids?”
“Yes, I’m sure I can pay Stella and Damien to help me out. It’s not like they’ll be alone. Betsy will be close by the entire time.”
“Take the morning with them. I’ll let you know when the police get here, and we’ll call for an update on your mother later.”
Ari hesitated a moment, then asked, “What about Stan?”
Rex’s face darkened. “I have men trying to find him. I want to get any information he knows about the traffickers.”
Ari nodded and turned to go, but she looked back. “All I seem to do lately is say thank you, but I want you to know I mean it. I’m glad I can help in some way because you’ve done so much for me, for us, and I want you to know I appreciate it.”
Rex nodded but looked away in discomfort.
Ari took a fortifying breath and continued, “And I don’t regret the other night, either. I don’t expect anything or a repeat… unless you want one.”
Rex’s eyes snapped to hers and she forced herself not to adopt the neutral blank look she’d perfected over the years. She hoped he could see the honesty there.
He nodded again, this time holding her gaze. She gave him a small smile and turned, leaving the office. The tingling on the back of her neck told him he was watching her go. Hopefully appreciating the view.
Rex stayed in the office for several more hours to give Ari time alone with her brother and sister. He pored over the records from Liesel again, but he’d been up all night and he knew his brain wasn’t really seeing anything. He had to fight the urge to go be with Ari. His heart had gone out to those children the minute he’d slipped into their home. He’d only taken a small team with him, not expecting much difficulty, but also not wanting to scare them. What he’d found had infuriated him. The kids had been starving, and the mother blitzed out of consciousness.
Like he’d told Ari, they needed the legal channels right now. He also had a lawyer working furiously to secure guardianship of the children for Ari. He’d told the police he had their older sister who wanted them, but they were coming here this afternoon to confirm it.
His phone ringing interrupted his thoughts. He almost groaned. Liesel. He didn’t want to think right now, but he knew she wouldn’t call if she didn’t have good information for him.
“Liesel,” he said in a clipped tone.
“I hacked the city youth services system and pushed the Sloane kids’ paperwork to the top of the list. By the time the officers arrive, Ari will have emergency temporary custody of the kids.”
Rex slumped back in his seat. That was a huge worry off his mind. He hadn’t wanted to tell Ari that the visit from the authorities might result in the kids being moved temporarily, but he’d known it was a real possibility. Now they would have the custody order to show them, and it would buy them time to get things set up for the long term.
“Thanks, Liesel. I know things with accounts are shaky right now—”
“Already taken care of. Ari Sloane now has a short, but appropriate credit history and the money that her stepfather received for her sale has been placed in an account she had years ago that once held her father’s life insurance money. I’ve also redirected the small pension her mother was getting from the Malone family, from her stepfather’s accounts to hers. She looks like a responsible well-off student who, with a little help with tuition, will be able to care for her siblings with no help in about two years.”
“I say it often so it sounds redundant, but you’re the best and I couldn’t do this without you.”
The usual snarky reply didn’t come, and Rex worried for a split second he’d offended her.
“I know,” she finally said, but she sounded tired. His instincts pinged because he knew that feeling and tone of voice. He’d used it many times over the years, but he’d never heard it from Liesel.
He hesitated but decided to ask, “Everything alright?”
A long pause dragged on before she answered. “Do you ever feel like it’s all too much?”
“Every day,” he answered because it was the truth.
Two hours and entirely too much coffee later, he’d pried Ari’s brother and sister away from her with magic words like popcorn and movie screen in the basement. He settled them in the basement family room with a movie. Stella had been bribed to supervise with the promise of a cash reward. After getting them all settled, he and Ari joined the waiting police officers in the office.
One of the cops, a blond woman with steel-gray eyes, spoke first. “I’m detective Brynn Manchester with homicide.”
Ari’s eyes widened. “Homicide?”
“I’m just helping out as a precaution. We still haven’t found your stepfather and your mother is in critical condition.”
The other cop, a middle-aged man with brown hair shot through with silver, said, “Detective AbeSmith, with missing persons. First, I’m very glad that you are no longer among that number, Ms. Sloane.”
“Who reported me missing, detective?”
“Your stepfather shortly before he, too, went missing,” Detective Smith told her.
Ari snorted then covered her hand with her mouth. “Sorry, but that’s rich since he’s the reason I ‘disappeared,’” she said using air quotes.
“Can you explain that, Ms. Sloane?” Detective Manchester asked.
“Yeah, Stan forced me from my home in the middle of the night eight days ago and sold me to a slave auction.”
Rex watched with admiration as Ari once again recounted her abduction, rape, and auction at the hands of monsters. When it came to the point in the story where she had to explain how he fit in it, she trailed off and looked to him. Rex understood her hesitation and took up the story at that point.
“I’ve been working for the last year to gather enough information on this ring to take them down from the inside. We all know that some of my connections,” he said, emphasizing the word, “are less than savory, so I was able to infiltrate them. I needed to make a purchase to further gain their trust, so I bought Ari and brought her home with me. Once here, she shared her identity with me and her fears for her brother and sister. I was at their home last night checking on them. When I found them virtually abandoned, I brought them here to their sister. We’ve obtained a temporary custody order for Ari. She will be staying here with them for the time being since I don’t know if she is being watched by the traffickers still.”
He gave Ari a small nod, hoping that she would understand what parts needed to be left out of their story.
Detective Manchester gave him a hard look he read easily as loathing. “Vigilante justice is never acceptable, Mr. Nardone.”
He gave a small sigh. “Be that as it may, it has resulted in several lives possibly being saved. It would be in everyone’s best interest if you forget what I’ve told you when you leave here. You being here will actually help my investigation and I assure you, you want me to continue my work.”
“And why is that?” the detective snapped at him.
“Because this group auctions upwards of a dozen girls and boys off at least two times a month. Want to tell me what Chicago PD is doing about that?” Rex fired back.
“The department doesn’t know anything about your so-called traffickers, Mr. Nardone,” she huffed.
The office door opening stopped the conversation when Tommy walked in. “Are you calling my cousin a liar, detective?” he asked. His voice was soft, but Rex read the fire in his eyes even if he didn’t understand it. His eyes jerked back and forth between Tommy and the pretty detective, and he saw her eyes widen with horror and a pink flush rise up her neck into her cheeks.
Finally she found her voice again. “I’m simply pointing out the questionable reliability of his information that is unverifiable.”
“I can give you all the details you want on it,” Ari said, her voice hard as she glared at the detective.
This seemed to take Detective Manchester off guard. “Ms. Sloane these men—”
“Are working to stop monsters from taking children. I was sold because my stepfather told them I was sixteen. If I hadn’t ended up here, I personally would have been forced into prostitution or worse once they knew my actual age because these men want children. I would guess the youngest I saw there to be about twelve. If these men hadn’t found me, I have no doubt that my brother and sister, instead of being downstairs safely watching a movie, would either have been sold at the next auction or died of starvation before anyone remembered to check on them. Please, detective, do tell me what’s wrong with what these men have done?” she finished, her eyes blazing.
The whole room was quiet and all eyes, including Rex’s, watched Ari. He didn’t know what the rest of the room was thinking, but he was thinking that he’d never had anyone defend the good in his actions before and it touched a place inside him he thought had been locked down for good.
After a long pause, Detective Smith spoke, his voice calm. “I see everything is fine here, then. I’m sure children and youth services will be in touch soon. Do you want to press charges against anyone at this time?”
Rex thought he’d never felt as amazing as he did when Ari looked to him on this. He didn’t know why that felt so good, and he didn’t want to examine it too closely, but it did. He gave a small shake of his head that Detective Manchester noticed, giving an angry huff.
“Not at this time, no. I just want to focus on taking care of my brother and sister.”
“Very good. Well, if you do need anything or change your mind, here’s my card. Call me anytime.”
“Thank you, detective,” Ari murmured. Rex didn’t see her face, but she sounded ok. He was distracted by the stare down going on between his cousin and detective Manchester. Rex knew Tommy almost better than he knew himself and if he wasn’t mistaken, the look on Tommy’s face was lust. He wanted the detective and she very clearly wanted him as well and wasn’t happy about it.