Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Amirah
Before
The shower turns off, and I shut my journal, then place it on the table next to my bed and wait for Jewel to emerge.
It’s late, the time stretching into the early hours of the morning.
Sleep is the last thing on my mind. I want to go back to Magick and rescue all those women.
I still see so clearly the fear in their eyes, the desperation when I took Jewel.
They wanted to be free from fear. But I can’t save them yet; I need to look after Jewel. She’s my priority.
I’ve tried to call Lily, but her phone keeps going to voicemail. She’s probably asleep. The bathroom door opens, and steam wafts through into my bedroom. Jewel wraps her long red hair in a towel. She’s wearing a pair of my sweatpants and a plain pink top.
“We need to go to the hospital to get you checked out.”
Jewel shakes her head. “I can’t pay for that.”
I scoff. “You know I’ll cover everything. We need to make sure you don’t have any infections,” I say gently. Not to mention, any injuries from what those men have done.
“Some of the clients are doctors. I’m worried they’ll take me again,” she says, her eyes tearing up.
“You know I’ll never let anything happen to you, right?”
“I just want to see my mom and to disappear,” she says, and I nod.
I want to force her to get checked, but I can’t.
I can’t imagine what she’s been through, but maybe I can help.
Perhaps I can find a therapist in another town—someplace far away—who’d be willing to help her, to talk to her.
After what she’s been through, she’s going to need all the support she can get.
“How are you feeling?” I ask.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m just waiting for the enforcer to come and take me back.
I was only in there for three years, but it felt like a lifetime.
” She sits on the bed next to me, and I fight the urge to pull her in for a hug.
I don’t want to overwhelm her so soon, but damn, it’s good to see her after all this time.
“What did he do to you?” I ask, though I’m not sure I want to know the answer.
“He never hurt me personally, but he scared us. Created fear among the women. He always had a knife. Taunted us. Threatened. I was too scared to disobey, out of fear he’d attack us and make good on his promises, and once I saw him shoot a man point-blank when he refused to pay his bill,” she says. Her bottom lip wobbles.
“Do you know if any of the other men from The Brotherhood are involved?”
“I’m not sure—I only ever reported to Callan, but I think Zeke may have been aware,” she says, and I bite my bottom lip.
I know Callan and Zeke are involved in this scheme, but if I can get the enforcer’s name, too, then I can take the entire club down. I can fuck up these men who strike fear into the hearts of innocent women.
“Who is the enforcer?” I ask, and Jewel’s gaze moves from me to my bedroom door and back again.
“Am I safe here?” she asks, and I place a hand on her thigh. She flinches ever so slightly, so I pull back.
“Yes, you are safe here. I promise.”
Though she nods, her shoulders are tense and her hands shake. Anger boils up inside of me. She shouldn’t be feeling like this. On edge. I want to take her fear away and replace it with protection and love.
“Nowhere is ever safe, Amirah. You should know that,” she whispers, and I swallow hard.
“I know, but I won’t let anyone hurt you again,” I say, and Jewel pushes her lips together. “I don’t know who the enforcer is. I’ve never seen his face,” she says, and I frown.
“What do you mean?”
Jewel shifts on the bed, moving back against the pillows, resting her head. “He wears a mask.”
I lie down next to her, staring up at the ceiling. “What kind of mask?”
“It’s always different. From animals to clowns,” she says, and I turn my head, watching her. Her face is as white as a ghost as she stares at the door with a blank look in her eyes.
“That’s creepy,” I whisper, and she doesn’t reply. “How did you end up working at the club?” I know I’m pushing so much on her, and maybe I shouldn’t.
“I needed money. They offered me a job at the club, stripping, but then it turned into more than that.” Her throat bobs and she scratches her arm.
“They forced us to sleep with the men, something I didn’t want to do, but they said I didn’t have a choice.
If I didn’t, they were going to hurt me, and I found that out the hard way.
They kept us locked in a giant hall, sleeping on the floor.
The only time we got food or could leave was when we worked. ”
She sobs, and I pull her into my arms, rubbing her back. This is crazy.
“Did you get onto my mother?” she asks, pulling back.
“Not yet, but I’ve got no doubt she’ll be here as soon as she wakes up.”
She lies back on the bed, her eyelids starting to drop. When her soft snores fill the bedroom, I let out a heavy sigh.
After grabbing one of my blankets from the foot of the bed, I drape it over her body as softly as I can, not wanting to wake her. She needs to rest.
I keep my phone close beside me as I rest my head on my pillow in case Lily gets back to me.
A million thoughts race through my mind.
Things I want to ask Jewel. To find out more.
Who else is behind this, and what’s going on behind those closed doors?
I found out a little tonight, but there’s more to discover before I go in there, guns blazing.
I need to know the facts. But I won’t push Jewel until she’s ready and has been reunited with her mother.
My gaze gets heavy and everything disappears.
***
Vibration buzzes next to my head, and I groan, reaching around for my phone.
I grab it and bring it closer. The light burns my eyes.
Lily’s name fills the screen, and I sit up straight.
Jewel doesn’t stir from beside me, so I silently move off the bed and answer, opening the bathroom door and shutting it behind me.
“Hello.”
“Everything okay, sweetie?” Lily asks, and I rub away the sleep from my eyes.
“She’s here with me.”
There’s silence on the other end.
“Jewel?” she asks, and tears fill my eyes.
“Yes,” I say, and loud sobs come through the speaker.
“I’ll be there soon,” she manages to get out, then hangs up.
I rest back against the door, checking the time. It’s six in the morning. We’ve only been asleep for a couple of hours, and I’d love to fall back into bed, but I can’t. Jewel and Lily need me.
I shower quickly and get dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a crop top, then I throw on a cropped sweatshirt.
I shut my closet door as softly as I can and turn around.
Jewel stirs, her gaze flying open. She sits up straight, her fingers gripping the sheets.
Her eyes stop on me and her shoulders deflate.
“Your mom is on her way.”
Jewel wets her cracked lips. “Part of me doesn’t want to see her yet. I’m not sure I’m ready. I feel so broken.”
I move toward her, then sit on the edge of my bed and turn to face her. “You’re not broken. It’s going to take some time, but you’ll find yourself again,” I say, and she starts picking at her fingernails.
I want to take away all of her pain, to help her feel better, but I can’t. I can be here for her, create a safe space for her to heal, and give her everything she needs, though—that, I can do.
“I’m here for you. If you want to talk or hang. Anything. Okay?” I say and Jewel keeps her gaze on her hands. “Thank you, and thanks for rescuing me. I owe you my life.”
My chest burns. “There are more people just like you, aren’t there?” I ask, knowing the answer but not wanting it to be true at the same time.
“Yes, but, Amirah—” She grabs my hands, clutching them like they are her lifeline. “I’m one of the lucky ones. There’s so much worse behind those closed doors. The way those girls and women are getting treated. It’s so much bigger than what I’ve gone through. You have to help them.”
My stomach drops, and my hands tremble in hers. This is bigger than I ever imagined.
“I promise. I won’t stop until I’ve saved them all,” I say, and I mean every word.
She wraps her arms around my neck, and I rest my head on her shoulder. Heaviness weighs down my chest.
There’s a soft knock on my bedroom door before it opens. I pull back, and Lily bursts in, running straight for Jewel. She jumps onto the bed, falling into her daughter’s embrace.
I step back, giving them some space. Soft sobs come from both of them. Tears fall down my cheeks. This is everything. I feel so empowered that I can make some kind of difference in this world. Reuniting someone lost with their loved one. Saving someone’s life.
This is my purpose—to help save those who can’t save themselves.