Chapter 26
EVELYN
“Thank you all for coming,” I said, speaking clearly into the many microphones attached to the podium I was standing behind.
In front of me, members of the press extended additional microphones in my direction, all straining to hear what I had to say.
“You have no idea how many women need this,” Donna told me on the phone last night. “You’re going to change so many lives.”
With the location secured, Maya and Izzy worked overnight to secure temporary signage for the space. Above my head in the entryway of the building, a large banner displayed the nonprofit’s name in pretty, swirly letters.
The letters were the same deep emerald green as the suit jacket I wore with a black blouse and matching green pants.
It had magically appeared on my closet door sometime between 1 a.m. when we finally went to bed and 7 a.m. this morning when I woke up.
Sebastian’s satisfied grin when I emerged from the bedroom wearing it gave him away, but it fit me perfectly and looked fantastic, so he was allowed to be smug.
To my left, Ethan Mercer stood in a sharp navy suit with a grey tie.
He had answered Dominic’s call last night and agreed to participate this morning.
When he stepped out of the car this morning, he assured me that Ginny was well-protected with men he trusted with his life.
We still had two Archers outside the safe house, and after today, I was doubling the number.
We were about to poke the bear, and I didn’t want Ginny to pay the price.
To my right, Donna Keesecker stood swathed in a gorgeous plum wraparound dress that had her looking every bit like the wealthy patron of the city she was.
She and Maya had already been talking about fundraising ideas, and she had been overjoyed to have been asked to be on the board.
Next to Donna, Izzy stood dressed in a sharp grey suit.
She had insisted on being front and center next to me, and I was grateful she was, even as I worried about the target it put on her.
But it was her choice, and I had to respect that.
With the players in place, I started changing the narrative Drake had written yesterday.
“My name is Evelyn Harper, and I am the founder and director of Merrywood, a community organization that has operated in this city for several years and today is formalizing as a nonprofit.”
In our discussions last night, we had agreed it would be cleaner today if I avoided saying anything about the Archers and instead focused on the nonprofit in order to shift the narrative from the start.
It worked. A ripple moved through the crowd, reporters jostling each other in front of me as they tried to get closer.
The Stone brothers were well known throughout the city from SDS, and combined with Donna Keesecker, meant that this press conference got a lot of media attention.
“Yesterday, someone made some claims that I am here to clear up,” I said.
I elected not to name Drake specifically, but I didn’t have to. Everyone knew who had made the claims, and murmurs rippled through the crowd. My guys stood just past the reporters, silently supporting me while making it clear this was my show.
“The claims said that I was the leader of a dangerous criminal organization engaged in human trafficking. That is absolutely not true. The truth is the footage you saw yesterday was of me and my organization following a lead on a human trafficking operation that has been moving women and girls through this city’s rail yard for years. ”
“These women were kidnapped from this city and others across the Midwest. Taken from their homes, from off their streets, from places they thought they would be safe. Taken and shipped on the rail lines like cargo, not people.” I let my words land for the crowd.
Every word dropped like a rock in a pond.
I watched as the ripples of outrage spread through the crowd.
Angry murmurs and whispers rose like the tide coming in.
“Merrywood has been working over the years to find these women and others in similar bad situations and get them out. We provide them with resources to recover and start over. We have kept that work quiet because it was necessary to protect these women and to make sure our work was effective. But a larger threat is looming over this city, and thus, we have made the decision to formalize Merrywood as a nonprofit. Before I tell you more about Merrywood’s mission, Agent Ethan Mercer of the Special Investigative Division of the Justice Department will speak to Merrywood’s role in a recent federal operation that resulted in the rescue of multiple women from a trafficking network operating in this region.
” I turned slightly to Mercer. “Agent Mercer.”
Mercer stepped to the podium. He grasped the sides of it with both hands.
“Good morning,” he said. “Like Miss Harper said, I would like to speak to Merrywood’s support of the SID on recent operations.
” He laid out the raid that took down Director Keller, detailing the operations and the outcomes.
He followed that by speaking of continuing operations, aka the second time we were at the rail yard.
Technically, that was not an SID approved operation, but Dominic had called in another favor with Mercer, and he had forged the paperwork giving us that authority and thereby clearing Dominic’s name as falsely portraying a federal agent.
When he finished, his eyes found Dominic in the crowd, and he gave him a slight nod, then stepped back from the podium.
“Thank you, Agent Mercer,” I said, stepping back up to the microphones.
“Merrywood’s mission is two-fold. First, we operate a shelter for adults and children escaping trafficking and abusive situations, and second, we run a resource network connecting people in crisis with what they need to rebuild their lives, whether that be housing, legal support, employment, and/or safety.
We have helped hundreds of people in this city, and today, we are asking the community to help us help more. ”
I introduced Donna, who spoke with the warm authority of a woman who had written large checks for decades and knew exactly what she was doing.
She announced her board membership and the donation of the building behind us.
She also announced the first fundraising drive with the launch of the website that Liam and Maya had created last night.
I stepped forward as she was finishing to close us out, but Donna introduced Izzy as Merrywood’s operations director and motioned for her to take the podium.
I frowned slightly. This wasn’t part of the plan. What was happening?
Izzy introduced herself to the crowd and then threw a curveball at me. “I understand that this may be some of your first time hearing about Merrywood and the work we do. I thought it would help to understand the importance of our work by hearing directly from a woman we helped years ago.”
My brow furrowed briefly before I smoothed out my expression. Who was she talking about?
Izzy motioned to someone standing off to the side to step forward, and my breath caught in my throat.
Melissa.
Adrian’s mother moved to the podium, stopping by me to squeeze my arm with a warm smile. A lump formed in my throat. She stepped up to the podium confidently. She was dressed in a simple blue dress with her long blonde hair pulled back into a low ponytail.
“My name is Melissa Cross,” she said. “Several years ago, I was stuck in an abusive marriage with my husband. I felt like I had no way out. My husband had cut me off from my friends, my family, and my job. I had a son I was trying to protect, and it felt like I had no options.”
Adrian wiped his eyes discreetly with his thumb, and my heart ached.
I wanted to go to him, but I couldn’t leave the stage.
Marcus clasped a hand on Adrian’s shoulder and leaned over to whisper something to him.
Dominic stepped closer on his other side and murmured something as well.
The pit in my stomach unclenched a little.
“Merrywood found me, or maybe I found them. Either way, they helped me get out safely. They helped me rebuild.” She paused, her eyes shining brightly with emotion.
Mercer stepped up to her side, offering her a handkerchief.
She dabbed at her eyes delicately, and I had to swallow against the emotion in my throat.
“I have a life now that I never dreamed was possible. All because Merrywood decided that the system that failed me wasn’t the end of my story. Because they showed up when no one else did. I encourage all of you to support such a wonderful cause to help more people in our lovely city.”
She stepped away from the podium, and I exhaled slowly, fighting against the rising emotions at her words.
None of this would have existed without that night, without Melissa.
Saving Melissa had led to Adrian knowing my secret, and Adrian’s trust in me had become the bridge that brought the others to me after their lives had been threatened a few months ago.
One decision on one fateful night led me here.
Before she left the stage, she stopped by me, pulling me into a tight hug.
“I’m so proud of you,” her whispered words crashed over me, and I choked on a sob.
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. If I opened my mouth, I would cry, and I had to finish this press conference. I pressed my nails into the palm of my hand, and the small bite of pain helped with my composure.
I looked out at the crowd as Izzy retook the podium and Melissa exited the stage. I needed to look like I was listening and participating instead of having an emotional breakdown. That worked until I saw who was scattered throughout the crowd.
Archers.