Chapter Eighteen
Macy drove slowly down the road toward the city.
He’d gone several miles when he caught a glimpse of something up ahead that disappeared into the ditch when his headlights hit it.
He slowed and got out and walked along the side of the road until he saw Mina hunched over, making herself as small as possible, trying to hide.
“Mina, honey.”
Mina’s head jerked up, and she relaxed when she recognized the voice.
He guessed she’d hidden from every car that passed because she knew she put herself in a potentially harmful situation, and she was trying to protect herself as much as possible.
“Macy?”
He jumped down into the ditch. “Come on, honey,” he said and reached for her and pulled her into his arms. He patted her back as the sobs tore through her body.
“I wish you had come to me.”
She took a step back and shook her head. “No, Macy. I didn’t want to bother anyone.”
“Stop,” he said and reached for her arm. “Come on. You shouldn’t be out here by yourself.”
“My phone died, and I couldn’t call a taxi.”
“What made you think it was better to walk at night on an isolated road than come to me?”
“You’re their friend, and you work for them. I’m not going to ask you to do me a favor.”
He got her in the front seat and then walked around and got in. He turned and looked at her before putting the vehicle in gear. “I thought we were friends?”
She gasped and jerked her head toward Macy. “We are, and that’s why I won’t take advantage of you.”
“Oh, honey. If something had happened to you, it would have killed something in me.”
Tears ran down her cheeks as she reached out for his hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“Just don’t ever do that again.”
She sniffed and wiped the tears from her face. “I won’t be there anymore, so it won’t matter.”
“You want to tell me what happened?”
She took in a deep breath. “They don’t want me anymore,” she said and held up a hand when Macy tried to interrupt. “It’s okay. I knew it would happen. I’m going to be fine, so please don’t worry about me.”
“Tell me why you think that?”
“They never let me go down to the club with them. I know I’m not beautiful or sophisticated like the other women, but I can’t change that.”
Macy gritted his teeth in anger and shook his head. “We’ll get back to that. What else?”
“I took a letter to their office, and a few of the monitors were on.” She paused and blinked a few times.
“They were with another woman, barely clothed. One much prettier than me. She was tall and slim, like guys usually like girls. They both had their hands on her, and one of them kissed the top of her head. They treated her the way they did me, and it just clicked.”
“I don’t know what or who you’re talking about, but I can guarantee it wasn’t what it looked like.”
“You don’t know that,” she blurted. “Did you know I haven’t left their place since I’ve been there?
If I need something, they pick it up or ask an employee to do it.
They’ve been distancing themselves from me.
They leave me alone every night to go to the Sanctuary, and lately, they haven’t told me how they feel, and they’ve never talked about the future. ”
She watched the expressions that crossed Macy’s face. “Do you think I’m being ridiculous?” she whispered.
“No, you have every right to feel the way you do, but can I tell you something?”
She nodded.
“They were going nuts when they found out you were gone.”
She looked away for a moment and bit her lip. She finally turned back and shook her head.
“They just feel responsible for me. I know they care about my safety. They just don’t care about me as a woman.”
She waited for a moment and then relaxed back against the seat. “Could you please take me into town and drop me off at a motel?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, honey.”
“It’s the only choice I have right now. Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”
“They aren’t going to leave you alone until you face them. I think you need to do that, and then I’ll take you into town. Can you do that for me?”
A shiver of remorse raced through her, but she nodded. She didn’t know if she had the strength to meet them face to face, but Macy was determined for her to see them at that moment.
“That’s fine. Let’s get it over with,” she murmured and then looked out her window.