A Visit
Lucien had watched.
Her hand balled into a fist, the knuckles whitening. The first second she let her guard down. Allowed herself to breathe, maybe even… let her shoulders sag around him. He brought her right back to where they had been.
A psychopath with morals, really? She snorted. Naive. After all these years, she was still so gullible. Like a moth to a flame at the first sign of someone softening. Only for her world to be tilted upside down with two simple words: ‘The walk.’
She shifted on the couch, staring out over the landscape. Lucien had long since disappeared into his study. Mercifully leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Honing her emotions… what a joke. And teaching her self-defense? She’d wanted to for all these years. For a fighting chance, to stop feeling like a victim waiting to happen.
But even if she did. Taking down three men. It wasn’t in a woman’s reality. Shouldn’t even be within a man’s capabilities.
Lucien had done it, though. Made it look easy too.
Kate tried to unclench her fist, but it wouldn’t open. A bear trap that held its teeth clamped shut. Worse, it was getting worse.
She closed her eyes. Her breathing had gone ragged, racking through her body. She counted. Four in, hold for seven, out for eight. Slowly the tension flowed out of her limbs, color returning to her hand.
Opening her eyes to see… Lucien standing in front of the fire with car keys jingling between his fingers.
Bile rose up in her throat at the sight of him. She turned away pointedly, looking out the window. White. It always looks white. She needed to see colors blind her again. Pink, red, no, not red. But violet blues. Spring. The season of life blossoming.
She needed to feel alive and not just breathing.
The keys jingled again. “Let’s go for a ride.”
“Excuse me?”
He was already pulling on his shoes. “You heard me. I want to show you something.”
“Yeah well, maybe I don’t want to see it.”
He straightened, releasing a heavy sigh. “Can we please not do this right now?”
“Not do this right now?” Her voice rose. “Fine, let’s not do it and just leave me be.”
He pinched his nose in exasperation. “I don’t want to repeat yesterday, okay? I’m asking you to please get in the car.”
“What good will it do?”
“Depends on how you view what we will see.”
Maybe she was done seeing. What would he show her? A body? A trafficker about to be murdered?
“It carries some good.” He added, focusing on her with a look that almost seemed… hopeful.
“Some good?” She grimaced. Suspicious. His version of good… could be wildly different from her own.
“The good, and the bad.” He glanced at her. “And the ugly… all mixed in one.”
She pushed off the couch. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see once we get there.”
What a wealth of information. She sighed through her nose. But she bent down to pick up her shoes. Reached up to take a jacket off the hook.
Seeing was believing after all.
***
After what seemed like two hours on the road, Lucien clicked off the engine in front of a large building.
It lay secluded in the back of the city of Bozeman, if the brown plaque with the golden lettering was to be believed.
Three stories tall, it rose equal in height to the pine trees surrounding it at the back.
The parking lot was huge, cars scattered throughout. But there were no people milling around, the place looked… deserted.
Lucien shut his car door and, not even checking to see if she followed, strode ahead to step up the sand-brown steps to the awaiting building.
Kate squinted at the green plaque hanging from the arched entryway. Guiding Hands Women’s shelter
A women’s shelter? What in the ever loving fuck…
Kate caught up quickly, right in time to catch the door Lucien held open for her.
Setting her feet over the threshold was like entering into another world. Warmth brushed against her cheeks, drifting gently from the heating vents that lined the high ceilings.
Whirling around, she took in the beige walls broken up by bright pastel colors.
Green and the softest of purple. And then there was…
a huge pink, fluffy couch. Kate stared at it.
Boy did it look inviting to park her butt on it with the lead still weighing down her legs.
That is until she saw the quote plastered to the wall above it, which read.
‘Never allow a struggle to turn your sky into a ceiling. You must believe there’s always a way. ’
Oh, the irony.
“Oh, Lucien! It has been a while, so good to see you!”
Kate whirled around, foot catching mid-air as an older woman flung herself into Lucien’s arms. He caught her, returning the hug briefly before taking her hands in his.
His lips turned up, eyes lighting up in a genuine smile.
“Likewise my friend! How has everything been? Last I heard Emilia was able to get back on her feet again?”
Slowly it dawned on Kate. He had told Denise and Clara he had met her in the shelter. It hadn’t been an entire lie. Showing that it was as they said, the best lies were mixed with selective pieces of the truth.
The woman prattled on. “You heard that right! She and her delightful girl Debbie moved into a house a couple of blocks from here. She’s doing so well! And as always, I’ve been keeping tabs on her.”
Lucien nodded. “Of course you have! Nothing wrong with a little help.”
The woman continued into a flurry of words, waving her hands around with each of them. She was… so different from Lucien. Talkative to say the least. And the warmth, it practically radiated from her mother-like posture.
But, probably also not the best person to talk to about Lucien’s occupation. She had yet to come across someone who didn’t hold the man in great esteem.
She heard the woman scoff accusingly at Lucien. “You’ve forgotten your manners, young man.” Easily eating up the distance between them, she took Kate’s hands in hers without hesitation. “Who might you be, love? Oef, such freezing hands, let me help you warm them up.”
The woman in front of her didn’t even reach up to her shoulders, but by her fierce blue eyes and the way she carried herself it was plain to see she was not one to mess with.
Lucien cut in. ‘‘Her name’s Kate. She’s a friend of mine. Kate, this is Georgia.”
Georgia sighed, turning her attention to Lucien. ‘‘She can speak for herself can’t she?’’
Alright… this lady at least doesn’t live under his thumb or has a crush on him. I’ll take it!
Kate glared at Lucien before returning the grip of the woman in front of her warmly. ‘‘So nice to meet you Georgia! My name is Katherine.’’
The two ladies that sat behind the desk, now lingered beside them. As if waiting for Lucien to acknowledge them. But he had all his attention on the two women in front of him.
Georgia continued her barrage. “It would be nice, dear Lucien, if one day, you could come here with someone more than just a friend.”
He snickered loudly. ‘‘One day perhaps, but that won’t be anytime soon, I promise you!’’
Some of the tension he had carried the past days, it seemed to flow out of him. Whoever this person was to him, it was obvious they went way back.
Kate snuck into the conversation once more. ‘‘Excuse my naivety Georgia, but are you Lucien’s mum? Everything is like pulling teeth with this guy!’’
Silence dropped over the three of them and Kate shuffled on her feet.
Guess I shouldn’t have gone there.
A glint of sadness flashed across Georgia’s eyes.
“I can’t take credit for bringing him into this world, but.
” She bumped her shoulder against Kate’s.
“I can take some of the credit for the fine man he has become! That said, I wish I was though. If only to smack some much needed sense into him at times.”
Lucien just shook his head. Looking every bit a young boy during a firm scolding. Kate smirked at the picture Georgia was painting. I could get used to this.
“I would love to know more about you, love. That said, I believe Lucien is here to check up on the girls. Follow me please and afterwards we’ll have a chat over coffee.”
“I’d love that.” Kate hesitated. “But I don’t know what we’re doing here.”
“I know Lucien, he sure likes his mysteries and surprises.” She gestured towards a long hallway pressed in between a green and purple wall. “Be prepared to have your mind blown.”
The woman turned and, with her long graying hair bobbing down her back, led them deeper into the building of mysteries.
Kate strode up next to Lucien, speeding up to match his stride, she leaned in to whisper. “What are we doing here?”
He glanced at her with that same relaxed smile. “You’ll see.”
They ended up at double doors. Behind it, distant voices were chatting away, laughter floating up in the air.
Georgia pushed through them with a nonchalant shoulder, gesturing for Kate to enter first. “Welcome to our women’s shelter, Kate.
” Georgia’s eyes were laden with pride. Whatever she was about to see, the woman acted like a proud mother hen.
She stepped through, mentally preparing for what she’d see. Because when she heard women’s shelter, it painted the idea of chipped off walls, rows of iron bar bunk beds. And… heartbreak all around.
She blinked, her eyes fighting to become accustomed to the bright light that fell in from the many windows.
Women occupied every seat, chatting with each other over their beverages while another laugh stroked her ears.
Three of them sat huddled around a game of Monopoly while one had her arms up in a triumphant win.
On her right was an open kitchen, staff mingled around it, preparing tonight’s dinner by the looks of it.
Wildlife pictures hung from the walls, including the same squirrel picture Lucien had in his own home. And one of the pictures… showed soft blue violets growing amid lush green moss. Colors… everywhere.
“Lucien! How are you?”
“Finally getting the pleasure of seeing your face again!”
“Where have you been lately?!”
Lucien spread his hands wide while shrugging innocently under the stares of at least fifty women. “Life has been busy, but…” He winked at a girl who had a piece of carrot pie in front of her. “I’m happy my face, at least, has been missed.”
The entire room erupted in giggles and laughter. So that was why… Lucien could take her everywhere alongside him. The entire state was in love with him.
“Who’s that you got with you? Another soon to be friend?” The carrot cake girl hollered over the laughs.
Kate felt every eye in the room turn to her.
Not used to being the center of attention, she shifted slightly on her feet.
Even so she stared right back, realizing that even through the laugh lines and the crow’s feet etched into their skin, some of them still had a forlorn look in their eyes.
She couldn’t help but feel like she… knew them.
“This is Kate. Unfortunately I have to inform you all she is not here to stay. Shame because she has quite the personality.” Kate rolled her eyes, earning another laugh from the crowd. “But I wanted her to have a look around the place you all call home!”
Not here to stay, that’s one way to put it. If she’d been in this place, she might as well have been one of them, gaping up at him like he was some kind of savior.
“We have to move on, ladies but—,” Lucien’s hands clasped together. “Enjoy your carrot cake and I will see you on Saturday. Don’t miss it.” With a final teasing wink thrown their way, he turned to follow Georgia into the next room.
It was vast.
Wooden bunk beds lined the walls, double and single beds in various colors placed evenly in the middle.
What surprised her most was how clean the place was.
There was nothing out of place, and her nose didn’t sting from disinfectants.
Instead, the soft smell of cinnamon floated around the room, calming even her own nerves.
Baffled, Kate followed Georgia into another room, a mirror to the one they just left. She waited for the door to fall shut behind them. “How many people are sheltered here?”
Lucien’s deep voice cut in. “Two hundred and forty-nine women, not including the kids. Last I checked.”
Georgia nodded once as she stopped in front of the next set of doors.
Swiping a card out of her faded jeans, she sent Kate an apologetic look.
“This is the area where our new members are given space to heal. We don’t usually let…
outsiders in here. For reasons you can imagine.
Do you mind waiting here for a bit while Lucien and I pop in? ”
She was already nodding her head in understanding when Lucien’s deep voice resonated through the room once more. ‘‘We’ll make an exception this once, Georgia.’’ His tone left no room for negotiation. And the older woman nodded, relenting.
What even was Lucien to this place? Owner? Or more likely, a donor to the cause?
Hypocritical, considering his line of work and the things he had done to her. And yet, the warmth that radiated off him… made her wonder, when was he wearing a mask?
Trying to solve the puzzle that was Lucien made her head spin. With a click her musings were stopped short and the door swung open.