“Yes, please.” She dips a finger in the syrup and licks; it’s a cute little move that some base, caveman part of me finds way,waytoo sexy.
I clamp down hard on that thought—the very last thing this girl needs is me acting like an out-of-control horn-dog. Absolutely the fuck not. Keep a lid on it, I tell myself.
“Because you’ve been abused, used, controlled, and owned your whole life. I guess I just wanted…” I shrug. “I dunno. I wanted to prove that not everyone is like that.I’mnot like that.”
She ducks her head. “I see.”
I finish off the food in silence and then sip my coffee. She’s motionless—thinking, if I can read her at all.
“What are you thinking?” I ask. “If you feel like sharing, that is.”
“What’s going to happen to me, now?” Her voice is faint and fearful. “I’m not your problem. I can’t—I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”
“Well, that’s my decision to make, isn’t it? If I want to tangle with your Pops, then that’s what I’m gonna do.” I force the rage down. “As to what’s gonna happen to you? I don’t know. I can take you back, if that’s what you want, although I’ll be honest and say I really don’t like that idea.”
“No. Please, Silas, no. Please no. I’ll do anything. Just—please, don’t make me go back.” She grabs my arm in both hands, her grip vise-like, desperation shaking her voice, tears welling. “Please.”
I cover her hands with mine. “Hey, hey, relax—I shouldn’t have said it like that. That was my fault—I’m a dumbass.” She’s shaking like a leaf and hyperventilating. “Breathe, okay? Breathe in nice and slow, let it out slow. There you go. No one is making you go anywhere. You never have to go back. Never. Okay? You’ve got my word on that. It’s a promise.”
She nods, closing her eyes and letting a long sigh out. “Okay—okay.”
“Now. What my stupid assshouldhave said is that you’ve got a few options, so what’s gonna happen next is up to you. You got any family anywhere other than back there in that hellhole you ran away from?”
“No,” she murmurs. “There’s no one. At least, not that I know of.”
“Well, then.” I think. “I can take you to a women’s shelter somewhere.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s…it’s a place where women escaping abusive relationships can go to be safe and protected and start over,” I explain. “Or, you can just…ride with me.”
“Where are you going?” She asks.
“I dunno. Nowhere. Eventually, I’ll end up back in Vegas, where I live and work.”
Her gaze is curious. “What kind of work do you do?”
“Security at a nightclub.”
“I…” she drops her gaze to her lap. “I don’t know what to do, Silas. I don’t…the compound is all I’ve ever known.”
“You wanna just stick with me for a while?” I offer; she’s still holding onto my arm with both hands, although her death grip has loosened to a gentle hold.
She nods. “Could I? Please?”
“Of course.” I glance down at her bare feet. “We’re gonna have to get you some shoes, at least, though.”
She looks down at her toes. “Yes, that would probably be prudent.”
I smile. “Then it’s settled.” I take the plates and my now-empty cup of coffee. “I’m gonna go down and get more food. If you want some privacy, I’ll eat down there.”
“Privacy?” She asks, sounding genuinely perplexed. “For what?”
“Use the bathroom? Take a shower?”
“Oh. A shower would be nice.”
“You’ve never stayed in a hotel before, I assume?” I ask, and receive the negative head-shake I was expecting. “Figured. Come on, I’ll show you a few things.”
