Page 10 of Lost In The Dark

“I can’t believe how much she looks like me…and like dad.”

“I know. We’ll still do the DNA tests to be sure, but I think we can be pretty certain of the results.”

“We are going to take care of her, aren’t we? She could come home with us?” I asked.

“It’s not up to us, Eli. It’s Addy’s decision what she wants to do, but yes, we will give her the option to come home with us,” Asher agreed.

“What if she doesn’t want to though? She doesn’t even know us.”

“No matter what she wants to do, we’ll help her. We can make sure she gets home and help her get settled in an apartment. We’ll still check in on her and visit. I know you want her to be in our lives, but it’s just not our decision to make. We can’t push her into anything. She’s been through enough.”

“I know,” I agreed, but I didn’t like it. I wanted Addy to come home with us. I wanted to look after her and I wanted her to be a part of our family. I wanted to know my sister much more than the odd visit across the country when we could manage it.

The door to the room opened a little before I could say anything else, and Addy stuck her head out.

“I’m changed. You c-can come back in,” she told us, even her voice sounding shaky and weakened.

Asher went first and I followed him into the room. Addy looked a little better, dressed in jeans that were at least two sizes too big for her, and a baggy, navy, hooded sweater. She had found something to tie her hair up on top of her head in some kind of knot. She looked warmer and I was happy to see it.

“I couldn’t get shoes because I had no idea about size, but I have socks, and Adam suggested a pair of sliders might work, no matter your size,” I explained as I walked past her and over to my bag. I pulled out a brand new pack of socks and a pair of black sliders.

“Adam?” Addy questioned as she took a seat again. I handed her the socks and shoes.

“Adam is my best friend. He lives with us and helps with the house and estate. We’ve known him and his brother, Jordan, since we were all kids,” Asher explained.

“That’s nice,” she told Asher with a gentle smile.

“Do you have friends, back at home?” I asked.

“Oh…well, there’s Mrs. Withers. She brings me cake sometimes,” she shrugged, looking awkward.

“Can I help you with those?” Asher asked, changing the subject, and pointing to the socks she seemed to be struggling with. Her wrist was in a cast and moving it seemed to cause her a lot of pain. She also winced every time she tried to bend in any way.

“O-okay. Thank you,” she handed him the socks and he made short work of pulling a pair free, then he was on his knees before her, helping her get them on. He took the sliders next and slid them on her feet. They were a few sizes too big, but at least she wasn’t barefoot any longer.

“If you tell me your sizes I can pick up some things that will fit you better, later on,” I offered.

“D-do you th-think I’ll have to stay here…tonight, I mean? I-in a cell?” she asked as her eyes filled with tears.

“We’re going to do everything we can to see that you don’t. I promise you that,” Asher told her as he took her hand and squeezed it.

“I…I’m scared,” she said, her throat obviously tight with emotion. “I’ve n-never even been in trouble and this place…it’s terrifying. I d-don’t belong here.”

“We know, Addy. I’m so sorry this is happening to you,” I told her as I crouched before her, beside my brother.

“We have a lot of contacts, and Max does too. If we can’t have the charges dropped, then we’ll do everything we can to stay with you, or get you bail so you can get out of here, okay? We’re not just going to abandon you,” Asher added.

“We’re never going to abandon you now that we’ve found you. No matter what, we will always be in your life from now on,” I added.

“I can live with that,” she sniffled as she looked to us with a sad smile.

“Sorry I took so long,” Max announced as he came bustling into the room again. “I got an update from the search at Hilton’s house. They’ve found a hidden annex in the basement. As I suspected, there was a BDSM dungeon and proof he has been holding multiple girls down there.”

ADDY

“Oh God,” I gasped as what he was saying sunk in. Had I been in one of those cells? Had the senator – this stand up man the police had been yelling at me about for days – tortured me in that dungeon?

“What does that mean?” Eli asked.

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