Page 48 of Jobe

Gabby sucked in a quick breath. “They’re sending a message to me, aren’t they? He is, I’m sure of it.”

“We don’t know what they’re doing or what the message is.”

One of the newer girls, face pale, said, “I don’t want to go back, but…”

Mackenna pierced her with a hard stare. “Tina, don’t think about going back. Don’t you see, if you go back now, you could easily have it worse for having left.”

“Oh, great. So I’m dead if I stay and dead if I go back,” the girl retorted angrily.

“No, that’s not what I mean. You don’t have to stay here, but you don’t want to go back to that life.”

“What other options are there?” Jenita asked gently.

“I talked to my supervisor after this happened. If I can work up a new grant proposal and get help with fundraising, we are thinking of moving the center.”

“Moving?” Rose asked.

“Look, we got this building because the city was taking it over and it needed little work to make it fit our needs. Plus, we thought that being close into the downtown area would be good. But maybe not. If we were out somewhere…we would be away from the local gangs.”

The group was quiet for a moment, so Mackenna plowed ahead. “We’ve got police protection and the security in place from Alvarez Security. Now, we’re safe here, so for those of you still in our educational program, you’re good. We just need to change the rules a bit for when you go out. For those of you who are already working and looking to graduate from this program within the next couple of weeks, I’ve been told that Alvarez security will get you to and from your jobs.”

“Do you think it’ll be enough?” one of the women asked.

Mackenna thought back to the conversation she and Jobe had the previous night where he pledged his protection…of her heart as well as the center. Looking at the women sitting at the table, she replied honestly, “Yeah, I think it will.”

“Then that’s good enough for me,” Carla said, gaining nods from the other women.

“Okay then,” Mackenna said with the first smile on her face in days. “Rose, you’re back in the classroom. Carla, those of you learning culinary skills, I’ve got someone to take you to the restaurant together at ten, so be ready. The rest of you should be with Rose.” Turning to Gabby, she said, “I know you’ve got an appointment at the health department and I’ve got a nice man from Alvarez named Doug that will be taking you so be ready by nine-thirty.” Looking around as she stood, she said, “By the way, this afternoon I’m picking up a new girl. I got a call from a school counselor and she has a girl that needs out badly. She survived her beat in but wants out. Seems like she may need some extra help and so I’m picking her up. Then I’ll start finding us a new home.”

Several hours later, Mackenna returned with Paulina, a small woman whose face was still yellow with bruises. The girls circled around welcoming her and worked to get her settled in. Paulina’s eyes darted around nervously as Mackenna went over the rules of New Beginnings with her.

“Do you think that you’ll have a problem with any of these?” Mackenna asked.

“No, ma’am,” Paulina replied softly.

Leaning forward, she patted Paulina’s leg and said, “I know you’ve been through a lot. I’ll be working with you as far as counseling goes and you can tell me whatever you want to. Miss Rose will get you in the computer room tomorrow to start your classes. And the other girls will be here to help you settle in.”

The young woman nodded as she looked at Mackenna with a small smile. “I can do this,” Paulina promised.

Mackenna hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Paulina, most of the women here have been through what you’ve been through. We don’t talk about what gangs they’re from usually because the whole idea is to put that life behind them. But you should know that the police are watching us carefully. I know you are from a gang that has made threats against us.”

Paulina’s eyes grew wide. “They can’t get to us?” she asked, fear in her voice.

“No, no. Don’t worry. We have security cameras around, bars on the windows, and an excellent night watchman who’s a former soldier. The police drive by several times a day and we’re escorted. In fact, I’m going this afternoon to look for a new place for us to move to so that we can be even farther away.”

Paulina let out a sigh of relief. “I…I can’t go back to what I left,” she said. “I can’t do…that again.”

Smiling her assurances, Mackenna stood. “And you don’t have to go back to that. I’ll make sure of it.” With that, she headed out to scout for a new location.

16

Jobe walked into the apartment, the smell of dinner cooking immediately hitting him. It dawned on him what he had been missing where he lived.Home. It had been a place to crash. A place to eat. A place to sleep. But now with the woman he loved here with him…it was home.

An idea had been forming in his head, but he was uncertain how Mackenna would take it.Is it too soon? Is it something that she wants?He had mentioned it to Penny when he dropped by his parent’s house.

Rounding the breakfast bar, he stopped as he saw Mackenna in the kitchen with her mother as they both worked around each other seamlessly preparing dinner. Mackenna’s reddish-gold mane was pulled on top of her head with some curls escaping and falling down her shoulders. Her gorgeous ass was shimmying in yoga pants as the music from her phone played. Penny was laughing at something her daughter had said as they worked side by side. Smiling, he felt the uncertainty of the day slide away, leaving a warm place deep inside. One he wanted to keep alive. And safe.

“Sweetie!” Mackenna called as she turned and saw him standing there. He was leaning against the bar, one tree-trunk leg crossed in front of the other. His thick arms mirrored his legs, as they were casually crossed over his chest, pulling his black polo tightly across his body. His dark hair, just long enough for her to run her fingers through when they were—whoa, time to shut down those thoughts.

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