Page 60 of Dodging Bullets

Another cop walked by and did a double take when he saw Truett and me. “Heathstone? Isn’t one Omega problem enough?”

I almost felt Truett roll his eyes. “Frankie, this is Paloma. She’d like to make a victim statement about that cult in Arkansas.”

Frankie’s eyebrows almost hit his hairline. “Don’t worry, Jerry. I’ll take them back.” He met us at a door off to the side and reached out to shake my hand. He was an Alpha, but he had non-threatening vibes. “Come on through. I’m Frankie Gunnar. It’s nice to meet you.” He led me down the hall. “You’re pretty brave. That shit over in Arkansas is rough.”

I didn’t feel brave, but in the words of August, sometimes you just had to fake it until you made it.

For the next six hours, that’s what I did.

Thirty-Four

Llew

In the end, they prosecuted fifteen people in connection with the Ozark Homestead Cult, as the media had dubbed it. The surviving Leaders, and more than a few of the elder Brothers and Sisters, were charged with crimes that ranged from child endangerment and false imprisonment, all the way to murder and human trafficking.

Truett Heathstone had managed to get the courts to agree to allow Polly her anonymity in exchange for her testimony, and along with most of the damning evidence of the younger generation, plus Kross and the survivors’ testimonies, most of the older generation were going to get the life behind walls they’d always wanted. Except this time, it would be prison.

It was hard for Polly, though; the guilt warred with the need for justice, and she’d regressed almost all the way back to the unsure Omega she’d been that first week. August had suggested a new therapist for her in the private sector, and that was really helping.

After two months of waiting for the hearing, the lead prosecutors managed to get the trial expedited, due to public pressure for justice. The only shining spot about having to attend this mess in Arkansas was that Polly would finally get tosee her friend. Although they’d Facetimed a lot, Nim hadn’t been able to leave Arkansas until the trial was over, and the drive was long and arduous, so Polly had decided to wait until she needed to be there for her testimony. I’d suggested a flight, but neither of us had been comfortable with the idea of flying. I would have done it for her, though.

She was nervous in the back of the hired SUV, and I resisted the urge to climb over the seats and hug her to my chest. August was back there, and he was hugging her enough for all of us. “It’ll be fine, sweetheart,” he murmured.

She nodded, but her next words defied her agreement. “What if they hate me for ruining their lives? What if they’re sad and confused, and I’m the reason?”

He kissed her temple. “What if one of those babies grows up to be an Alpha and would’ve been put down because he didn’t fit their agenda?” He squeezed her tighter to his chest. “In a year, or five, or a decade, they'll wake up and realize that all the things they have in their life happened because you were so brave.”

This time, her nod seemed more sure.

We pulled up in front of a nondescript two-story house on the outskirts of Little Rock. There was a pile of discarded shoes at the front door, and rose bushes that needed a trim. As soon as we got out, we could hear the sound of children laughing. It echoed up and down the street, and something loosened in my chest.

We all waited for Polly to climb from the car, and stood around her protectively. One or two of us would probably have been better, but none of us would risk not being here if Polly needed us.

The front door flew open, and out ran a girl with pretty almond eyes and long, flowing black hair. Polly sucked back a sob, tears spilling from her eyes. “Nim,” she breathed.

“Polly!”

Nim barreled into our Omega, and I rested a hand on Polly’s back to keep her steady as the two women hugged tightly. They were both crying, but they were happy tears. There was no distress in either of their scents.

Pulling back, Nim stared at my Omega like she was a wonder. “I thought you were dead. They told me that you’d choked on a piece of fruit, and they’d tried to save you, but it was too late. Sister Roberta wouldn’t let me see your body. They wouldn’t tell me where you were buried,nothing.” The girl, who couldn’t have even been over five feet, snarled like an Alpha. “It was because she was a freakingliar.They sold you. Henry told me.” She let out a choked noise, then her eyes went to us. “But not to these guys, obviously.”

Polly smiled at her friend. “No, not these guys.” She stepped back from Nim, but still kept a tight hold on her arm like she was worried she’d disappear again completely. “Guys, this is Nimah. My sister. Nim, this is my Beta, Max, and my Alpha, Rio—they rescued me from the warehouse. This is August, my Omega,” she said, her smile mischievous. Then she looked at me with soft eyes. “And this is my Alpha, Llew.”

Nim ran her fingers through Polly’s short hair. “He’s the reason your hair is growing back? I forgot it was this color. I almost feel like I forgot what your face looks like without the veil.”

Polly twined her fingers in Nim’s. “No, I abandoned the veil as soon as I knew I’d been lied to, that the world outside the walls wasn’t filled with monsters.”

That was not technically true. There were plenty of monsters outside the walls too. But I would protect her from those.

Nim smiled. “Good. Because I missed your face.” With that, she linked arms with Polly. “Come on, everyone’s missed you.”

And just like that, all the worry I felt was gone.

There were thirteen kids from the Homestead, aged from three months to seventeen years of age. The older ones looked shell-shocked still, wary of strangers, of other Alphas, of the outside world in general. It was a lot for a kid to take in.

But the younger ones? They were laughing and playing on playground equipment in the backyard, like they’d just stepped foot into an amusement park. “Higher,” one little girl around the age of six screamed from the swing, and I dutifully pushed her slightly harder, though the height she was already going made my Alpha want to catch her and set her down on solid ground.

These little ones were the real lucky ones. They hadn’t seen the terrible side of the Homestead yet. Didn’t have parents that they missed. But they did know that out here there were foods they’d never tried, animals they’d never seen, television, cartoons, storybooks, clothes that were the color pink. The little girl on the swing told me all about the new things she’d seen and explored.

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