Page 27 of Blood Revealed

“No… No, you didn’t.” It’s nice that he wants to console me, wants to make me feel better, but I know the truth.

“He was coming for me. Me. I know what’s gonna happen, Blood. It’s why I ran away.”

“I know why you ran away, Han.”

Not wanting my pregnant sister to hear what I have to tell him, I stand and walk over to the utility room off the kitchen, closing the door behind me. “No. Youdon’t. Not all of it. He killed Cassandra.” I’m barely understandable at this point. “She used her last breath to warn me. I ran away. I left Brin… thought she’d be safe… He’s found me…”

“Who?” he asks, sounding completely baffled, which he would be. I never shared this part because I was a coward then and it’s my cowardice that got Elise kidnapped.

“El maestro.” I whisper again, biting my lips and the tears coating my lips.

“Who’s that, baby?”

“Escalante.”

Then he gets it, sucking in a sharp breath. “Fuck. How do you know Escalante, Hannah? This is so fucking important.”

“My dad. He sold me to Escalante.El maestroowns me and he wants what’s his,” I cry harder into the line.

“You aren’t fucking his. He doesn’t own you. You’re mine and I don’t even fucking own you. Don’t say that shit again, Han. One person can’t own another person.”

“It’s my fault. Who knows what they’ve already done to her? God! How did this happen? I was so careful. So, so careful… I just…”

“Hannah!” The way he says my name sobers my mini freak-out. “Baby, you are not responsible. Now that they know about you, do not under any circumstances leave the compound. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Baby, I’m not fucking around. Don’t you dare leave. I can’t be there to protect you.”

“Okay.” I’m back to whispering.

“Love you, baby,” he says and that just makes me cry harder, those fat ugly tears that make your face go all blotchy because I don’t deserve the love of such a good man. Not now anyway. “Han,” he says again. “Love you.”

“I love you too, Blood.”

“That’s what I needed to hear.” He hangs up without a goodbye and I wipe my arm over my eyes to wipe away the tears. After a couple of cleansing breaths, I walk back into the great room as I try to pretend that it’s just the events of the day getting to me.

“Napkin? Tissue?” I ask of anyone and Brin hands me a small stack of cocktail napkins that I wipe my nose with.

“Who’s Escalante?” Caitlin asks when I’m a bit calmer, letting me know she’d listened at the door.

“Cartel,” I answer. “They deal in flesh.” This part my sister knows about. She might not know about Escalante specifically, but she knows all too well about flesh peddlers as she was bought by a man, herself.

“Flesh?” Maryanne asks.

“Yes. They sell women to men who want to buy them for sex.”

“My best friend has been kidnapped by sex traffickers?” Maryanne screeches, and like every conversation in the room stops.

“Hush,” Caitlin admonishes her.

“Yes. My dad sold me, just like he sold Brin. But he sold Brin to a low-level jackass. He sold me to the number two guy in the Anguino cartel.” I’ve done my research over the years on just exactly who he was. I knew back then that the guy had money, but I had to know who I was fighting in order to not get caught. That’s why I laid low for so long. That’s why I wouldn’t let Blood claim me.”

A man with the power, influence, and reach of Carlos Escalante is a formidable foe. Elise doesn’t have much time. God knows what they’ve put her through already. I have to get her back.

The Lords are good. They’re strong and loyal, but they don’t know what they’re dealing with. Dealing with sex traffickers is different than meth labs and distributers. I have an idea about where to start looking for her. And I’ll give myself over if it comes to that. I’m done hiding.

“I have to get out of here,” I say to the women around me, knowing full well I‘ll be disregarding Blood’s request for me to stay put. “I have an idea of where they might be taking Elise.”

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