Page 81 of Blood Revealed

“Then come to Halfway,” I say. “I was trying to keep us off Escalante’s radar since we don’t know who we can trust.”

“I understood, baby.”

“These women… they’ve been through so much. But since the ranch is out, there’s a bar there called Halfway to Hell. That’s where I’ll be. But, babe, you have to come alone. We just can’t risk anyone else finding out the location of the safehouse. It sounds like you’re saying Escalante’s out of the picture, but that doesn’t mean there’s not someone waiting in the wings to seize control of his operation. Flesh makes men rich and we both know men will do a lot for money.”

“That’s the damn truth, though I wish to God it wasn’t. I’ll be there in an hour, baby. Are you sure you want me alone? We can help those women get home.”

“Most of them have a real distrust for men now. I don’t want to scare them.”

“What if I bring Blue? You know he’s trustworthy, got that little boy baby face, real nonthreatening vibe about him. We can leave him there for a while, help arrange to get the girls home.”

“You would do that?”

“Yeah, baby, those women didn’t ask to be taken. They need to learn right from the get-go that not all men are assholes. And they have families and friends who want them back. We need to make that happen.”

“Halfway to Hell, one hour.”

“One hour,” he repeats back. Then he hangs up. I wish he’d said, ‘I love you,’ but we’ll just have to make up for that when he’s back in my arms.

I shove the phone in my pocket and walk into the kitchen to look out the window. With everything they’ve been through, these women are outside soaking up the sun, laughing, having water fights. They look happy. It’s fleeting, I know this. But we need to take the happy whenever we can get it. I need to talk to Carmen, to Nicola and Celeste too.

These women have become close to me, like sisters, in the time we’ve spent together. I guess that’s to be expected after killing a man and rescuing a group of women together.

Nicola and Celeste walk over to a couple of chairs and sit down next to each other, watching the women having their water fight. I walk outside to the back door to join them. Each woman has a bottle of water in hand. I should have brought one out with me. It’s hot as blazes out here. My shadow reaches them before I do, and both of their heads turn to look at me. I smile up at them, or in this case, down because I’m standing and they’re sitting.

“What brings on that smile?” Celeste asks.

“I just talked to Raif,” I tell them. “He’s coming for me. We’re going to meet in Halfway.”

“Oh, that’s fantastic! So, you’re going home?” Even though she smiles, Nicola’s eyes have a hint of sadness. I get it.

“He’s bringing one man with him. That’s what I need to talk to you about. The man he’s bringing is very nonthreatening but is also tough and can protect these women. We all call him ‘Blue,’ though I don’t know what his real name is. For all I know, his real name could actually be Blue.”

“What’s Blue going to do?” Celeste asks.

“If you and the other girls are comfortable enough, we want to leave Blue here. He’s going to help organize getting any women that want to go home, home. The Lords have connections and they’ve got cash. We can make sure these girls are safe and back with their friends and families. But in order to do that, we need a liaison to work with you with in the Lords.”

“I don’t know,” Nicola says. “That’s a lot of trust these women will have to put in a man, and I don’t know if they’re ready.”

“I get it. But men make up almost fifty percent of the Earth’s population. They need to begin to see that there are good men in the world, too. That there are men who won’t hurt them. And Nicola, I promise you, promise from the depths of my soul, that the women will be safe with the Lords. You know I would never put the offer on the table if I thought any one of those girls had the chance of being abused again.”

“How about if I go with you?” Nicola suggests. “That way, I can size him up for myself. See if what you’re saying is truthful. Not that you’re lying, but you’ve been living with these boys for a long time. You may not see everything there is to see.”

“I’m not wrong about Blue or Raif or any of his brothers. But I can agree to that. I need you to feel comfortable with this idea so that we can get these women home. They need to go home. You all need to go home.”

The last person I hug goodbye is Celeste. It’s a bittersweet parting, tearful from sadness and hope. I’ve done the cheek kisses and hugs to the other twenty-five women, making sure each and every one of them has my contact information, leaving the burner phone with them.

“If you ever need anything or even just to talk,” I whisper in her ear. “I’m here for you. Day or night. Don’t forget that, okay?”

“I won’t forget,” she says, sniffling. When she drops her arms from around my shoulders, it’s really time to go.

Nicola and Carmen are waiting outside for me on the bikes. Carmen insisted on coming with. This is the iffy part; Carmen holds the bike steady as I climb up on the handlebars and plant my booty. I’ve never ridden on anyone’s handlebars before and it sort of scares the heck out of me. She assures me it’s fine.

“Don’t be a wuss,” she says. “I started riding on people’s handlebars when I was eight years old.”

“It doesn’t seem very safe, and if someone goes flying, it’s going to be me.”

“Yeah, but look on the bright side,” Nicola says. “Since you’ve already got all those bruises on your face and neck, no one will ever know you were injured.” If I weren’t too afraid of falling off this thing, I’d reach over and punch her shoulder. She gets off lucky.

---