Page 10 of SEAL's Providence
“I guess it did. But I love what I do. I have missed having girlfriends, though.”
“You’ve got some now and we won’t let you wither away in your office. Will we girls?” Harmony asked.
“Nope, not at all. We’ll have to plan a girls’ night as soon as possible.” Tempest nodded.
“Actually, I have an idea for a girls’ afternoon. Maybe next weekend?” Providence suggested.
“What are you thinking?” Tempest asked. “Can we get into trouble?”
“There’s always that possibility, I suppose. But it shouldn’t be too dangerous, unless they go overboard clipping our cuticles.” Providence grinned. “Iwas thinking we could go to my nail salon and get pampered. Then dinner afterward?”
“Oh wow. I’d love that. I can’t remember the last time I had a mani-pedi.” Harmony grinned.
“Me either, actually,” Tempest said. “I know you haven’t been in a long time either, Grace.”
“Very true. Let me see if Lucky will be home and then I’m a definite yes. But, I have a question. Honestly, I can’t believe I’m saying this before Ms. Naval Intelligence Woman does, but I’m getting vibes that this isn’t just about getting our nails done. My spidey senses are tingling.”
Providence laughed. This day was nothing like she’d expected, and she really liked these women. Grace was exactly as Tempest described her, and Harmony, she was just so sweet. It was hard to believe she was married to a Navy SEAL.
Tempest grinned at her sister. “It’s not like you gave me the chance. But yeah, I was getting the same vibe. What’s our mission?”
Harmony giggled.
She was such a sweet woman.
Did Providence want to drag her and Grace into this mess? It was possible she had the wrong idea about what was going on in the salon, but she didn’t think so. As she glanced around the island ather new friends, she nibbled on her thumbnail. How much should she tell them?
“I don’t know that I’d call it a mission, but definitely reconnaissance.”
Tempest quirked an eyebrow, but the others didn’t react.
Providence took a deep breath and a sip of margarita. She couldn’t let those women suffer if her suspicions were right. Just thinking about her technician’s little girl made her mind up. Now she’d need to pray that if she was right about the salon that a certain team of SEALs wouldn’t kill her for involving their women.
“Have any of you been to the Lotus Blossom Salon on Pacific Avenue?” Providence asked and watched their reactions.
“Not me.” Harmony shook her head.
“Me either,” Grace said. “The last salon I went to was in DC before I adopted Hope.”
“I don’t think I have either, or at least I don’t remember. I’ve been here a little over a year and I’ve gone for a couple of manicures, but nothing stands out to me,” Tempest said.
“Okay. I found it the first week I was here while waiting to move into my base housing. I was staying in a hotel and asked at the front desk. Since I’d justspent two years on a ship, I figured it was a perfect way to spend the afternoon.”
The women nodded and waited for her to continue.
After tucking her hair behind her ear, Providence continued to explain while praying she wouldn’t regret not keeping this between her and Tempest. “What I’m about to say is mostly supposition on my part. But I think the shop is using trafficked women to work off their transport.” There, she’d said it. As her gaze shifted from one to the other, she watched her words sink in.
“Oh no,” Harmony exclaimed.
Grace’s cheeks flushed with color, and her eyes squinted. The woman was livid. But it was Tempest who spoke.
“What clued you in?” Tempest asked.
Relief that they didn’t tell her she was crazy and would listen to her concerns, made Providence feel a lot better. When she’d gone to the police with her suspicions, they told her unless she had proof there was nothing they could do. But she could tell they thought she was just imagining the whole thing. But deep down, she knew these women needed rescuing and she would make sure it happened. Whatever she had to do.
“I haven’t been to a beauty parlor since I leftMississippi years ago. It was just a small town with a little storefront. More gossip went on there than manicures, and haircuts, but it was something to do and cheap fun.”
“Wow, I haven’t heard it called a beauty parlor in forever,” Harmony said. “I came from a small town in Iowa.”
