“From what I can gather, she was sold for that and prostitution.” He said it so off-the-cuff. Like he was talking about the weather.
Flashbacks of another childhood caught her by surprise. Zoe closed her eyes and leaned back, breathing hard.
Jack took her hand and squeezed gently. “Are you going to be sick? Should I pull over?”
“If you send her home, won’t they just sell her again?” Zoe did her best to sit up, open her eyes, and dispel the awful memories.
Jack shrugged. “Nothing we can do about it. She belongs to her family. Her government will be notified. I have charities overseas that–”
“No.” Zoe shook her head and looked back at the girl, whose mouth was drawn down in a deep frown.
“No, what?” Jack peered at her.
“No, you’re not sending her back.”
“Not my call, honey. I don’t have the authority to keep her in the country.” Jack used that placating and condescending voice that she hated.
She glared him down but his eyes were on the road. “Well I think that’s total bullshit.”
“Just because I have some talent with energy, doesn’t mean I can manipulate the whole government to my will. I can’t fix every bad thing in the whole wide world.”
“We’re not sending that little girl back into a life of prostitution. End of story.”
“I never said that. I said she needs to be with her family.” Jack gripped the steering wheel tightly. His neck muscles twitched just below his ears.
How could she make him understand? This was about more than just the girl. It was about her. If only there had been someone there to save her, to protect her.
Could she trust him enough to tell him what had happened? She shivered and looked out the window.
“Do mated men ever stray?” She picked at a loose string on the seam of her jeans.
He turned sharply to look at her with a deep frown.
“I guess they could, but why? The sex would never be better than with their mate.” Jack smirked a little too arrogantly.
“What if a couple isn’t compatible outside of the bedroom?”
“They figure it out. A mate is more than a husband or a wife, more than just being a lover. I keep trying to tell you that.” He rubbed her leg and gave her a dimpled smile. “There’s other reasons for holding onto the relationship. We’re a small group. Through the centuries, our race has been hunted and tortured. We have to mate sensibly. When there's a powerful line, like ours, it’s our duty to see it passed on and ensure the next generation's safety.”
How well he spliced love right out of the equation. “So even if you find you don’tlikeme, you won’t leave?”
Jack answered sharply, “Is that what this is all about? You’re afraid I won’t stay with you?”
Damn the man was thick.
No. I’m afraid you won’t ever love me.
“I still have trust issues.” She didn't mean for that to slip out.
“Issues?” He honed in onthattopic like a heat-seeking missile.Figures.
“Yeah. Big time trust issues,” she mumbled.
“You don’t trust me?”
Dammit Jack, it’s not always all about you.
She shrugged and looked away.
