Chapter 17
Elijah
Iwas seething inside.It took everything in me to not pound my fist into their faces. Erick was smug, able to get one up on me and touching what didn’t belong to him. I knew he would try to dosomething.
Morgan at least had the decency to look ashamed. I knew he wanted more than any man should from Dawn, but at least he’d tried to not keep looking at her while all of us were in my office. Erick, on the other hand, couldn’t keep his eyes off her—or his thoughts, I’msure.
I knew something was going to happen when Erick said he needed to answer a phone call, as did Galvin, and he sent Morgan out just a few secondslater.
I didn’t want these men in my house, but there wasn’t anything I could doabout it if I didn’t want any questions asked about what I was really up to. Dawn had taken the news well, surprisingly. I didn’t expect her to be so calm. At the same time, it was who she was trained to be by these men. I could tell she had shut down, closing off heremotions.
I hated seeing her having to do that, but understood why: it was her way of protecting herself. I quickly shot a text off to Kaleb, letting him go ahead with our plan while I followed Galvin to the kitchen. He wasn’t happy,either.
I didn’t want to let Dawn go, but I wasn’t sure what would happen to her if she was close when Kaleb showed up. All our planning was shot out the window, but we’d make it work to the best of ourability.
Knowing Mike had been taken into custody this morning after trying to find something in Kaleb’s office hadn’t helped my sour attitude after Galvin hadcalled.
I sadly watched her hurry away like her tail was on fire. I knew she’d be safe, as long as she did what I told her. It was the closest place to keep her safe—for the timebeing.
“Sorry about these two,” Galvin said, turning back to me. “They both know better than to touch what doesn’t belong tothem.”
“She belongs to me,” Erick said with a glare as he walked past me. “She’s a slut. I enjoyed taking her that first time, and I will take her again and again once I get my hands onher.”
I couldn’t stop my reaction. I turned around and punched him in the face. The sound of my fist hitting his jaw echoed around the kitchen. He alsogot couple punches in before Morgan pulled him back. My cheek stung like amotherfucker.
“Boys, boys, boys,” Galvin said, shaking his head. “Erick, I will deal with you when we get back to the compound. Morgan, you may go wait in thecar.”
Morgan left, not saying anything, but I knew he was looking around the house. He had something up his sleeve—I just wasn’t surewhat.
“Now, Erick, please apologizeto Mr. Hunter, since you were threatening his property. We’ve had this talk before,” Galvin said in his high-pitched voice, soundingbored.
“Sorry, Mr. Hunter,” Erick mumbled, looking anywhere but at me. He would have a few sore bruises, as I got more hits in onhim.
“Now, back to why we are here today,” Galvin said, taking a cookie off the abandoned plate. “She’s done well, cookingwise.”
“She’s a fast learner,” I said. “I was glad to see she was able to have some learning tools to help her do her jobhere.”
“All the girls are required to have some knowledge of reading and writing, since most are meant to cook meals. That’s why I have an age limit. Normally, I don’t take ones so young, but due to her mother's. . . . debts, I didn’t have a choice,” Galvin said sadly. “I’m glad she is doing wellhere.”
Dawn had taken well to the change, better than I would have expected.She wasn’t as skittish as many girls would have been after living in such an abusivesituation.
“She’s just what I needed,” Isaid.
“Perfect,” Galvin said. I could faintly hear two cars coming up the driveway, but only because I knew they were coming. “Are you by chance interested in another? I have another auction coming up in aweek.”
“Possibly. Where will it be? The same place?” I asked, taking a stand against the counter to make it seem like I was calm. It would be perfect to get men in that building and get those girls out after these men were taken tojail.
“As it always is,” Erickmumbled.
“Hush, boy,” Galvin said, giving Erick a look. I could tell Erick wanted to be anywhere but under the watchful of this man. I didn’t blame him, really. Galvin was full of power and could end his life easily without athought.
“I didn’t do anything!” Erick said, agitated, flinging his handsup.
At that moment, Kaleb and two officers came barging into the kitchen, yelling, “hands up!” I instantly put my hands up, watching as Erick and Galvin were handcuffed behind their backs and told their rights. I made sure to keep my face in a state ofshock.
“Where’s Dawn?” Kaleb asked once he got the two men intothepolice cars, saying he needed my statement. He already had my view of what went down, since it was mostly completely plannedout.
“Upstairs, hopefully not panicking. Did you get Morgan?” I answered, walking away to go find my girl, knowing he’dfollow.
