Jewel’s face pales.“I can’t leave.”Her bottom lip wobbles, and I squeeze my eyes shut, taking a deep breath.
I grab Jewel’s shoulders gently, not wanting to scare her more than she already is.“Yes, you can.Your mom is worried sick.Come on.”I step back, grab her arm, and start moving toward the door.
She pulls out of my grip and shakes her head.“I’m not allowed to leave.”
“Yes, you are.You’re coming home,” I reply, reaching the door.My hand rests on the handle.
“This is my home.They own me,” Jewel’s voice is so low, I almost think that I’ve misheard her.
Fuck.We don’t have time for this.I thought the difficult part of the rescue would be finding Jewel—not convincing her to come home.This place has brainwashed her and it kills me.How many others are just like her, not understanding what’s right or wrong anymore?
I release a heavy exhale and turn back around, moving in front of Jewel to grab her hands in mine.She doesn’t pull away, but her gaze is at our feet.
“Nobody owns you except you.You can be free if you want to,” I say, gently resting my fingers under her chin, and I raise her gaze to mine.“Do you want to be free?”
Tears pool behind her brown eyes.She nods, and that’s all I need.
I intertwine our fingers and move back toward the door.After twisting the knob, I look out into the corridor.Loud voices carry from farther around the corner, getting closer and closer.Damn it.I close the door behind me and Jewel stands there.Her eyes are full of tears.Black smudges run down her cheek.
“Is there another way out of here?”I ask and Jewel shrugs, pointing toward the adjoining bathroom.The door is wide open.I step inside, flicking on the light.There’s a clawfoot-style bathtub sitting opposite the door and a small window above it.
Jewel shuts the bathroom door behind her, and I kick off my heels, then climb into the bath, reaching for the window.It’s too high.
“Come here,” I say to Jewel, and she joins me in the bath.
“I’m going to hoist you up.Open the window and get out.Got it?”I ask, and Jewel bites into her bottom lip, nodding.
I push her up by her ass, and she reaches the window.A loud bang comes from inside the bedroom and we both freeze, watching the bathroom door.Fuck.We have to move.Now.
“Hurry,” I whisper to Jewel, and she opens the window, lifting the pane up.She pushes out the screen, and it falls to the ground outside.I boost her up higher, and she climbs through the window headfirst.Then she’s out.
The door handle twists and my heart skyrockets.I jump up onto the edge of the bathtub and grip the window ledge, pulling myself up.I push my chest out the window.Jewel is standing against the brick wall, her body shaking.She reaches up for me as I push myself farther through the window, kicking my legs.
The bathroom door opens and someone curses.A hand grabs my leg, and I scream.Jewel grips my arms, pulling me out, but the person holding my legs is too strong.I’m pulled backward through the window, the pane digging into my stomach feeling like it’s ripping my insides apart.No!I kick hard, hitting whoever has their grip on me, and Jewel pulls, bringing me farther outside.
Hands latch on to me again, but I keep kicking until I’m falling right on top of Jewel.We tumble to the ground with a heavy thud, and she groans from beneath me.
“Sorry,” I say, before a deep voice yells through the window.
“Hey!”
I jump up, reaching out for Jewel.She grabs my arm, I pull her up, and we sprint down the alleyway.
We don’t stop until the club is far in the distance and my lungs give out.
My conversation with Aubrey has left a weight on my shoulders.This is bigger than just one stolen girl.I’m not stopping until I save every single girl in that room who wants to be saved.I’ll work to find them places to stay, and jobs they can rely on that don’t mean prostitution—especially at the age of fourteen.I wanted something meaningful to do with my life, and this is so much more than that.
Those girls didn’t have anyone looking out for them before—but now they do.
That enforcer better lock his doors at night because I’m coming for him, and I won’t stop until he’s dead and those girls are free.
Chapter Thirty
Amirah
I had a plan.Run from the house, find a neighbor, use their phone to call my brother, and be reunited with my family.But that all changed the moment Callan answered the door.The moment I heard Cleo’s little voice behind him, asking who was there, and Callan yelling at her to go into the living room.I had to get her out of there.
I wanted to punch him in the face.There was no way I could leave Cleo with him.I didn’t trust him before, due to his involvement with the club, and then hearing the way he spoke to Cleo?It was immediately obvious she wasn’t safe with him.
