“We need to go to the hospital to get you checked out.”
Jewel shakes her head.“I can’t pay for that.”
I scoff.“You know I’ll cover everything.We need to make sure you don’t have any infections,” I say gently.Not to mention, any injuries from what those men have done.
“Some of the clients are doctors.I’m worried they’ll take me again,” she says, her eyes tearing up.
“You know I’ll never let anything happen to you, right?”
“I just want to see my mom and to disappear,” she says, and I nod.
I want to force her to get checked, but I can’t.I can’t imagine what she’s been through, but maybe I can help.Perhaps I can find a therapist in another town—someplace far away—who’d be willing to help her, to talk to her.After what she’s been through, she’s going to need all the support she can get.
“How are you feeling?”I ask.
“Honestly, I don’t know.I’m just waiting for the enforcer to come and take me back.I was only in there for three years, but it felt like a lifetime.”She sits on the bed next to me, and I fight the urge to pull her in for a hug.I don’t want to overwhelm her so soon, but damn, it’s good to see her after all this time.
“What did he do to you?”I ask, though I’m not sure I want to know the answer.
“He never hurt me personally, but he scared us.Created fear among the women.He always had a knife.Taunted us.Threatened.I was too scared to disobey, out of fear he’d attack us and make good on his promises, and once I saw him shoot a man point-blank when he refused to pay his bill,” she says.Her bottom lip wobbles.
“Do you know if any of the other men from The Brotherhood are involved?”
“I’m not sure—I only ever reported to Callan, but I think Zeke may have been aware,” she says, and I bite my bottom lip.
I know Callan and Zeke are involved in this scheme, but if I can get the enforcer’s name, too, then I can take the entire club down.I can fuck up these men who strike fear into the hearts of innocent women.
“Who is the enforcer?”I ask, and Jewel’s gaze moves from me to my bedroom door and back again.
“Am I safe here?”she asks, and I place a hand on her thigh.She flinches ever so slightly, so I pull back.
“Yes, you are safe here.I promise.”
Though she nods, her shoulders are tense and her hands shake.Anger boils up inside of me.She shouldn’t be feeling like this.On edge.I want to take her fear away and replace it with protection and love.
“Nowhere is ever safe, Amirah.You should know that,” she whispers, and I swallow hard.
“I know, but I won’t let anyone hurt you again,” I say, and Jewel pushes her lips together.“I don’t know who the enforcer is.I’ve never seen his face,” she says, and I frown.
“What do you mean?”
Jewel shifts on the bed, moving back against the pillows, resting her head.“He wears a mask.”
I lie down next to her, staring up at the ceiling.“What kind of mask?”
“It’s always different.From animals to clowns,” she says, and I turn my head, watching her.Her face is as white as a ghost as she stares at the door with a blank look in her eyes.
“That’s creepy,” I whisper, and she doesn’t reply.“How did you end up working at the club?”I know I’m pushing so much on her, and maybe I shouldn’t.
“I needed money.They offered me a job at the club, stripping, but then it turned into more than that.”Her throat bobs and she scratches her arm.“They forced us to sleep with the men, something I didn’t want to do, but they said I didn’t have a choice.If I didn’t, they were going to hurt me, and I found that out the hard way.They kept us locked in a giant hall, sleeping on the floor.The only time we got food or could leave was when we worked.”
She sobs, and I pull her into my arms, rubbing her back.This is crazy.
“Did you get onto my mother?”she asks, pulling back.
“Not yet, but I’ve got no doubt she’ll be here as soon as she wakes up.”
She lies back on the bed, her eyelids starting to drop.When her soft snores fill the bedroom, I let out a heavy sigh.
