After about ten minutes, she glanced out the window and stiffened. “Where are we going?”
“The police might be looking for us,” I said gently. “I’m trying to make sure we’re safe, which means driving out of Little Rock a little bit.”
She went still, then started shaking. “Are you moving me somewhere else?”
“You mean to another house?”
She slowly shook her head. “Another city. Maya said they were probably gonna move some of us to Memphis soon.”
I fucking hated these people. “No, Lexi. I promise, we’re just going to hide for a bit. We’re leaving Little Rock, but we’re not going far.”
“Okay.” She relaxed at that, sinking back into the seat.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
Her gaze flicked up to mine in surprise. “Buddy says I shouldn’t eat before I work.”
I lifted a shoulder into a lazy shrug. “We’re done workin’ tonight, right? We might as well pick up something to eat. What sounds good?”
She looked even more stunned. “You’re lettin’ me pick? Buddy never lets me pick unless I had a really good night.”
Buddy was a fucking prick, and I hoped James gave him what he deserved. And more. “Well, I’m hungry and I’m having trouble coming up with what I want,” I said. “So, I thought you might have something in mind.”
“I can pick anything?” she asked in a small voice.
I wasn’t a hugger, but every part of my being wanted to pull over, wrap my arms around her, and promise her those people would never hurt her again. But I couldn’t do that yet, so I kept my tone light. “Anything. You may not have made your minimum, but you did exactly what you were supposed to tonight, so consider this a reward.”
Her face brightened, confirming what I’d already suspected: she’d been trained to please her captors, likely because they rewarded her when she did.
She seemed to mull it over for a few seconds. “Can I have some fries?” she asked, still tentative.
Fries? That’s all she was asking for?
“Surely, you want more then fries,” I said. “What about a hamburger? Hell, we don’t even need to get fast food. We could get Chinese or Mexican.” I couldn’t take her into a restaurant, but I could have Carter order something for me to pick up. Either way, I figured I’d need to let him know where Lexi and I ended up so someone knew.
“Can we get McDonald’s?” she asked wistfully. “I like their chicken nuggets.”
“McDonald’s it is,” I said, already scanning the roadside for signs. “But I’m in the mood for a feast. I say we got lots of food, so what else would you like? A shake? Hot fudge sundae?”
Her eyes widened, then her expression tightened as she became guarded. “You’re not like Buddy or Savannah.”
I held her gaze in the mirror for several seconds. “No, Lexi. I’m not. I will never hurt you. I believe in treating people with kindness.”
I worried I’d gone too far, too fast. An older girl would probably have been more suspicious, but she must have believed me because her shoulders loosened.
“I like you, Amber.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and gave her bright smile. “I like you too, Lexi. A lot. Which is why we’re gonna buy lots of food. Maybe one of everything.”
She giggled, and I couldn’t help thinking she should be laughing with friends her age, not in the backseat of a car driven by a woman she believed would drive her to her next sex act.
A few miles later, I pulled up to a McDonald’s drive through. I didn’t order everything, but I did buy enough food to feed ten people.
While we waited in line, I sent a few texts to James, letting him know that Lexi had confirmed Buddy worked for Knox, and that Nixon was Buddy’s boss. I also told him someone named Savannah was another handler, and a girl named Maya had said she thought they’d be moving girls to Memphis soon. The more he knew, the easier it would be for him to tell if Buddy was telling him the truth.
When we reached the window and the cashier started handing in bag after bag, she said, “You must be feeding an army.”
I shot a grin at Lexi, then said, “Something like that.”
