I’d texted the Saints what little she’d told me.
Carly nods, fingers tightening in the blanket.
“Did you see other girls?” he asks. No pressure in it. Just direct.
She swallows. “I heard… someone crying. Once. In another room.”
Ava’s jaw tightens, subtle but real.
“Did they move you?” I ask. “Transport? Mention anything about a timeline?”
Carly shakes her head. “They said I’d sell for more.”
The room goes still.
Viper’s expression doesn’t change much. But something hard drops into it.
Ava reaches out slowly and places her hand over Carly’s. “You’re not the only one,” she says gently. “And you’re not the last. The Saints handle this kind of thing.”
Carly looks between them.
“Handle it how?” she asks.
Viper answers. “Thoroughly.”
There’s no bravado in it. Just fact.
Carly watches the way Ava glances at Viper, the way he shifts half an inch closer without thinking. Protective without smothering. Present without controlling.
It’s subtle.
But she sees it.
Her gaze flicks back to me.
“You really can stop them?” she asks quietly.
“Yes,” I say.
No hesitation.
Ava squeezes her hand once. “You did the hardest part already. You got out.”
Carly’s chin lifts a fraction at that.
Viper pushes off the wall. “We’ll start digging into the club. Sin’s already tracing ownership and cash flow. Ghost’s got eyes on the property. Havoc’s aware.”
Carly blinks. “That’s… a lot.”
“That’s how they work,” Ava says softly.
They finish their coffee. The waffles go mostly untouched, but Carly manages a few bites.
Before they leave, Ava turns back to her.
“You’re safe here,” she says gently. “And if you need anything, you ask.”
Carly smiles faintly.
