I drop my backpack on the bed. “I don’t have much to put away. It took an act of God to get out of the compound unnoticed. I only had time to grab a few outfits and a couple pairs of shoes.”
“Do you have any savings?”
“Fortunately, I’ve been stashing money in a secret account for two years. I managed to put away ten thousand dollars.”
Her mouth drops open. “How?”
“Skimming off the money Sammy gave me to pay household expenses. And… I sold half of my jewelry, too. No matter how much of an asshole Sammy was, he liked me to look good.”
“Never mind the bruises.”
“Yeah.”
She opens the closet and shows me a few dresses she bought for me. “We’ll go to the mall soon. And you can shop online.”
I had limited access to the internet at the compound, the brothers were always monitoring my activities. “I’ve never shopped online before.”
“What? Do you have a credit card, Starlet?”
I shake my head.
“Do you haveanycredit?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“Tell me you have a Social Security number.”
“I do.”
“Don’t worry, sweetie. Soon enough, all of this will seem like a fading nightmare. Do you want to visit the shop?”
“I’d love to.”
I follow her to the living room and through a set of French doors. Excitement slowly uncoils inside me. I’ve never had a real job. I’ve never earned my own money; just what Sammy gave me as an allowance if I was a good girl. Although he could be generous at times, he ruled our household and the club with an iron fist.
Once I’m standing inside the store, I slowly turn around, taking in the shelves of pottery, incense, and jewelry. There’s even a book section with poetry and romance novels. “You didn’t exaggerate at all,” I tease. “I can’t imagine a man ever wanting to walk through those doors.”
Juanita chuckles. “I planned it that way. And that’s why you’ll be safe here. The last place one of those Devil’s Crusaders will look for you is in a boutique that caters to women. Your room is over there.” She points across the aisle. “I got everything you asked for, Starlet. And let me tell you something wonderful, your schedule is already filled up next week. I even changed your name to Sarah. I think it’s better we don’t get too personal with the customers.”
“I agree. I just can’t believe my schedule is full already!”
“Absolutely. Five appointments a day, starting at nine. Women like having their fortunes told. Here.” She hands me a key. “Go check it out.”
Very slowly, I walk across the room and stand in front of the ornately carved door. This is where my new life begins. I stick the key in the lock and turn it, both afraid and delighted to see where I’m going to spend a lot of my time.
