Page 51 of Their Wicked Secrets: Untouched, Vol 5 of 6

“Girls were being trafficked through our area.” Mom pauses and looks at me.

Is she worried I’m going to jump in and tell the whole story? About the guys’ fathers’ involvement? Or is she looking at me to ask me how much to tell Kenz? I shrug. No matter what the question is, I don’t know the answer.

She returns her gaze to Kenz. “Occasionally, I was able to get one or two out when they came into the hospital.”

“Fuck,” Kenz says. “Really? Traffickers? As if our town wasn’t already fucked up.”

Mom nods. “We set up safe houses. We were able to move them around until we could find a place where they could start over. Give them support and therapy along the way. There were other women we helped too. Abused women who needed out. That’s where the other nurses came into play.”

Mom takes my hand and holds it. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you got home. I didn’t want you to have to run with me while I figured things out.”

“What happened that night?” I hold my breath, not sure what to expect. The guys sheltered me from whatever happened in my room, but it couldn’t have been good.

“I went out to get dinner through a drive through.” Mom takes a breath. “When I came back, a guy was coming out of your room, so I ran.”

“Why didn’t you take your car?”

“I ate in the car and was washing my hands when he appeared. I didn’t think. I just took off. Besides, we didn’t know if my car was being tracked.” She runs her hand through her hair. “I went to Heather.”

Kenz’s mom.

“We’ve done this for years. The underground system I built helped me.” Mom’s brown eyes meet mine. “I built it in case I ever had to get you out. When I told you we might have to run, this is what I meant. We help women start over. We give them a chance at a new life. But for us, that would have meant cutting all ties with our old life.”

The guys. I can’t lose them. I hate that she had to build this, but I’m so proud of her for what she’s accomplished. For all those women she helped.

“Any idea who it was in my room?” With everyone looking for shit on us, who knows if it was a student or someone William hired.

Mom shakes her head. “He wore all black. Athletic build.”

My eyes meet Kenz’s and hers widen. She opens her mouth and glances at my mom before she shuts it. We lied about the guy being in the house, saying he was outside, but I told Mom when I told her everything.

“Mom knows about the guy in my room.”

Kenz blows out a breath. “Do we think it was Zach or Tanner?”

I shake my head. “We thought Zach, but it could have been Tanner. When they set the trap, it was someone else, because Zach and Tanner were at other places. Boys suck.”

Mom touches my hair. “How have you been? Are the guys taking care of you?”

Fuck. “I’ve been staying with Caden because he can hide me best, but his mom found me there last night. She said she owed you for something you did for her in high school. She seemed worried her husband would find me there.”

“Emily.” Mom smiles softly. “She always had a soft spot for Bruce. He wasn’t the worst of them, just power hungry.”

“What did you do for her?” I ask, wanting to know why Emily was willing to take Bruce away to keep him from finding me. But maybe she just didn’t want him caught up in whatever William is planning. It might have nothing to do with me.

Mom chuckles softly. “Megan Roberts. Emily and Bruce had just started seeing each other. Megan didn’t like that, pretty much wanted Bruce to herself, so she cornered Emily in the girls’ bathroom. I came in while Megan was beating Emily up and punched Megan before hauling Emily out of the bathroom.”

Mom’s eyes clear when she focuses on me. “Megan got expelled after we went to the principal with the story. Emily got Bruce. The end.”

“I always knew you’d throw down in a fight, Mrs. D.” Kenz grins and thumbs her nose like a boxer.

Mom shakes her head and blows out a breath. “I have to come back.”

My heart picks up pace and I smile. It’s like a weight lifts off me.

“But it’s not going to be safe.” She grabs my hands and searches my eyes. “You shouldn’t be alone in the house. Neither of us really should be alone.”

Her brow wrinkles.