Page 168
“And what would this require from us?” Nix asks, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest.
“We would need to take in women from time to time, set them up with a new home here and give them protection if the threat managed to find its way here.”
“We could do that,” Ink says, nodding. “It’s not any different than what we’re doing now.”
He’s right.
It’s almost exactly what we do now.
And what does it matter if the women come from Baton Rouge or somewhere else.
“We have the guest cottage for a reason,” I point out and Smith nods.
“Yeah but depending on the volume of women we take in, we may need to build more.”
Storm nods. “We have the room to do so. How many others are involved in this network?”
“Right now,” Hawk says with a sigh. “It’s a lot of individuals who want to help in whatever way they can. Ben said they handle a lot of the transport but that is why he’s so interested in us coming on board. They need places for these women to go and they need people to protect them.”
“Sounds like our goal is the same,” Smith adds and Hawk nods.
“It very much is.” He pulls out another page and lays it on top of the others. “Ben and I talked about Raya and her situation. He agrees that getting her out of Baton Rouge is her best shot.”
I clench my jaw.
We already knew this was her best shot.
He didn’t need to confirm a goddamn thing.
“He says that they have a place for her to go…”
“Where?” I ask, cutting him off and he shakes his head, letting out a sigh.
“That’s the thing, Rooster. We wouldn’t know. Each link in the chain only knows about their pick up and drop off. No one along the way knows the whole route or where she’s going to end up. It’s the best way to keep her and Joey safe.
Fuck no.
I don’t like that.
I mean, it makes sense if I think about it.
But to leave it completely in someone else’s hands makes my stomach churn.
“She will still have all of our numbers,” he continues, watching me. “She’d be using a burner phone but she could call any of us if she needed anything. I need to stress that this is not us abandoning her.”
“Sure as fuck feels like it,” I growl.
“This is the best way to give her a new life,” Storm says, his gaze locked on me and a warning in his eyes. “This is what wanted and you’re going to have to let go of some control to achieve it.”
“She is our responsibility.”
He nods. “She is. And this is how we protect her.”
Shit.
He’s right.
I’ve said from the jump that we needed to get her out of Baton Rouge but we don’t have the resources to do so but Hawk’s buddy does. And as much as I want to have my hand in every part of this to make sure it all goes right, it’s just not possible.
