How’s your week been? Did the project you’ve been working on finish? Things have been up and down for me. I turned another year older and got a visit from an old friend. It was nice. It’s just so hard to say goodbye. I’ve had to do that a lot in my life.
You were talking about motorcycles in your last message. What kind do you have? I’m thinking of getting one for myself.I miss riding.
Hope you’re having a fantastic day. Let’s meet up in the private chat again, soon.
Rose
She missed me.
It shouldn’t feel as good as it did. I knew it was hurting her, but it gave me hope, and that was what I needed to keep pushing through.
* * *
When the movie ended, I helped the girls get off the property without running into any other members. I didn’t know where my father found them or what he promised them, but I didn’t want to put any other girls in the position Darcie had been. The last thing I wanted was for them to be subjected to that.
I had a few hours before I needed to meet Tom, so I veered toward Becca’s room, wanting to check in with her since I’d been gone. Nodding at the guard permanently stationed at her door, I knocked on the hot pink monstrosity and waited until I heard her shout I could enter.
“Bubbie!” she yelled, jumping off the bed and running toward me. I held her tight, always enjoying Becca’s hugs.
“Hey, squirt. How’s my favorite girl?”
She laughed. “I’m not your favorite. Darcie is.”
“You can both be my favorite. Whatcha working on?” I leaned against her desk as she settled back on the floor next to a coloring book. Becca was twenty and had Down Syndrome. She’d been at a school for most of the year, letting her have some space from the club. I didn’t respect my father, but he’d at least given her a chance to have an everyday life. Though, his reasons were to make her more attractive to a suitor and hope to keep her pure if she wasn’t around feral men all the time.
I hadn’t cared too much about his reasons, as long as it kept her safer. But now that she’d graduated, he was moving up his plans to send her off. I couldn’t let that happen. I’d been working with the Mavericks to get her into hiding if necessary. But ultimately, I was working on setting up a different meet where my father thought she was sold, but it was to someone safe. I knew if he didn’t get something from the exchange, he wouldn’t stop looking for her. Meeting with Tom, I hoped to finally have a viable option. It was needed now more than ever.
“I’m making a picture to take to my new home.”
“Your new home?” I asked, fear filling me.
“Yeah, Daddy said I was going to meet my husband.”
Becca’s innocence was too pure for someone to tarnish.
“Oh, how are you feeling about that?”
She shrugged. “If he buys me a puppy, I’ll be happy.”
I smiled, knowing how much she’d wanted a pet her whole life. “Hmm, is that so? Well, I just wanted to come and give my best girl a hug. I have some things to do, but I’ll see you later. Do not leave until you say bye, okay?”
“Okay.” She stood, giving me another hug.
“Love you, Bubbie.”
“Love you too, Squirt.”
When the time to meet Tom rolled around, I snuck out, hoping my father wouldn’t come and check on me. Except, it seemed like he’d had an ace up his sleeve and had been testing me.
“Hands up where we can see them!” the officer yelled as he and his colleagues stormed the place I’d been waiting. Dread filled me, knowing I’d been set up, and it was time to pull my emergency card.
“Maddox King, you’re under arrest for drug trafficking. You have the right to remain silent…”
“I’d like to make my one phone call.”
“You can do that at the station.”
“No, I need to do it now.Songbird.”