The social worker didn’thesitate to set the carrier down on one of the leather couches inside the common room as soon as she entered. Pulling out a bottle of water from the diaper bag and scooping some kind of powder out of a can, she combined the ingredients. After a few shakes to mix correctly, she spun the top on the bottle, setting the white liquid down on the table in front of her before she unbuckled the baby. He was squalling loudly, alerting everyone in the Crossroads that we had one pissed-off visitor.
As soon as he was snug in her arms, she picked up the bottle and popped it into his mouth. His loud swallows filled the sudden silence as he sucked greedy gulps of fluid from the nipple. The baby grabbed one of her fingers, holding tight as if to prevent her from pulling the bottle from his little mouth.
She blew out a breath, focusing her attention in our direction as if she just realized we were all staring. “He’s a feisty one. Doesn’t like to miss mealtimes,” she offered a timid smile that was almost apologetic. “Now that we’ve got a few minutes, I can start answering your questions.”
Grim stared at the baby, watching silently as he continued to feed noisily, making little grunting and nasal sounds as he fed. “How old is he?”
“A few weeks. I would have been here sooner, but I wasn’t notified right away.”
“Notified of what?”
She leaned back against the couch, shifting slightly to cradle the baby’s head easier. “Of Katya Resnikov’s final wishes.”
Grim froze at the mention of Sergei’s last name. “Who is the father of this child?”
“Unknown.” She shrugged. “The mother was uncertain.” She sighed, tilting her head back for a brief moment. “She was the niece of Sergei Resnikov. I’m sure you’re familiar with the name and his associate Vladimir Solonik.”
“Something like that,” I muttered under my breath.
Grim shot a look in my direction like he didn’t want anyone tipping her off. She was an outsider. I gave him a brief nod, and his shoulders released a tiny bit of the tension they held.
“She was betrayed and sold into service as a sex worker when she arrived from Russia nearly two years ago. Her uncle lied and fabricated a story about modeling to gain her interest. Once she was in his possession, there was nothing she could do. He kept her prisoner, and on occasion, even used her for himself.” The disgust in her voice was secondary only to the sadness that lingered.
“Fuck,” Bodie whispered, swallowing hard as his head turned away.
Lucky stood taller, glaring outside with the memory of what happened to his ol’ lady Cindi before she got pregnant.
We all understood what dangers lurked outside this compound and the risks that each of our women faced. At least we protected our own. Those Russian fuckers saw nothing more than dollar signs.
“I met her once. Someone had given her a card with my name on it when she found out that she was pregnant.”
Grim was still watching the baby as he fed, slowing down the rate of his sucks. He was no longer starving but unwilling to finish his meal. “That must have been an interesting conversation. I assume that’s how you know of the Crossroads.”
“Yes, and no. Katya confided in me over the ten minutes she was able to hold the conversation. She wanted to know if I could help her locate a good family for her child once the baby was born. I promised that I could, but before I could offer her any assistance, find her location, or learn the name of her abductors, she ended the call.”
Grim cocked his head to the side. “Sounds a bit vague.”
The social worker gave him a sharp look, one partially shielded by her dark sunglasses but no less annoyed. “I created a file for Katya. I’d been given enough information to know her due date and general location, but the Great Basin runs through a good portion of Nevada, and I had no idea where to look or how long she would remain a prisoner.”
She pulled the nipple from the baby’s mouth, and he didn’t resist. His eyes fluttered as she placed the bottle aside and then picked up his tiny body, draping him over her chest as she gently burped him. A loud sound followed as she smiled, then placed him back inside the carrier.
“Yeva was born under duress. Katya was malnourished and underweight her entire pregnancy. He’s a healthy baby, though. A fighter. I imagine his mother was too. She fought her injuries in the hospital for nearly forty-eight hours before she died.” The social worker’s voice wavered as she stood, swallowing hard to control her emotions.
“Take your time,” Grim offered, showing more patience than I ever could.
“She wrote and signed a will, placing her best friend Naomi Peters as the guardian of her child. There were instructions about how to find Naomi and her sister Nylah who works at the urgent care center in Tonopah. I’ve come with the paperwork and to fulfill the dying wish of the bravest young woman I’ve ever known.” She pulled her sunglasses from her eyes and met Grim’s dubious stare. “My name is Tawni Baker. I’d really like to meet Naomi now.”
The rest of her words didn’t compute. My brain fizzled as my stomach bottomed out. Shock blasted through my body like a freight train straight to my heart, slamming into my chest as I nearly stumbled. Tawni Baker. Alive.
My heart soared and then dived with an uneventful splat onto the polished hardwood floors beneath my boots. Alive. Not dead as I believed.
How did she escape? How the fuck was she still alive?
My last glimpse of her tear-stained face still lingered in my nightmares. Memories of the night that changed my life forever surfaced. The perfect kiss that we shared. Making love in the back of my truck. Then total shit. The attack I didn’t see coming. The two goons holding me down as I took their hits. A beating that nearly killed me. All for her.
My hands clenched at my sides as I took a step closer and nearly called out her name, desperately wishing I could rush forward to throw my arms around her waist, tucking her into my chest the way I used to do so long ago.
The one that got away.