“I can’t,” I whisper.
“Because you don’t feel safe?”
“I don’t want him to get in trouble.”
“And I know you didn’t go willingly,” she says but there’s no judgment in her tone. “If you’re in danger, I’ll help you.
“I’m not in danger,” I assure her. “At least not in the way you would think.”
“You care for him.”
“It didn’t start out that way.”
“It never does, Raya.”
I look up at her, only now realizing I don't even know her name and she's expecting me to confide in her. So, I ask her.
“Lauren Voss,” she says.
“And you were an FBI agent?”
She nods. “My specialty was sex trafficking cases. I worked undercover and have seen many horrifying things. I know that it's not uncommon for women to behave a certain way to stay safe.”
I swallow down a rush of emotions. I've seen newscasts and read stories online about the horrific things that happen to sexually trafficked women.
“You no longer have to pretend to care for him or like what has happened. You're safe. And that man out there won't ever be able to hurt you again. He can't hurt you any longer.”
“He's not hurting me,” I rush out. “He's never hurt me.”
“There's a difference between hurting you a little and hurting you a lot,” she says. “The man drugged you and carried your unconscious body off the beach. He doesn't care for you.”
“You don't understand,” I argue.
“I understand more than you could possibly imagine,” she says.
It dawns on me that Lauren has already made up her mind about this entire situation and there's no chance that I'll be able to change it. She's a prime example of how anyone from the outside looking in would see this situation, and it's like a slap to the face. Any expectation of making people understand is gone. It doesn't change anything though. Just because what Liam and I have isn’t what others would want, doesn’t make me need it any less.
“It may not be normal but I don't care. I appreciate your concern,” I say as I stand from the small table. “The fact that you're willing to help someone so quickly, without explanation, is commendable. But I don't need your help.”
I quickly make my way out of the small kitchenette and back down the hallway. Angel and Liam are standing close together in a heated argument. They both stop speaking the second I step into the room. I'm upset, nearing the point of tears, as I walk across the room.
I know Lauren is right behind me because I listen to her footsteps trailing at my back on the way into the room. But I can't look at her. Reassuring her that I'm fine and that Liam will no longer hurt me because that's not who Liam is, rather than her providing the security that I need doesn't cross my mind. The only thing I can think about is getting back to him.
If these people aren't willing to help us, there's no point in sticking around. He clasps my hand the second I hold it out to him. The squeezing of his fingers against mine are all that I need in assurance. He's angry to the point of trembling but he doesn't say a word as we walk out of the building into our new world of uncertainty.
Chapter 33
Liam
“Thanks,” I tell the desk clerk, not feeling an ounce of gratitude. I don't bother looking around the parking lot as I walk back to the car. People in seedy motels don't pay attention to anyone else because they don't want people paying attention to them.
After the front desk clerk took cash, I figured I wouldn't have any problems getting a room here tonight. When he didn't bother hiding the fact that he was stealing the money when he pocketed it right in front of me, I knew for a fact I wasn't going to have any trouble.
Raya is silent, lost in her own little world, as I drive the car closer to the room we’ve been given. I don’t know what Lauren said to her, but she came back into the front office, looking somehow terrified and extremely annoyed at the same time.
I’m itchy, my skin feeling exactly the same way, as I park the car, as it did the night I took her. It's not an unfamiliar feeling, and that's what bothers me the most. My pounding heart and sweaty palms are the physical manifestations of the worry going through my mind. I know what I have to do. I just don't know if it's going to be the right choice.
My life has worked out for the better through a series of events. Working hard and not giving a shit who I step on has helped. But I'm not the only one in this situation right now. I have more than myself to worry about and not just from a safety standpoint.