Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“But not everything.” I whip my hands to my hips. “Why are you here, anyway?”
“Well, it wasn’t to spill the beans about Brendan’s payoff.” Brock eyes Donny. “Nice going, Don.”
“Hey, nobody told me they were dating.” Donny slaps the back of Brock’s head. “You couldn’t have let me in on that fact?”
“Did the fact that Brendan walked me home and kissed me good night not clue you in?” I ask.
“Yeah, I just didn’t think…”
“You didn’t think,” I say. “I know you guys mean well. Our family always means well. But Brendan will hate this. And if I’m going to have any kind of relationship with him—”
“Relationship?” Donny asks. “The two of you are serious?”
“I don’t know yet. But I’d like the option.”
“He’s quite a bit older than you are,” Donny says. “He’s Dale’s age, for God’s sake.”
“And Dale’s wife is ten years younger than he is,” I say. “Look, it took me a while to get over the age thing too, but Brendan is a great guy.”
“No one said he isn’t,” Brock says.
“He’s an even greater guy than I thought he was. He listens to me. He’s interested in what I have to say. He doesn’t care that I refuse my family’s money or that I believe in the tarot. He doesn’t brush me off as some kind of oddball.” I sigh. “You still haven’t told me why you’re here.” I look specifically at Brock. “I went to your parents’ the other night to get some questions answered, and no one—including you—was willing to help me.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Brock says. “We do think you should talk to your mom and dad, but Don and I, with Dale’s blessing, came to talk to you about what we found out.”
Donny clears his throat. “It’s not easy, talking about this.”
“What? Talking about what?”
“Dale and I… When we were young… I mean, did you ever wonder why the Steels adopted us?”
“Because your mother died. You needed a home.”
“Yes, that’s all very true. But it’s a little more complicated than that. In fact, it was Uncle Ryan and Aunt Ruby, along with Uncle Talon, who had the biggest hand in rescuing Dale and me.”
“Rescuing?” I shake my head. “What are you talking about?”
“Rescuing,” Donny says. “Dale and I were taken from our house while our mother was at work.”
My mind is turning rapidly to mush. All I can say is, “What?”
“Yes, we were taken from our home”—his voice cracks—“and sold into a human-trafficking ring.”
I can’t speak. My skin is cold, so cold it’s gone numb.
I have no feeling. In fact…my heart may have stopped beating.
Except I’m still here, still alive, so my heart must be beating.
“We were groomed,” Donny continues. “Women and children were taken and groomed to…to become slaves. Human slaves.”
“You okay?” Brock asks.
For a moment, I think Brock is talking to me, but he’s not. His gaze is on our blond cousin, who seems more comfortable speaking of this atrocity than he should be.
Donny nods. “Sold to the highest bidder, to anyone who had money enough to pay.”
I gulp, audibly, desperately trying to push down the hamburger that is trying to come back up.
“But Dale and I didn’t meet that fate, thank God. Because your father and mine rescued us.”
Secrets. Family secrets.
The cards sure as hell weren’t lying to me.
“My God,” I say, fighting tears but wanting to be as strong as Donny. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
“We’re not telling you this so you would feel sorry for Dale and me,” Donny says. “It was a long time ago, and Dale and I have done a lot of healing since then. We’re telling you because what happened to Dale and me all those years ago seems to be relevant to what’s happening with our family now.”
“Oh my God.” My heart seems to collide with my sternum. “What the hell are you saying?”
“No one’s going to be taken,” Brock says. “That’s not the concern. But all those years ago, our parents thought that trafficking ring had been broken up. Apparently it wasn’t.”
“Oh my God… Are there children missing from town? How have I not heard about this?”
“No. No one is missing from around here. But the trafficking ring is still operating, and we recently found out that they’re operating on our land. They were, anyway.”
I crumple to the floor then. My legs just stop working. Donny and Brock both help me get back on my feet.
Donny pats my cheek. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I didn’t faint. I just… My legs sort of just…gave out.”
They walk me into my living area and help me sit down on the couch. They each take a seat next to me so that I’m in the middle.
“I don’t know what to say,” I tell Donny. “I feel like an absolute bitch for yelling at you about Brendan and his insurance.”