“I lost my job,” Genevieve sighs, coming in and sitting beside us on the couch.

I look over to her. She started work a week ago, trying to get her life back together after Mary’s instruction. Her job was only as a waitress, but each night she came home, she seemed angry and frustrated. Like she just couldn’t cope with the stress.

“What happened?” I ask.

“They said I’m not social enough, that I’m too bossy and too angry.”

I shake my head. They don’t understand her.

“It’ll be ok, we’ll find a way around this.”

“I feel like there is no way,” she whispers, seeming more venerable then I’ve ever seen her.

“There’s a way,” I encourage.

She shakes her head and stands. “I’m not so sure about that anymore.”

I watch her walk away, and my heart seizes.

We’re just slowly falling.

Week Four

“Have another one,” Genevieve encourages, pushing a vodka and orange towards me.

I take the drink and swallow it down. It does seem to ease the pain.

“Where’s Jaybelle?” I ask, staring around the crowded bar.

We’ve tried for a second time to come out, pathetically attempting to make a life for ourselves. So far, the night hasn’t been too bad. We’ve kept to ourselves and just focused on spending time together.

“Look at her,” a loud male voice laughs. “Pathetic.”

I turn my attention to the table behind us, and I see Jaybelle with her head lowered, her cheeks red.

“She couldn’t put out if she was paid to,” the man laughs.

He’s not an overly attractive man, but he’s got a good trailing of women around him. My guess? He’s got money. I stand, slowly walking over, worried about Jaybelle’s mind right now. She’s weak. She’s fragile. She’s broken. She doesn’t have the strength to deal with more torture.

“You probably wouldn’t even know what a cock is,” he taunts. “A girl like you belongs on the ground, on your knees. You’re nothing more than a good-looking toy; you’re certainly dead in the personality department. Maybe the guys would like to see you on your knees, so go on, get on them princess. Let us give you a try.”

Slowly, like it’s all she’s ever known, Jaybelle lowers herself to her knees. Anger builds in my chest as I rush over. I drop to my knees beside her, clutching her hands.

“Look at me, Jaybelle.”

“Oh look,” the man smirks. “Two of them.”

I hear a loud crack and jerk my head up to see Genevieve driving her fist into herp widththe man’s face. He roars and stumbles backwards. Pride fills my chest and I turn my attention back to Jaybelle. “Look at me,” I whisper again.

She lifts her head, her eyes filled with tears. I reach my hand out and slowly she takes it.

“Don’t you ever get on your knees for anyone again.”

I raise her up and with her comes her spirits and her hopes.

I’ll not let anyone treat her that way again. I vow it.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

WILLIAM

It’s been four weeks.

I can’t breathe without them.

I’ve failed.

“I can’t explain it to you,” Mary whispers to the police officer. “I wish I could but I can’t. He’s done for them what years of therapy couldn’t do. Somehow, he’s healed something in them. They trust him. They need him.”

I’m standing in the hall, waiting to speak with Mary. I can hear her talking and my heart hammers as her words sink in. We need him. I could have told them that a month ago.

“We’ve got nothing, the case is empty,” the officer says. “There’s no more we can do. The girls are free to go.”

I turn and rush down the halls and into the room where all the girls are waiting. We were called in this morning and now I know why.

“We...we...we...” I stammer.

“What is it?” Ryleigh asks.

“We’re free,” I rasp.

Their faces light up. Their moods shift. By the time the officer comes in and lets us know that the investigation is closed and we’re free to go, we’re already on our feet, waiting by the door. We rush outside, our hearts pounding, our bodies alive for the first time in a month.

Then we realize we’re alone.

We all stop, our faces dropping. What do we do? Where do we go? We have no homes. No jobs. Poor families. We’re alone in the world and like a brick - it hits us all.

“What do we do?” Jaybelle whispers.

“They said we can stay in the house until we get on our feet,” Ellie says.

“I don’t want to stay there,” Reign mumbles.

I turn to them all and my heart hammers as the words tumble from my lips. “I say we go back.”

“Go back?” Genevieve says, her eyes wide.

“To William.”

They all stare at me, like it isn’t something they thought we could do. I take the moment of silence to speak.

“He was like our family, he saved our lives. We can stay out here and we can be alone in the world, or we can go back to him and have the chance to make our lives whole again.”

“What if he doesn’t want us?” Jaybelle asks.

“Do you really believe that?” I say, meeting her gaze.

She shakes her head.

“He was taking care of us,” Peta suddenly says, her voice soft. “He was protecting us from all that is bad.”