Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Zelda moved in front of Kira, her skinny shoulders squared, her small fists clenched at her sides. I recognized her posture, coiled tight, ready to either fight or run. Kira peered around her sister, clutching her threadbare rabbit against her chest, taking in everything with her quiet, calculating gaze.
“My car’s just over here,” Violet said, gesturing toward a small blue SUV parked against the curb. “It’s not far to the shelter, but I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to bring any of your things. Walking would almost be faster, but not if you had several things to carry.” She smiled as she led us to her vehicle, unlocking the doors as we approached. The girls sat in the back seat while I climbed in the front. Violet fastened her seat belt once she was inside, turning over her shoulder to smile at me and the girls. “No matter what situation you guys came from, no one in the world can promise you everything will be OK. But I can promise you that you’ll have the protection of both New Beginnings and our associates within the Nashville community.”
“He’ll search for the girls.” I spoke softly, my voice rough. My heart pounded, the adrenaline hitting me unexpectedly. I’d really done this. I’d left Andy. The enormity of my situation threatened to crash over me, but I held myself tightly in check by sheer force of will.
“We’ll be ready. There’s a lawyer we work with. I believe she’s the one who sent you our way. She does a lot of pro bono work for women who come to us.” Violet reached over and patted my knee gently. “You’re not alone, Penny. We’ll help you in every way possible. We’ll do that because, as the saying goes, it takes a village. We all have to help each other.”
I nodded my head, not wanting to cry, but Violet offered more than anyone else in my life. “Thank you.” The interior of Violet’s vehicle smelled faintly of cinnamon and something citrusy. Clean. Normal. It made my head spin, how normal it felt after the hours of tense hypervigilance. I wanted to just close my eyes and sleep for a week, but I was wired on fear and caffeine.
“You must be exhausted,” Violet said as she pulled away from the curb, her eyes flicking to the rear-view mirror. “New Beginnings is just around the corner. We’ve got a suite ready for you.”
Her words floated around me like debris, not quite landing. Each concept required effort to process, and I had nothing left to give. I nodded again, my gaze fixed on the passing storefronts and street signs, mentally marking our route in case we needed to find our way back. I needn’t have worried. We rolled through a chain-link gate not two blocks away.
My breath caught as the shelter came into view. What I’d expected was something… I don’t know. Institutional? Cinder blocks, barred windows, maybe a fence topped with barbed wire or something at the very least. What loomed before us was a renovated warehouse, four stories of weathered brick with large windows that caught the late afternoon sun. It looked solid, permanent. Defensible.
The grounds surrounding it were modest but well-kept, with small patches of grass and a few sturdy benches. A tall, heavily muscled man in a leather vest stood near the entrance, casually leaning against the wall. My fingers tightened around Zelda’s wrist.
“Don’t worry,” Violet said, following my gaze. “That’s Riot. He’s with the MC. They provide security and protection when any of our women need to leave the facility.”
“MC?” I asked, the abbreviation unfamiliar.
“Motorcycle club. They’re partners with New Beginnings. They help keep our residents safe. In fact, this is their property. They donated the building and helped with the renovations and security.” She smiled at me in the rearview mirror. “Give them a chance. No one gets into Kiss of Death MC without being a good man. Their president, Knuckles, won’t allow anything otherwise.”
A biker gang. She was talking about a biker gang like they were the neighborhood watch. Had we jumped from the frying pan into the fire?
Sensing my disquiet, Violet reached over and squeezed my hand. “Look. I can see Lana didn’t have time to explain everything to you. She probably thought you’d back out if you found out about Kiss of Death before you got here. Lana only sends us the women in the worst danger because the guys at Kiss of Death work with her to protect and support vulnerable women and children from abusive partners.”
Violet parked the small SUV in front of the building. The thing was really huge. I had no idea how they had the place broken up into areas, but I had no doubt they could house at least a couple dozen women with children. Maybe more, depending on the room sizes.