His fingers were no longer on her face and she missed his touch. She knew what sex was because of the animals they keptfrom time to time. She’d heard the men her father brought home to be with her mother. One of her sisters had talked about it. Of course she’d been beaten so badly that her arms had been broken.
Blakely’s throat closed. Though it had been two years, the death of her siblings and the things they went through still caused her to tear up sometimes. It wasn’t fair. She might not have been close with any of her siblings. Her parents had positioned her as an enemy because of the time she’d spent with foster parents. She also brought attention and strangers to their place. She’d been an outsider, but she still felt for them.
As an adult living outside her family’s control, she understood how terrible her upbringing had been. The horror her younger sisters and brothers must have endured gave her nightmares.
She never wanted kids. Not because she didn’t like kids, but she knew she would be a terrible parent. She had no idea how to be. She certainly couldn’t put herself in a situation to be in charge of anyone.
“Thank you. I don’t know how I would get through this alone.”
The detective and Dooley were on their way back. She was thankful Jump took her hand. Before they stepped around Jump’s friends, Cy stopped them.
“I know that detective. He’s fair.”
She tried for a smile, hoping he was right. She squeezed Jump’s hand, hoping he would keep her upright.
“Blakely, right?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Officer Dooley has told me everything. I think you need to be careful. It’s obvious you were targeted. This guy from your past, Grayson Gold, I’ll see what I can find on him. I have afew friends in Seattle, and maybe they have information on the group. What was the name of it?”
“The Faithful.”
“I’ll see what I can get on them. Please be careful. He could be around here, so when you leave, make sure no one is following.”
“I’ll make sure no one follows us,” Jump said.
“Good man.” The detective narrowed his eyes. “You, I remember you.”
“Yes, Cy.”
“That’s right. Your girlfriend, Willa was her name. How is she?”
“She’s my wife now, and she’s great.”
“That’s good to hear.” The detective nodded. “I remember you guys. Take care and be careful. This guy tried to burn this place to the ground. He’s dangerous.”
“We will. Thank you.”
“And Blakely, I want you to have my information. Call or text me anything new. And if that guy shows up, call for the police. Don’t face him alone.”
As an adult, she hadn’t ever had an interaction with the police, but this was much different than she expected, at least with the detective. The other officers hadn’t seemed to want to help her.
As long as Grayson didn’t find her, she would be okay. She could make it in the real world. She just had to trust the right people, and it seemed like trusting Jump had been the right decision.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Grayson watched from across the street. The thrill of watching the fire destroy Blakely’s home was starting to wear off. Part of the problem was the pain in his arm. It was getting worse. He needed to see a doctor, but doctors cost money.
Once he had Blakely under his control, he would have plenty of money. She would have to do what he wanted. He would make sure she understood how devastating it would be for her if she didn’t do his bidding.
He had big plans for his life after he had control over her. First, he wanted to buy a new car. He was tired of this old thing. He needed new clothes, and there was a recliner he’d seen at one of those fancy furniture stores. He also wanted to take a vacation somewhere warm.
Grayson had kept his eyes on the lot for hours, but he hadn’t seen her once. Where the heck was she? He needed to find something to eat soon. Maybe he could do what he’d done the night before. The home he’d found had been empty and now he had a key so he wouldn’t have to break in tonight.
His stomach rumbled with hunger that clawed at his belly. The house where he’d slept the night before didn’t have a stockpile of food. It had no fresh food at all, just a few cansof soup and vegetables. It was time to leave this area and get something to eat.
He’d turned to go when he heard car doors slam. He glanced over, then ducked behind a van. It was her. She was with a group of men. Who were those men? What was she doing with all of them?
