Page 10 of Her Crew

I take a quick right and follow signs to the laundry facilities. I pull her inside the room, and the low hum of two different dryers rattling against each other fills the silence. With a quiet hope in my chest, I rip open the first dryer and find a tiny bathing suit and some panties. I close the door.

“If you’re looking for something for me to wear, there’s nothing in there that will fit me.”

“Will you trust my process, pup?”

I open the second dryer and find a mix of men’s and women’s clothes. A couple, probably. No, there’s not much that would fit her, aside from a pair of black sweatpants. And when I pull out one of the men’s shirts, I know it will fit me. I wear bigger shirts to show just how hungry and skinny I’ve gotten. It keeps the illusion going for sales. Like I said time and time again, you need to live the lie.

I tuck the shirt and sweatpants under my arm, then lead her back to the hall. I should feel bad about snatching someone’s clothes, but I don’t. Human decency vacated my body a long time ago. Probably around the time I robbed a dead man of his shoes at the age of fifteen. It wasn’t as if he needed them anymore.

“What’s the plan?” Tegan asks as we shuffle down another corridor. “I know how the entire van feels about me, and some clean clothes aren’t going to fix that.”

I wrap my hand around my chin and think. She’s right. You can’t put clean clothes on a dirty body and hope to stop the smell. Clothes are a bandage over a severed artery, and we don’t even have that going for us right now. What will a single outfit do? I’ll have to take her shopping when stores are open tomorrow.

But we still have to make it to the next town tonight, so I formulate a new plan.

Following my nose, I bring her down the hall and head toward the scent of chlorine. I can only hope there are some showers in the pool area. If not, I’ll just have to settle for dunking her into the deep end.

Poor girl.

The door clicks open, and the smell of chlorine knocks me back a few steps. They’re serious about their pool cleanliness here, that’s for sure. Tegan looks around with wide eyes, as if she’s never seen a luxurious hotel pool before. Maybe she hasn’t. I make a mental note to show her things she didn’t get to experience as soon as we get a chance. Right now, I have an entire van of impatient people waiting for me. And her.

I pop open the women’s room door. “Hello?” I yell into the void.

No one responds, so I pull her into the bathroom and lock the door behind us. Her muscles tense beneath my fingers, and her eyes widen. I should have thought this through a bit more. A stranger just funneled her into a secluded area and locked the door, effectively trapping her. It’s no wonder she looks like I just pulled a gun on her.

“I don’t want anyone coming in,” I tell her, trying to soothe her anxiety. I won’t hurt her. She can rest easy as far as I’m concerned.

“I’m showering here?” she asks, looking around the vast, humid room, then focusing on the large stall with a curtain pulled to the side.

“It’s a free shower.”

Her body breaks into anxious trembles. Who panics if they have to shower? What the heck would cause such a visceral reaction to the mere thought?

I need to find a way to convince her she’s safe, so I pull off my shirt. Her eyes widen as I lean back against the wall and kick off my shoes.

“You’re not showering. We’re showering.”

“I’m not—” Her voice leaves her entirely.

I strip off my jeans but leave my boxers in place. Her eyes drop right to them.

“Come here,” I say, my voice as low and non-threatening as possible.

She takes a step forward. And then another.

I grip the hem of her filthy lavender shirt and lift it from her body. She tenses again.

“I won’t hurt you, pup.”

I don’t remove the cami that presses against her body. That garment—which appears to be about one size too small—is like armor for her. She doesn’t need my help to remove her ratty jeans. She unfastens the waistband and lowers the grimy fabric to her ankles. Her underwear looks older than she is, and I wonder if she’s ever had anything of her own. I didn’t until I joined the crew.

She fights back tears as I grab her arm and bring her toward the shower. I turn it on and let the water heat up. Her chest begins to rise and fall a little too quickly as she sucks in air.

I lean down to her level. “Hey. Look at me. I said I’d take care of you, didn’t I?”

She nods and takes a slow, deep breath.

“Just trust me.”