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The drive back home is full of excitement and optimism. Raya talks most of the way, telling us about her time in the rehab center. She tells us that she met a lot of other people who went through similar things which helped her in the end. I find a parking spot just outside my building and let the girls out as I grab Raya’s things out of the trunk. We make our way upstairs and into the apartment and I bring her things into her room. I turn back into the hallway to see her standing in the bathroom, staring at the floor.
I walk up behind her, “Are you alright?”
She sniffles and I gently place my hand on her shoulder.
She whispers, “Duke, can we talk?”
I spin her around to face me and see tears drip down her face, “Of course we can talk. Tell me anything.”
“I mean…can we talk in private?”
“Oh…okay. I’ll ask Melanie to leave.”
Minutes later, Melanie hugs us good-bye and leaves the apartment. I lock the door behind her and see Raya sit on the sofa. I offer her a glass of water but she denies it. She pats the spot next to her, so I sit.
She sighs, “Duke, I don’t know what people have told you but I want to be the one to tell you everything. And I mean everything that happened to me.”
I hold her hand, “Are you sure you want to tell me? It’s not too soon?”
She shakes her head, “No, I need to let it out so you know how fucked up I am.”
“Raya, you’re—”
“Duke, don’t. Let me speak, please.”
I nod my head, and for the next two hours, she tells me her story, starting with how she ended up in Chicago, to meeting Layla and Derrick, and finally her captivity. .
As she tells me the details of her first night, I try to relax and breathe through it. While she speaks, her body slightly trembles and tears slide down her pink cheeks. She tells me about Derrick and how he tortured and beat her. I even learn about the tattoo and what it means. The numbers are the letters of the alphabet. They make the word angel. That’s what Derrick called her…his Angel. She divulges everything about the auctions and her nights with various men. She tells me about Layla’s death, which she blames herself for, and she tells me about West and his death during the raid. After she’s done laying it all on the table, I cradle her into my chest and let her cry it out.
“Just let it out, Raya, and don’t worry, the cops will find him.”
She sits up with panic in her eyes, “What do you mean find him?”
“He escaped from the raid. They are trying to locate him, but he’s in hiding.”
She begins to breathe erratically and her eyes glow in shock and horror. I reach out to touch her face, “You didn’t know he got out? Weren’t you there?”
“I got shot and I was so fucked up on drugs, I didn’t know what the hell was going on. Duke, what if he finds me again? What if he tries to hurt you or Melanie?”
“Relax, Raya, please. The feds are working on it and now that Craig’s been charged, hopefully he may want to make a deal with the prosecutors.”
“Craig? What does he have to do with this? Isn’t he in jail?”
Oh fuck, she doesn’t know about that, either? I comb my fingers through my hair and sigh deeply.
“Raya, Craig knew Derrick. He’s the sole owner of the rings. He’s the mastermind behind it all. Where do you think he went on all of those business trips? When Craig got arrested, he sent Derrick after you. Raya, you weren’t just a pretty face that he picked up. You were his target.”
And with that, she jumps off the sofa and runs to her room. I follow her and find her putting clothes into a suitcase.
“Raya, what are you doing?”
“I have to get out of here. He’s coming for me. I won’t jeopardize your safety.”
I walk up to her and stop her from packing, “Derrick will not get to you. Everyone is looking for his ass right now. He won’t come out of hiding.”
She pulls her arm out of my grasp, “You don’t get it, Duke! He wins! He always wins. He’s coming for me, I know it. He told me that he will always come after me, no matter what I do or how far I run.”
I grab onto her and she tries to shake out of my grip, “No, let go of me, Duke! I have to leave now!”
