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Alex needed them out of sight. Reaching out a hand, he took hers gently. Her hand was shaking as he held it. It was like a punch in his gut, but he needed to push forward.
“Come in.” He led her inside and shut the door behind them.
Once inside, he walked her over to the couch, let go of her hand, and said, “Please sit down.” With trembling legs, she did as he asked. He was going to sit too, but he needed a few minutes. Alex had rehearsed what he was going to say over and over. With her here in front of him, his words didn’t seem to be enough. Why should she believe me?
He had to try. He’d come this far. Letting her leave without going through with what he’d paid for wasn’t an option because they would know this had all been a sham. He needed to find a way to make every disgusting thing look as though it happened, without even touching this girl. It’s not just me who needs to be a good liar. I’m banking on someone who doesn’t know me from a hole in the wall. And that’s when he realized there was a large hole in his plan. If he wasn’t able to stop the assholes involved in the ring, what would happen to the girl before him? Either way, he was condemning her life. She’d be ostracized from her family and put on the streets. How would he protect her? Could he protect her? Shit. What do I do with her?
He took a deep breath and sat down across from her. “Do you speak English?”
The girl nodded. That’s a start. I don’t know what I would do if she didn’t. It sure as hell would’ve been a short conversation. From what Alex had observed, most people in Tabiq spoke their language and English when they chose to.
“My name is, Alex. What’s yours?”
“Myla,” she said, looking down at the floor, and her hands folded tightly in her lap.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
She didn’t look up, but he noticed her flinch. Of course, that’s a line that most women have heard, right before the creep hurts them.
“I only want to talk. Will you talk to me?”
Myla tensed even more but nodded.
“How old are you?”
“Eighteen.” Her voice was barely a whisper as she answered.
At least she’s legal. Just not a willing participant.“Did they tell you why you’re here?”
Myla nodded again. Alex could see her lip quiver and tears pool in her eyes. He was trying to ease into the conversation. Maybe that was the wrong approach. Going too quickly might scare the shit out of her. Can it really get any worse? She knows why she’s here, only waiting for me to pounce. Anything has to be better than that.
So much flew through Alex’s mind. He wasn’t sure what to tell her. He needed her to stay with him for the entire duration. If she decided to bolt, it’d bring questions. Questions he couldn’t and didn’t want to answer. Tying her down and gagging her was out of the question. She wasn’t his prisoner. She was already traumatized when she was ripped from her own family. He needed to do something very difficult for him. I’m going to have to trust in someone I don’t know.
The worst thing would be if she didn’t listen and ran out of the room, heading straight to the hotel manager and told him everything. Alex’s only recourse would be to call Bennett and have him come in shooting. Take out a few of the bastards along the way. Of course, that was a plan fraught with holes.
Alex wished he knew something about her. It’d give him an edge to work with. Instead, he was going in blind. If I can pull this off, it sure as hell will make one fucking amazing research story for my next book, if nothing else. But damn, I’m hoping for more than that. I’m going for it all. I want this ring shut down, and I want to find my mother. I’m not exactly sure what I want to tell her, but I want her to know I’m sorry. Sorry for any brutality she experienced at the hands of my father. To make life easier for her if there is a way I can. I want to pay for the debt she’s carried.
It was time to go big or go home as they say. Here goes nothing. “I’m going to tell you some things, and I need you to trust me. If you don’t, it’s going to be very dangerous for both of us. Do you understand?”
Myla nodded, but he wasn’t sure she grasped what he was trying to say to her. “I trust you.” Her body language said differently.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Yes.”
“And do you know who my father was?”
Alex watched a tear rolled down Myla’s cheek. “Yes.”
It should surprise him that someone so young would know who James Henderson was. It had been thirty years since his father had come here. Unfortunately that was based on the birthdate of his youngest sibling. His father’s travels documented that it should’ve been. One can hide a lot for the right price. What had allured him still existed here, so it was possible he continued to visit. If he did, could there be more children we don’t know about? Damn, the questions are endless, and the answers nil. He could only imagine what his father may have done to leave such a lasting impression. Even through the generations. How many women suffered at his hands? How many families were ripped apart due to his greed?
He reached out to the tissue box on the coffee table and pulled out a Kleenex. He hoped he wouldn’t require one for himself. Just thinking of what his father had done here shook him to the core. Handing the Kleenex to Myla he said, “I’m not my father.”
“No. You’re his son,” Myla said, her voice filled with contempt.
One of them.It was apparent she didn’t understand what he was trying to tell her. “I am his son, but I do not act like he did. Or treat people the way he did.” Alex knew it was going to take a hell of a lot more than just words to convince her. Understandably, he was being judged by his father’s actions, which had been the same throughout their lives.
Myla looked up and met his eyes. “I don’t understand.”
