AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ziva felt bad for Myla. She didn’t comprehend that being sexually assaulted was wrong. Maybe she’s in shock. Or just in denial. Whatever it is, I can’t push or she might have a breakdown. She’ll figure it out on her own.
“He isn’t a very nice man.”
“Why don’t you like him, Ziva?” Myla asked sincerely.
She had to reply with something. But what? Everything I say could be an emotional trigger for her. Ziva decided to use herself as an example. “He kissed me.”
The words were simple and far from being too much. Actually, that was all Alex had done to her. It isn’t technically a lie.
Myla smiled. “Did you like it?”
Ziva was shocked. That wasn’t the response she was expecting. “Myla, he should not kiss me after kissing you. That’s wrong.” She hoped that would make it clearer to her.
Myla shook her head. “He did not kiss me.”
“Of course, he kissed you.”
“No, he didn’t.”
Ziva reached her hand out and touched Myla’s arm. Speaking very gently, she said, “Myla, you don’t have to lie. It’s okay. I know what happens when the manager takes girls to a man.”
“I do too, but Mr. Henderson didn’t do that. He said...” Myla looked down, “I can’t tell you. I’m sorry. I promised.”
“Promised who?”
“Mr. Henderson. I promised never to tell anyone.”
She had to find out what the secret was. If it had to do with Alex, it couldn’t be good. Ziva hated using manipulation, but she was desperate.
“Myla. I told you he kissed me. Would he kiss me if he didn’t trust me?” Myla shook her head. “Then he would say it’s okay for you to tell me. Maybe I can help.”
“I don’t want him to be angry with me. Not after what he said he’d do to help my family.”
“Help them?” Ziva remembered her saying something about her family yesterday, but she assumed it was a threat to harm them. “What is he going to do?”
“Give them money so they can go someplace where my baby sisters won’t be sold. He’s going to send Mama and Papa so we can all be together. After this is all done, he said I could go too. Can you imagine, Ziva, a place where you can play outside, and not worry about the police coming for you?”
It was a dream she had every night. One she wished she could deliver. She was only able to help a few at a time. Was it possible Alex honestly was going to help Myla and her family? If so, why?
“Did he say why?”
“No. Mr. Henderson only said he needed my help.”
It was all coming down to this one question. The one that would say what kind of man Alex Henderson truly was. “What did he need you to do?”
Myla blushed. “He said I must pretend that I had serviced him if anyone asked. And I couldn’t tell anyone the truth because if I did, they’d know he was lying too.”
“He never touched you? Not at all?”
“No. He slept on the couch and gave me the bed. He was very kind to me.”
Ziva believed Myla was telling her the truth. There was no reason for her to lie. At least, not at this time. She didn’t understand why Alex paid for a virgin at the hotel and then hadn’t touched her. Was it some game to him? Was Alex testing the waters for next time? Or maybe what I said to him when I took him to see the prison opened his eyes.
“Did he ever say why he was here if not to have... you?”
Myla nodded. “He is looking for his mother.”
“Mother? Here?”
