AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Mona, if you want to go ahead and make breakfast, go right ahead,” I tell her, motioning for Emily to follow me into a nearby room.
“Okay, um, did you want me to put that in the fridge?” Mona questions.
Emily nods. “Sure.”
Mona comes up to Emily and grabs the casserole dish from her hands.
I want to have some sense of privacy, especially as I try to figure out what the hell I can tell Emily in the first place. Am I going to be honest with her about everything? I’m not sure. I might be… or I might not tell her every nitty, gritty detail. I feel like that’s going to be reserved for my brothers.
I don’t miss the way Mona’s looking at me as I shut the door. She’s confused, and I’ve picked up on a lot of her mannerisms over the last few days. She thinks she did something wrong, but she hasn’t. I just… I need privacy when it comes to my family.
I shut the door behind Emily, and we’re in the study. She goes over and sits on the couch, and I suck in a deep, lung-filled breath.
“Okay, what’s with you seeming so nervous? Who is that woman? Why is she here? Is she a one-night stand who didn’t get the memo, or did she come back with you?”
Emily’s shooting off her questions at a rate of a mile a minute. They’re coming so fast that I barely have enough time to process what the hell she’s saying to me.
I give myself a few seconds, and in her eyes, it’s probably a long moment of silence. “Yes, she came from my trip to Portugal. It’s really complicated, so I’m going to tell you as much as I possibly can.” I don’t think I’m going to dive into the details of what Duarte purchased or how much, but I’m certain I can skirt around that issue. “I met with a client of the family, located in Lisbon. Essentially, she was in his care.” I don’t know how to explain what Mona was to Duarte, and while I’m struggling to find the words, Emily is questioning me.
“In his care? Don’t you mean she was dating the guy or his wife or something?”
I shake my head, and we all know the situation Emily’s daughter was in—child trafficking—so I know this will hit close to home for her.
“No, from what I know… Mona was kidnapped and came into Duarte’s care. I don’t know if he paid for her or had her from the get-go.”
Emily’s jaw drops. “Wow, so she was trafficked.”
I nod.
“So, how did she get to be with you? You didn’t steal her, did you?”
A soft laugh slips past my lips, and I shake my head. “No, he gave her to me to sweeten the deal with our family. Although, I know he was going to kill her if I didn’t take her with me, so that’s why she’s here. Mona is with me because the only other option would’ve been her dying.”
“Nazyr, it’s bold of you to take her. A very selfless action… which is surprising coming from you, no offense. But what aren’t you telling me? Some part of your story isn’t adding up.”
There are a few things I haven’t told Emily, and I really don’t want to. I’d rather tell my brothers these things, but not her. But right now, she isn’t giving me much choice. “Duarte made it seem like he knew what type of women I liked. He made it a point to tell me she was beautiful and different, which leads me to believe he’s had people watching over our family. It’s something I’ll be telling Ruslan when I speak to him.” I really need to get over there and see Ruslan today. I can’t keep avoiding it. He needs to know what happened when I was in Lisbon. He has to know everything.
“That’s concerning, but I can still tell you’re keeping something from me, Nazyr,” Emily points out, but the only thing I’m keeping from her is the existence of those two beautiful little girls. I’m not sure if I should tell her, considering it’s such a delicate piece of this puzzle, but I think that if I do, she might bond a bit with Mona… and I would like Mona to have a friend.
I clear my throat, trying to figure out how to say this to Emily, but I just talk. I just speak up and let it come out. “The man who had her… he raped her constantly, which resulted in the birth of two little girls. He still has them, and I need to get them back.”
Emily’s eyes widen, and she looks at the door, then back at me. “Is he the one who gave her those scars?”
I nod once.
“Yes, you have to get them. If he’s done that to her, what will he do to those girls? You know?” Emily’s bringing up every single thought I’ve personally had.
“I know, and that’s what I think too. He might be their father, but he isn’t a good man. If he could do that to their mother, I’m sure he could do it to them as well. It’s why I’ve promised to get them away from their father… because I know they can’t stay with him.”
Emily blinks rapidly at me. “You promised her you’d get them back?” It’s like she’s shocked I’ve made such a vow.
“Yes, because they’re in danger.”
“You promised a woman you might’ve known for a week?” I promised Mona the day she came with me, but Emily doesn’t need to know that.
“It was the right thing for me to do, Emily. Those girls are in danger.”
“I understand that, but… you need to talk to Lom and Ruslan. From what I know, you haven’t even discussed any of this with them, and that’s a big issue. You need to go do that, Nazyr. This is so much bigger than you having a simple meeting now.”
