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Angel held up her hands as Rae snatched up the sponge again and windmilled her arm like she was about to throw a pitch. “Truce! Truce!”
“Fine. But only if you help me with the rest of these dishes.”
“Deal.” Angel grinned again. “But I’m taking those leftovers with me.”
Later, as Rae lay in bed reading, she couldn’t stop thinking about Detective Clearwater and what else he might know of her past. Many people changed their names but not for the reasons she did.
She smiled in the soft lamplight of her room. Angel, always so damn perceptive. Rae wished she didn’t find Detective Clearwater attractive, but she did. But just like with Thomas, she wouldn’t allow it to distract her. She had to keep her family safe.
She was nearing the end of a juicy chapter in her book when her phone chimed. Reluctantly, she placed her bookmark and checked her phone. It was a notice from the local kink-community site she frequented the most. When she pulled up the site, she saw a post with about a hundred comments, and her stomach immediately cramped with anxiety:
ANOTHER SUB REPORTED MISSING
Two in less than three weeks.
She read a few of the comments, most complaining about the police doing the bare minimum. Another comment suggested the police were ignoring the reports because one of the missing women had an OnlyFans account and the other had a prior arrest and charge for prostitution.
Rae had a different opinion. She was sure if she dug into the histories of these young women, all under age twenty-three, she’d find vulnerable people with broken lives not dissimilar to how she used to be so long ago. She only hoped they were found before it was too late.
CHAPTER 13
RAE
2009
It had been a week since Rae had spilled a good chunk of her life history onto Viv, and instead of freaking out and kicking her out of her condo, Viv seemed even more determined to help her.
For one, her car-dealership friend let them know he’d gotten in a ’95 Honda Civic with a questionable A/C and major hail damage that he would sell to Rae for a grand. Viv said it likely had more issues they didn’t know about, but she’d have her mechanic friend check it out first. Then Viv told her she’d front her the money since Rae didn’t have enough saved yet from her crappy fast-food job. Rae couldn’t help but feel like she was doing nothing to deserve all the kindness Viv showed her. She had to contribute in some way, and she had an idea of how.
“I want you to teach me how to do what you do,” Rae said to Viv as they watched an episode ofTop Chef.
Viv paused the show with the TiVo remote and turned to face Rae. “Where is this coming from?”
Rae played with the hem of the soft cotton nightshirt Viv had given her. “I ... I just feel like I’m not doing enough to help you. I mean, you’re not even charging me rent, and you’re so nice to me.”
A sadness crossed Viv’s face. “Hon, you do the dishes every day even when it’s something we should both do, and you’re constantly cleaning when there’s nothing to clean. I mean, my allergiesaredefinitely better since you’ve been here because dust doesn’t stand a chance around you, but you don’t need to do anything but focus on you right now.”
“But I’m never going to earn enough money working at Subway to support myself. If you teach me how to do your type of work, I can do it anywhere. I can buy my own computer and earn enough money to pay you back for everything—the clothes you got me, the car, if your mechanic friend says it’s good. Everything.”
Viv reached out and touched Rae’s cheek. “The clothes were gifts. And the car? Yes, you can pay back the portion I’m lending you, but if you can’t, it’s okay.”
“But it’s not okay.” Rae felt her emotions rise to her face, knew tears would come if she didn’t stop them. She found herself crying so much lately, whether at night in Viv’s guest bedroom or as she walked home from work. “I don’t deserve all this, and I don’t understand why you’d do anything for someone you barely know.”
Viv took Rae’s hand. “I’m not doing any of this for only you, hon.”
Rae’s emotions lingered near the edge of a cliff as she waited for what Viv would say next.
“I’m doing it because you’re pregnant and you need help.”
And there it was. The waterworks she couldn’t seem to control on full display.
“I’m so sorry,” Rae said through tears. “I was going to tell you, but I was scared.”
“It’s okay.” She squeezed Rae’s hand. “I knew the first moment I saw you at the bus station.”
“You did? How?”
Viv gave her a rueful smile. “Every time someone came near you, you’d cradle your stomach like this. Like you were protecting something. And you’re taking prenatal vitamins.”
