Page 63 of Pretty Monsters

"I don't get it," Shane interrupts. "Yeah, it's a shitty and demoralizing job, but those women have families to take care of."

Ford looks back and forth between Lucien and Sin. I'm glad my father never found him, because he seems to be on the same wavelength as them. "You don't think they chose to become exotic dancers, do you?"

Lucien looks up at him and shakes his head. "No, I think they were trafficked. Likely from the former Soviet block. Mostly from Albania is my guess."

"If that's the case–" Sin starts.

"Then it's only a matter of time before my father finds us," Lucien finishes.

"You need to keep your head down and find out for sure. Are there any cameras?" Sin asks.

"No cameras, though there's an alarm on the basement and the owner's office. I think the girls are being kept in the basement."

"Can you just quit?" Shane asks.

Lucien's face goes hard. "Yeah, I can quit, and allow them to keep forcing women to dance for money they don't get to keep, and prostituting themselves against their wishes."

"We need a backup hiding spot for the three of you," Ford says.

Shane shrugs. "My grandpa pretty much gave me the cabin. I'm the only one who uses it. As long as no one at that club knows about us, then they won't be able to trace them to it."

Lucien looks at me, and his face falls. "I'm sorry, Raven. I know walking away from this would keep you safer. I can't do that."

"No, you can't. Hey, Luce–"

"Yeah, little bird," he replies waiting for me to finish.

"I forgive you."

He smiles. "Let's save those girls, then forgive me."

I shake my head. "No. I forgive you because despite what you think about yourself, what you were raised to be, you're the kind of man who will risk it all to protect those who can't protect themselves."

* * *

Ford and Shanesay their goodbyes, and for the first time in days it's just the three of us in the apartment.

It's still awkward between Lucien and Sin, a divide made wider by the fact that Sin has other people in his life for the first time.

"I take it they know everything?" Lucien asks.

"Most of it. Not specifics, but yeah, they know who we are and what the situation we're running from is," Sin replies.

"And you trust them?"

Sin shrugs. "As much as I trust just about anyone."

He turns to me and strokes his hand down my arm. "I've got something I need to do on my laptop. Are you okay being alone with him? I'll just be in the other room."

"Yeah," I tell him. There's a catch in my voice from the unexpected physical contact. I can tell he's not preventing himself from feeling anything for me anymore.

He leaves us, and I notice Lucien studying our interaction. "He's different with you."

"I think he's real with me," I state. I'm done listening to him put Sin down and tell me why he isn't good enough.

"You're protective of him," he observes.

I shrug. I won't bother denying it. "Someone needs to be."

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