Page 47 of Crimson Flames

“Who?” I ask.

Nessa shrugs as I keep an arm around her. “Probably my father. My contacts told me they helped my mother to a safe house they set up. He won’t find her there, I’m sure of it.”

“Who are your contacts?” Kai asks.

“Two friends I know I can rely on. They’re trustworthy.”

Kai doesn’t seem to believe that. But it’s clear he barely trusts us at this point, so I’m not really all that surprised.

“We need Lev to review this, and then come up with a plan. Kai said there are more kids out there. We need to find them.”

Nessa looks so fierce as she says this, her earlier shock completely gone. Nothing like the woman in a wheelchair from a few days ago.

“Whatever you require,” Boris says, kissing her temple once more before leaving to give Lev the flash drive.

“We need to be careful with these kids,” Kai says. “We need to talk about how to handle them. This is different from saving me by a long shot.”

“What do you mean?” I question.

“They’re older, the places they are being held are nicer. This has been going on longer than you know, and some of them have been training for nearly fifteen years. They won’t trust someonecoming in to save them. Not when this is literally the only life they know.”

Nessa and I exchange a look. “How do we get them to trust us?” she asks.

Kai lifts a shoulder. “I was hoping maybe your friend Dr. K would have some ideas.”

I have a feeling our helpful therapist won’t be leaving us anytime soon. In fact, it feels like this really is our new home now. All of us. I could never see Nessa leaving, especially with Aiden buried here, and I honestly don’t want to either.

This is an incredible house, and the kids here will need support for a long time. They’ll be safe to leave and explore as they wish, but I think they like knowing they have a place to come home to. Especially one as nice as Boris and Nessa made it for them.

Damien and Alexi are building a huge gym on the north side of the property that all of the kids have been begging to use as soon as it opens. I think they’re getting antsy not having much to do. We’ve assigned them chores around the house and have some computers they've been using for school work, but they need more to do.

I can practically feel them humming with energy every time we step into a room, mostly the older ones. The younger ones have taken to playing games, even though a few fights have broken out. Ani and Ami do not hold back when toy dinosaurs are involved.

Maybe Kai was right, maybe something is coming and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Normally, I’d shrug this kind of stuff off, but I don’t think I can stand by and wait for things to happen. After all, none of us are the types of people that know how to stay still. We need to start looking at making the next move and quickly. I just hope that whatever is on that flash drive doesn’t hurt my girl.

Chapter 17

Handing Lev the flash drive, I attempt to control my nervousness. This is horrendous timing and I can only think the worst. Ronan knows where we are, and not only that, he was arrogant enough to send a threat to my woman.

“Allow me to see it first, please?” I close the door behind me so that it is just the two of us for now.

While I agree that secrets should not be kept between us, I also believe in being prepared. If Ronan found Nessa’s mother, this will be a much worse day than if her father is on the screen.

I breathe out a sigh of relief when none other than Donovan O’Neil’s face shows up. However, I am shocked when he reveals that Nessa’s father used his two daughters to pay off his gambling debt.

It makes my stomach churn, remembering I asked something similar of Evie’s parents before they died. I was going to force Evie to marry my son. It was meant to keep our families tied together.

Thankfully, I have learned a lot since that day and have apologized for my arrogant behavior. It makes hearing the admission that Donovan sold Nessa hurt that much more.

Everyone files into the room behind us as Lev replays the video for them. I hold Nessa close, not willing to let her fall after everything we have been through. When the camera cuts out, we stare blankly at the screen.

I can’t tell what my little fox is thinking right now, but she is still standing strong, which gives me hope.

Nessa looks at Cillian and the kid actually smiles.

“He’s dead.” They both chuckle, seeming to share some inside joke the rest of us are not privy to as we look at them like they have lost their minds.

---