Page 119 of Luck of the Draw

“Brennan, this…this is…it’s just,” she stammered, shaking her head. “Perfect. And it’sfree?”

“Sure is. And they’ll not only get you on your feet, but you’ll also receive counseling that’s specifically catered to what you…you know…” His throat pulsed with a swallow. “What you went through.”

She threw her arms around him as best as she cold while he was driving and they were both strapped into seatbelts. “This is so wonderful I can barely speak.”

He rubbed her back but didn’t say anything and kept his face turned toward the road.

Poor Brennan. Poor sweet, wonderful, beautiful Brennan with his beautiful broken heart. With the place being more than a thousand miles away, the life-changing solution for her was bittersweet to him, and heavy on the bitter part.

Skye sat back in her seat and looped her arm around the crook of his elbow. “You could come visit me. I bet Las Vegas would be a lot of fun for you.”

Brennan drew in a silent, deep breath. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that. I mean…if you’d like that.”

She stroked his arm. “I would.”

“I was also hoping you might come back here sometime, but I realized why you wouldn’t want to do that. Which brings me back to my game plan.” He pushed his shades up to his hair and gave her a sober look. “After talking to those people, they made it clear to me that what was done to you is sex trafficking. The way Jesse targeted you as a minor and kept all your money and did it all with that group of people. And then I talked to Carson, and he said it’s a more serious crime than just pimping and pandering, and it comes with steeper penalties. And so—”

“You told Carson?” Her eyes stretched wide.

“No, baby girl.” He cut a glance toward her, smiling. “I was just shooting the breeze with him and asking a bunch of questions.”

“Oh.”

“Anyway, I want you to go to the police.”

Her stomach sank like a stone, and she shook her head aggressively. “I can’t. If the cops come sniffing around them, they’ll know it was me, and they would—”

“They would be in jail,” he clipped. “Then they would go to trial. Then they’ll all go to prison for a long-ass time. You have nothing to worry about.”

Her stomach turned, and she sank backward in the seat. “I don’t know, Brennan.”

“I’m going to go with you,” he continued. “And while I’m there, I’m going to talk to the police about my not-so-little problem.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “You are?”

“I am. I’m in over my head. I know no matter what I say to my dad, he’s not going to be able to see through his blind rage that I did this in the first place. He’s not going to let me use the family money to pay them. I’m not going to be able to get that money myself from Jimmy’s commission checks.” He shrugged. “Besides, paying off these assholes is like a band-aid for a bullet wound. They’d always be sniffing around and trying to get me to come back so they can keep milking me.” He bristled and shifted stiffly in his seat. “I’m fucking sick of fucking scumbags and lowlifes. They all need to be in fucking jail.”

“I agree with you, and I absolutely think you talking to the police is a good idea, but…” She swallowed. “I just don’t know if I can do that.”

“Skye.” Brennan stomped the brake at another stoplight and turned to her. “What if Jesse and his crew are running around this city luring other women into that, too? What if they’re still targeting other minors?Children, honey. Wouldn’t you like to help make sure he can’t do what he did to you to anyone else?”

The idea hit her like a Mack truck, and she could feel her face pale. “Yes.”

“Then we’re going to the police.”

She swallowed again, but readily nodded. “Okay.”

They stared at each other for a beat, and a look passed between them that forced her mouth onto his. She kissed him. Hard. Too hard for a measly pause at a stoplight. She parted her lips from his and rested her head on his shoulder.

“You are the most wonderful man I’ve ever met.”

Brennan draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her as close to his side as the seatbelt would allow. “And you are the most remarkable person I’ve ever met.” He kissed her head. “And I would love to come visit you in Las Vegas if you’ll have me.” He paused for a beat and then spoke through a quieter, slightly brittle voice. “I’m going to miss you a lot, Skye. But…” He paused again, inhaling deeply and exhaling through a quick puff of air. “It’s exactly what you need. I looked everywhere, darlin’. There were a lot of great places, but this one…the founder and director—her name is Annie—I talked to her on the phone for a long time, and she told me her story.” A sad chuckle shook his shoulders. “It was the most ridiculous phone call because we were both crying for about ninety percent of it, but it was because of herstory, Skye.” He glanced at her. “It’syourstory. What happened to her is almost exactly like what happened to you. I can’t wait for you to meet this woman. I really think this is the best place to help you, and a lot of it is because you’ll connect with her. So I’m definitely going to visit. Because I think you’re going to end up staying there.”

Skye crinkled her brow. “In Las Vegas?”

“Yeah.” He stroked his hand firmly up and down the side of her arm. “I think you’ll see what someone who’s been through what you have is able to do for other people, and I think you’ll want to do that, too. And if that’s what you want, I know you’ll do it.” He curled his arm around her, clenching his hand into a fist while he flexed his bicep. “You’llcrushit,” he growled playfully.

She laughed, folding her arm over his where it wrapped around her waist. “You really believe in me, huh?”

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