Page 17 of Melt For Us, Daddy
“I have some contacts in the federal government. If Jacob is willing to testify, if he thinks his sisters would be willing, especially the ones who married young, I can reach out. See if there’s any kind of open investigation into the prophets.”
“I don’t know about the others, but Abigail would come with us,” Jacob said. “Her husband, he isn’t a good man. I’ve seen the bruises on her face, the ones everyone else pretends not to notice. Hannah would come. She never married but… she has her own testimony I’m sure she would be willing to give.”
“Good.” Pulling his phone from his pocket, Holden made notes, his thumbs flying over the screen as he nodded encouragingly. “That's a good start, Jacob. I’ll reach out to my contacts, see what we can do to get the ball rolling on that.”
“How long will it take? To get my sisters out?”
Holden glanced her way, and her heart sank at the stark truth in his eyes. “We can’t know for sure just yet,” he said gently. “But you have my word that I will do everything in my power to get them out as soon as humanly possible.”
Another of those slow, understanding nods from Jacob. “They’ll need somewhere to go when they get out. I’ll need to be able to provide for them. A job, a house.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
But he would. She knew he would, because it was how he’d been raised. It was a man’s job to provide for the women in his family. And if—when—his father ended up behind bars, Jacob would inevitably take on that responsibility himself.
And because she did know, she couldn’t help but take on some of that burden herself. “I’ll talk to Braden. I know he’s been looking for someone to clean the club during the day. And we can look at getting you enrolled in GED classes, so you can at least have that under your belt. You won’t be able to find a decent job without it.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Cordelia. Please, call me Cordelia.”
A small smile tugged at his lips. “Thank you, Cordelia. You don’t know how much I appreciate everything you’re doing for me.”
Oh, but I do. I understand more than I want to.
She and Holden said their goodbyes a little while later, and the moment they stepped outside, she stopped to drag in a deep, cleansing breath. “That was harder than I thought it would be. And I thought it was going to be pretty fucking hard.”
“It didn’t show. You handled him well.”
“I handled him the way I would have wanted to be handled. When I first got out.”
“Well, I’m no expert, but I’d say it’s working. He responds to you, more than Zach or me.”
There was something else, something hanging in the air. Forcing her eyes open, she raised an eyebrow in his direction. “What is it?”
“What?”
“You want to say something. Say it.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Does it ever piss Ivy off how observant you are?”
“All the time.”
“Tell her I feel her pain.” Running a hand through his hair, he looked down at her, and she wished she’d worn her heels so she wouldn’t feel quite so small next to his giant frame. “I’m just wondering if having him work at the club is the best option.”
“It’s not like I’m asking Braden to let him in during club hours. He’ll be there during the day, when it’s completely empty and the protestors aren’t around. Your men are already watching the club 24/7, so you don’t have to worry about hiring extra security. And it gives him time to get used to us. Braden will watch him like a hawk, both to make sure he doesn't do anything he shouldn’t and for his own safety. The club is the only option right now, as far as I’m concerned.”
“You’ve given this some thought.”
“I had a feeling he was going to jump right into looking for a job. We don’t take charity, and when his father gets put in prison, he’ll feel compelled to take on the weight of caring for his sisters. It’s how it’s done. Men provide, women submit.”
“I can’t imagine anyone making you submit.”
“They tried. And I pretended to, for a bit. But I never let them break me. And I’ll be goddamned if I give those bastards a chance to break that sweet boy and his sisters. We’re going to get them out, Holden, one way or another.”
Ivy
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