Page 105 of Ruthless Vengeance
Now it’s time for the hard part.
I’m notsure whether the back of the van is soundproof or whether the girls are simply too traumatized to speak, but the silence is really starting to unnerve me.
It’s only a twenty-minute drive to the meeting point, but it feels so much longer.
At every corner, I’m looking in my mirrors to see if anyone is following me, or scanning the dense forest on either side of the road to see if I can spot a flashlight.
From the looks of it, I seem to be in the clear. Though from the way my heart is pounding in my chest, it sure as hell doesn’t feel like it.
When I spot Andre’s black SUV parked on the side of a quiet forest road with its headlights off, I finally exhale.
Clara stands next to the car with her arms crossed, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.
The sight of my girl eases the ache in my chest, but only slightly.
I’m still not happy that she’s here, but Clara is too stubborn for her own good.
I know once this is all over, my brother is going to rip into me for being so soft, but I can’t help it. Both Clara and Zoe have me wrapped around their little fingers.
Clara looks up the moment I pull in behind the SUV, and her entire body relaxes as I open up the door and step out.
“Marco.” She comes rushing toward me. “Are they okay?”
“They’re alive.” I cup her face, pressing a quick kiss to her temple, needing to be close to her for a moment. “They’re shaken and scared.”
“But unharmed?” There’s hope in her eyes.
I consider lying, but then I remember that I made her a promise to always be honest.
Besides, Clara wouldn’t have offered to come if she thought she couldn’t handle this. My girl is stronger than I give her credit for.
“One of the girls hesitated, and one of Cillian’s men… He hurt her just before she got in.”
Clara’s expression hardens. “Bastard.”
Just then Andre climbs out of the driver's seat and stalks over to us, his expression grave.
“Shall we?” He tilts his head toward the van, and I nod.
“Come on.” I wrap an arm around Clara’s waist. “Remember what you promised me?”
She nods, but there is such determination in her eyes that I know she won’t walk away from these girls. She’s going to stay by their side until Cillian is taken care of.
Andre opens up the back of the van, and Clara climbs inside slowly with her hands raised in a gesture of peace. Even though she speaks softly, the women still flinch at her presence.
None of them speak a word of English, but the more Clara speaks, the more they can hear in her tone that she isn’t a threat.
Andre and I stand off to the side, both of our stances relaxed, and our hands clasped in front of us so they can see we have no weapons.
As Clara talks, the women peer out at us, and I offer them all an easy smile.
I know how my brother and I might look to them, but I think Clara’s relaxed demeanor is helping to show them that we’re on their side.
She talks for another few minutes, and already it’s clear that her presence seems to be calming them down.
Eventually, she climbs back out of the van, and the women follow, their eyes still trained on the ground. But their tears are starting to dry up, and the one girl who hesitated is the only one to look Andre and me in the eye.
I dip my chin at her in a silent promise, and she does the same.
