Page 59 of Refuge (The Wanderers 2)

“Are there other women in that group?” Kester asked.

“No. It was just Cora and me,” she murmured, looking away.

Kester hesitated. “I don’t understand. Didn’t they care about the baby?” It made very little sense. Babies were coveted. Why would the group barely slow down and risk something happening to the child?

Grecia shook her head. A tear fell as she hugged her little girl tighter. “They were going to sell her to whomever we came upon.”

Ariel gasped softly.

Kester couldn’t blame her. He barely contained a gasp himself. “How did you end up with that group?” he asked gently, fearing the answer.

“Cora and I met in one of those group homes for girls. We were both orphaned young and were placed in the government facility. After we turned eighteen, we were transferred to a women’s shelter. One day, we were standing out back and a van pulled up, four men jumped out in masks, and they kidnapped us.”

Kester cringed. “How long ago was that?”

“I’m not sure. A year, I think.” She closed her eyes. Tears ran down her cheeks.

Kester stared at her in awe. She’d survived an unimaginable year as basically a sex slave to twenty men. Cora too. He wondered why Cora wasn’t also pregnant. Maybe she was. Or maybe she’d had a miscarriage. Or maybe she couldn’t get pregnant.

He knew about the group homes for girls and the women’s shelters. Barely livable places. Government funded, but what did that even mean when half the time the government was so corrupt they were selling women and girls themselves?

“I’m so sorry,” Ariel murmured. “You’re safe now. It’s going to be okay.”

Grecia didn’t acknowledge Ariel. She probably couldn’t picture what safe even meant. She’d never known a single day of safe in her life. She took a few deep breaths and seemed to settle down a bit. That was a blessing.

“Would you like me to hold the baby for you so you can sleep?” Ariel asked.

Grecia’s eyes shot open wide. “No.”

“Okay.” Ariel smiled and stroked Grecia’s hair back from her forehead. “It’s okay. Just rest.”

Grecia’s gaze shot to Kester. “You won’t let them take her from me, right?”

“Never,” he promised, praying he was telling the truth. He would be restless until they returned to the compound. Every second of every hour. He had to pray the other two men didn’t show up in the night. Considering how hidden this shack was, he didn’t think anyone could come upon it in the dark. But if the baby cried…

He went outside to take over watching, patting Rush on the back. “Go on inside. I’ll patrol for a while.”

As Rush went inside, Ariel came to Kester’s back and wrapped her arms around him.

He gripped her forearms with his hands at his waist.

“You’re a good man, Kes.”

He groaned softly. “I’m just a decent man. Not a rapist or a kidnapper or a baby seller. Does that make me good?”

“Yes.” She circled to his front. “We’re going to be fine. I know it.”

He hugged her tight and kissed her neck. “I hate you being caught out here overnight so badly that I’m wishing we could just leave. That doesn’t make me very good.”

She tipped her head back and smiled. “Yes, because we’re here. Not leaving.”

He smoothed a wisp of blond hair from her cheek. “You saved my life too,” he pointed out reverently.

She shook her head. “Don’t exaggerate.”

“You shot that man in the head like some kind of trained sharpshooter.”

“You would have shot him half a second later if I hadn’t.”

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