Page 6 of Vengeance & Sin

Shit, I don’t even know these girls, and I’m sad for them. I’ve done many questionable things to survive and even more since we joined Vengeance, but selling skin is a line even we don’t cross. Thinking back to how small the girl I just saw was, sends my stomach flipping, and I might actually be sick.

I take a deep breath and instead focus on Trent.

“Why don’t you have anyone talking to them to see what they need or what happened.”

My voice comes out strong. I’m thankful because, on the inside, I still feel sick. Trent doesn’t need to know, though. All he needs to do is handle this shit and get these girls cared for.

“We don’t have a female officer on the scene, and as you can see from their reaction to you, they don’t do well with men.” His voice is still calm even though I’m all but screaming at him for answers. Considering the fact that we mix like oil and water, his ignoring that lets me know just how serious he’s taking this situation.

I nod at him and stride away, pulling my phone out as I walk around the front of the van. I can feel my temper rising the longer I think about this whole fucked up situation, and for once, I don’t feel like Trent is an appropriate outlet for my rage. For once, I think he’s doing what he can with the situation.

Fuck, how bad does something have to be for us to see eye to eye? Pretty fucking bad, apparently.

I shoot off a text to Zan and Rick in the group chat and let them know they need to get over here. I don’t give any details because we never put that shit anywhere it can be tracked. But I know they will both come regardless, knowing anything I have to say could mean the mission is on the line.

* * *

By the timethe guys get to me, the last few cops seem to be coming out of the building and loading anything they used back up. I’ve stepped back from the van but ensured it’s still in my sight. One of the smaller, less intimating cops goes to close the van doors, and I appreciate that they seem to be trying to be as unintimidating as possible in this situation.

I open my mouth to clue the guys in on what’s happening, but before I can get the words out, an ear-piercing scream sounds from the van, causing my head to whip towards it.

My feet are moving before I even make the decision, and I can feel the guys right behind me as I come up to the van and skid to a stop. They might not know what’s happening, but they have my back. The minute I decided it was worth going, they did too. Plus, the scream was very clearly a child, none of us hurt children, and we won't stand for anyone who does.

When we get to the van, the smaller officer steps back from the door with his hands up to show he didn’t do anything. Somehow it doesn’t appease me, though.

“What did you do?” The venom in my voice shocks even me, and I take a breath as the cop takes a step back from me out of fear. He’s right to be afraid, but I also know this probably isn’t something he is directly responsible for, and I try to get a grip on my anger.

Rick steps forward and in front of me, ever the level-headed leader.

“What happened?” His words are calm, cool, and collected, and the cop looks from me to him before stammering out his reply, probably hoping to get out of here as quickly as possible. Trent might be used to us by now, but most rookies act like we are the boogie man personified. They aren’t wrong, we are what goes bump in the night, but at the moment, we’re on the same side.

“I’m not sure, Mr. Spade. I was just closing up the van, and one of the girls started screaming, so I stopped.” The guy looks like he’s about to piss himself, and if the situation weren’t so serious, I would love to toy with him.

The rookies can never handle Rick. With his dad being the chief of police and him working in the underground, it always puts them on edge. But the situation is serious, so I stuff down my jokes at the expense of Officer no balls and instead turn to look into the van. The little girl who cried just looking at me earlier is sitting at the van's edge. Right behind her is the girl whose lap she cried in. Both are still a mess, but instead of looking sad and scared, they both look determined.

“We’re not leaving without Jade.” The little girl's voice is strong even though I can see the fear shining in her eyes. The girl behind her nods in agreement, as do most of the others.

“Who’s Jade?” Rick asks before I can. Though it’s probably for the best, his calm demeanor will most likely get us answers.

“She's the oldest of us; she was here long before we were.” The older girl behind her answers. Her voice wobbles as she talks about how long this Jade girl has been here. She can’t seem to meet Rick’s eyes as she speaks to him, preferring to look down at her lap.

“She takes care of us! We can’t leave without her!” The young one screams at Rick as new tears stream down her cheeks. The older girl grabs her shoulder in support and whispers reassurances about how Jade won't be left behind as the young one breaks down even further, turning around and curling up into the older girl's arms again.

Rick's gaze meets mine, and I can see the questions burning in his eyes, but they’ll have to wait. Right now, we need to talk with Trent and get to the bottom of this. Besides, he’s a smart guy. I’m sure he’s already figured out what’s happening here. He’s probably just hoping he’s wrong.

I turn away from Rick and avoid Zanders' eyes; this can all be handled later.

I stomp over to where Trent stands with another officer by his cruiser. The urge to knock him the fuck out is strong as I see him standing there, looking like he didn’t give a shit what the girl was freaking out about. What a great cop he is, not.

“You missed someone, Trent.” Zander tells him before I get to, the tone of his voice letting me know he’s just as upset as I am. Yeah, this whole night quickly turned into a giant ball of fucked up. Yet, I can’t help but be happy we were here.

What if we hadn’t been? Would they have shut those girls away and left their friend, another victim, behind? Would the guy they let get away continue this bullshit, finding new girls? Would he have tried to come back for these girls?

I shake my head as the what if’s stack up in my brain. But now's not the time, and we are here, so the what if’s don’t matter, regardless of how bad they piss me off.

“Not possible. We swept the whole building multiple times.” The officer next to Trent tells him.

He’s an older man, and I let out a huff as I look him over. I just know he’s going to be a fucking problem. The older ones always are. They think they can do whatever they want, and that Froggie is nothing but a common criminal. Oh, how wrong they are, and if he’s looking for a lesson he won’t soon forget, I’m definitely up to teach him it tonight.

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