Page 27 of Reaper Released

“I know, but I want the vow to mean something. I want to trust you, and I want you to trust me. There aren’t many people here I can talk to, and you seem… well, from what my mother says, you seem like a handy person to know!”

I smile at her, really smile. “I will make you a promise right here, right now. You pick a code word, and if you need me, you just say or text that word, and I will drop everything and be right there, no questions.”

“You would do that?”

“I take my vows very seriously, so yes, I will” Taking the knife, she looks at me, then pauses, pushing the knife into the fleshy part of her palm above her left wrist. On it, she carves a small heart the size of a thumbnail. Showing me, I take the knife from her and mark my hand the same, then push it against hers.

Blinking, eyes filled with tears, she says, “I don’t have anyone I can trust other than my mother, and some things I can’t talk to her about!” Sniffling, she tries to blink back the tears.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m here. You can tell me anything. Has something happened?” Glancing over to the door and back to me, she nods.

“Catalina, has someone hurt you?”

“Please don’t say anything, don't call me Catalina. He says it, and I don’t like the way he says it.”

“Okay, what about Cat, Lina, or Tali?”

“Tali? Tali, I like that.”

“Okay, kiddo. Tali it is. So who hurt you?”

When she doesn’t reply, I tug her arm and sit on the bed next to her.

“My real name is… Sunshine!” A tiny, shocked gasp leaves her lips as she raises her eyes.

She looks at me and smiles. “Sunshine?”

“Yeah, my mum chose it. She died when I was four. After that, my dad couldn’t bring himself to call me it, so he called me Ray instead, he said I was his ray of sunshine, so I’ve gone by Ray ever since.”

“He works here!” Tali hangs her head. “Kind of, anyway. He’s not hurt me… yet. But he touches me when no one’s looking. He’s high up in the organisation, and I don’t know if my mother will believe me or do anything.”

“What’s he done?”

“If he’s near me, he will slide his hand up my legs to my underwear, and he will pinch my ass and my breasts if he can get away with it!”

“Is he here this weekend?” Looking at the floor again, I grab her chin.

“Your mother will believe you, and I’m sure she will kill him for even thinking he can lay a hand on you.”

“You can’t tell her. Please don’t tell her!”

“I won't, I promise, but if he’s here this weekend, I will kill him if you want me to.”

“You will?”

“Yes!”

“I can’t let you. My mother… she would kill you!”

“Let me deal with your mother. I won’t hurt her, and I won’t tell her, but I will kill the son of a bitch, deal?” Shaking her head, she looks at the floor again.

“Are you telling me the truth, Tali?” Looking at me with unshed tears and a look that crushes me, she nods.

“Then tell me who he is.” I lean down to my bag and draw out my hunting knife. I wrap it in a towel, picking up the Swiss Army knife. I give it to her. “When I was kidnapped by your mother’s ex-men, this belonged to one of them.

“I took it when I murdered him. It's yours. Keep it close in case you need it. Stab him with the pointy end!” A small laugh falls from her lips.

“Now, let’s head back to the pool, and if you see him, you say the code word. What’s it gonna be?”

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