Page 13 of An Unhinged Wedding

Max nods, and we follow him to the elevator. We all get in together. Mia presses the number eight-button and bounces with excitement like the beautiful psycho she is.

“I want Parker,” Hunter says.

Max says, “Hunter, Jade and I will take Parker. Trevor and Mia, you’re on Stephen. Duct tape his mouth shut and take him to the van as quietly as possible.” The elevator doors slide open, and we all walk out together. The energy in this hallway is like a live wire. We all get a sort of high from this. These men are the worst of the worst, and they deserve the suffering we hand out. Every time Mia kills one of these assholes, it feels like she heals a little more. When one of these monsters' lives is ended, that’s at least one little girl that he won’t hurt. Max, Hunter, and Jade make it to Parker's room. I stand with Mia outside Stephen’s room. “Ready?” I mouth to her. She tilts her head back, gazes at me with bright green eyes, and nods. Fuck she’s gorgeous.

I swipe the card and open the door. We both glance at each other when we don’t see him. She points toward the bedroom, and I nod silently. I follow her into the bedroom and feel sick at the sight before me. He’s sleeping next to a girl, probably around twelve years old. She’s not sleeping. Her eyes widen when she spots us. Tears run down her bruised cheeks. There’s an imprint of a hand around her tiny throat. Mia puts her finger over her lips, telling the girl to be quiet. I approach the side of the bed he’s on, right behind Mia. She turns to me, hands me the duct tape, and whispers, “I need to take care of her.”

That’s Mia. My girl has no idea what a great mother she will be. Her caring, nurturing side will not allow her to be less than a wonderful mom to our kids. She goes to the other side, gets the girl, and takes her to the living room. I place a piece of tape over his mouth so he can’t scream. Then I turn him over and tape his hands behind him so he can’t strike me. Easy peasy. After I punch him in the face, he wakes up, groaning. I chuckle, “Good morning, sunshine.”

He’s in nothing but boxer shorts, but I don’t give a fuck. I’m not taking time to get this asshole dressed. I pull him up to his feet, “Try anything stupid and you’ll prolong your suffering.”

I get out to the living room, and Mia has the poor girl in a hotel bathrobe, “She’s coming with us.”

And then what? What the fuck are we going to do with a twelve-year-old kid? But I know better than to argue with her about this. There is no way Mia will leave this kid to fend for herself. If she did, she wouldn’t be the woman I know her to be.

“In front of me,” I order Mia and the girl. I know she can protect herself, but I also know, she’s worried about the victim, so her reflexes might be off. I can never be too cautious when it comes to her. Luckily, she gives no argument, and we walk back down the hallway to take them both out the back. Every few minutes, Stephen whimpers. He walks with a stagger. He’s either drunk or high. I’m not sure which.

When we walk out of the hotel's backdoor, Max, Hunter, and Jade already have Parker in the back of the van. Hunter helps me toss Stephen on top of Parker.

Max looks at the girl, “She was with him?”

I nod, “Yes. Do you want me to call Jessica?”

He shakes his head in annoyance, “Yes. Have her meet us at the safe house. She can stay there until we figure out where she came from.”

I text Jessica while Mia gets her into the van.

Me:V. SH ASAP.

Jessica:How many?

Me:One. Maybe more soon though.

Jessica:Alright, I’m an hour out. Be there ASAP.

I climb into the van beside Mia and look at Max, “She’s on her way.”

We begin driving, and I notice the girl trembling. I grab a blanket from our storage bin and place it over her.

The saddest brown eyes I think I’ve seen meet mine, “Thank you,” she whispers.

“You’re welcome. What’s your name?”

She replies, “Nine hundred sixty-two.”

The anger flows through my veins like a volcano, ready to erupt, “No honey. Not the number they gave you. You had a name before they got you. What was it?” Mia asks.

“Savannah,” she replies quietly.

Mia takes her hand, “Savannah, you’re safe now. No one is going to hurt you anymore. I promise you.”

She looks at Max, then Hunter, and finally me. None of us are friendly-looking men, so I know exactly what she’s thinking.

Mia giggles, “They’re pussy cats. They may look scary, but they’re not. I swear to you they will never hurt you. It’s their job to save little girls like you.”

“Are you hungry?” I ask.

She nods, “Very.”

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