and his lips pressed to my hair.
"You want to go?" he asked softly after a couple of minutes. "There's not much more we can do tonight."
I nodded vaguely. "Soon."
He didn't question that response, just sat with me in silence until Hannah and Gen pulled up in separate cars just seconds apart.
Shivering, I pushed to my feet to meet them and give the same rundown I'd given Maxine, then told Hannah to use my credit card for anything the girls might need.
She gave me a confident smile in return. "Absolutely, sir. We've got it handled."
I nodded back. "I'll keep my phone on; call if you need me."
Hannah agreed and continued up the steps to the house. Gen lingered a moment, though, a worried frown creasing her brow.
"This is dangerous," she murmured, unnecessarily. "If there are missing-person reports out and they're found here..."
I shrugged. "It's a risk we'll take. I'm not dropping them off at the dirty-as-fuck police station just to be tossed back into the skin market. Max and Sabine are going to try and get some names; your job—"
"Run them through the database," Gen finished for me, her mouth tight. "Understood."
With a quick smile to Zed, she hurried up into the house. Only once she was safely inside did I nod to Zed that we could leave.
As we climbed into his car, I flicked my eyes around and checked off all the backup. All of Alexi's guys, the ones who'd transported the girls, were still present, just out of sight. Smart guys.
44
Cass was already home by the time we got back to the house, sitting at the dining table and playing poker with Lucas. Neither one of them were drinking, though, and both had their guns sitting within reach. High alert.
Exhaustion was making me lightheaded, but at the same time I was so keyed up I doubted I could have slept even if I tried. So I sat my ass down and summarized everything that had happened, while Zed made me a Baileys on ice.
After he placed the drink in front of me, he gathered my hair up and tied it in a loose knot. Then he proceeded to massage my shoulders while I talked, and I quickly retracted my mental statement about not being able to sleep.
"You reckon they were all sold by their families?" Cass rumbled when I was done. The anger in his voice was dark enough to make me shiver, and I didn't blame him.
"Probably not all," Zed answered for me, "but the little girl Dare spoke to seemed that way."
Lucas blew out a long breath, raking his fingers through his hair. "Fucking hell," he murmured. "Poor kids. Is there anything I can do?"
I shook my head, leaning into Zed's hands harder. "Not tonight. They're well looked after tonight."
Cass grunted a sound of agreement. "Nadia's there; they'll be fine. Everyone should go to bed."
Lucas snorted a laugh. "Okay, grandpa."
In retaliation, Cass cuffed him around the head. "Watch your mouth, Gumdrop."
I gave a short laugh at their teasing and finished my drink with a large swallow. Then I pushed to my feet with a yawn.
"Any movement from Seph?" Zed asked as we all made our way upstairs.
"Nothing," Lucas replied. "I even checked in case she'd, like... somehow crept out of her alarmed window, but she was snoring with her mouth open and drool all over her pillow."
I smiled. It wasn't the safest, but I liked how deeply Seph slept. It meant she wasn't plagued by the nightmares and horrors that the rest of us were.
When we got close to Zed's bedroom door, he wrapped his hand around my wrist and tugged me inside with him while Lucas and Cass made sounds of protest behind us.
"Not cool, Zeddy Bear," Lucas called out when Zed slammed the door.
Zed just snorted a laugh. "Suck my dick, Gumdrop!"
"Careful," I murmured, grinning as he unbuckled my gun holster for me. "One of those two might take you up on that offer."
He wasn't even remotely worried, I could tell. "Not likely," he replied with a grin. "Come on; sleep with me. I need to feel you in my arms tonight."
His kisses as he stripped me out of my clothes were slow and loving, then he tugged one of his own shirts over my head to sleep in. We were both too exhausted to fuck like rabbits, so we just snuggled until we fell asleep. It was almost like old times when we were nothing more than friends.
Until morning, of course. Then I woke