narrowed her eyes. “Nothing is free.”
“We’re good at what we do. We use money taken from the assholes who kidnap and sell people to fund everything. You’ll be given new names and papers and we’ll help you get a new home and a job and anything else you’ll need to start over.”
“We won’t go back to where we were?” Tears shimmered within the woman’s blue eyes as she shrank closer to the woman on the far right of the group.
“No, but if you have family or someone you love there, let us know and we will see what we can do. Going home is too dangerous.”
“They’ll take us again,” another said. “We won’t go back.”
“Where will we go?”
Addy glanced at Kristof, then over at Gavriil. “I can’t tell you. I’ll likely not know. What we do works because we trust no one with how it’s done or anything about anyone’s new life. Someone will sit down with each of you and go over how it’ll work and the rules. They’re very important. You’ll be asked a lot of scary questions that we need answers to. The more you trust us with, the safer we can make you.”
“How many have you helped? Will we meet others like us?”
“No, you won’t. I can’t answer the other question.”
“Gavriil bought us clothes and toothbrushes and brushes and suitcases. We keep those?” The woman glanced in the corner where a pile of rolling suitcases sat. “They’re ours. He said we could have them without payment.”
Addy’s respect for the man increased. He’d given them a foundation, something outside of their ordeal that drew them closer to normal. They were no longer objects bought and sold—they were people with things of their own.
“Then you’ll keep them.” After everything was scanned for tracking devices. “We’re going to take you to a doctor who’ll make sure you are all okay. Are there any problems we need to address now?”
The women looked at one another. One at the end spoke. “One of us is bleeding. We’ve stopped it, but she needs help. We will all wait so she can be seen first.”
“I asked if they were hurt,” Gavriil whispered. “They didn’t answer.”
“That’s okay. It’s their choice when to trust us,” Addy said. “One of my men is outside. He’s not a doctor, but he can help with anything until we can get all of you to a hospital.”
“No.” The blonde at the end shook her head. “She will not be alone with him.”
“Okay,” Addy replied quickly. “I’ll stay with her.” She drew her gun from her purse. “I’ll shoot him if he scares her.”
“Damn, Red. That’s harsh,” Cracker said via the com.
“I will go with her,” the woman said. “You protect the others. I protect her.”
“Okay.” Addy pulled a knife from its thigh strap and held it out by the blade. The woman’s eyes widened. “He’s a good man that I’ve trusted with my life many years.”
The woman nodded as she gripped the handle and took the knife.
“Not sure arming one of them was a good idea,” Gage said in the com.
“It’s an act of trust. Cracker can disarm anyone without a problem. They’re barely over a hundred pounds,” Zoey said. “Let Addy do this her way.”
“Tell him to stop if she gets scared. He will. If he doesn’t, press the knife against his throat here.” She pointed to the jugular. “That’s all you need to do.”
The woman nodded and stood. “Come, Katya. We go now.”
Addy stilled as the woman in the center of the huddle was helped off the sofa. Her baggy sweatpants clung to her left side near the hip. She waited until the two women had made it to the door before she whispered, “Left side near the hip.”
When the door closed the women left the sofa and scrambled to the window that faced the van parked outside. Addy stood and positioned herself between them and Gavriil and Kristof. Both men watched with matched expressions of concern and surprise.
“You armed her,” Kristof commented.
“I could have given her the gun.” Addy shrugged. “They need to know they’re safe and this isn’t a typical recovery. The sooner we earn their trust, the better for them and us.”
“This is what I’ve learned about them so far. It’s not much, but it might help,” Gavriil said as he held out a folder.
“Thanks.” She glanced at Kristof, then returned her gaze to Gavriil. “You mention anything you heard today to anyone and I’ll kill you: slowly and painfully.”
He chuckled. “I’d almost welcome