Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
I snort out an incredulous laugh. “How about a thank-you?”
“It’s not that I’m not thankful,” she says, backtracking. “I am. Obviously, I don’t want to be trafficked by this crazy Santiago person. But I’m in college, and classes start back up soon, and if I don’t show up, it’ll set me back an entire semester, and I’ll lose my scholarship.”
Jesus fuck, she’s still in college … because she’s only twenty-one.
“It’s going to take longer than a week,” Matteo says. “Even if Eric doesn’t come after you, Santiago will. You’ve been given to that psycho bitch by your stepdad, and something tells me Santiago won’t take kindly to him going back on his deal, which means she’ll be coming after you out of spite.”
“She?” Vanessa’s brow quirks in confusion.
“Leysa Santiago,” Matteo explains, “is a psycho bitch, who, based on her trying to buy you, has followed in her grandfather’s footsteps and is trafficking women. We’re trying to locate her, but until we do, nobody is safe. She’s unpredictable and a loose cannon. I’m hoping to find this bitch soon, but it could take days, weeks, or months.”
“Great,” Vanessa groans. “There goes my scholarship … and my job.” She throws her arms up in frustration. “All of this because my mother had to bag the most prominent man in Harbor Point, which is kind of ironic since she thought he was rich, yet she agreed to sell me because he’s in debt.”
She glances from Matteo to me. “I appreciate you letting me crash at your place, and I’m sorry for everything. But I need to ask you a favor.”
The reminder of what she did has my jaw grinding. She might be in a shitty situation, but she still drugged and tricked me into marrying and having sex with her.
“What?” I deadpan.
“I need to get my stuff from the dock. Hopefully, nobody stole it. It has my laptop and medications …” She sighs. “And I have stuff at Eric’s house and at my apartment on campus in Seattle.”
“I’ll have my men handle the dock and Eric’s house,” Matteo says, then glances at me.
“I’ll hire someone to pack her shit and bring it here,” I add, wondering what the hell I’m getting myself into.
9
Vanessa
One minute, I had my entire future mapped out, and the next, I’m married and hiding out in my husband’s condo from a sex trafficker who is determined to do what? Sell me to the highest bidder? Use me in a bordello? I’ve seen the movies where women are drugged and men force them to do ungodly things. Just the thought has bile creeping up my throat.
I shake myself from my thoughts.
I’m safe.
I did what I had to do.
I might be stuck in Harbor Point for the time being, but at least I’m safe.
Since Lorenzo gave me the five-cent tour of his place—making it clear that I’m not to go anywhere I don’t belong—I’ve been sitting in the bedroom he said I could stay in, staring at the wall and wondering what I’m going to do. The bedroom is nice—albeit clearly lacking a woman’s touch. There’s a queen-size bed in the middle of the room with simple yet super soft and fluffy white bedding and white and gray furniture that matches the gray walls.
There’s a set of French doors that lead out to a terrace that overlooks downtown North Harbor Point. There’s a table with a couple of chairs, and I sat out there for a good hour earlier, just enjoying the fresh air and people-watching.
The en suite bathroom is bigger than my entire bedroom and bathroom back at college and has a huge tub that I’m planning to soak in tonight.
It’s not like I have anything better to do.
Classes start soon, and I’m supposed to be going back to work next week. Thankfully, I have enough money in my account to pay for my dorm and books for the semester. But if I don’t go to class, I’m going to lose it all.
And until I get my luggage, I can’t do anything. My phone died since it hadn’t been charged, and my charger is in my luggage with the rest of my stuff, and there’s no way I’m going out to ask Lorenzo to borrow one. I’ve taken enough from that man. So, until my stuff arrives—if it wasn’t stolen—I’m just sitting here, staring at the wall, mentally trying to figure out my next move.
“Vanessa,” Lorenzo calls out, following it up with a knock on the door.
“Yeah.” I sit up. “Come in.”
“Your stuff is here,” he says, rolling the luggage in with one hand while balancing the cutest little boy on his hip.
I sigh in relief when I see my carry-on since it contains everything I need.
“The stuff from the mayor’s house has arrived, and I’ll have the guys bring it in here.”