After being extremely impressed by the walk-in shower and separate soaker tub, Casey let out a big yawn. She lifted her hand to rub at her eyes.
Considering what she's been through, it would make sense that she'd still be tired. "Did you get any sleep in the hospital?"
"A little. It was hard to stay asleep with all the strange sounds and the nurses checking on me every few hours." Her reply had me guiding her back to the bedroom before she finished her sentence.
I know on those rare occasions when I'd landed in the hospital, it had been damn near impossible to sleep. So, I'm not surprised that she's tired now.
I motioned for her to sit on the edge of the bed. As she did, she looked up at me. "I'm okay."
"I'm sure you are, but I bet you'd feel even better if you took a nap."
Her body went rigid with my suggestion. I crouched in front of her and gently took her hands in mine. "I know it might be hard for you to relax, after spending so long always having to be on alert, but I need you to try and take that leap. I need you to trust me when I tell you that you're one hundred percent safe here."
Her attention shifted from me to the door and then over my shoulder to the oversized windows. She didn't say a word and she didn't relax.
In a slow and careful motion, I shifted one of my hands to cup her cheek. "Casey, look at me."
When she finally did, I could see the fear in her eyes and my heart broke just a little more. I can't begin to imagine what she'd been through over the last few years. "Okay," I said as I held her gaze. "Only one of those windows opens and only from the inside."
Part of the building code required at least one of the windows to open in case of fire. We'd even had escape ladders built into little boxes under each open window. Six stories up was a long way to climb down on a rope ladder. Still, it was a better option than getting trapped in a fire.
"The rest of the windows don't. All the windows are bulletproof. So, nobody is coming through them after you."
She nodded and I felt her relax just a little.
"Good. When we came in you saw there was a coded keypad to enter. Those keypads are on both of the main doors and the elevator. There is also a monitor stationed at the front door. Nobody gets in without going through him first. The side door can only be accessed through the garage. The garage can only be accessed by a key fob. Are you following me so far?"
Her eyes never left mine even as she gave another slow nod.
"Okay," I said as I continued. "Now, the garage, every entrance, all the hallways, and the elevator have cameras. Those cameras are monitored by a crew on the fifth floor. My door also has a keypad entry. Plus, there are armed men on every floor of this building, including me. They will protect you. I will protect you. I will not leave you alone in the apartment until you're comfortable here. Do you believe me?"
While she remained silent, she did give another nod, and this time she relaxed just a little more.
"Finally. Your bedroom door has a lock on it. If you'd feel better locking the door, you can. I won't be angry with you if you do." There wasn't any need in telling her about my lock-picking skills. "Now. Do you think you can try to take a nap?"
"I think so," she murmured, then slowly pushed up from where she sat. I stood, shifted, and pulled down the covers. She then kicked off her shoes, turned, and climbed onto the bed. I helped her pull the covers up and leaned over to press a soft kiss to her cheek. "I'll protect you, Precious. I promise you're safe here."
She swallowed hard as she looked up at me. "I trust you, Lester."
Considering she had absolutely no reason to trust anyone right now, those four little words meant the world to me. I smiled down at her then slowly backed away. "Sweet dreams."
I started to pull the door close when she jerked upright in bed. "Don't."
I froze at her shout.
"Don't go," she finally said.
Despite the confused look, I know I gave her, I remained locked in place, not quite knowing what to do next.
"I think I'd feel safer if you'd stay with me. At least until I fall asleep." Her expression turned sheepish, and she lowered her gaze. "T-that is if you don't mind."
My brows winged up at her request. The last thing I'd expected was this level of trust from her already. "I don't mind at all. Do you want me to sit in the chair?"
She gave a slight head shake. "M-maybe you could sit on the bed with me?"
Not willing to pass up a bonding opportunity, I crossed back over to the bed, eased on the edge, and unlaced my boots. Then, I pulled my weapon from its holster and placed it on the nightstand, before finally climbing onto the bed above the covers. I settled in next to her, with my back against the headboard and enough space between us to give her comfort.
I was more than a little shocked when she shifted closer to me, turned, and snuggled against my side. I moved my arm, and wrapped it around her, allowing her to get closer. When she finally stopped moving, she'd rested her head rested against me and her arm was draped over my chest. "Talk to me," she murmured.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"I don't know. Tell me about you or the company or the guys here. I just want to hear the sound of your voice."
Her reply pulled a grin from me and I thought about what to say. "I know," I began. "Let me tell you about how Stephanie came to work here."
I'd only been talking for about fifteen minutes when I realized she was sound asleep. I'm pretty sure I sat there for at least another thirty just enjoying the sound of her breathing and the feel of her draped against me. For the first time in months, a weird sense of peace settled over me as I watched the door. I knew we were both safe, but I was still intent on protecting her just as I promised.
When she finally shifted away from me into a different and probably more comfortable position, I eased from the bed. I grabbed my Ruger and my boots, then tiptoed out of her bedroom. Making sure I could still hear her if she needed me, I left the door open a crack. Then I grabbed my phone and put it on silent, while I made my way over to my dining area turned home office. Maybe I'd do a little work while she slept.
Three and half hours later, I'd finished the preliminary layout for a new security system, ran three searches, and read through two new contracts. I was just about to review Ram's monthly report, on who needed to re-up their yearly weapons qualification, when her door opening caught my attention. A moment later she appeared in the doorway. Her eyes were still half-lidded and her sleep-mussed hair framed her face. God, she was beautiful.
"Hey," I said when I finally found my voice.
"Hey," she replied as she took a tentative step forward.
The urge to go to her and sweep her up in a hug nearly overwhelmed me. Knowing she probably wouldn't be comfortable with such an intimate gesture, instead, I remained seated at my desk. "Did you sleep well?"
She smiled and I'm pretty sure my world might have stopped spinning for a moment. It was the first time that I'd seen her exhibit such a genuine look of happiness. There was an innocence and joy in her expression that had me wanting to do anything I possibly could to keep that grin on her face. "Actually, I can't remember the last time I slept so well," she said.
"I'm so glad to hear it," I motioned to the kitchen island. "Are you hungry? Ella brought down a crock pot of lemon garlic chicken and a side of rice."
She inched over to the counter and peered inside. "What's in it?"
Amused, I arched a brow. "Besides lemon, garlic, and chicken?"
She nodded as her green eyes looked up at me with concern. "I'm allergic to mushrooms."
Well hell. I held up a finger. "Hang on and I'll find out."
Less than a minute later I thanked Tia Ella and hung up. "No mushrooms," I said.
Her smile returned. "Then I think I'd like to try it."
I grabbed two plates and within minutes we were settled at the breakfast bar where I ate all my meals. "This is really good," she said as she forked up another bite.
"Ella is a great cook," I replied.
"Who is this Ella you keep mentioning?" she asked.
"She's my and Ranger's aunt, but she's also Ranger and Stephanie's housekeeper and cook. She also cooks for the men who are working and keeps the other parts of the building clean."
Casey paused with the fork halfway to her mouth. "She doesn't cook and clean for you too?"
I shook my head. "We're responsible for keeping our own apartments clean and feeding ourselves when we're off duty. Ella made this meal as a favor to help me out today."
She set her fork down and placed her hands in her lap as she looked down at her food. Why was she suddenly nervous? "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she replied, then cleared her throat. "I-um…I could do those things for you."
Confused, I frowned at her statement. "What things?"
"Cook and clean," she replied. "It could be my way of giving back to you. Of saying thank you for helping me."
The last thing I wanted was for her to feel indebted to me. I carefully set my fork down and turned to face her. Her head was down. Her fingers twisted against each other in her lap. "Precious, look at me."
When she didn't move, I reached out and curled a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to look at me. "I didn't bring you here to be my cook or my housekeeper. I want you here, so I can help you get better, and I don't expect any kind of repayment. Is that clear?"
She gave a nearly imperceptible nod. "If I can't help, then what should I do with myself?" she asked.
I turned back to my meal and picked up my fork. "Rest, relax, read, watch TV, maybe enjoy a hobby. Just do what you want. Whatever makes you feel better," I said.
Her eyes met mine and much to my surprise, she held her ground. "What if I enjoy cooking? What if it makes me feel better?"
I grinned at the tiny hint of defiance in her tone. I had a feeling if she ever allowed herself the pleasure of relaxing and completely letting go, I was in for one hell of a surprise. "Then I guess you should cook," I replied.
The ease of my reply appeared to drain the tension from her shoulders, and she returned my smile. "Okay, then," she finally said, then turned and picked up her fork.
We ate in amicable silence for several minutes before the nagging questions got the better of me. "Can I ask you a question?"
She angled her head to look at me and waited.
"Back on the bridge, you said your family shunned you. I thought in the Mennonite religion if you publicly confessed your sins and asked for forgiveness it was given. So why didn't they welcome you back?"
Her face twisted with a pained expression as she once again set her fork aside. "I…um." She cleared her throat before beginning again. "I kinda lost my faith," she finally said.
I felt my brow knit as I stared at her. What exactly did that mean? "I'm sorry, but I don't think I understand."
"The first few months after I was taken, I clung to my faith. Praying to God that someone would rescue me or that he would give me the strength and the ability to rescue myself. As the months passed, I realized that nobody was coming. That God had forsaken me."
She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. When she opened them again, they were glassy with unshed tears, making me sorry I asked.
"I'd always tried to be a good steward of the Lord. I did everything that was asked of me. Yet, when I needed him most, it felt as if God abandoned me."
Several tense seconds passed as she remained silent. At this point, I was too deep with the questions not to see it through. "What happened when you returned home?"
"At first everyone was happy to see me. My family set up a meeting with the pastor and the church board. They told me if I publicly confessed my sins during Sunday service, that I would be absolved and allowed to return to the congregation."
She shook her head as the unshed tears broke free and trickled down her cheeks. "I was kidnapped, beaten, raped, drugged, and forced to do Blackmore's bidding. I was the victim and they wanted me to confess to sins that I'd had forced upon me. It all just felt so wrong. Like I was being victimized all over again. I couldn't do it. When I refused, they excommunicated me."
Abandoning our dinner, I reached for her, pulling her against me in a hug that I could only hope conveyed how sorry I was. That I was here, and I'd be her strength until she was able to find it on her own again. For several minutes, she cried against my shoulder while, what I could only guess was months of pent-up emotions poured out of her.
"Come." I motioned to the couch. "Let's sit."
When we did, she leaned in against me and once again I thanked God for giving her the ability to place her trust in me so soon. "I left my family's farm and went to stay with my best friend. Only, she would have gotten in trouble if anyone from the congregation knew she was housing me. So, I slept in the barn. I did my best to stay out of sight while I worked for her, cleaning the barn and her house, cooking for her, and doing her sewing and quilting. In turn, she paid me for my services. When I earned enough to buy another bus ticket, her husband arranged with one of their friends to take me to Harrisburg. That person dropped me at the bus station and didn't look back."
Gently, I brushed the hair from her face. "What made you come back to Trenton?"
"Madelyn and Isabel were still here. Or so I thought at the time. When we were in rehab together, Maddie said she had family here in Trenton and that if I ever needed a place to stay to look her up. She gave me an address and a phone number. So, I bought a ticket to bring me back here, then went in search of the girls."
"I'm guessing you didn't find them?"
She stiffened next to me. Her silence only upped my curiosity. "Honey, what happened?"
"I followed the directions to a place on Stark Street."
It was my turn to tense as my mind recoiled at the thought of her being anywhere on Stark. "You were on Stark Street?"
"Yeah." She pushed off me so she could shift to look at me. "I know. I mean I didn't know when I went down there how bad the area was. Then I found Isabel. She was high and in the middle of having sex with two men on an old dirty mattress. I waited in the shadows until she finished, and the men left. When I asked her why she was doing what she was doing, she said she tried, but she couldn't stay clean. So, she reverted back to using again. Instead of money, she was exchanging sex for drugs. I asked her about Madelyn, and she said nobody had seen her in weeks. She figured either Maddie managed to get out of town or something bad happened to her."
"Do you know why you, Maddie, and Isabel weren't released to family when you left the rehab facility?"
Casey shook her head. "I don't know. They were both gone before I was released."
Once again, my mind reeled at the thought of these girls being so callously released without any follow-up or direction. Something was seriously wrong with that rehab facility. "So, you went from having what you thought was two friends, to one friend with a drug habit," I said.
She gave me a sad smile. "I knew I couldn't stay there, or I'd end up just like her. So, I left. For the next couple of weeks, I stayed in homeless shelters off and on. Then, I just reached a point where everything felt so hopeless." Her voice cracked as she spoke. "I just wanted the pain to end."
It took me a second to find my own voice as I lifted a hand to graze a knuckle along her cheek. "That's why you were on the bridge the other day?"
She nodded as she looked at me, her expression so raw and open it made me physically hurt. "I would have jumped," she said. "If you hadn't found me and given me a shred of hope to cling to, I would have let go."
