“Jenny had a little sister?”

Nina had come over to the boys’ room and now sat beside Jacob, distraught. “I think she was just a baby or…or one or two years old, I-I’m not sure.” Tears streaked her face as she stared blankly at the carpet. “I think…I think the things that happened to us…happened to her little sister, too.” She pressed her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes tight, the unthinkable horror of the idea too much for her to handle.

Jacob wrapped his arm around her. “No wonder she’s locked up inside,” he whispered shakily.

“Why would she ever want to come back to this world?” Nina choked on a sob. “It’s an awful place filled with horrible people.” She buried her face in Jacob’s neck and cried.

Jacob glanced at the older guys who had fallen silent when Nina came in and relayed Terri’s words. “There’s a lot of good people in this world, too,” he murmured.

Caleb quietly cleared his throat. “Does Jenny know where her sister is?”

Raising her head slowly, Nina stared at him, stricken. “She’s…dead,” Nina whispered. “She was too little…what they did to her…” Her chin trembled, and she began to shake. “It-it killed her.”

Horror filled Caleb’s eyes. “How can…” his throat worked as tears rose. “I don’t understand how someone could…could be so fucking twisted and sick in the head. I just…I can’t…” He looked away and ducked his head, pressing his fingertips to his damp eyes.

Angel sat stone still, the same revulsion masking his face. His stare was distant and deeply troubled. “It’s unthinkable what people will do to children,” he whispered hollowly. “There’s no limit to their depravity…none.”

A few minutes later, Nina returned to the girls’ room.

Jacob sat numbly on the bed, Eric beside him, holding his hand. “None of us knew where Jenny came from,” he mumbled. “The sellers already had her when most of us arrived. She was like this from the time we met her. I just thought that…that she was this way because of the things that had happened to her. I didn’t know…”

Eric leaned against him and squeezed his hand.

“Nina’s right,” Abel murmured. “This world can be an awful place filled with horrible people. But you’re right, too; there’re also good people in the world. And the things that all of you have gone through…it’s over now.” He smiled softly. “Trust me, once this family takes you in, your life can’t help but get better.”

The others with him wholeheartedly agreed. Jacob took comfort in that, but he still worried about one thing. “What’s going to happen to us?” he asked quietly. “I-I mean, where are we going to live? Who are we going to live with?”

The young men exchanged looks. Abel said, “We don’t know for sure just yet. But you can be sure that no one’s going to send you anywhere or with anyone that isn’t safe.”

“I’m home!”

Everyone jumped when a little boy burst into the room, preceded by an overexcited puppy that immediately began squirming around all the boys’ feet, begging for attention that was eagerly given.

“Jules!” Angel grinned and scooped the boy up into his arms. “Hey, bud.”

It took a moment for the child—Jules—to register all the new people. He blinked. “Who’re they?” he asked Angel.

The boy was introduced to them all. He didn’t have a shy bone in his body and immediately latched onto Samson, Eli, and Robby. “Wanna see my room? I have lots of toys. You can play with them, I don’t care. Uncle Adrian says it’s nice to share.”

Jacob smiled at the pure, untainted innocence of the little boy. Yet his heart broke for Eli and Robby, who’d had their innocence stolen in the most brutal way. It strengthened his heart, though, the way the boys’ faces glowed in the light of Jules’ sweet jubilance.

“Can we go play?” Samson asked Jacob.

“Yeah,” Jacob smiled.

Although Robby was a little older than the other three boys, he didn’t hesitate to race off with them to Jules’ room.

“He’s energetic,” Jacob laughed softly.

Angel chuckled. “Jules is like a tiny tornado. But about as sweet as they come. He’ll keep those boys entertained for a while.”

 

•♦•

 

“You have to go?” Nina lowered her eyes, her heart sinking. She didn’t want Emmy to leave. Would she ever see her again?

“Hey,” Emmy said softly and stroked Nina’s dark, damp strands. “I’ll come back. I promise.”

Nina met her warm gaze with uncertainty. “What’re they going to do with us? Where will we go?”

“Don’t you worry about that, sweetheart,” Emmy murmured. “You’re all going to be well taken care of, okay?”

Nina swallowed thickly as her throat lumped up. “Are…are you married?”

“Yes,” Emmy smiled. “To a wonderful man named Oliver. He can be a little intimidating at first sight, but he’s just a big ole teddy bear.”

“Do you…have kids?”

Lowering her eyes, Emmy shook her head. “No,” she said quietly, anguish in her voice. “I can’t have children and…” she paused a moment, sorrow shadowing her eyes. “The first time we attempted to adopt a baby…it died. The young mother who was going to give her baby up for adoption was an addict. We didn’t know she was. We’d been so involved and excited, and when the baby died…it felt like we’d lost our own child. I guess we were too afraid to try again, for fear of going through such anguish all over again.”

Nina whispered, “I’m sorry. You must’ve been so sad.”

“We were.”

“Would you ever adopt…older kids?” Nina trembled, her heart shuddering in her chest, so afraid of the woman’s answer. “Or…or would you only want a baby?”

Tears shimmered in the woman’s eyes and she cupped Nina’s face. “All children are blessings from God,” she said softly. “It doesn’t matter the age.”

Would you want me? She didn’t ask the question out loud, but hoped with all her heart that when she did ask it…the answer would be a joyous yes.

 

•♦•

 

Dr. Perelli arrived late, due to unforeseeable delays. He performed another round of preliminary exams on the kids, the bulk of his concern focused on the smallest children, fearful that they may have sustained internal damage from their sexual abuse.

He spoke to Adrian and made appointments for all of the kids to come in for a complete examination, bloodwork, and x-rays. He left shortly after checking the kids.

“Do we have to get shots?” Robby asked anxiously after the doctor was gone. “I’m scared of needles.”

“I don’t know about the shots,” Adrian said, then smiled. “Most people don’t like needles. But getting a shot isn’t usually as bad as we think it will be.” He eyed the boy and asked quietly, “Is there a reason that needles scare you?”

Robby stared at him hesitantly then looked away and shook his head. Adrian didn’t think that was the truth. There was no telling what trauma these kids had been through, apart from the sexual abuse. How much physical and psychological abuse had they endured as well? Possible before they were taken by the sex traffickers.

Following the examination by Dr. Perelli, the smaller children—including the four youngest girls—went back to Jules’ room to play. Terri had seemed convinced that Jenny would like to go, too. Adrian was all for the young girl engaging in as much positive interaction as possible.

Before joining the men in the lounge, Adrian went the master bedroom and sat down for a moment to catch his breath. Jules’ giggles infiltrated the hall and Adrian suddenly broke down sobbing. He buried his face in his hands, his whole body shaking as all his emotions seemed to explode in one fell swoop.

“Adrian?” Angelo came into the room on a strong stride and sat beside him, wrapping the younger man in his arms. The man was freshly washed and gave off a pleasant aroma of soap and cologne. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

Struggling for control, Adrian whispered, “It just hit me…all of it. These kids and…” He sagged against Angelo, sobs racking him. “And Jules.” His arms went around the man and he clung to him. “They almost got our baby, Angelo…our precious little Jules.”

“But they didn’t get him,” Angelo murmured against his hair. “And they found out what happens when someone tries to steal from us.”

“You made him suffer?”

Angelo pressed his lips to his head. “Immensely.”

 

•♦•

 

The older kids were gathered at the dining room table. Adrian served them hot tea and Clint sat down across from them along with the other men. Axel took the chair to Clint’s left and his presence was welcome…comforting.

Clint directed his main focus on Jacob. “I want you to tell us how the sex traffickers acquired each of you,” he said. “And which of you, if any, have family out there searching for you.”

Jacob nodded and licked his lips nervously as he twisted his cup of tea on the table. “Samson and Susie were abducted from their parents less than two weeks ago. I’m sure their parents and the cops are looking for them.” He took a sip of hot tea. “Jenny…I don’t know where she came from or if she has family.” He glanced at Eric and the others. “Most of the rest of us don’t have family, except maybe…” Jacob looked at David. “Don’t you have a father?”

David lowered his eyes and shrugged. “He’s…he’s probably not looking for me anymore,” he mumbled. “I’ve been gone a long time.”

The boy’s demeanor told Clint more than his words ever could; his father was not a good man. “Gone? You were kidnapped?”

David shook his head and whispered, “I ran away.”

“Why?”

The boy shrugged and stared at the table. “I didn’t think he wanted me.” His tone implied there was much more he wasn’t telling.

“How did the sex traffickers get you?”

David swallowed. “I didn’t have any money or anywhere to go. They found me sleeping in an alley, half starved to death, and they took me…forced me into prostitution.”

The other kids stared at him, clearly hearing this part of his story for the first time.

“You said the rest of you don’t have families?” Anthony addressed Jacob.

Jacob blinked and looked at the older man and nodded. “We were all in an orphanage together. Some of us were there longer than others.”

Clint frowned. “So, how did you end up with the traffickers?”

Pressing closer to Eric, Jacob murmured, “They came there and…bought us.”

“What?” Axel stared at the boy. “They bought you from an orphanage? I thought those places were supposed to adopt kids out, not sell them.”

Jacob shrugged and twisted his cup. “Not that place. It wasn’t a state orphanage. It was privately owned, and I don’t think a lot of people knew about it. They pimped us out, but the customers had to come there. The place was like an old hotel or something, there were lots of rooms. The customers would take us to the rooms and…use us. If someone offered enough money, they’d sell the kids. They didn’t care who took us as long as the buyer paid them.” He blinked and looked at Clint. “Most of the people who came there to buy kids—mostly men—wanted them for sex. Either for themselves or to sell or rent to others. I never saw anyone come in there who just wanted to adopt a kid to…love and care for them.”

Adrian quietly cleared his throat, his voice thick with emotion when he spoke. “How were you treated while you were at the orphanage?”

“Not good.”

Eric laid his head on Jacob’s shoulder, tears in his eyes. “Horribly,” he whispered.

Jacob agreed. “We were abused by the few staff that worked there,” he told them. “They…they used the kids for sex whenever they wanted, day and night. Sometimes they would wake us up in the middle of the night because they…they had an urge.”

“And we slept on the floor,” Nina added quietly. “They didn’t even give us a mattress for a bed. They saved the rooms for the customers to use. And we were always hungry…they didn’t feed us good at all.”

Reining in his rage, Clint asked, “How long ago were you taken from the orphanage?”

“About six months ago,” Jacob murmured. “We’ve been moved around a lot, used by the ones who owned us and pimped out. Sometimes…sometimes the men who had us would throw orgy parties and…” he swallowed hard. “…and use all of us at the same time.” Tears formed as he looked at Eric, the pain in his eyes mounting.

Along with the others, the kid had been forced to watch the boy he loved get raped by filthy perverts…and unable to stop them.

His jaw tightening, Clint asked stiffly, “What’s the name of the orphanage?” His breath surged. “And where can we find it?”