She hadn’t meant to run like that. But Ariella had known the instant her eyes had met her brother’s. She wasn’t going to like what Luc had to say. It was going to get complicated tonight and she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do.

She wasn’t aware someone had followed her, but she hadn’t exactly been paying much attention. There had just been too many people in there for her to think.

Ari crossed the porch, almost without thinking. The swing beckoned.

She could hear Katie and Isaac and Simon in the backyard. The sounds of children were like a knife right through her.

There were still kids out there. She had no doubt that was what Luc was going to say.

She and Rafe had gotten so lucky. They’d at least had their needs met and she had had a parent who loved her. Rafe hadn’t had that, but he’d had a chance at an excellent future. He’d also had Travis and Marc.

Luc had gotten lucky to even survive. As had Paige.

Simon almost hadn’t survived Denise at all.

Someone sank down on the swing next to her. Ari looked up into green eyes. “I’m sorry. A bit dramatic, wasn’t that?”

“You’re scared.” He didn’t sugar coat anything, at least. Marc didn’t. Neither did Travis or Rafe. She appreciated the honesty they’d always shown, at least. Even Rafe. “What do you think you’ll find?”

“Pain.” Her eyes filled; the tears fell before she could stop them. “Luc’s found more of them. I know he has. And some of them are just children. They’re out there, and I don’t know if they are ok.”

“I’m sorry.” His eyes held compassion, understanding.

“She sold me, too. She was going to send me to some family in Houston. Zoey got taken away before she could be sold. Same for Pen. We think. Know one really knows. All we have to go on is what Mel found with Blessed Reunions, and what Simon can remember of her lies.”

A warm hand wrapped around hers. His longer legs sent the swing swaying gently. “Then what happened?”

“It fell through. She called my father. He was on his honeymoon with Betty.”

“Your stepmother?”

“She was. For nine years. When he learned about me—he’d met Betty when my biological mother was three months pregnant—she told him it would cost him one hundred grand to get his kid or I was going to the next highest bidder. It took him ten years to pay off the loan for me. Betty never let him—or me—forget that. Especially when my father wasn’t around.”

“Did they have any other children?”

“No. Betty said I was too much for her to handle and she wasn’t about to make another kid. They divorced when I was nine. My dad walked in on her.” Ari didn’t know where the words were coming from, but once she got started she couldn’t stop. The cork had finally popped and it just poured out.

She’d felt sick most of the day, since a woman with two children—all covered in bruises—had walked in to the W4HAV office needing help. Needing relocated. She’d done what she could, and then put them in a car headed to Austin. To Margo, and the second stage of the journey to a safer life.

Ariella would never understand why people continued to hurt the ones they claimed to love.

“What was she doing?” He scooted closer, until the warmth of his body almost surrounded her. Made the words just flow.

He felt strong and warm and safe. Ari just kept talking. “She was hitting me, with her fist.”

He pulled in a deep breath. “Why?”

Ari looked at him quickly. “She did often, when my father wasn’t around. A teacher at the school noticed. Her name was Kay Spellman, and she saw the bruises. Didn’t believe me when I said I fell. Kay showed up when my father was gone. Just boldly walked right up to our front porch and demanded to speak to my stepmother. It did not go well. When she left, Betty started hitting me again. But Kay...she’d gone to my father’s auto shop to talk to him. She brought him back to the house—Kay refused to let him refuse—and he finally saw. He kicked Betty out that night and filed for divorce the next morning.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“I survived. After the divorce, my dad and I went to thank Kay personally. She would stop by sometimes after that. Kay had moved to the area from Oklahoma and didn’t know many people yet. Then her car broke down and she came to him. She and my dad hit it off—she was someone he could talk to and he was there to help her as she settled in to the area. They married when I was twelve. I have three younger brothers. Kay is a wonderful mother.”

“It sounds like it.”

“I didn’t mean to dump all of this on you.” Ari felt her cheeks burn as just how open she had been with this man that she didn’t really know struck her. Not even Jillian and Lacy knew what her life had been like before Kay. “I just...I’m just afraid of what I’ll find. And not be able to fix it. Those kids…none of our childhoods have been all that great—what if she sold these kids to monsters like she did Paige and Luc? What are they going through out there?”