I was at work sitting behind the desk I shared with Maddie when someone knocked on my office door. Without looking up from the intake forms I was working on, I called out, “Come on in. Door’s unlocked.”

A second later, the door opened, and someone stepped inside. “Well, if it isn’t the Alabama Tornado.”

I rolled my eyes at the sound of Hendrix’s voice.

“What do you want, behemoth?” I sassed. “Don’t you have a fire to put out somewhere?”

With a chuckle, he leaned back against the far wall. “Nah, I’m off duty for a few days.”

Oh Lord! That meant he’d be hanging around the shelter while Maddie was working and thus I’d have to put up with his domineering ass the entire time.

“Well then, shouldn’t you be at home with your fiancée instead of hanging around here, harassing me?” My head popped up. “I’m sure she needs you to take her something to eat. She was complaining about being hungry when she flew out of here an hour or so ago.”

A set of car keys suddenly landed on my desk. I recognized them immediately. Snatching them up, I looked at Hendrix. “I thought you said it would take you a few days to get my truck fixed? It hasn’t even been a day!”

He shrugged. “I didn’t fix it.”

“Okay,” I replied, confused. “Then who did?”

If he took it to a shop without telling me first, I was going to kill—

“Pop did.” Hendrix clenched his jaw and glanced at the floor. He looked as confused as I felt. “Don’t ask me why either. Said he wanted to do it.”

“Um, okay.” I shook my head. “Do you know how much I owe him?”

Hendrix held up both of his hands and took a step back. “He said to tell you he wouldn’t accept any money from you.”

I leaned forward in my chair. “The hell you say? I am not a charity case, Hendrix. I may not have a lot of money, but I can pay my damn bills.”

Hendrix’s eyes met mine. “Take it up with Pop, Shelby. Though I’m telling you, the man won’t take a dime.”

“Oh, I plan on it,” I bit back. “He may be hardheaded but doesn’t have shit on me.”

Whatever. I didn’t have time for this mess right now.

“I’ll talk to the hardheaded bastard about it later.” I pointed towards the door. “Since your duties are done, you can leave, behemoth. I’ve got work to do, and I’d like to get out of here on time tonight.”

Hendrix smirked, and every nerve in my body went on high alert. I knew that look, and it only meant one thing. The a-hole was about to start trouble. “Spit it out, pinhead,” I hissed, “I know you’re up to something.”

Raising his chin in the air, he crossed his arms over his chest. “I wanted to talk to you about this guy.”

“What?” I was confused. “What guy?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, brat.” His smile grew, and my hackles rose. “You know exactly who I’m talking about.”

“No,” I snapped, “I don’t.”

Hendrix’s eyes narrowed. “I’m talking about the cop, Shelby. The one that Grandmama said you went all googly-eyed over after supper the other night.”

Wait.

Grandmama had said that?

Damn her!

“It’s none of your business, behemoth, so let it go.” At that, the stupid lyrics to Disney’s Frozen popped into my head and I began to sing like Elsa. “Let it goooooo. Let it goooooo!”

Hendrix’s face pinched in disgust. “Cut that out. Maddie sings that shit all the time. It drives me fucking crazy!” He huffed and moved closer to my desk. “Seriously, I want to know what’s going on between you and this guy… what’s his name… Andy, Andrew...”

I was going to kill him. Swear to God, I was going to strangle him until he turned blue. “His name is Anthony,” I hissed, “and it’s none of your dang business.”

Placing his palms flat on the desk, he once again narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to me. “The hell it ain’t. You’re my girl’s best friend, and your son is the closest thing to a nephew I’ll ever have. That makes your crazy ass my responsibility, Shelby.”

Oh for heaven’s sakes!

“Don’t you go all big brother on me. Last time I checked I was an only child. Not to mention, I’m capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much.”

Hendrix shook his head in frustration. “I have no doubt you’re capable of taking care of yourself. But if something happened to you…” He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw tight before continuing. “If something happened to you, it would kill Maddie and me both. We love you and Lucca.”

My annoyance instantly evaporated.

Warmness spread throughout my chest at his words. “I like you sometimes too.” I tried to be sarcastic but failed miserably. “And I love Maddie so damn much. More than words could ever describe.” I swallowed as raw emotion overwhelmed me. I was about to choke up and cry like a baby. “Hendrix, if you only knew… the things Maddie has done for me. For Lucca—” I stopped speaking.

I couldn’t do this.

Not right now.

Probably not ever if I was being honest.

Hendrix stood tall and straightened his spine. “I know you’re not ready to talk about your past, Shelby, and I won’t ask. It’s obvious that whatever happened still haunts you.” I closed my eyes at his words. “But just know this—I won’t ever let anything happen to you. You may be a pain in my ass 99.9% of the time but I love you like a sister, and I won’t stand by and let someone hurt you or Lucca. Not now. Not ever.”

If only it were that easy.

“Little bit of advice, Hendrix. Don’t let your mouth write checks that your ass can’t cash.” I exhaled. “I know you mean well, but there may come a time when you won’t be able to keep me safe.” His face tightened, and he opened his mouth to say something, but I didn’t let him. “And if that time does come, the only person you should be concerned with saving is Lucca. I don’t care what happens to me. You save him. Understand?”

“Shelby,” he hollered, “what the fuck are you—”

Hope came bursting into the room, interrupting Hendrix mid-sentence.

Her eyes were wide, and she was out of breath. “Shelby”—she said my name in a rush—“the girl, she’s back at the gate. Evan just saw her on the security monitor.”

Jumping out of my chair, I barreled around the desk and out of my office.

“Wait!” Hope screamed. “Evan said not to go outside without him. He’s coming but said it would take him a minute to make sure the back doors are secured before y’all could go out the front.”

I ignored her and kept moving.

I didn’t have a minute to waste.

“Damn it, Shelby.” Hendrix fell into step beside me. “You never listen, do you?” I didn’t answer him. I was too focused on getting outside and getting her inside. “Who is this girl?”

“I don’t know.” It was the truth. “All I know is she’s been showing up at the gate for the last few days. It’s obvious she needs help, but no one can get her to come inside.”

“Shit,” Hendrix cursed. “Shelby you’ve got to be smart about this. You don’t know what kind of trouble she’s in and—”

Coming to a sudden stop, I whirled around to face him. “It doesn’t matter what kind of trouble she is in. I’m still going to try my best to help her!”

With that, I continued to move.

Making it to the front door, I tapped in the security code on the keypad and waited for the lock to retract. When it did, I pushed it open. I looked over my shoulder at Hendrix. “I suppose I can’t talk you into staying inside, can I?”

The look on his face was the only answer I needed.

Well, crap.

“Fine,” I hissed in annoyance, “but please stay back. She’s already jumpy, and one look at your cranky ass will make her run.”

He nodded once. “I’ll stay back, but at the first sign of trouble I’m coming after you.” His face hardened, and his eyes held mine as he continued, “I meant what I said, Shelby. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Swallowing, I nodded once. “Stay here.”

Surprisingly, he listened. Once outside, he leaned back against the shelter’s brick exterior; he crossed his arms over his chest.

Turning to face the road, I looked for the girl.

It only took me a minute to spot her.

Standing by the closed gate, she shifted her weight between her feet as she stared at the building with a blank expression. I took in her appearance, hoping to gauge what kind of situation I could be dealing with.

She was wearing a short, form-fitting dress and worn stilettos. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and the make-up she was wearing was caked onto her porcelain skin. Her lips were painted a deep rouge, and she was rail thin. Looking at her face, I doubted she was a day older than seventeen. In fact, I would’ve bet that she was closer to sixteen. No way was she eighteen like Maddie thought.

“Shit,” I murmured to myself as I started to move in her direction.

I’d only made it ten steps when her terrified eyes met mine.

She immediately took a step back.

“Honey,” I said, lifting my hands in the air in a placating gesture. “Please don’t run.” Her eyes darted around anxiously. “I just want to talk.”

Remaining silent, she stood still.

Making it to the iron gate, I wrapped my hands around two of the bars that separated her from me.

Seconds of silence ticked by.

Then, “My name is Shelby. What’s yours?”

Lips trembling, she dropped her gaze to the ground.

When she didn’t answer me, I continued to speak. “So you’re a quiet one, huh?” I forced a smile. “That’s okay. I can talk enough for both of us.” She lifted her head and looked at me for a small second before dropping her gaze back to the sidewalk. “I work here for the shelter as a victim’s advocate.” I paused for a moment. “Do you know what that is?” She shook her head. “Well, let me explain. It means I help people get out of bad situations.” Heart pounding, I gripped the bars tighter. “Are you in a bad situation? Because if you are, I can help you.”

Moments passed before she found the strength to speak. “How?”

“Well”—I forced myself to sound hopeful—“the first step would be getting you off the street and inside to safety.” The first tear slipped free from her eye. “After that, we can take whatever steps are necessary to protect you from whatever it is that you’re running from.”

Her big, brown eyes met mine. “He’ll never let me go.” My heart stilled at her words. “If I try to run, he’ll kill me.”

Like hell he will.

“Sugar,” I whispered, “I swear I won’t let that happen.” She didn’t look convinced. Not that I blamed her. If the roles were reversed, I wouldn’t have believed me either. “Listen, I know you have no reason to trust me, but I know a thing or two about being hurt.”

She visibly swallowed, and I took a calming breath.

“I know what it feels like to be threatened by someone with a soul blacker than coal.” My own demons began to surface. “And I know how terrifying it can be to take that first step towards escaping.”

“Someone hurt you?” Her gaze was curious; her tone suspicious.

I could tell she wanted to believe the words that I was speaking but was hesitant about doing so. Again, I didn’t blame her. I didn’t know what kind of mess she was in, but it was apparent that it wasn’t good. Because of that, I doubted she had much reason to have any faith in another human being at the moment.

“Yes”—my voice shook—“someone hurt me.”

“Who?” Her question was simple.

My answer, however, wasn’t. “It’s complicated.”

I couldn’t—wouldn’t—tell her the whole story, but I had to tell her something. She needed to know that she wasn’t alone and that I’d been there. And not only had I been there, but I’d also survived.

At that moment, the girl standing in front of me needed hope.

And that’s precisely what I intended to give her.

“I grew up in southern Alabama. I didn’t have a dad, and my mom…” I paused and took a much-needed breath. “She, uh, wasn’t a very good person.”

That’s putting it nicely.

“She did some terrible things and hung out with some terrible people.” My voice cracked as pain whirled deep in my chest. “When I was sixteen, one of those bad people took an interest in me.” Her chin continued to wobble, and I felt my stomach churn in disgust at the memories that were barreling to the forefront of my mind. “Problem was I didn’t know he was a bad guy at the time.” I leaned my head against the bars. “By the time I figured it out, it was too late. By then, he had his claws sunk into me so deep I doubted I’d ever escape him.”

“How did you get away?”

“First chance I got, I ran. As fast and as hard as I could.”

She shifted her weight between her feet, and a hint of natural color blossomed on her cheeks. “Did he ever find you?”

I hesitated in answering her. “Yes,” I stated truthfully, “he did.”

Her face dropped, and she took a step back. “He didn’t kill you?”

At her words, the sound of his voice echoed in my head. His words were so clear it was as if he was standing next to me, whispering the vileness directly into my ear.

I own you, Shelby Ray…

You’ll always be mine…

I fought the horrid memory back and focused on her.

“He tried.” My hand automatically moved to my scars on my belly. “But he didn’t succeed.”

And he never will, I mentally added.

“How did you escape him the second time?”

A smile tilted my lips heavenward at the memory. “I was rescued by an angel.” The girl’s brows furrowed in confusion. “She took me in, helped me heal.” My eyes filled with tears. “And then she brought me here where I’ve been ever since.”

“The guy… the one you said hurt you… he hasn’t come back?”

I shook my head. “No.” It was the truth.

“Do you… I mean, do you…” Her voice trailed off, and she closed her eyes. Fisting her hands at her sides, she took a deep breath. “Do you think he’ll come after me if I run?”

I dropped my hands from the gate’s bars. “Depends. Who is he?”

Shame—an emotion that I was all too familiar with—washed over her face. “His name is D-Boy. He’s my… he’s uh...”

D-Boy… Damn it! I should’ve known.

“Just take your time, sugar. I’m not going anywhere.”

She nodded. “D-Boy, he’s my—” she swallowed “—pimp.”

Even though I already knew what she would say it still made me angrier than hell. The girl was just a kid! “Did he force you to work for him?”

She jerked her head down once in affirmation but then shrugged. “Kind of. I didn’t have any other choice. My mom, she kicked me out when I turned fifteen, and I told her that I didn’t like the way her new boyfriend was always looking at me. I didn’t have any way to make any money, and when I met D-Boy, he said… well, he said he’d take care of me, but…”

“He didn’t,” I finished for her.

More tears fell down her splotchy cheeks. “No, he didn’t. He never has.”

“And now you want out?’

She nodded again. “Now I want out,” she parroted back to me. “More than anything, I want out.”

“Well,” I said with a smile, “that’s something I can help you with.”

Without pulling my gaze from hers, I moved to the right and punched the gate’s code into the number pad anchored on the front of a brick pillar. With a groan, the gate began to slide open.

“I asked before, but you never told me. What’s your name?”

Her hands began to shake. “Ashley.”

“Ashley,” I repeated. “Pretty name for a pretty girl.”

At my comment, her head snapped back in shock, but she didn’t say anything.

When the gate was opened all the way, I stepped forward. “Well, sugar, you ready?”

She took a step back; panic flashed across her face.

Shit.

Again, I held up my hands in a placating gesture. “Ashley, listen to me. I know you’re scared, but once you step through this gate, you’ll be safe. It doesn’t matter what he’s said or how much he’s threatened you in the past, he will not be able to get to you.”

“You can’t know that.” Her voice shook with doubt.

Hands on my hips, I took a step forward. “Yes, I can,” I said with determination.

“How?”

I probably shouldn’t have said the words that came next. Still, I didn’t regret the declaration that spilled from my mouth. After all, I meant every single word.

“Because if that son of a bitch sets foot on this property, I’ll kill him myself.” And I would. I’d be damned if I let any of my residents be harmed while I still had a single breath left in my body. “And if for some reason he makes it past me, I guarantee you he won’t make it past them.”

I turned and pointed to the line of people that I knew would be standing near the shelter’s front door by now.

Hendrix, Evan, Clara, and Hope were all there, standing in a single line.

“Every single one of them will stand between you and him.” I bent at the waist slightly and leaned towards her. “And trust me when I tell you that nothing will get past those two men. They may be dumber than rocks”—I smiled—“but they’re ruthless when it comes to protecting the women they care about.”

“But they—”

Knowing full well what she was about to say, I cut her off. “The moment you move into the shelter you become a part of our family. And, sugar, around here we’ll do anything for family. Even stand between you and whatever demons you face.”

I waited a few moments before continuing.

“So, what’s it going to be, sweet girl? You ready to make your grand escape?” I smiled and extended my arm. “Because if you are, then all you’ve got to do is take my hand.”

To my surprise, she didn’t hesitate like most victims did.

Sliding her hand into mine, she whispered, “I’m ready.”

I pulled her inside the gate in one quick movement.

In another surprising move, she barreled into me and wrapped her frail arms around my torso. Laying her head on my chest, she began to sob. I wrapped my arms around her in return and rested my face against the top of her head. “It’s okay, Ashley,” I whispered in a calming tone. “You’re safe now.”

Lifting my head, I looked towards the building. “Evan!” I hollered. “Get the gate!” He was already on the move. Hendrix was right behind him. Clara and Hope both headed straight for Ashley and me.

“What do you need me to do?” Hope asked as she stopped a few feet away from us.

“Bed,” I choked out. “Get her a bed and intake package ready. Ask Carissa to help you.”

With a nod, she turned around and took off back inside.

Tears of relief flowed down Clara’s face as she raised a hand and placed it on the middle of Ashley’s back. Her shoulders jerked, and every muscle in her body grew taut. It didn’t take a genius to see that she was reliving her own hellacious past.

You see, like me, Clara had been hurt at the hands of someone who’d promised to love her, to protect her. Like me, she’d been abused in the worst ways possible. But also, like me, she escaped with her sons, Liam and Declan, before it was too late.

Hendrix appeared to my left. “Can you call Maddie on speaker?” I asked, my arms still wrapped around a sobbing Ashley. As much as I needed to call her, I wasn’t letting go of Ashley for anything. At that moment, she needed me to hold her together while she fell apart and that’s what I intended to do.

Hendrix would have to dial the phone for me.

Nodding, he pulled out his cell phone. After tapping on the screen a few times, he lifted it in the air. It rang three times before she answered. “Hey, handsome. Where are—”

“It’s me, Mad.” I blew out a breath. “I told Hendrix to call you for me.” Laying a cheek on top of Ashley’s head again, I squeezed her tighter while Clara continued to rub her back in soft, comforting strokes. “I got her.” My voice shook with each word. “Her name is Ashley.”

A few moments passed before I heard Maddie sniffle. She was crying too. “I knew you could do it.” Her confidence in me made my chest swell with pride. No one had ever been confident in me before. Not until Maddie. “Now get her inside and get her something to eat.”

“Will do. Love you, Maddie. I’ll call you later.”

“Love you too, blondie.”

With a nod to Hendrix, he turned off the speaker and pressed the phone to his ear. My attention returned to Ashley. “Ready to go inside? We need to get some paperwork filled out, and I’m under strict orders to make sure you’re fed.” I lowered my voice a few decibels and smiled. “She didn’t say it had to be healthy food though so you can have a gallon of ice cream if you want. Doesn’t matter to me.”

Ashley hiccupped. “Ice c-cream,” she stuttered, “s-sounds good.”

“Alright.” I glanced over at Clara. “Let’s go get some ice cream.”

With that, we headed inside.