Secret Worlds (583 page)

“Because she’s not the first girl I’ve seen show up dead like this.”

***

Nick rubbed tiny circles into the bottom of Ari’s feet that she’d propped his in lap. He was good at this and Ari gave him a thankful smile.

“So, the funeral was that bad, huh?”

Ari didn’t tell him about bailing with Davis. “It’s always hard to lose a client, but this one seemed worse, you know?”

He nodded.

“Normally, it’s a shooting or drugs. Maybe an altercation with the police, but no one knows what happened to Maria,” she explained. But what Davis had told her nagged at the back of her mind. He’d explained that it wasn’t the first time a young girl had been found dead like this.

He’d told her, while she’d tried to hold down her lunch, that there had been a series of crimes like this, that the police didn’t want to alarm anyone so they’d kept it quiet.

“But these are my clients!” she argued. “How can I protect them if I don’t know how to keep them safe?”

“Because even though there is a pattern, it’s unclear what is really going on here. Young girls. All kidnapped or missing for several days at a time, and then they find them like Maria.”

“Maria is the only girl on my caseload or from our office that has been murdered like this. Who are these girls you’re talking about?”

He leaned his elbows on the table. “Runaways. Young girls—younger than what you usually get assigned. Kids slipping through the cracks because no one is reporting them missing or truant. Every troubled kid in the county doesn’t make her way across your desk.”

“It sure feels like it,” she mumbled. “They all go missing from time to time, but in general, they reappear. Either in lockup or in my office begging for a second chance.”

“Keep an eye out for the ones with strange absences or weird stories.”

It had been impossible not to think of Hope.

Nick’s hands inched up her legs, kneading the tired muscles. She sighed at his touch, willing him to go higher. “Do you think this could be part of a bigger thing?” she asked.

He frowned. “What do you mean, thing?”

“Like, what if Maria’s murder isn’t the first one? Maybe there are other girls.”

“Is there any evidence of that?” Ah, the lawyer. Ari should have expected him to appear.

“No, not that I know of.”

“Then why are you coming up with this reasoning?”

Davis had mentioned kids going missing. “Hope’s story. I wonder if it was connected.”

Nick made a face and removed his hands from her leg. “This again? I thought we decided Hope was making this up? Plus she’s run away again, right? I think this is more about her having an addiction to being on the street than anything else.”

“I’m worried about her. This feels wrong to me. I don’t know why. She’s a mess and a delinquent and she makes horrible choices, but something else is going on. I just don’t understand it.”

Nick scooted over and wrapped his arms around Ari’s shoulders. “I know you’re worried. It’s what makes you so good at your job. I have a feeling that Maria was in the wrong place at the wrong time and someone did a really horrible thing to her.”

Ari felt all the emotions of the day building up and she finally cracked, letting out an ugly sob. “It just sucks for them, you know? Half the time I hate them for doing such stupid things and then I realize they can’t help but do stupid things because no one teaches them any better.”

Nick took her face in his hands. He wiped away her tears with his thumbs and gave her a sweet, soft kiss. “Then teach them. Teach them better.”

An idea flared and Ari nodded, letting it take hold. An idea to help these girls and to protect them from the dangers roaming around Glory City. She tilted her head, seeking affection from Nick and he gave it, pushing her back into the couch cushion and kissing her long and deep.

***

Nick left once Oliver got home, giving her the impression that Nick might have been babysitting just a bit. She wanted a boyfriend, not a babysitter which increasingly, he seemed to be. Sure, they made out a little bit, but it never went far enough and Ari felt increasingly frustrated. Her mind wandered constantly to her night with Davis and it was a signal she couldn’t ignore. She and Nick would have to talk soon.

“I’m going to bed,” she said, shortly after Oliver got home.

He was on his third bowl of cereal and held the spoon up in a small wave. “Night.”

After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Ari settled under the covers. Reaching for her book, she stopped in surprise. On her dresser, next to the black lacquered box, sat her keys. She’d lost them during the fight the other night with Jace.

“Oliver,” she said, walking back into the living room. “Did you put these in my room?”

“Nope,” he said through a mouthful of cereal.

“Huh.”

“Where were they?”

“On my dresser,” she said. “Nick must have put them there and forgot to tell me.”

“Probably.”

Ari counted her keys on the way back to the room, noting they were all there. There was something different, though. A small silver square ornament hung with the rest of the keys. A sinking feeling hit her stomach and she laid the keys on the dresser, opening the box. Her fingers shook as she pulled out the piece of paper. Looking between the keychain and the paper, she realized the characters were the same.

The mystery guy—her mystery guy—had been there. Again.

“Ms. Grant, do we really have to do this?”

Ari arranged the chairs in the room for the first night of her group. All of the females at her office had been informed that attendance was mandatory. That didn’t keep Devon and a couple of other girls from trying to get out of it. “Yes, you have to come. It’s a three-week class. Tonight is the intro, where we’ll just talk about it, but next week I have some guests coming in. I think you’ll like it.”

“Do we have to learn self-defense or something?” she whined. “I just got my nails done.”

Ari shook her head. “Boo hoo. Grab that stack of chairs and put them out.”

In the lobby, Rebecca had a sign-in sheet for the girls attending. They straggled in one by one, pushing the start time as close as possible. These girls never made anything easy.

Class started at 4:00 p.m., and at 4:05 Ari decided to begin. A couple of girls didn’t show, which wasn’t a surprise. Devon and Shanna were there as well as several girls who were close to graduating from the program. Ari had promised them if they came, she would dock two weeks from their time and suggest early release to her bosses. Two new girls on her caseload sat near the soda machine. Clarice and Nicole. Both experienced runaways. Hope was still unaccounted for, and Apprehension had no leads.

“All right, girls, let’s get started,” Ari said, pulling up her own chair. She’d arranged them in a circle so she could see all their faces and encourage discussion. It was a tough group. One of them could give her the finger and walk out at any moment.

“What’s this all about?” asked Shanna.

“As most of you know, we lost a girl last week. Maria Snow. I feel like maybe we could have done more to protect her and I don’t want the same to happen to you girls.”

“Whatever,” Devon muttered. “I can take care of myself.”

“I knew her. We were in school together,” Margaret said. “She died?”

“Yes,” Ari nodded.

Devon perked up. “What happened? Sounds like she was doing stupid stuff.”

“We really don’t know what Maria was doing, but the police think she was murdered. No one deserves that.”

“I heard she was working down on Stewart Street,” Clarice offered.

Devon snorted and looked at Shanna. “Told you. Girl was stupid.”

Ari looked at Clarice. “Where did you hear that?” The girl ducked her head and mumbled something Ari couldn’t hear. “Clarice, I need you to tell me what you know.”

“I saw her down there when I was with my boyfriend.” Ari wanted to ask what she and her boyfriend were doing down there but kept the judgments for another day.

“Well, it’s possible. No one knows for sure what happened. But Maria wasn’t a bad kid. Nor are any of you. I’m worried, though, that someone out there may be taking advantage.”

“Advantage of what?” Devon asked. She looked ready to bolt.

“You. Your body. Your minds.”

“No one has control over me,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I do what I want.”

Ari sighed. Getting through the tough exterior with these girls felt impossible. She noticed Shanna fidgeting in her seat and glancing around the room at the other girls.

“Shanna,” Ari prompted. “Do you have something you want to say?”

“Sometimes, when we go out, guys are creepy and weird. I don’t like it.”

“Sometimes, boys are inappropriate. Many don’t have the best role models or impulse controls. It’s one reason why girls need to be wary.”

“They touch you and things—like they own your body.”

Ari swallowed, fighting back anger for these young women. She nodded, affirming Shanna’s thoughts.

Margaret raised her hand. “I had something happen to me a couple months ago.”

“Do you want to share?” Ari asked.

She shrugged and said, “I was down on the corner hanging out with some friends. We were going to go to the playground and watch some of the boys play basketball. This guy came around. I didn’t know him but the other girls did.” She looked up at Ari from under her bangs. “He gave everyone some candy. One of the girls asked him for some weed. He laughed and said he didn’t have any with him but that if she went with him he could get her some.”

“Did she go?” Shanna asked.

“Not at first, but he drove back around later when we were at the park and I saw her get in his car.”

“Do you know her name?” Ari asked.

“Dani or Debbie or something. I never saw her again,” she said. “But it’s not like we were friends or anything.”

Margaret broke down the barrier and the other girls began sharing. They each had stories about dangerous situations and weird behavior from some of the boys and men in the community. Some of it was typical. Teenage boys were awkward and strange. Other men were scary and Ari had a renewed fear for the kids she worked with. Just before the hour was up, she took a shot in the dark. “Have any of you heard about girls being forced to prostitute themselves? Like being held against their will?”

Shanna shrugged nonchalantly, but Clarice said, “This one girl in lockup said she’d been held at a house for a month. The guy who owned the house made them do tricks for men. She only got out because she got arrested.”

“Do you know her name?” Ari wondered if it was Hope.

“Nah. I just heard her talking about it in the cafeteria. She got a visit from some dude, and they released her the next day.”

“Some dude? Who was that?”

“I figured he was her lawyer or social worker or something. I don’t know. I stay out of people’s business.” Clarice wrapped her small, thin arms around her waist defiantly.

Ari closed the group, thanking them for their candor. As they filed out the door, she knew where she needed to go next to help these girls.

***

“More,” she whispered. They kept their voices low. Coming to Davis’ office had been insane. Stupid. Completely unprofessional. She’d started it, like usual, coming in at the end of her work day under the pretense of needing to talk about work. Partially true, but she’d simply wanted to see him, share her idea with him. The idea of sex … in his office hadn’t been on her mind, but the GYC was empty and they were alone.

Things progressed between them rapidly, from a causal touch to a heated kiss. Before she knew it, they were skin to skin and her skirt was up to her waist. It was wrong. Incredibly wrong.

Ari felt sweat trickle down her back and around the curve of her hip. His or hers, she didn’t know. Bent over the arm of the leather couch she kept an eye on the door, convinced that at any moment it could open. The idea flamed fear and excitement in her belly, mingling with the arousal and desire already building. One damp palm slipped and she tightened her grip, bracing herself for Davis.

His appetite seemed as relentless as her own. Searching for some higher … feeling? Connection? Whichever it was, it felt good. Really good, and Ari arched her back searching for the feeling of his hard muscle against her softer curves. Like the sweat, she could no longer identify which heartbeat was her own. They both rushed through her ears.

“Keep going,” she begged. Davis only huffed in reply. Seconds later, her mind blanked and her body relaxed. He had an arm around her waist, holding her against his flat stomach. Her breath quickened and so did his motions and with one final push, he offered a strangled growl and fell onto her back. She remained upright as long as she could before turning and sliding backwards onto the couch, bringing him with her.

Wow.

“Jesus,” Davis said.

He ran a hand down her side, linking a galaxy of stars. “When are you going to tell me about these?”

Ari looked up at him. Handsome and charming. Fantastic lover. Strong and successful. But she wasn’t letting down her guard. “Someday,” she said, meaning “never.”

Davis lifted his body and she heard the clink of his belt buckle. She still had on her skirt, but lost her shirt, panties and bra along the way.

“Here,” he said, handing her the clothes. The office was dark, only the shadowy light from under the door lit the room and the soft glow from his laptop on the desk. She slipped her clothing back on, stopping in surprise when she felt his hands on her back, linking the hooks on her bra. He sunk next to her on the couch, his shirt unbuttoned, revealing his toned stomach. While she fussed with her clothing, Ari felt his hand carefully smoothing her hair back into place. What the hell was she doing?

He spoke first. “That was—“

“Unexpected? Inappropriate?”

“Well, yes, but I was going to say amazing.”

Right.

“So, believe it or not, I came here for a reason,” Ari said. She stood up and straightened her clothes.

“Other than that? Because that was a pretty good reason if you ask me.”

“That,” she said, with a little smile, “was a nice bonus. But I have a favor to ask you.”