Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Liam

I lie on the sofa and stare up at the ceiling. I’m so pissed I could strangle someone. I want to strangle Jasmine’s mother, her pimp, and every god-damned asshole who ever laid a finger on her. Jasmine is an amazing young woman, with so much potential that I’m only just beginning to understand. She was saddled with a shitty family, a shitty life, and faced shitty options.

I want to help her. I want to give her everything she should have had and never got. I want to make sure she has a future where she can spend her life doing what she wants to do and not be forced to sell her body just to survive. I want her to have the type of life every young woman deserves.

I’m restless as hell, and I wish I could work out right now, but I don’t want to disturb Jasmine if she’s trying to sleep. I suppose I could lift some dumbbells quietly enough not to keep her up. Or do pull-ups. So I head to the spare bedroom and warm up with some push-ups and pull-ups. Then I start on the dumbbells. That won’t make too much noise.

I push myself as hard as I can, doing reps over and over again until my muscles are shaking. I focus on my routine, on my form. I focus on the weights. But no matter what I do, I can’t stop thinking about Jasmine. And I feel like an asshole because of it. The last thing she needs is another guy lusting after her. She’s beautiful, yes. Gorgeous. And completely off-limits. I can be her protector, yes. I can save her from the life she’s been living. I can help her build a new future for herself. But I can’t be anything more to her.

It would be wrong.

I’d be taking advantage of her.

I work out until my muscles are about to crap out on me. I’m a hot, sweaty mess now, so I jump in the shower. And the whole time I’m standing beneath the hot spray of water, I’m mentally picturing Jasmine. And the harder I try not to, the more I fail.

After I dry off and brush my teeth, I pull on a pair of boxers and head for my make-shift bed—where I lie for a long time thinking about someone I shouldn’t be thinking about.

* * *

We spend a quiet weekend in the apartment. We invite Jason and Layla over for dinner on Saturday. We order food from an Indian restaurant and play some board games. I’m glad to see Jasmine and Layla are becoming good friends. They both have had hard lives and overcome huge challenges.

On Sunday, I manage to talk Jasmine into going out for a little exercise. She’s been cooped up inside so much, I figure she could use some fresh air. We bundle up against the blustery chill and go for a walk in the neighborhood. I can’t help noticing that Jasmine’s antsy being outside. She feels unsafe out in public. She’s also very quiet.

I stick close to her so that we’re walking shoulder to shoulder. “Something wrong?”

She shrugs.

“You seem nervous.”

Jasmine nods. “If someone recognizes me… Tony will hear about it.”

“He’s not going to find you.” I realize we’re not far from Clancy’s Bookshop, which my sister-in-law owns. “I know a place I think you’ll like.”

We walk over to N. Michigan Avenue to the bookstore and pause outside. Jasmine cranes her head up as she takes in the impressive building. “It’s a bookstore.”

“Not just any bookstore,” I say. “This is Beth’s bookstore.”

“Your sister-in-law?” Jasmine sounds utterly dumbfounded.

I nod. “Let’s go in. We can grab a study guide for the GED.”

Jasmine makes a face. “I thought I was done with school.”

I laugh as I open the door for her. “Come on.”

Inside the store, Christmas decorations are everywhere—no surprise there. Erin O’Connor, Beth’s assistant manager and one of her best friends, loves decorating for the holidays.

Jasmine glances around. “Is Beth here?”

“I doubt it. She usually doesn’t work on the weekends. Erin might be working, though. You haven’t met her yet, but she lives in my apartment building, just down the hall from my place. You guys should definitely meet.”

I head over to one of the check-out counters, Jasmine right behind me. “Where would we find the GED study guides?”

“Upstairs,” the young man says. “Go up the stairs, turn right, and walk straight ahead. You’ll find the study materials there.”

“Thanks,” I say, and then I direct Jasmine to the stairs.

I follow behind her as she climbs the curved staircase that leads to the balcony that overlooks the front of the store.

“This place is huge,” she says.

“Shane bought this store for Beth, as a pre-engagement present. This is her happy place. The owner, Fred Clancy, was interested in selling so he could retire to Florida to fish. Now, it’s Beth’s.” I lean closer to Jasmine. “Funny story—Ava was conceived here in this bookstore, upstairs in Beth’s office during a snowstorm.”

Her eyes widen. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. The blizzard shut down the entire city. The roads were closed, and Beth, Sam, and a bunch of bookstore employees were stranded here in the store. Shane, Cooper, and a few other guys managed to make it here on foot to protect them from looters who were going up and down the street breaking into stores. Nine months later, Ava was born.”

We locate the study materials section and grab a GED practice guide that includes a number of practice exams. It’s a big book.

Jasmine flips through the book. “Math, language arts, social studies, and science.” She shrugs. “I can do that.”

I take the book from her. “Do you want to look around while we’re here?”

Her eyes light up. “Really?”

“Sure. You said you love to read. You might find something that looks good.”

Not surprisingly, Jasmine makes a beeline for the science fiction section. I stand by holding the study guide and follow her as she peruses the shelves. She picks up one book, reads the back cover, then returns it to the shelf. Then she picks up another one and does the same thing. Then another.

“You don’t like any of those?” I ask.

She gives me a strange look. “They’re fine.”

“Why’d you put them back?”

“I don’t have any money.”

“If you want to buy some—”

She shakes her head and moves on, turning to the next aisle as she continues her window shopping.

I realize she feels like she can’t buy anything. The little bit of money she has is what’s left over from what I loaned her.

I follow her to the next aisle. “Jasmine—” The rest of what I was going to say catches in my throat.

Jasmine’s standing frozen to the spot, staring at a man who’s staring right back at her. He’s a professional man, dressed in a suit, tie, and a beige cashmere coat. Dark blond hair, parted on the side, blue eyes and glasses. He looks like an attorney or an accountant.

Standing right behind the guy is an obviously pregnant woman holding the handle of a stroller. Inside the stroller is a little boy around Luke’s age. “How about this one, honey,” the pretty young woman says as she taps the guy’s arm. I presume she’s his wife.

I move in beside Jasmine and peer down into her face. Her eyes are wide, radiating sheer panic. I have to fight the urge to put my arm around her. “What’s wrong?” I ask quietly, even though I have a niggling feeling I know.

She turns abruptly and walks back the way we came. “We have to leave right now,” she hisses at me as I keep pace with her.

“Who is that guy?” And then immediately I realize. “He’s a client?”

She nods jerkily as she makes it to the stairs and practically races down them.

“Jasmine, wait!” I follow her straight out the doors and onto the sidewalk.

She turns back to me and stares at the study guide I’m holding. “Oh, my god, the book! We stole a book.” She looks absolutely horrified.

I laugh. “It’s okay. We can pay later.”

The doors open and Erin O’Connor runs out, Mack right behind her. “Liam!”

We turn to face the petite assistant store manager.

“Erin, hi,” I say. “Sorry, but we can’t stay to chat. By the way, we’re taking this book. I’ll pay for it later.”

Erin waves dismissively. “No problem.” Her curious gaze drifts to Jasmine, and I know she’s wondering who she is. But maybe she already knows. Maybe she talked to Layla and Jason. Or to Beth.

“This is Jasmine,” I say to Erin. “And this is Erin. She’s the assistant store manager and a close friend of Beth’s. Layla’s too. And this is Mack.” I nod to the towering dark-haired man standing behind Erin.

“Nice to meet you,” Erin says to Jasmine. “Would you guys like to come back in for some coffee in the café?”

Jasmine’s still antsy, and her gaze keeps going into the store. Every time the door opens and someone walks out, she checks to see who it is.

“Unfortunately, now’s not a good time, Erin,” I say. “We need to get going. Maybe we can catch up soon, okay?”

“Sure,” Erin says. “Let’s plan something soon.”

“Which way?” Jasmine asks me when Erin walks back into the bookstore.

“This way.” I motion up the street. “Do you want to grab a taxi?”

“Can we? Do you mind?”

“Of course we can.” I flag the nearest available cab, and we slip into the backseat. I give the driver my address, and we’re off.

I can’t talk openly to Jasmine in the taxi, but I watch her body language. She’s shaking.

“It’s okay,” I say quietly.

She looks at me but doesn’t say anything. I can tell she’s spooked. Her hands are clasped in her lap so tightly her knuckles are white. I notice she’s digging the thumbnail of one hand into the palm of the other. She’s hurting herself.

On impulse, I reach out and cover her hands with mine, stilling them. I don’t say anything, but we make eye contact. I squeeze her hands gently.

She unclasps her hands and turns one of them to fit against mine, pressing her palm to mine. I link my fingers with hers and hold her hand tightly. That seems to help with the shaking.

As soon as we’re back in my apartment, Jasmine heads straight for the bedroom and locks herself in. I knock on the door. “Jasmine?”

But she doesn’t answer.

“Jasmine, you’re okay. You’re safe. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”

The door opens, and she storms out, heading for the kitchen. “He saw me!”

I follow her, watching as she opens the fridge door and peers inside. “And you think he recognized you?”

“Yes. He’s—”

“He’s what?”

“He’s a regular. I see him several times a month.”

Damn. And he has a pregnant wife and a toddler. “Was that his wife with him?”

She nods.

“I don’t understand. Why would a married man—”

Jasmine rolls her eyes at me. “Most of my tricks are married, Liam.” She pulls a bottle of beer out of the fridge. “Do you have anything stronger than this?”

I take the beer from her and put it back in the fridge. “But why go to someone else? He has a wife—”

“Different reasons. Sometimes they want things from me that their wives won’t give them.”

Oh, god. I can just imagine what that could be. This just keeps getting worse.

Jasmine storms out of the kitchen and crashes on the sofa. She kicks off her sneakers and tucks her feet up beneath her and reaches for the blanket. “If word gets back to Tony, I’m dead.”

Jasmine’s wired so tightly she’s literally shaking. Her eyes are wide, her lips pressed hard together.

I sit beside her. “Hey, it’s okay.” I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help putting my arm around her shoulders. “You’re safe, I promise. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

She melts into me, then, leaning her head against my shoulder. She turns to me, and her arms snake around my waist. She holds onto me tightly. And then she starts crying—horrible, heart-breaking sobs. “I—never—had—anyone—before. No one—who—cared—if I lived or died. No one to protect me. Never.”

Impulsively, I wrap both arms around her and kiss the top of her head. Right now I’m swamped with emotions, all directed at this girl, complicated and confusing, some of them so very wrong. But I shove all those thoughts aside. Right now, she needs someone—anyone—to stand up for her. “It’s okay. I promise, it’s okay.”

She sniffs loudly. “I always wanted a big brother who’d protect me. From Mom, from the tricks who came to our house and stared at me, from what I knew was coming one day.”

Her words hit me like physical blows. The picture she paints is a nightmare scenario that no child should ever face. “I’ll protect you,” I vow. “I’ll be that big brother you always dreamed of.” But I feel like a heel because if I’m being honest with myself, my emotions where this girl is concerned are complicated at best. I don’t want to be her brother. But there’s no other option on the table, so brother it is. “I have three sisters. There’s always room for one more.”

She laughs, the sound watery and breathless. “Thanks, Liam,” she says as she tightens her hold around my waist. “I’d like that.”

“Even if that guy told Tony he saw you at Clancy’s, Tony still doesn’t know where to find you. We’ll keep it that way, okay?”

She nods.

Jasmine eyes the GED study guide on the coffee table. She releases me and picks it up. “I need something to do—something to take my mind off him. Have you got a pen?”

“Sure.” I disappear into the kitchen and locate a pen in a drawer. “Here you go,” I say, handing it to her.

“I should do the pre-assessments.” She’s already making marks in the book. “I’ll start with math. I always liked math.”

“Good idea.” I’m really curious to see how she scores. My gut tells me she’s a smart young woman.

While she takes the math pre-assessment, I grab a bottle of Coke from the fridge and bring her a bottle of sparkling water.

“Thanks,” she says absently as she opens the bottle, takes a long drink, then returns to the test.

I sit on the sofa and watch her work. She scribbles out problems in the margins of the study guide.

“Do you want a calculator?”

She shakes her head. “Don’t need one. These are easy problems.”

As I observe her, she appears to be doing the problems in her head. I don’t want to make her feel self-conscious, so I get up and put a load of clothes in the washer. I take a load of towels out of the dryer and fold them. I find things to keep me busy while she’s working.

“I’m done,” she calls from the living room.

“Already?” When I step back into the room, she’s tucking the pen into the book and hands it to me.

“You want me to grade it?”

She nods.

So I do. I sit back down beside her and compare her answers against the key. According to the guide, she got every single question right. She aced the math practice exam.

“How’d I do?” she asks. “Did I pass?”

“You did. In fact, you got a perfect score.”

When she smiles at me, I feel a punch to the gut. This is the first time I’ve seen her really smile, and it transforms her face from beautiful to breathtaking. “What were your grades like in school?”

She shrugs. “Good enough that they put me in advanced classes.”

She had so much potential, and it was stolen from her because of her home situation.

“I think you should take the rest of the practice tests. As soon as we get your ID, we’ll sign you up to take the official exams. Then, your future is up to you, Jasmine. Whatever it is you want to do, I’ll help you.”

Her smile falls. “I have no idea what I want to do. I never saw myself doing anything other than playing the game.”

The game? Is that what it’s called? A young girl selling her body to survive is just the game?

“You don’t have to decide now,” I tell her. “There’s plenty of time for that.”