Chapter 26

TWENTY-SIX

Rainbow

"Just remember your new name is Evan Slone." The doctor looked at Shoebridge and shook his head. "If you make a mistake with your name or mine, a small town like this will have tongues wagging. I'm Dr. Clint Brewer."

Evan smiled. "It's not the first time I've transferred to a different location." He slapped the doctor on the back. "You worry too much. Now, you brought two fresh girls with you. Which is the rare beauty you told me about?" He finished his bottle of beer and stood. "Get them out of the van. I'm over waiting."

"Here's the deal: you get Bonnie as a replacement for Ginny, but Bonnie is only sixteen, so she has a few more years before you'll need to trade her for something better. Luna has done her job talking to Shiloh and will be returned."

Frowning, Evan stared at him. "It was nice having Luna waiting here for me when I arrived. Must she go?"

"She's great for settling the new ones and that's her job. We need her elsewhere. Bonnie is very compliant; she'll suit your needs." The doctor emptied a glass of bourbon and poured another. "I'll need you to care for Callie for me until I get my practice settled. I have a place not far from here, but I'll need to be in town for a time, so I'll visit until I can establish a cover."

Heading for the door, Evan shrugged. "Sure, whatever works. The barn is big enough to keep four girls while I'm working if needs be."

"This is why this place was chosen." The doc pulled out his keys and headed down the front steps to his van. "It has easy access from the highway, discreet and unnoticeable. It's perfect. Mine is much the same but your house is bigger."

Excited, Evan stood to one side as the doc fumbled with his keys. "Why didn't you bring your girl with you? You seemed taken with her."

"I wanted to start fresh, so I dropped by one of our foster care homes and left her with them and picked up Callie. Don't worry, she can't tell anyone about our business who cares. She'll be well supervised and then away to a new place before she can take a breath." The doctor swung open the back doors of the van. In fact, she is in an auction next weekend." He smiled at him. "The cash just keeps rolling in." He climbed into the van and unchained the two girls in the back. He pushed one toward Evan. "This one is yours. She can cook and I'm starved. Set her to work right away." He gave him a sideways glance. "Seems to me, you'll be glad I got Bonnie out of the house before I reported the death of her owner. Shiloh is going to be trouble. Keep her for a couple of weeks and see if she settles. If not, I'll move her on."

Nodding, Evan pulled the gaffer tape from Bonnie's mouth and stared at her in the moonlight. The girl dropped her gaze to the ground. Just as the doctor had said, she was a rare beauty. He led her up the steps and into the kitchen. "I'm Evan. You belong to me now. There are supplies in the cartons on the counter. The refrigerator is stocked. Make us all supper."

"How many meals?" Bonnie hadn't made eye contact with him.

"Five." The doctor pulled the tape from Callie's mouth and glared at her. "Go and help her. Remember the options I gave you. Do everything we say or I'll lock you in a dark closet. Run away and I'll chain you. Life can be easy. It's all up to you."

Very happy with his new girls, Evan watched Bonnie searching through the cartons. "When do I start my new job?"

"Not until late Thursday afternoon." The doctor gave him a side eye. "Time enough to get settled in here."

Evan nodded. "That's good, and have you fixed the problem with the FBI snooping around?"

"I hope by now they're a bad memory." The doctor paused in the doorway to look at him. "I have a team on it. They make a move and we countermove. We no longer exist. There are no tracks leading here. Same as always, we and all our fellow enthusiasts are invisible."

Laughing, Evan followed him inside. "That's good to know."