Chapter Twenty-Nine

Savage Sanctuary Island, Misty

A fter Dale left, Jerry appeared uncomfortable. His weaselly voice made it worse.

“Do you want to take showers?” He didn’t make direct eye contact. It was like there was something he should be ashamed of. There was.

“I don’t need a full shower, but I would like to clean up,” Paige said. “Where’s the bathroom?” The cadence of her voice was still syrupy sweet, and she sounded so different.

Misty was unsure what to think. This Paige showed confidence and something else that Misty couldn’t name.

“Come on, girlfriends,” Paige said. “Let’s get dry.” She turned to Jerry. “By any chance, do you have something we could wear?”

“There are clothes in the gift shop,” he said. “I can’t leave you alone, so if you want to grab them first, it would be easier.”

“Do we need to get cold and wet again?” Paige asked.

“No, there’s a back hallway that will get us there.”

Paige smiled, but it wasn’t her normal one. It was like everything about her had changed, from the way she walked and spoke to the way she talked. This was a Paige she had never seen, and Misty had no idea what purpose there was for the new friendlier persona.

They had only a short hallway to cross to get to the gift shop. It had shirts, lightweight parkas, and shorts.

Paige ran her hand down the length of the shorts. “I can cut these if dinglenuts has scissors,” she whispered.

No, Misty wouldn’t laugh at what her friend called Jerry, but it was hard. The shorts looked good to her, and she had no idea what Paige was talking about. The clothes all had the island’s emblem, and they carried them back to the apartment and headed to the bathroom where Jerry pointed after he gave Paige a pair of scissors.

“I want these back,” he said .

The tip of the scissors was rounded and really posed no safety risk, and Paige rolled her eyes. “As soon as I’m changed.”

“You should go in one at a time,” Jerry said, looking between the girls.

Paige’s voice turned sassy again. “If there isn’t a window, what do you have to be afraid of?” Twirling a section of damp hair around her finger and cocking her hip, she continued before Jerry replied, “Even if there is a window, we’re tired of being cold, and the last place we want to be is outside.” Paige smiled like she had a great secret and pointed at Misty and Sarah. “They may not share my excitement, but I’m looking forward to Dale’s party.” Her lashes swept slowly up then down while her lips formed a grin that invited bad things.

Jerry’s eyes grew large, and his smile was disturbing, but he allowed them to enter the bathroom together and close the door behind them. The small, dingy room had pale green paint on the walls with mold on the ceiling and in the corners. It didn’t smell great either.

Paige immediately pulled back the grimy shower curtain and turned the shower on.

“Are you getting in?” Misty asked while looking inside the small space at the additional mold.

“No, but this way we can talk, and that jerk can’t hear us.”

“You’re acting strange,” Sarah said, giving her a quizzical look.

“I know, but when it comes to these men, they’re like the ones on the street. Smile and be nice, and they’ll give you anything you ask.”

“They want more than nice and a smile,” Misty said stubbornly.

Paige squinted her eyes, and her fingers curled into fists. “Look, Miss Prissy Pants, if it gets us off the island, I’ll do it.”

Misty gasped. “How could you?”

“How do you think girls survive on the street? Did you think we would sell flowers on some corner? What about your pastor who wants you as his wife? You don’t think it’s for companionship, do you? He wants the same thing they all want, and it’s the last thing I want to give them, but we may have no other choice.”

“I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about,” Sarah said with a confused shake of her head.

“Do you know where babies come from?” Paige asked with exasperation.

Sarah’s eyes grew large, and her mouth formed the same sound she made, “Oh.”

Paige looked back at Misty. “I’m not returning to the school.”

Misty knew she couldn’t do what Paige was saying, but she also knew she couldn’t fault Paige’s thinking. She didn’t want to go back either.

“Look,” said Paige. “If I put out and make him happy, you may not need to. I can do this.”

Misty took her fingers and squeezed them in solidarity. Paige’s eyes welled before she turned away. It would hurt Paige if she had to take this step, and Misty didn’t know what she could do to stop it.

“If the two of you aren’t going to use the hot shower, I am,” said Sarah. She shucked her clothes and climbed in, not caring about the mold. A minute later, she gave a loud moan, and Misty almost decided to risk the fungus, but the sour smell hit again.

Jerry knocked. “You’re taking too long. Hurry.”

Paige got to work on her new shorts, and all Misty could do was watch as she cut an indecent length off. “I dress like this on the street all the time. People actually wear clothes like this to go to a mall. There’s nothing wrong with it and there is no reason to be ashamed of our bodies. It’s another lie they tell us,” Paige insisted.

Misty had never been to a mall, but she’d heard her mother and father complain about the clothes teenagers wore. The indecent show of arms and legs was something her father ranted about all the time. These girls were trying to tempt good God-fearing men, and he would go on and on. Misty never understood why a God-fearing man would be tempted, and one day, when she had some crazy braveness take over, she asked him. The imprint of his hand on her face remained throughout the day, and the bruise lasted several.

Sarah climbed out of the shower and put the dry clothes on while Misty and Paige washed up in the small sink. Out of the corner of her eye, Misty saw Paige slip the pocketknife Simon gave her into the pocket of her new shorts. She felt better that Paige had a weapon if she needed to defend herself.

Being dry made all the difference, and Misty felt so much better, though tired. She didn’t think she would ever sleep in a warm bed again. Sleep in general wasn’t on their calendar.

They stared at their reflection in the mirror once they were dressed in the new clothes. Bedraggled and exhausted, they’d come a long way since leaving the school. Sarah’s cheeks were bright pink and chaffed. Her hair stuck up in odd places, and she used her fingers to get out the tangles and tame it a bit. Paige smoothed hers down using a few sprinkles of water to help with the drying kinks. The shorts held Misty’s attention and she wondered if she would ever be brave enough to wear something like that. She really wasn’t sure if they would survive. If they did, she accepted that they would be returned to the school. Simon and his cats were the important ones. They couldn’t let the bad things happen.

Paige smiled saucily into the mirror and pursed her lips, making kissing noises. “I’m ready,” she declared before opening the door, releasing a cloud of steam. They walked straight to the heater.

“You said you might have something warm to drink?” Paige asked, her sultry tone in place.

“It’s cider, and it’s heating on the stove. I’ll make you each a cup.” Jerry’s eyes traveled over Paige, and his Adam’s apple bobbed before he looked away.

Misty hoped Paige truly knew what she was doing. Jerry was keeping them happy for the hunter, even Misty could figure that out. He’d taken money so Dale could hurt them, and that was just as bad as doing it himself. Simon also said Jerry abused the cats. That made him almost worse in her head.

The cider was hot, and they had to let it cool a bit, but the cup in each of their hands was warm, and that was what mattered most. Her mind jumped from scenario to scenario as she drank. It didn’t matter what she planned, it quickly dissolved into nothing once she thought it through.

The door to the apartment opened suddenly, slamming against the wall with a crack. Dale stood in the doorway.

“Has that idiot come here?” he demanded, his words clipped and his expression said he wanted to hurt someone. Thunder sounded behind him in the open door.

Simon was in the storm, but that meant he was okay after being kicked in the head. Misty hated the thought of him being alone with the thunder, but she knew he had Indra. Silently, she blew out a relieved breath.

“I haven’t seen him,” Jerry said. “If you can’t find him, check the cages or maybe the lighthouse. And for God’s sake, close that door.”

Dale slammed it. “What do you think I’ve been doing?” he snapped. His eyes landed on Paige, and they grew larger as he ran his tongue over his lips. “You clean up real nice,” he said gruffly, his eyes taking another sweep of her body, though slower this time.

“You’re the one that insisted on going after the dummy,” Paige shot back with a grin. “I’ve been here waiting.”

The hunter’s eyes went to the door and then back to Paige. “You can come with me when I leave this place, but if I don’t get that giant now, I’ll lose the opportunity.”

Paige sauntered closer. “Your loss, but hurry. My friends need off the island, but if you have room for me, I’m yours.”

The hunter leaned in and placed his hand on Paige’s breast. He kissed her. Misty turned her head because she thought she would be sick. Paige’s husky reply made it worse.

“Hurry back, Dale.”

The hunter stepped away and looked at the other two girls, his gaze staying on Sarah for an extra-long moment. He walked forward suddenly and grabbed her arm.

“Bait,” he growled. “You’re coming with me.”