Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Dahlia

“ I don’t think we should leave the apartment,” I tell them, swallowing thickly as panic spills into my veins. I’m wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt that are very baggy, because I’ve lost so much weight, and they want to go out to grab food.

I wish I was normal and didn’t worry about so many things that could kill me.

Jack turns, gazing carefully at me before walking over to pick me up into his arms. My legs immediately wrap around his waist, my fingers trembling as I place my hand around his biceps.

“Talk to us,” he says softly. “Why do you think people are looking for you?”

“It’s not paranoia if people really are,” I whisper. My skin feels as if it’s vibrating, and I can’t catch a breath.

“Sit down, Jack,” Bronwyn complains. “I’m too short to have a conversation this way.”

Unexpectedly, I laugh, shaking my head. She's adorable, and interrupted my spiraling perfectly. Jack kisses my forehead, long legs eating up the distance to the couch as he sits.

“Come on, Thumbelina,” he snorts as Bronwyn climbs up onto the couch. Rolling my eyes, I cuff the back of his head without thought before freezing in shock.

“Ouch, Dolly. Funny enough, I think I like that. Maybe slap me across the face next time.”

My lips part in surprise, unsure if he’s joking or not. Bronwyn snickers as she gets comfortable next to me.

“I can never tell if he’s kidding or not,” she explains. “I’m still waiting to see if he’s going to spank me or not.”

“If he does, can I watch?” I ask, squirming on Jack’s lap. Wow, I’m learning all kinds of things about myself.

Jack chuckles, his fingers playing in the stray curls that escaped the braid my hair is in. “You’re filled with surprises,” he murmurs. “Now, talk to us about what’s going on?”

“Weird people have popped up from time to time in the areas I’ve been staying. First when I lived on the streets, and then again in Belmont. These men were asking questions, wanting to know where Dahlia was. I gave a fake name at work, and no one cared because a lot of people do that there,” I say.

“These men have on suits, slicked back hair, people who wouldn’t typically be in that area, even if they are slumming it.”

Jack sighs, even though it’s deep in his chest and resembles the rumble of a growl. The sound vibrates in places that aren’t appropriate for this conversation.

“As you said, I avoid cameras, and anywhere that may have them,” I tell him. “I pay everything in cash, hide my money in a tiny safe in my closet, and sleep in there to feel secure. It doesn’t always work though.”

“Live with us,” Jack says, and Bronwyn nods.

“Think before you say no,” she says. “You’re so thin, baby. I don’t know how much longer you can go without eating, surviving on caffeine, and not sleeping. Please, let us take care of you.”

“I don’t want to be taken care of,” I sigh. “I want to be able to stand on my own two feet.”

Jack’s vein starts to do that thing it does when he’s holding himself back, and I rub his forehead. Made aware of it, he lifts his head to nip at my fingers.

“I can make you disappear, baby girl. New name, you can change your hair, wear contacts, whatever you want when you leave this apartment, but I need you with me,” he rumbles.

“We’ll deal with Gareth, too. I don’t want to fix your problems, I want to be there with you while you face them. There’s a difference. I know you want to be independent, but this isn’t working anymore.”

“Please,” Bronwyn whispers, her voice thick. She’s blinking furiously, and I know she’s holding back tears. I need to get stronger so I can comfort her back. My shit keeps bleeding over, and I need to find a way to deal with it and lock it down.

Life is never going to stop kicking me in the teeth, I can’t fucking spiral at every turn.

“I don’t want to fuck up your lives,” I say instead. “You both have responsibilities and work to do, what do I have to contribute to any of this other than more problems?”

“Yourself,” Jack grunts.

“He’s right. You don’t have to bring anything to the table. We aren’t newly dating, you have nothing to prove to either of us,” Bronwyn reminds me, a single tear falling from her eye. Her voice cracks as she continues, and she takes a strangled breath.

“We just need you, because you’re enough, Dahlia. Enough time has passed, we don’t want to lose you again.”

The emotion in her voice echoes mine, and I nod rapidly as my tears overflow. “I didn’t really need a lot of encouragement,” I say, sniffling. “You two remind me of how damn lonely I’ve been, and we haven’t spent much time together yet, because I can’t seem to stay awake for very long.”

“Orgasms can be exhausting,” Jack teases me, wiping away my tears. “I take care of what’s mine, and that’s what you are. I think from the second I held you in my arms, my soul knew before I did who you were meant to be. Life decided I needed two brats in my life.”

Bronwyn giggles next to him, laying her head on his shoulder.

“So poetic,” she murmurs. “Will you stay with us? I know the terms of the contract state that you need to be returned to the club, but have them drive you back here. It’s silly, but we’ll follow you back.”

“Okay,” I whisper. They’re right, I’m one beating away from getting seriously hurt. My roommates aren’t above dragging me somewhere to be fucked for money. No thank you.

My stomach growls, making Jack’s lips twitch as he sighs. “Stay here and I’ll bring back food. Do you want pizza, Chinese food, what? Your choice,” he says.

For some reason, I start to think about pasta, and decide that’s what I want. It’s late afternoon already.

“Pasta carbonara suddenly sounds like something I need immediately,” I admit.

Grinning, Jack nods. “I know just the place,” he says. “They have a lemon dessert I think you’ll love too.”

He still has no idea why I love lemon desserts so much, and it’s adorable. Kissing Bronwyn and I, Jack helps me get up so he can leave. Snuggling with her as the door closes, my lips twitch in mirth.

“Jack is the best,” I murmur. “A little clueless…”

“We should tell him about your safeword when he gets back,” she says with a giggle.

“I think so too,” I agree. “I feel overwhelmed and happy, and like this is too good to be true.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” she says. “Is there anything you want from Belmont?”

“No,” I say vehemently, shaking my head.

“Then there’s nothing keeping you from us,” she says reasonably. “Jack and I know we’re a lot. I probably am going to be your shadow for, well, the rest of your life. Every time you’re out of my sight, I swear the breath leaves my body. There’s this clawing panic that I’m never going to see you again. Logically, I know that’s insane, but?—”

“Love isn’t logical, baby,” I murmur. “I’ve missed you every day for four long years. You and Jack were my port in the storm, and the only reason I’m still here at all. Those memories, even though they were painful, kept me going.”

Bronwyn is quiet as she thinks, but the silence doesn’t bother me. It never really has, because her presence has weight behind it. Having her near me is all I’ve ever needed, even when I knew Gareth was going to make me pay for it.

“You said before that you were protecting us,” she murmurs. “Will you tell me about that, please? When did this all start? I feel like I should have pushed you to talk back then, and I didn’t.”

“I should probably tell this story once,” I say, moving so she can lay next to me. “Maybe after we eat? Tell me something about you. How is school? I need to hear about normal things.”

“I love school,” Bronwyn says, her arm thrown around my waist.

“I went to public school after I left Gareth’s, and worked my ass off before applying to schools in Detroit. The undergraduate office’s interviewer was a prick, insisting on asking questions about why I decided to change schools. Jack had my records reflect that I had been to prep schools with great grades beforehand, so I wouldn’t lose the work I did.”

“How insulting was he about the fact that you went to school with the poor kids after years of attending prep schools?” I ask knowingly. If he works in the academic world, he knows how different those two worlds are.

“Oh, incredibly insulting. I told him my parents died and that financial imposition caused me to change schools,” she says. Snickering, I shake my head. I can only imagine how awful he must have felt afterward.

“Anyway, he made sure I was offered financial aid and I’m studying psychology as my major.”

“I’m proud of you,” I say honestly. “And you work at the Crisis Center, right?”

“I do. I was really depressed when I left Gareth’s, and Jack made sure I got help,” she says. “I didn’t know if you were alive or dead, and my thoughts got pretty dark. I still see my therapist for maintenance work. I can’t be a mental health professional without being willing to work on myself too.”

I remember my darker days, and the way I seriously thought about ending things when Gareth left me the knife. I hate that Bronwyn went through that too.

“I’m glad Jack helped you,” I say instead of what’s in my thoughts. I don’t need to say everything I think.

“When I walked out of that house, all I could think about was making sure Jack got you out too and getting as far away as possible. I felt dirty, I hurt, and a part of me knew it would piss him off.”

“Gareth used me for his charities and to elevate his social status,” she says. “I didn’t realize that then, but I do now. He always made sure I was too busy to spend time with you over the summer, and it was always something I couldn’t say no to.”

“Like the baking,” I remember, wrinkling my nose in disgust. “There was always something, and he made sure to announce it in a way that you had to follow through.”

“Dickhead,” she grumbles. Shocked she just said that, despite everything, my jaw drops.

“You can thank therapy for that, baby. Gareth isn’t my dad, he’s the man who donated sperm for my existence. The second he hurt you and used me as his leverage, he lost the privilege of being my father.”

The door lock turns over, and I cringe, an ingrained reaction in me now.

“The elevator is keyed to each person,” she explains quickly. “Any deliveries of food or packages have to be picked up downstairs. It’s Jack.”

The door swings open as I turn to look over my shoulder, and Jack is smiling as he walks through. He’s heartbreakingly beautiful as he closes and locks the door behind himself.

“Miss me?” he teases as he moves to the kitchen. The apartment isn’t overly large, with clean lines and open spaces. I can see why he’d choose this after selling the house.

“Yes,” I say as Bronwyn smiles and says, “Always.”

“It’s your fault if I can’t walk through doorways later,” he says with a grin, pulling out plates.

“We’ll find a way to ensure you can,” she replies, snagging my hand to pull me up. “Would it be safe to go somewhere out of the city tomorrow while you get Dahlia’s paperwork sorted?”

“Did we decide that was definitely happening?” I ask as I make my way to the island.

“I already called my team,” he says. “They’re working on getting paperwork changed over. I just need a name you want to go by. I don’t fuck around, and my team was over the moon to hear I found you. They’re very invested. I may need to loop in one of my business partners as well. He enjoys doing illegal shit with me.”

“Please don’t end up in jail,” I groan as he places my plate in front of me. It looks amazing, and Jack even plated it so it looks like we went to the restaurant

The man has many hidden talents.

The first bite has my stomach cramping, but in a good way. The pasta is rich and flavorful, which means I’m going to have to eat slowly so it doesn’t make me sick, but holy shit is it good.

Jack and Bronwyn appear amused and they watch me as they eat. I’m sure I’m making pornographic noises but I can’t find it in me to care.

“This was incredible,” I sigh, taking a sip of water as I sit back from the plate. “I don’t think I should eat anymore, though. It was really rich, but totally worth it.”

“I’ll box the rest up,” Jack says easily, starting to put away leftovers. “If you’re not used to full meals, we should try snacks too throughout the day. Maybe protein shakes?”

He’s on a mission to help me gain weight, and it’s really sweet. I agree though, it may be harder for me to gain weight after essentially starving. It’s sad that my money never stayed mine while working at the club.

Even the money that I took with me when I left Gareth’s house, I spent carefully, living on the streets so it would be harder to find me.

Twelve hundred dollars still doesn’t stretch very far, though.

“I think that’s a good idea,” I reply, realizing I hadn’t answered yet. “Sorry, I kind of got lost in my thoughts.”

“I’m used to it,” Bronwyn says with a shrug, moving to help Jack with the dishes. “Don’t apologize for being yourself, Dahlia.”

“Agreed,” Jack says, wiping down the counters. “I just wait for you to come back. It’s never bothered me.”

Soon, the kitchen is set to rights, and I’m chewing on my nails as Bronwyn gives me a knowing look.

“What am I missing?” Jack asks curiously as we migrate back to the living room.

“I told Bronwyn that Gareth used to threaten you guys to keep me in line,” I murmur, curling up in a corner of the couch. Picking at a stray thread on the jean shorts, I gather my thoughts as they sit next to me.

“This all started after the wedding. I went downstairs to get something to eat, and he was there. I was happy not to have gotten lost in that house, so I just skirted around him. He made me uncomfortable. It wasn’t just one thing, but my skin would crawl around him.

“It was as if he‘s two different people, and Gareth has a hair trigger. He got too close to me, invading my space, and was creepy and smelling up my neck. I claimed I wasn’t all that hungry, and decided to make a run for it, but he grabbed my hair,” I explain.

Jack takes my hand, and I squeeze it as I stare down at his strong fingers. “He…”

“You can tell us anything,” he says, tugging me closer. “Take your time, but I think Bronwyn and I are going to need you to sit between us for this. Can you do that?”

Nodding, I move until I’m safely squished between them. The proximity helps me relax safely. This next part is going to suck.

“He said that he saw the way I was around you, Jack, so I obviously enjoyed the attention of older men,” I whisper, staring at our joined hands. Anxiety fills me as I force myself to remember to breathe, lost in my memories.

“Gareth pulled me against his chest and held a knife to my throat, going on about all kinds of disgusting things. I remember his erection was digging into my ass, and all I could think about was how could this be happening to me. He threatened me, said he’d kill anyone that I told, and then yanked the necklace you gave me for my birthday when I ran.”

“This has been happening since then?” Jack asks incredulously. “He used our friendship against you too, baby. I’m so sorry. Fucking pig is going to get what’s coming to him one day.”

“I have no doubts that he will,” Bronwyn rasps, her head against the back of the couch. Her fingers fidget in the hem of her dress, processing my words. “Is that why you were still in your room on Monday?”

“I managed to make it back there before I got sick in the bathroom, and I stayed in my room the rest of the weekend,” I reply. “I didn’t want to get caught by him again.”

I explain everything that happened that year, the way he’d get into my room and hurt me, sometimes not even waking me up, so I’d wake up covered in cum and violated. The way it started with fingers and petting, and how he’d whisper in my ear that he would take all my firsts.

“I started falling asleep in Bronwyn’s bed, but he’d find out and everything would get worse,” I whisper. “I was a shell of myself, and started feeling as if I was fractured. There was the me that lived to hang out with my friends, Bronwyn, and you, and then the me that lived a nightmare when my eyes closed. I could never wait him out, no matter how hard I tried not to fall asleep.”

The sound of Jack’s harsh breathing is the only thing in the room for a moment, but it reminds me he’s still with me. Bronwyn’s hand moves to hold onto the hem of my shorts, tightly clenched, as if to ground herself.

None of this is easy, and I’m not even done yet.

I tell them about how I dodged questions, hid bruises, and subsequently my body. The only peace I had was when Gareth was out of town, because it meant I was free of him.

“Everything started getting really bad when Bronwyn went to visit her aunt,” I say. “Gareth began threatening to kill my mother, by picking up a knife at the dinner table and pretending to plunge it into her back, when she leaned over to refill her wine glass. Mom started working more night shifts too, which meant she was never around. Then, on my sixteenth birthday, I decided to live in the moment, and enjoy it with Jack.”

Tears run down my face as I recount that day. The high points, the lowest points, and everything in between. Bronwyn and I end up in Jack’s lap, sobbing by the end, his strong arms around us as he holds us both.

“Strongest women I know,” he rasps, kissing our heads. “You’ll never be alone again, either of you. I think a day trip tomorrow is what we all need, but first, we have to run down to my office.”

“Office?” I ask, gulping in air as I struggle to come down from reliving some of the darkest parts of my teens. “Why?”

“I need to make sure your fake identity is air tight, baby girl,” he murmurs. “Gareth doesn’t know where Bronwyn is. In public, I call her Bowen, and that’s what she goes by. My team changed everything over, and I have a very skilled legal document forger. The security is very tight here and at my work.”

“Jack is a little anxious about me walking to my car after my shifts,” Bronwyn says. Tears are heavy in her voice, but there’s also a note of teasing there too.

“It’s not safe,” he groans. “I take her to school and work when I know she’ll have a late night. If it means I have to adjust my schedule, I do because it’s my goddamn company. My business partners also don’t care. Anyone I’m personally working with understands that you protect what’s yours.”

“You do,” Bronwyn says softly. It sounds like an argument they’ve had before, but there’s no bite to it. “Even when I feel like I’m being a pain in the ass for being a passenger princess.”

My lips curve as I laugh, enjoying their banter. “I don’t think you’ve ever been a pain in the ass,” I say. “Even when you do deserve this spanking that Jack keeps talking about.”

“Hmm, that’s true,” Jack says as Bronwyn loudly protests. “Okay, let’s go. This will take a little time, and we have to make a side trip first. How attached are you to your hair, Dahlia?”

“Oh no, really, Jack?” Bronwyn groans.

It’s down to my ass at this point. Touching the edge of the braid, I think about it as I stand up. They say there’s trauma that’s stored in your hair, and if that’s true, I want to shed some of it.

I’ve worked hard to at least attempt to keep my hair healthy, but outside of that…

“Not at all,” I answer Jack, turning to face him. “Don’t make me look like a chia pet, please.”

“Never,” he says, barking out a laugh as he pulls me into his arms. My head drops back to look up at him, soaking in his laughter. God, he has such a great fucking laugh.

“Then I guess it’s time for a hair chop,” I say with a shrug, even though I’m nervous. I’ve done a lot of fucked up things to stay free, I’m not going to let this trip me up.

I still hold Bronwyn’s hand tightly as we leave the apartment, the whole ride down the elevator. I notice more than I did last night, though, since I was half asleep when Jack walked me up to the apartment.

You need a key to be able to get to your floor, otherwise the elevator won’t move. It makes me feel better, knowing how secure the building is. When we step off the elevator, there are guards on the main floor looking around, and I can see a room where another guard is monitoring each floor.

“Maybe it’s overkill, but I like to be able to sleep at night,” Jack grunts under his breath. “I wanted to make sure you saw this, but we’re actually taking the elevator down to the garage. Do you have any questions about security?”

A little part of my bruised soul heals as I see he’s deadly serious about safety. After the hell that’s my own apartment, I don’t think it’s overkill at all.

“What kind of security is there outside?” I ask.

A guard walks over to us, and I gaze up at him wide eyed.

“Ma’am,” he says carefully, understanding that his size is overwhelming. “The building spans most of this block, so we have cameras covering the entire expanse of it. There are also men who walk the perimeter as well. This building is as safe as we can possibly make it.”

All of the guards are also armed, I notice, and I nod as I thank him.

“Welcome to the building, ma’am,” the guard says before going back to his post.

“You’re unofficially added to the apartment for purposes of getting in and out of the building,” Jack says, hustling us back to the elevators. Waiting until the doors close once we’re inside, he continues with his voice pitched low.

“The apartment is underneath a fake name, with a decent paper trail to show that it’s rented out to me. It’s all bullshit, but I’ve learned that after a certain point, if it looks legitimate, people stop digging.”

“You’re a little scary,” I say, beginning to see Jack with new eyes.

“I’ve always been scary, just not with you,” he says with a shrug. As the doors open, he hustles us to his truck. “There are cameras down here as well, and a guard walks the garage at all times. I would usually still meet Bronwyn down here when she was getting home late though.”

“When he’d let me go to work alone late,” Bronwyn snarks, squeezing my hand to show she’s kidding.

“We came to a perfectly suitable agreement,” Jack says, opening the doors for us. He waits until he’s come around the front and climbs into his seat before he continues.

“The agreement was downtown Detroit isn’t safe once the sun goes down, and traffic and parking are a bitch. Therefore, it’s easier for me to drop you off and pick you up to avoid unfavorable experiences with the local homeless.”

Smugly, he turns on the car and puts it in reverse as he awaits Bronwyn’s retort. We both know she’ll have something to say about it.

“The homeless man was one time,” she says, but she’s trying hard not to laugh. “He scared the fuck out of me.”

“What happened?” I ask, turning in my seat.

“I was coming home late, the night I first spoke to you actually, and I parked farther than normal,” she explains.

“I called her, because I didn’t register where she said she parked, when we spoke during her break,” Jack grumbles as he drives out of the underground lot. “The walk to the Ninth Street garage isn’t the best. “

“It’s not,” Bronwyn sighs. “So I pretty much ran to my car, but when I went to pull out of the spot I was in, there was a man peeking into my back window. I screamed, and had to lay on the horn to get him to back up. It was really scary.”

“It didn’t sit well with me, so I picked her up from her next late class to drive her to her car. After that I decided that if it was a late anything, I was just going to drive her,” Jack says.

“He rearranged his whole damn life,” Bronwyn hisses as if he can’t hear her.

“I think it’s sweet,” I tell her, smiling. “I’ve seen the growly Jack my whole life. He’s possessive, grumpy, and practically feral.”

“I’m not a bear, Dolly,” he mutters as he pulls into street parking in front of a business. It appears to be an upscale hair salon.

“Don’t these places require an appointment?” I ask wryly, getting out anyway.

Standing on the sidewalk with me, he nods. “Danik Embers had a really bad run in with a gang who decided that they were suddenly homophobic,” he explains. “Greg, my business partner, helped him disappear. I have a feeling he’ll be receptive. Danik also won’t fuck up your hair.”

With those inspiring words, he strides forward, opening the salon door for us. A woman with sleek, beautiful platinum-blonde hair is at the desk, appearing bored as we walk in. Gazing at us with an unimpressed, fake smile, she asks, “Do you have an appointment?”

“Nope,” Jack says with a wide smile. It takes the woman by surprise, and she shakes her head uncertainly. “Is Danik here by chance?”

“Jack?” a man asks, coming out of the back of the salon. It’s empty, apparently he’s getting ready to close, and I begin to chew on my lip anxiously. “Hey, this is a surprise. What’s going on?”

“I need a little hair help,” Jack says, pushing me forward.

“She’s gorgeous,” Danik gushes, moving forward to start unraveling my braid in excitement. “There’s some dead ends. Hmm, when’s the last time you had a hair cut, beautiful?”

“Over four years,” I say. He’s larger than life, and I can’t even find it in myself to be annoyed as he looks critically at my hair. “I need to look not like me.”

My voice is small and quiet as I say this, and he freezes as he listens to me.

“Seriously, Jack?” he asks, swallowing hard. If anyone else had said that they didn’t want to look like themselves, the other person would think of a full makeover, but not Danik.

“As a heart attack,” Jack grunts. “She said she’s worried about looking like a chia pet.”

Danik looks scandalized, and the pinched look makes me grin. This is fun to watch.

“Oh, fuck no,” he yells. “Moira, lock the front door, we’re closed for the rest of the day. You can go. I don’t have any more appointments today.”

Nodding, the girl at the desk grabs her things and locks up before disappearing out to the back room.

“Who did you piss off, honey?” Danik asks as he begins to march me to his station.

“I think I pissed off the fates at birth,” I grumble, sitting down.

“Hmm,” he says, getting to work. “We’re looking to change your look, what if we cut but also did a little color? This is virgin hair, right?”

I blink stupidly at him, confused. Can he tell I’m a virgin? God, is that a thing?!

Danik snickers, shaking his head. “You know you talk when you don’t realize it?” he asks. I groan, willing the ground to open up. “No, I meant that your hair has never had any color in it before, right?”

“Oh, no!” I exclaim, flushing in embarrassment. “It’s never had much of anything. I figured out how to handle my curls through internet searches, but I’ve never done anything like that to my hair before.”

“So I know we just met and all, but will you trust me?” he asks. “I promise not to let you leave looking like a chia pet.”

Giggling, I nod, sitting back in my chair to let him do his thing.

Jack

“She doesn’t look nervous at least,” Bee mutters as she watches Dolly get her hair done. I have to admit that I have knots in my stomach, even though I’m the one who suggested this.

As Danik cuts, washes, colors her hair, and then cuts some more, my ass grows even more numb as I watch with trepidation.

“I hate to ask if we’re done yet,” I grunt, making Bee snort. “Ugh, I didn’t realize being a girl was this involved.”

“I’m not super high maintenance, because as long as I nourish my curls and keep them hydrated, I’m good,” she murmurs, eyes on our girl.

Finally, Dolly gets up and grins as she looks at her hair in the mirror. Instead of dark chocolate curls, they’re warmed up with much lighter sections, giving her a golden, sun-kissed hue.

Funny enough, her hair was this light naturally as a kid from spending so much time outside. Swallowing hard, I also see that Danik cut her hair just above her shoulders, and that managed to keep her curls completely intact.

They’re beautiful, wild, but frizz free. It’s exactly what she’s always wished her hair would be.

“Wow,” I breathe.

“Please don’t be one of those men who wail about how short it is,” Bee hisses as Dolly turns toward us.

“I think she looks incredible,” I say honestly. “It was also my idea to cut it. Thank you to me.”

Snorting, Bee leans her weight into me, and I wrap my arms around her.

“It’s cute that you think you can move me,” I tease her.

“My boyfriend, the mountain,” she mutters as I stand to meet Dolly, grinning.

“Bet your sweet ass I am,” I say under my breath. I fought against accepting that I had feelings for Bee for so long. I need them both, even though it feels selfish. It’s obvious they need each other too.

They have history, and there’s a sweetness in their relationship.

“Hey, beautiful,” I say to Dolly, reaching out to play with one of her bouncy curls. Her hair looks and feels soft and healthy.

“I feel like I should be sad after how much hair was cut off,” she says, eyes wide in disbelief. “Instead, I feel so light and happy. You really like it?”

“I do,” Bee says with a nod. “Your hair has seen a lot. Saying goodbye to it, helps you lose some of that weight. I’ve read some articles about how people who have gone through traumatic experiences find that the change is healing. There’s more that goes into it, but what you’re saying makes sense.”

“Yes,” Dolly says, nodding. “I really love it.”

“It fits you,” I confirm. “I remember when your hair was naturally this color, but no one else will.”

Turning to Danik, I say, “Sorry to drop in on you like this, we were in a bit of a bind. I didn’t trust anyone else to do this.”

“I’m honored you thought of me,” he says as I pull out my credit card to pay. “Nope, absolutely not. This was the most fucking fun I’ve had in ages. My clients have been boring lately. I also don’t want any receipts that you were here. Dolly, I have some hair products I want you to take home.”

This appointment probably costs over two thousand dollars easily. I wasn’t expecting him not to let me pay for it.

“Danik,” I sigh as he waves me off and begins to gather hair products for Dolly.

Bee watches as they talk animatedly, and glances at me. “Holy shit,” she whispers. I know she knows exactly how much a hair appointment and time and materials cost.

“Yep,” I mutter. “I guess he’s shoring up his good karma points, baby. Let’s head to the office.”

Saying goodbye to Danik and thanking him again, I walk out with the girls.

“What the hell just happened?” Dolly hisses as we get into the truck. “I feel like I just got the Cinderella treatment. Did he really refuse to let you pay?”

Pulling her seatbelt over herself, she looks shell shocked. That’s Danik though, from what I remember Greg telling me and my few interactions with him, he does whatever the fuck he wants.

“He did,” I grunt. “Danik works on his own scale of checks and balances. Maybe he needed something in the good column today, baby.”

Accepting that, Dolly nods as I pull into traffic. I notice how she keeps touching her hair as if in awe, and I have to admit it’s a big change.

“I bet if you were wearing gray contacts, no one would recognize you,” I say as I drive. I’m serious about keeping her safe. I want her to feel safe enough to live her life, go back to school, do whatever she wants before Gareth Davies derailed everything.

“I think I could get used to that,” she says with a nod. “I’ve been trying to study to take the GED, I just can’t get my shit together enough.”

“None of that,” Bee snaps. “You make yourself sound as if you’re choosing not to study for it. It wasn’t a feasible priority, so it took a backseat. Listen to how that sounds instead.”

Fuck yeah. Get her, Bee. Whenever I want to say something like that, it comes off too harshly in my mind, so I bite my tongue.

Dolly is quiet for a moment before she nods.

“It sounds different,” she grumbles. “It is something I want to do, so I can find a way to move on. It’s like my life has just been placed on hold.”

“Okay,” I say with a nod. Her life really has been paused for the last four years. “There are a few ways you can do this. You can study with a workbook and sit for the test, or enroll in a class for it online.”

“God, I only have a sophomore education,” she groans.

“Yeah, but you’re smart and were in advanced classes with me,” Bee counters. “I bet you know more than you think. Self study may be best.”

“I think so too,” Dolly says. “This way I can refresh the things I already know and then keep going.”

Pulling into the parking garage, I find a spot before saying, “We’ll have to walk a little on the sidewalks to get to my building, Dolly. Avoid the cameras like normal, keep your hair in your face. I know you know this already.”

“I do, but I don’t mind the reminder,” she says easily, opening the truck door.

“Let’s go change your identity then, baby girl,” I grunt, following her with Bee.

The sooner she’s completely off the grid, the better.