Chapter 90: Chapter 4

NATE

The moment I see the text, I know our guys will handle it. But the phone call from Mason, that is something I’m not prepared for. The news means we’ll be swamped with arrivals, and most of the staff have already clocked out for the day.

I bolt from my office, catching the eye of Andrea who’s wrapping up in the kitchen.

“Andrea, I know it’s late, but we’re expecting guests tonight. They’re coming from out of state and will need rooms to crash in when they arrive.”

Andrea doesn’t miss a beat.

“No problem, Nate! I’ll round up the girls who are still here and we’ll get the rooms ready. We’ll make sure they aren’t disturbed during the morning rounds.”

I nod in appreciation, catching the curious glances of Mandy and the rest of the crew.

“Mason and the boys found their girls tonight!” I announce, but quickly temper their excitement. “These girls were trafficked here. They’ve been missing for three weeks and their parents are driving through the night to get here. Let’s give them some space to rest. Mason and the boys are bringing the girls back. We’ll need to arrange for them to meet with the police and Penny in the morning.”

The news sends everyone into a flurry of activity, preparing the rooms. Jocelyn texts Penny, filling her in on the situation.

Time seems to fly by, and before I know it, the guys are back, carrying the girls who look utterly exhausted. My heart aches for Christian, the only one without his girl. As he walks away, I can’t help but feel for him.

The house eventually quiets down, and Mandy and I curl up on the couch, falling asleep. Hours later, a text from the guard shack wakes me. The parents have arrived.

I text back, instructing them to let the parents in. I gently wake Mandy and we stand at the front door, waiting for the cars to pull up.

The moment they park, parents and a child burst out of the cars. I raise my hands, urging them to calm down.

“Please, everyone, calm down! Your girls are here and they’re safe. They were exhausted when they arrived, no doubt from the hell they’ve been through these past three weeks. We’ve set up rooms for all of you to rest in. Let’s let the girls sleep for now and we can all reunite in the morning.”

They nod in understanding, unloading their bags and following us into the house. We show them their rooms and even set up the couch bed for the kid. There’s one girl who seems a bit older.

We leave them to shower and relax while we head upstairs to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be an emotional day, and I want to be up early to help with breakfast.

***

Mandy and I rise early, helping with breakfast preparations. But the staff hands us coffee and shoos us out of the kitchen as the parents and kids start to trickle in. We chat over coffee, the room falling silent as the girls and guys enter.

Parents rush to their daughters, hugging them tightly. The guys stand by, receiving their own hugs after introductions. The older girl rushes to Sasha, and I wonder if she’s an older sister. She doesn’t look much older though.

Christian enters the room, his gaze finding the older girl. She smiles at him and runs into his arms. It’s a bit confusing; usually it’s just the men who know, but she seems to know too.

I get everyone’s attention, suggesting we sit down for breakfast. The parents sit, their daughters across from them, the guys by their sides. The staff serves breakfast, even bringing out special pancakes with whipped cream for the kids.

“Let’s eat first, then the girls can meet with their families in the conference room with Penny, our therapist,” I say.

“Can the guys be there too?” Sasha asks.

“That’s up to you, Sasha. You can choose who you want in there. If you want them there for support, it’s your choice,” I reply.

I notice the parents looking uncomfortable, so I decide it’s time to fill them in. Especially since the older girl can’t seem to take her eyes off Christian.

“Parents, since this is all new to you, let me explain. We are the Maxwells, and when we find our goddess, we go to the ends of the earth to make them ours. We may not find them in the best situations, but they are ours regardless. We treat them like queens and would lay down our lives to protect them. As you can see, the girls are the guys’ goddesses. They can choose to stay or leave, it’s their choice. We never force the decision, but we haven’t had a denial yet. We are a strong family and have the means to protect ours and their families. If they choose to stay, they will never want for anything, and neither will you. We take care of our own. If you choose to stay here too, we have plenty of room.”

“But if we leave our homes and jobs, what will we do here? We’ll have to find jobs,” one of the parents, Anika, says.

“Believe me, Anika, we have plenty of jobs in the business. You’ll be paid and have housing. You’ll never need anything. The kids will go to the same schools we do and will have a normal life.”