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Her steps slow and she hangs back. "I'm not on his side. You know that, right?"
I nudge her forward, rubbing her upper back as she walks into the room. "Relax. We're not trying to freak you out. We just need to clear up a few things. Nobody's going to hurt you."
It's an old break room, with a round table in the center and some chairs. Riot pulls one out for Jessica. She takes it, but she’s looking real skeptical. Don’t blame her.
Riot and I take either side of her, with Ghost across the table. He's being real fucking quiet, which a lot of people might not see as unusual, but I know him better. He's no happier about this than we are.
Jessica’s thigh brushes against mine, soft and inviting. I put a hand on her leg, trying to give her a little connection. I know what it's like to feel like everyone is against you.
Jessica lets out a shaky breath. "Okay. What do you want to know?"
"Before we start, there’s cameras in this room. I can't turn them off, but I don't want you to think we're trying to trick you into anything." Ghost points to two spots in the room where tiny lenses are watching, hidden where they aren't obvious. "Tell us your full name and how you came to work for Victor Kane."
She shifts in her chair, uneasy. "Um… Jessica, Jessica Ainsley, and… it's complicated."
Shit. Not what we wanted to hear. Complicated usually means a whole lot of bullshit. "We got time, honey. Start at the beginning."
"It's not—" Jessica's face crumples. She takes off her glasses and stares down at them, her soft brown eyes sad. "I don't really work for him. Not exactly. Ugh. That's not true. I do work for him, but it's not by choice."
Ghost leans forward, his expression dark. "Did he traffic you?"
"What the fuck?" Riot jerks back, shocked.
My eyes are locked on Jessica, taking in her reaction. She was surprised by the question, but she's doing a good fucking job at schooling her emotions. Just like she has been this whole time. Ice fills my gut. We thought we were the worst thing that's happened to her, but what if that's not true? I'd bet my life that her fear has been real. If she's some kind of special op ninja bodyguard for Anne, I'll eat my fucking boots.
Ghost keeps going. "Listen, we aren't the bad guys, not today anyway. We're not out to hurt you, and nothing you say gets back to Kane, I fucking promise you that. No matter what it is, you’re safe with us."
"Not trafficked in the way you're thinking," she finally answers. "Or maybe it is. I don't know. I was eleven when he took me in."
"Were you on the streets?" I ask. "No shame in it, I've been there myself." Ever since I could get away from my asshole family. Just glad I found the Sons before the streets did me in or put me in prison.
She shakes her head. "No. I had a totally normal life until he killed my parents."
Even Ghost looks surprised at that little revelation. "He fucking what?"
Riot growls low in his chest, like a warning rumble. If Kane was here now, he’d be a dead man already, no further explanation needed. "You’re gonna have to clarify that a little."
"I hate him so much. He's a monster, and I'm not going back." Jessica's shaking with anger. She doesn't look like a shy little mouse anymore, there's fire in her and it's finally blazing. "I don't care what it messes up. I'm not. Going. Back. You think you hate him? Try being me. I've spent ten years getting kicked around. Anne is the only good thing in my life. You want to know how long I've worked for him?" Her head snaps up. "He started me easy. Cleaning when I stopped trying to run away or hurt myself. Then helping Anne's old nanny when I was too tired to fight anymore. I was fourteen then. By the time I was sixteen he got rid of her, because what was the point of paying someone else when he had me?"
"Whoa, honey, you gotta slow down." I put my arm around her, trying to pull her closer. She shakes me off.
"Slow down? I don't even know why he had my parents killed. They must have done something to make him mad, but I wasn't part of it. I was a kid!" Tears run down her cheeks. "Would you do to Anne what he did to me?"
"Of course not. What kinda animals do you fucking take us for?" Ghost snaps.
Riot inches closer, like he's trying not to startle a wild animal. "Does he… did he… touch you?"
She laughs, but it's an angry, bitter sound. "It's not about sex. He's never even looked at me like that. But he's real fond ofletting me know it every time I mess up. Never where you can see the bruises. That wouldn't fit the aesthetic, and Anne might ask questions."
I want to fucking kill him. I already did, but now it's personal. "Did he let you go to school?"
"No, but I had a tutor, same as Anne. After I got my GED, he made me take some online courses so I could better help her with her work. He made me into what he wanted me to be. I read the books Anne reads. Watch the movies and shows that she likes." Jessica looks around, eyes rimmed with red. "I'm not looking for pity. I lived in his house and ate his food. I go on luxury vacations and my best friend is a twelve year old girl who deserves the world. She's so much better than him, and I'm scared that if I'm not there, he's going to turn her into a monster just like him."
"Think back, baby. What do you know about your parents? Tell us anything, even if you don't think it's important," Ghost says.
"Um… Mom worked with computers, I think. Dad was in the military?" She shakes her head, unsure. "I think he was an officer, but I'm sorry, I don't remember. We lived in the suburbs. Had a pool. Mom and I were trying to convince Dad to let us get a dog."
"Do you remember their names?"
