Page 34 of Nyx

"Some days I'm out of the office the entire day, but if there are any issues, you can call me," she continues, walking toward the large living room. "One person in the house always wears one of these."

She points to a tiny earpiece in her right ear.

"If there are security issues or anyone shows up, either on the list or not, the guys will let you know. I'll show you the app for your phone that provides you with all the anticipated visitors for the day. Make sure you check it, but the guys outside won't even let someone make it to the front steps if they aren't on that day's list."

"I know," I tell her with a chuckle, referring to the other day when I came for my interview.

"Sorry again about that. We've needed help for a while, and it's been hard to handle the day-to-day stuff alone."

"Understandable."

"I'm glad you got hired. It's my understanding you have years of experience with shelters. I just know you're going to fit in perfectly."

"No one has applied for the position?" I ask as I look around the living room.

It's pretty standard in terms of amenities, but I notice that everything is top-notch. The furniture doesn't appear to have been acquired through a donation or purchased from a resale shop. The television hanging on the far wall is bigger than what I've seen at my other jobs. There's a massive cabinet with board games and puzzles.

"We've had people apply, but no one has passed the background check and interview process. They're very stringent on who they allow access to this house," she explains. "The schoolroom is over there. We have two kids right now. Siblings. Beth Lee is our teacher. She's married to Oracle, one of the Cerberus guys, and Meagan, a student teacher, helps out when she can, but she's finishing her degree. She would normally be around more since it's summer, but she's taking classes this year to finish up."

"The kids don't go to public school?"

"Some do, but the two kids we have now, Dean, who's six, and Daisy, who's nine, go to school here. It's through the public school system, but they've been given the option to be considered homebound while their mom, Dana, goes through her legal battle with her abuser, their dad. The women working on either their GED or college classes also use the same room."

"The kids do school year-round here?"

"The school system doesn't, but a lot of the kids, including the two we have right now, are behind. So they're making up work from what was missed during the school year so they aren’t held back in the same grade."

"I see."

"Our census is low right now," Victoria explains as we travel deeper into the house. "Four women and the two kids. We do have a new intake coming in either today or tomorrow. She's being processed by Cerberus and is still in emergency housing."

"So this shelter is considered transitional?" I ask, knowing that there are different tiers of shelter for women in need of escape from an abusive partner.

"Yes. Most of the women are here until their court cases are over, and they've gotten back on their feet and are capable and okay with having their own place."

"Does Cerberus provide security for those who leave?"

"Sometimes," Victoria answers. "But most women who leave want to live as normal a life as possible, so they turn down those services more often than not."

"And the average time they're here?"

"It varies. Some are ready to leave after six months or so, but I've had some women stay a year or two. This is the kitchen. Andrea, this is Juliet, our new hire."

The woman at the sink looks back over her shoulder, giving me a wide smile.

"Hey! Nice to meet you. I'm getting breakfast cleared away before starting on lunch." She lifts her wet hands, covered in soap suds. "I'd normally shake your hand."

"Don't worry about it," I assure her. "Nice to meet you as well."

"I'm going to finish giving her the grand tour. Do you need help with anything, Andrea?"

"I've got it covered. I'm sure Traci will be down soon to help," she tells Victoria before sweeping her eyes back to me. "Welcome to the team."

"Glad to be here," I say with a smile.

"The backyard is fenced," Victoria says as she steps toward the door leading out of the kitchen.

I follow her outside, closing the door behind me. The fence is at least eight feet tall, if not taller. The gates, one to the left and one to the right, are secured with locks that can't be accessed easily from the outside.