“She’s a servant too.”
Her face turns completely white.
“You said they don’t take girls with families.”
“That’s because they changed the rules …”
“What rules? What are you talking about? And that Vladim guy, he’s part of the organization too, isn’t he?”
“Yes,” I say. “He’s the one in charge.”
She swallows, visibly shaken but still unmoving. “I knew I recognized that name. I remember his voice … he was so sweet to me when I was young.”
Sudden fury sweeps through me, taking control of my voice. “No, Lexi! He’s the bad guy. He’s not fucking sweet.”
“My memories are different.”
“Your memories don’t matter. They’re not the truth.”
“Oh, to you they don’t,” she scoffs. “It’s all I have left of my mom.”
I growl, “You do not want to mess with him. Why do you think I’ve been trying to keep you and your sister off the streets?” I try to step closer, but she backs away from me.
“Why would they be out there looking for us? What do they want?”
“To bring you back where you belong. To sell you. Use you. Or worse … kill you.”
She shakes her head, tears welling up in her eyes. “You knew all this … and you didn’t tell me? You worked with them!”
“You wouldn’t have believed me. You still don’t,” I say. “You want to believe in the fantasy that your mom’s somewhere out there, enjoying her life without you, and that one day you’ll all be reunited again. It’s not gonna happen so forget it.”
“You don’t understand. She’s my mom!” she yells. “I don’t care if she’s a servant or where the fuck she is, but I will see her again.”
“Don’t. You can’t ever get close to her. She’s in the facility.”
“So?”
I sigh. “Anything that goes in never comes out.”
She shakes her head again. “No … I don’t believe it.”
I look away. “Believe what you will. I’m done pretending. This is the truth. Take it or leave it.”
“My home was ripped away from me,” she says with a soft voice. “I was happy with my mom and sister. Together in our tiny room, not much bigger than where Alisha and I live now … it was home. And someone tore it away from me.”
“You escaped,” I say as I look at her again. “You should be happy about that.”
“Escaped why? So I could never see my mother again? So I could live on the streets for years and sell my body so we could live?” Her words hurt. Physically. Mentally. They hurt so fucking much, but I can’t do anything about it.
She scowls. “You can’t expect me to believe that story about servants when you’ve done nothing to prove you’re not lying to my face again.” She points at herself as if it adds validation.
“It’s not a lie.”
“How can I trust you, when you’re one of them? When you work with them? For all I know, you could be trying to get me back into that system, if it’s even real.”
“I’m not trying to get you back there. If I wanted to do that, I would’ve done it a long time ago,” I spit. “I’m trying to stop you from doing it yourself … They’re the bad guys. Your mother can’t be saved. Be glad you and your sister got out.”
“No,” she hisses. “That’s not enough.”
I stomp toward her. “Do you want to die?”
She doesn’t even flinch when I’m all up in her face. “Wanna kill me? Go ahead. I don’t care anymore.”
What she says strikes a chord in me. She’s just like me … and it pisses me off.
“I’m not the one trying to kill you, Lexi. You are when you try to escape. You. Can’t. Leave.”
“Why? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just go to my sister right now.”
I grab her arms. “Because they know I have you now, and they’re out there looking for both you and your sister. If you go out there, you won’t come back.”
“To you, you mean. Because, let’s face it, that’s what this is all about.” She cocks her head and places her hands on her side. “You just want to keep me here like a pretty fuck doll, but guess what? Love doesn’t come for free. You of all fucking people should know that.”
“You made a deal. You’re mine,” I growl.
Out of nowhere, she slaps me. Right across the face.
Fuck.
She turns around and stampedes off.
“Don’t you fucking run away from me,” I yell.