She nodded and got out, grabbing her keys before following me. I sat her down on the curb next to my bike and ran inside to get her something to drink before coming back. She’d calmed down a little and looked up at me sheepishly.
“Thanks,” she said. “Sorry about that.”
“Nothing to apologize for,” I said, sitting next to her. “So, what’s going on with your dad?”
“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. I know he’s involved in something shady. He keeps having these secret meetings and hushed phone calls. Today, I overheard him tell someone he was going to ‘take care’ of me. I don’t really know what to think.”
She sighed, looking out at the passing cars.
“Maybe I’m just paranoid. Kids talk, you know? All the time. We hear shit, too. And we see things. They don’t know we do, but we do.”
I nodded, trying to make sense of what she was trying to tell me.
“I was friends with those girls. The ones who died. Lily and Jo.” She swallowed hard, her eyes filling with tears again. “I don’t want to be next.”
I shook my head.
“Why would you say that?”
“Did you know there’s a running bet going on about who’s next? I heard I was on it. Can you believe that?”
I shook my head again, unsure how to reply. I figured it was best to just keep quiet and let her talk, but when she turned to me with immense fear in her eyes, I knew I’d do anything she needed me to do to keep her safe.
“The whole town knows about the list. I hate this place,” she said.
I nodded. “I can relate to that.”
“Why did you leave?” she asked suddenly. I wasn’t prepared to answer that bluntly, so I opted for vagueness. That was a big can of worms to open later.
“It was time for me to go,” I said.
“How old were you?”
“Eighteen,” I said.
She nodded, firmly, as if I’d just confirmed something for her. “Smart.”
“Maggie, I want to help you. What do you need? How can I keep you safe?”
She looked over at me and smiled, and I had the distinct feeling that I was looking at myself at eighteen. All I wanted back then was someone to offer a little help, a little support.
She threw her arms around my neck and squeezed.
“Thank you so much,” she said. “I’m so afraid. I know so much and I think they might be after me. I don’t know if I’m safe and I really don’t want to be alone.”
“You’re safe with me,” I assured her, meaning every word with all of my heart. “I’ve got an idea. Let’s get some gas in your car and then you can follow me, okay?”
Her smile of gratitude was huge and I felt terrible for her. She was way too young to have to go through this kind of shit. She deserved a lot more than Savannah had to offer.
I hoped like hell she found her way out.
Chapter 48
GRACE
Maggie was a beautiful young woman.
Blade brought her to my hotel room and told me she wanted to talk, and she needed somewhere safe to stay. I sat her on the couch and made her comfortable, giving her a blanket and chocolate and water.
She wasn’t even eighteen yet, but her eyes seemed a lot older. I recognized that look in many of the girls we rescued, and I hated it every time. It meant they’d seen too much. They’d been through things that nobody their age should have to go through. It meant life had not been kind to them.
Blade sat next to her, patiently holding her hand. She was nervous and I smiled at her, hoping to put her at ease.
“Anything you say stays in this room, Maggie. I want you to know we’re here to help you, whatever you need, whatever you decide.”
“Thank you,” she said, her voice hesitant but strong.
“Blade said you were worried about your father,” I prompted.
She nodded, biting her bottom lip. “Yeah.”
“Do you want to tell me why?”
She shrugged. “How much do you know already?”
Blade had given her a brief overview of who we were and why we were here on the way over, so she had a good idea of what we were trying to accomplish. She knew about Cherry, too.
“Why don’t you start at the beginning?” I suggested.
She nodded and took a deep breath.
“The adults think we don’t know anything. But we see and hear everything. We know the rumors aren’t all true, but we just spread them and exaggerate them for fun. We know what’s really happening, though. Even more than I told you, Blade.”
“And what’s that?”
“We saw them, what they did to those girls,” she said, her bottom lip quivering. “What my dad did…to Cherry.” Her eyes filled with tears.
“You saw them? That sounds horrible, Maggie,” Blade said, his eyes wide.
“It was,” she nodded, slowly, her words slowing down. “We didn’t expect it, of course. They’d been there before, we’d seen them there before, but without all the violence.”
“Can you back up a little, Maggie? Who did you see, and where?”
“Sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “My friends and I sneak into the cemetery all the time. We’ve done it forever. It’s easy, you just go in through the hole near the east entrance and if you stay in the shadows, nobody ever even knows you’re there. The guard does a crappy job and is usually on his phone and smoking cigarettes, he barely patrols the grounds at all.”
I nodded, urging her to continue.
“The men have been coming for years, too. They think they’re the only ones there. They even pay the guard to leave for an hour or two. And then, they just go crazy. They wear these black robes, with
