“Thanks Dalton.”
“No thanks needed, hon. I will be where ever you need me, and don’t be afraid of the big guy over there. I have it on good authority that he is just a big old teddy bear, even if he looks just like a mean old biker.”
Cash laughed, “Hey, quit telling people that, I have a reputation to uphold. The teddy bear stuff is a top-secret, asshole.”
Emma actually found herself laughing and it felt good. Besides the little chuckle, she had at Dalton's truck, she couldn’t remember the last time she had anything to laugh about. Cash was a huge man and he should scare the crap out of her, but Dalton just made her feel safe. He didn’t make her feel all the bad thing’s, instead Dalton made her feel safe in his presence. If those feeling were an illusion, then only time would tell. But for right now, she was going to take what she could get.
“Come on, little sister. Ryleigh is waiting for you,” Cash said, encouraging her to follow him.
Then began the descent to the exam room.
“Thanks, I promise that I won't ruin your rep; your secret is safe with me,” Emma tried to joke back, but it fell short. “But I have to ask, why you did you call me little sister? You don’t even know me.”
“To tell you the truth, I’m not exactly sure,” Cash responded. “But it just feels right, and when something feels right, I just go with it. Do you already have big brothers? I wouldn't want to step on anybody's toes.”
Cash knew he was pushing the big brother thing to get more information out of Emma and it was an absolutely shitty move. But hey, when in Rome and all that shit. If he could make her feel comfortable then he could also get the answers he needed. He wasn’t quite ready to put her on his Christmas card list just yet.
“No, you’re fine. I was raised in foster care, mostly group homes. So, you would be my first and only big brother.”
“Well, get ready, darlin’, because you might get a few more when the rest of the guys get back. Hey how old are you?”
“I’m twenty-six, why?”
“Oh, you are going to make Ryleigh’s day. You are now officially the littlest sister.”
“What?”
Emma was confused. This man had gone from scaring the crap out of her to basically adopting her. She knew he was up to something, but with everything else that was going on, she literally didn’t care. If he thought he was being sly, he wasn’t. She really didn’t have anything to hide; he could ask her all the questions he wanted.
“No, honey. Not by size, by age, “Cash explained. “She was a little put out that only Dalton was younger than her. She wanted little brothers and sisters. So, with you here she can have a little sister too.”
It only took a couple of seconds to get to the exam room and Emma was thankful for that small detail. Cash was being nice to her now, but there was a tense undercurrent going on. She felt that he was almost fishing and she didn’t like it. But this was his home and until Dalton could get back, she needed to keep on making him happy. She didn’t ever want to see Cash mad.
Chapter 15
Cash opened the door and Emma was shocked to find a real exam room. Why the heck did a mansion, or lodge as Dalton had called it, need a fully functioning exam room? It didn’t make sense. Maybe her initial thought about The Pandora Group and Davis were right. She had to hope that she was wrong. She could deliver her message as planned and get the heck out of there. Things were not adding up. Ryleigh was gathering supplies when they walked in but looked up and noticed the confusion on Emma's face.
“Oh, I can see by the look on your face that you are wondering why we have an exam room at the lodge, right? It legitimately isn’t anything creepy or illegal, I promise. Did Dalton mention NAC or The Holly Group to you?” Ryleigh questioned.
“Yes, he did,” Emma responded, still taking in the room. “I have heard of The Holly Group but not NAC.”
“NAC stands for Not Another Child and their mission is to help women and children out of dangerous situations,” Ryleigh elaborated. “Each team has a medic that can perform emergency medical treatment if necessary. It's sad to say, but it happens more often than any of us would like to admit. So, my Dad, sorry, the head of NAC, made sure that all of the bases are equipped with anything they might need. Like you, some of the women and children that need help can’t go to hospital or clinics because they are still in danger.”
“Oh, okay,” Emma retorted.
She was still dumbfounded but Ryleigh’s explanation seemed logical.
“Okay, I am going to start with the basics: blood pressure, heart rate, and a basic exam. I still think you should consider letting us call in a Doctor for blood work though,” Ryleigh suggested.
“I will think about it, Ryleigh. But I’m not promising anything right now, okay?”
“Yeah, I understand, but I need to tell you that if I believe that you need it, I will call. I won’t risk you or your baby. So, basic exam and then we can check out the baby’s heart rate. Why don’t you get up onto the exam table? It will make it easier for me to examine you.”
Emma started towards the table but when she began to get up on it, she knew she wasn’t going to make it. The soreness that she had previously not noticed due to fear or adrenaline was making an appearance.
“Oh, shoot. I’m sorry, Emma,” Ryleigh apologized. “Cash, do you think you could help Emma up on the exam table?”
Emma couldn’t help the flinch those words caused. But if either of them noticed, they didn’t react or saying a thing to indicate it. Ryleigh’s next words brought her some needed relief though.
“Once you do that, Cash, if you wouldn’t mind stepping out of the room. I would like to get started.”
Emma couldn’t believe how gently and effortlessly Cash lifted her up onto the exam table. His gentleness was a shock she expected a man of his size to be rough and he wasn’t. Once he left the room Ryleigh started asking her questions.
“How far along are you?” Ryleigh questioned.
“I think I am coming up on six months.”
“Okay, six months. Do you know when your last period was? Have you experienced any spotting or cramping?”
“Some cramping but I’m not sure about the spotting. Not in the last couple of days, but I can’t be sure about before that.”
“Okay. How about we leave the robe on I and I move it away from the areas that I need to take a look at when needed? Are you all right with that?”
Ryleigh was stunned. How could she not know if she had spotted? Any women would know. Exposing Emma’s belly though the gap in the robe, Ryleigh moved the rest of the robe to keep her as covered as possible, using it like she would a hospital gown. If this woman were only six months along, Ryleigh would be shocked. Either she was having twins or her baby was huge. Ryleigh started the exam. Emma started shaking. Moving the robe out of the way and replacing it as she went, Ryleigh tried to keep her covered as much as possible. By the time, she finished, Ryleigh was angry. Emma had been through hell. There wasn’t a part of her body that wasn’t bruised, but the needle marks concerned Ryleigh the most.
“Emma, I want you to know that I would never judge, but I need to know what kind of drugs you have been on. Different drugs affect how you can be treated. Different drugs can affect things like your blood pressure or other bodily functions. If I don’t have all the facts, there is a possibility that I could cause you and the baby great harm by giving you the wrong thing. Do you understand?”
Emma knew it was time to tell her story. She didn’t want this sweet woman to think that she was just a junkie.
“I’m sorry, Ryleigh. I know what it looks like, but I can assure you that I have never taken a drug willingly in my life.”
Emma tried to sit up on the exam table but her belly wasn’t helping the actions.
Can you please give me a hand to sit up?” Emma inquired. “I need to tell you my story. Even though I know it will sound farfetched to you, I am hoping that you will let me get it all out before you ask quest
ions. This isn’t going to be easy for me.”
Ryleigh proceeded to help her patient into an upright position.
Gripping the sides of the robe, Emma covered herself as much as possible. She needed the protection that the garment gave her to get through the next couple of minutes. Playing with the edge of the robe, Emma got her bearings together. She was thankful that Ryleigh gave her a simple, “Okay.”
So, Emma started her story.
“About a year ago, an old Social Worker of mine got a hold of me to let me know that a big corporation was looking for workers. Apparently, they would get some kind of special tax break for hiring former foster kids. I was surprised that she would have thought of me, but I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. This social worker wasn’t especially friendly or helpful when I was a child and she wasn’t the only Social Worker that I had dealt with either, but I needed a better job. At the time, I was working two jobs and barely making enough to eat, so I decided to check it out. I figured, what harm could an interview do? I would either get the job or I wouldn’t, right?”
Emma had tried to look into the company, as she knew that random acts of kindness didn’t happen, as far as she was concerned. But she kept on looking at Ryleigh, hoping that she could convince the strong accomplished woman standing before her that she wasn’t as stupid as the story she was about to tell made her look. She continued.
“From everything I could check out, the company was legit; it had been in the area for a long time and employed hundreds of people. I couldn’t find anything on the net about the program for foster kids, but I didn’t genuinely find that odd. If it was just for a tax break, I justified that the program wouldn’t be mentioned. I called the number that I was given and at first the HR person I was forwarded to seemed perplexed, even stated that they were not currently hiring, but at the mention of my old social worker’s name she changed her tune and sent me to the Director of HR.”
“An interview was set up immediately. After that, the next day the man apologized for the other HR worker’s lack of knowledge. I went to the interview not even knowing what I was applying for. Dumb, I know, but I honestly needed the job. I had only held waitressing jobs up to that point, so I wasn’t really expecting anything to come of the interview. They had me fill out an application and an extensive questionnaire. I found it odd that the questionnaire consisted of a lot of health and personal questions, but the company was huge so I filled it out the best I could. Being a foster kid, I didn’t have much information involving my parents or any health problems as a baby.”
“I was then taken to Mr. Jones, who was the Director of HR, for my interview. He informed me that I was applying for a filing clerk position. But because of the sensitive nature of the work they did there, I would have to go through several medical and psychological tests to gain employment. He then outlined what my salary and benefits would be, and I was floored. I would be making five times what I was making working two jobs, have health insurance, and they had a program that would pay for me to go to college as long as I said I would work for them for two years after I graduate.”
Emma left out the fact that Mr. Jones was a vile man who had the coldest eyes that Emma thought she had ever seen. He reminded her of a used car salesmen mixed with creepy. She wanted to kick herself for not following her gut. If she hadn’t been so desperate she might have listened.
Ryleigh didn’t like how this story was starting out. Emma had been showing such strength, but Ryleigh could tell the memories were getting to her. Emma was wringing her hands so tightly that she could see the whites of her knuckles, but Ryleigh kept her mouth shut, not wanting to interrupt Emma.
“It all seemed like a dream come true and I was ecstatic. The job was the answer to all my problems. I could get a new apartment in a better area, maybe even get a new car in time, and eventually go to college; something I had always dreamed of doing. It seemed like luck was finally shining my way. He set me up with appointments for the tests they needed, which weren’t done on premises, and even presented me with a five-hundred-dollar Visa gift card. He said they wanted to make sure I had everything I needed to be able to work for them.”
Emma gave a self-deprecating smile, “I know what you think. What potential employer gives out gift cards, Especially one with that much money on it for a possible entry-level position? I was just so excited that I honestly didn’t care and blew it off. After all, what did I really know about large corporations? That is how I justified it in my mind. I went through the test and apparently passed them because I started working there a week later.”
Sighing, Emma continued, “My job consisted of imaging any paperwork that came in, logging it into the computer, scanning it, and then shredding the paperwork. About a month in I started to get sealed manila envelopes with case file numbers on them. They were also stamped ‘Confidential’, so I placed them aside. My boss only came into the file room about once a week, and then it was just to make sure I wasn’t behind. This was funny because I barely had enough work to keep me busy throughout the day. I spent most of my time waiting for files to trickle in. I thought I had hit the jackpot; I was making more money they I ever had and the job was a piece of cake.”
“I told a coworker, that I had started having lunch with, about the envelopes and in a teasing way said I was curious and tempted to take a peek. When I got back to the file room, the envelopes were gone. I found it strange, but since I was informed that only my Boss and I had access to the room, I assumed she was the one that had taken the files.”
Emma didn’t want to admit to anyone how much the job had started to mean to her. She could afford food was making friends; at least she thought she was. And she felt worthy for the first time in her life; like a contributing member of society, not a drain as she was often told as a child. Taking a deep breath, she continued on with the story, afraid that when she revealed what she had done, Ryleigh would think less of her.
Chapter 14
“A couple of weeks later I started getting more manila envelopes, and I hate to admit it, but my curiosity got the best of me. One of the seals hadn’t been taped over properly and was coming apart, so I looked. It was a file about the Holly Group, specifically about you, Ryleigh.”
Ryleigh’s face blanched in shock at the mention of her name, and Emma shouldn’t have been surprised when the door burst open and Cash and Dalton rushed in, but she was. Ryleigh had taken a step back and Cash placed himself in front of her.
Emma flinched back from the sudden invasion. She figured that Dalton would have been waiting outside the door for her, but Cash was right by his side. His earlier friendly look had been completely wiped from his face; bringing back the menacing look he had when they first met out in the foyer.
Dalton came to Emma’s side.
“Hon, who did you work for?” Dalton asked.
Emma, thankful for the support his action showed, was afraid of their reaction. She needed to get every detail out.
“Davis Defense,” she indicated.
Cash had his gun raised and pointing right at Emma in a matter of seconds. This time, though, Dalton stepped in front of her.
“Dude, we need to hear her out,” trying to calm his enraged Second.
“Fuck man, you know Davis is after Ryleigh. We can’t take the risk; pregnant or not, how do we know she wasn’t sent here to cause Ryleigh harm?” Cash demanded. “You didn’t even frisk her. How do we know that she not a fucking plant and Davis Defense isn’t tracking her right at this moment, leading them right to our doorstep and Ryleigh?”
This time it was Ryleigh that spoke, “Cash, chill. I have already examined Emma and she doesn’t have any weapons. And in her current condition, I don’t think she can get up on the table unassisted, let alone attack me. You also know that with Wyatt and Tori’s security protocols, if she were wearing a tracker, we would have known it the moment she entered the lodge. She asked me to hear her out and that is what I am going to do.”
Ca
sh was pissed. It seemed that he was going to be in that state for the rest of his life if he stayed around these people. Did no one look out for their own welfare anymore?
“Fine, but she is going to have to do it with us in the room,” Cash demanded. “I will not leave you alone with her. It wouldn’t be right and Jacks would have my ass if I did.”
“Sorry, Emma,” Ryleigh apologized, “but these brutes aren’t going to move. Are you okay with continuing your story?”
“Yeah, I promise that I didn’t even know where or how to locate you. I was going to send you a message on your website, but all it said was that I needed to talk to you,” Emma explained. “I wasn’t even sure if you got it. I figured that I could send a letter or another email with more information after I got settled, but when Dalton mentioned you, I knew I had to take the chance and warn you in person,” Emma said with tears in her eyes. “I swear that I would have figured out a way to warn you; I just needed to figure out what to do first. I don’t want you to be harmed, Ryleigh. You have helped so many people and you have been so kind to me.”
“That’s okay, Emma. I believe you, please go on,” Ryleigh said.
Dalton hated it. The strength that Emma had showed earlier was gone. She was back to examining her feet when she talked, not looking at any of them.
“The document consisted of your location, known associates, and the fact that you had recently come into some information that could cause Davis Defense issues. It was recommended that they detain, capture, or terminate the problem, which I assumed meant you. The operations manager, Darren Shaw, signed it. I was freaked out. I couldn’t believe what I was reading and tried to justify it in my head, but I couldn’t; it was pretty cut and dry. Not knowing what to do, I put everything back in the envelope and sealed it. My supervisor showed up about five minutes later. I had all the envelopes in my hand when she walked in and she literally snatched them from me. She was pissed. After reading that file, I could see that these people were playing God, and it freaked me out. So, I played it off the best I could.”
Dalton: NAC & The Holly Group (Alpha Team Book 2) Page 9
