Chapter 2 This is not how

honestly wasn't sure if any of them would have chosen me. I could only think of one person who would take me in and not feel obligated to tell my family. Martina Chavez and I grew up side by side and actually attended kindergarten and first grade together. Even after skipping two grades, we remained friends. Her mother was our neighbors' babysitter, so they left after the kids grew up, and I didn't get to see her as often as I used to, but we still kept in touch.

Between my move to Stanford and her transition from high school to cosmetology school, our visits were less and less frequent, but we had such a unique bond that whenever we were able to talk or spend time together, we picked up where we left off. I had last seen her in June when we took a trip to Vegas, but on Sunday morning, I didn't hesitate to catch a bus to the high-end boutique where she worked. She simply gave me the key to the apartment and said I could talk to her later. I was grateful for her help, but I didn't say anything more than that I was tired of being treated like a child. Each day, she asked what had happened to finally motivate me to take action, but I was unable to form the words. Twenty minutes ago, she texted saying she'd pick up Thai food on the way home, and I knew that meant she wouldn't accept my terse answer this time. She wanted to hear the whole thing. Some women ate ice cream or chocolate, or both, as comfort food, but with Martina and I, it was always Thai. That's what she brought me when I was fourteen, when I heard two senior boys making fun of the outfit I wore to school that day. Or rather, they were making fun of the fact that I wasn't able to fill her any better than a fourteen-year-old boy could. I called Martina in tears, and she came with sesame chicken. A few months later, I brought her the same dish when her boyfriend dumped her two days before the big spring dance. I had to admit, she had been beyond patient with me, letting me sleep in her guest room and not giving an ultimatum about when I needed to move out or start paying rent. Not that I intended to take advantage of her. I had gone to the bank on Monday to get money from my trust fund and had it in an envelope to give her when she asked if I could keep it a little longer. Just as long as I figured out what I wanted to do. I've barely had time to get my head together after everything that's happened in the last few weeks. After her phone call, I decided it was the best time to ask, after explaining everything. With that plan in place, my nerves relaxed a little. She waited until we had been eating for a few minutes to say, "Speak up." I swallowed quickly, ready to trust my friend. - First, I have to thank you for letting me stay and not forcing me to talk. - You won't escape this time. - She pointed at me, her obsidian eyes narrowing. - You need to deal with these things. I raise my hand. - You're right, and I'll tell you what happened. I just wanted to thank you first for not trying to get it out of me sooner. She smiled. - Yes, I'm an incredible friend. I rolled my eyes, but appreciated the provocation. I was going to tell her everything, and it wouldn't be pleasant, but she was trying to make it as easy as possible for me. -Did you see the story on the news the day before Thanksgiving about the hostages in Iraq who were rescued from being sold? - It seemed as good a place to start as any. She remained completely still. - Yes. - Four of them were taken in Iran weeks before. - I pressed my hands together to keep them from shaking. - I know why I was caught by them too. The color drained from Martina's face, her normally honey skin as pale as I'd ever seen it. - Freedom had to have an emergency appendectomy last week in Iran, so she went straight from the hospital to the airport where I was supposed to meet her. On my way there, some armed men stopped the taxi, grabbed me, threw me into a van and took me somewhere on the outskirts of the city. - How come it wasn't national news? International? Hell, same location? - Martina looked like she was going to vomit. - Freedom kept everything a secret because she wasn't sure what had happened to me at first. She was trying to get the police to look for me when she received a rescue video. - I still got cold every time I thought about what it must have been like for her. No matter how upset I was with her, I knew she loved me, and it must have been horrible for her. - She knew our parents could pay the ransom, but she didn't trust the kidnappers to honor their agreement, so she called an old boyfriend who runs a security agency and hired him to find me and get me out. The story became easier to tell with each word, and soon they were flowing. I told Martina everything. From being sure she was going to be raped when I was dragged out of the cell, to watching the men die in that hallway. I told her about Eoin pretending I was a prostitute and how I kissed him. And more. I also told you everything that happened after I got home. All the way until I left my parents' house and showed up at her work. When I finished, I felt surprisingly better, like I had purged myself of something that was making me sick. I reheated my food and ate it while Martina thought things over in silence. Finally, as I was finishing, she came over and placed her hand in mine. "I'm so glad you're safe. With a start, I realized that no one had spoken to me that way. The relief and joy at seeing myself safely home was genuine, but it was always tinged with a hint of exasperation, as if I had some level of responsibility for the chain of events. Maybe it was unconscious on my family's part, and I sincerely hoped that was the case, but either way, it just proved that I made the right choice in leaving. Things needed to change. THREE EOIN This is not how I imagined my first official week at my new job ending. After Freedom left, I waited for Cain to tell me he was fired. Instead, he slumped back into Bruce's chair and sighed. - No more fucking clients... or your sisters. - He rested his head on the back of the chair and closed his eyes. "Never again," I promised. - I'm done with women for the foreseeable future. They're not worth it. He lifted his head and opened one eye. - You're forgetting who you're talking to. I dated a Mercier woman. They are worth a lot. I let out an exasperated sigh. - Not that much of a problem. He shrugged his shoulders and lowered his head. - Wait and see. They are much more addictive than you think. I dated Freedom for about three months and then, right before I got my new assignment, she dumped me. It took me almost a year to get over it. Shit. "It's not the same," I insisted. - Aline and I weren't like that. It could have been, if things hadn't gone to shit every time I was with her. I slept with the woman three times, and each time, all hell broke loose soon after. The better the sex, the crazier things get. - Mm-hm. - It didn't seem like he believed me, bu