“You left out Lissa and Lexi,” Inez pointed out. “Technically, they’re women of Torpedo Ink as well.”
Lissa was married to Casimir Prakenskii and Lexi to Gavriil Prakenskii, both men fully patched members of Torpedo Ink.
“Lissa comes to a few events, and she’d be all in. I’ll invite her too, if we can get Hannah and Sabelia to agree,” Lana conceded. “But Gavriil has brought Lexi only once. He’s extremely protective of her. I honestly don’t know her at all.”
“I don’t think you young girls should have all the fun,” Rebecca said daringly.
The door to the shop swung open, the bells tinkling merrily, announcing more customers. Seychelle turned her head, expecting to see Eden Ravard. Brandon Campbell walked in with a very young woman under his arm. Head down, she looked extremely pale as she stared at the floor with no expression on her face. She wore dark jeans and a wrinkled T-shirt with a very thin, light sweater over it.
Brandon whispered to her, and her body jerked as if he’d struck her. She tilted her head up like a puppet, looking toward their table but staring past them, not at them, with vacant eyes. Brandon came right up to the table. He looked anxious as he gave them a little half smile in greeting.
“Hello, Doris, Inez. Everyone. This is Tessa Deering, my friend. Tessa, honey, can you say hello? Please?”
Tessa swallowed and looked up at him, nodding several times. “Hello.” She murmured the greeting to the window behind them. Her voice sounded hollow and far off.
Brandon sighed and shook his head, looking very discouraged. “We’re on a little outing. I thought it might bring her out of her shell. Tessa’s very . . .” He broke off as if searching for the right word. “Come here, honey. Sit right at this table.” His fingers bit into her arm as he all but forcibly put her into the chair at the little intimate table straight across from the one where the women were sitting. “She won’t even move on her own anymore. I’m running out of ideas.”
“Oh, Brandon, that’s such a shame,” Rebecca said. “Have you tried a counselor?”
“She refuses to go. She won’t leave me long enough to go. It’s a good thing I work from home. I’m getting worried about her dependency.” He talked as if Tessa weren’t even there.
Seychelle caught Lana’s gaze. Brandon was using his “voice.” Just a note here and there, but it was enough to ensnare everyone. Doris wouldn’t fall under his spell because Seychelle had built a shield for her. Lana clearly was aware that something was off about Brandon, and she knew Tessa was in trouble. She was fighting the effects of that tone.
“We were just discussing the silliest thing, Brandon,” Seychelle said cheerfully. “We were going to ask Hannah and Sabelia to teach us classes in some of the craziest arts.” Deliberately, she used counterpoints to his voice, almost like stabbing through his tones with little pinpoints, but so sweetly he wouldn’t notice.
She rested her chin in her palm and looked at him with wide blue eyes. “Let me try with her. I hate that you’re so upset. Women can sometimes do things men can’t.” Before he could object, she turned her attention to Tessa.
Around her, the women were all nodding their heads in agreement and murmuring, “Yes.” “Try, Seychelle.”
“Tessa, honey, look at me.” Seychelle used a tone with absolute command, one impossible to ignore, notes tuned specifically to the girl. It had been difficult to find them since Tessa had only spoken the one brief word, but Seychelle was very motivated to get her away from her abuser.
Tessa blinked several times and then focused, as if surfacing from far away. Her gaze settled on Seychelle’s eyes. Seychelle smiled at her.
“That’s right. Keep looking at me. You’re perfectly safe here. Brandon, can you go to the car and get her a proper jacket? She’s cold. That sweater isn’t warm enough.”
“I don’t think . . .” Brandon started.
“That would be such a good thing,” Lana said. “I’ll go with you.” Lana shot him her beautiful smile. She was an exceptionally gorgeous woman. Very sensual. When she stood up, her body was purely feminine. It was impossible to resist her.
Brandon rose immediately. Lana tucked her hand in the crook of his arm, and they walked out of the shop together. Lana’s voice drifted back to them. She sounded so admiring as she told him how wonderful he was to take care of a girl who clearly needed help.
For the first time, Seychelle felt as if she really did have a family. She knew what it felt like to work smoothly with Lana, completely in sync, not having to look at her and yet knowing instantly what she was doing and that she was on board to help get this young girl to safety.