Brandon Campbell was a predator, and somehow Seychelle was going to find a way to deal with him. It wasn’t going to be that day, but it would be soon. She was grateful she wasn’t alone, and Lana was so ready and willing to help. Now that she had the predator out of the way, and her voice had compelled the older women at the table to hear only truth, she could concentrate on Tessa and do her best to undo the damage in the short time Lana was buying her.
“All right, Tessa, keep looking at me. Tell me the truth so I can help you.”
“No one can help me. I’m not worth anything. He reminds me of that all the time. I’m lucky he bothers with me,” Tessa whispered in a low voice.
A collective gasp went up from the table, but Seychelle waved them to silence. She already knew Brandon’s methods. He made certain he took away all self-esteem from his victims.
“That isn’t your truth. I know I can help you. If I can get you away, would you go? What would you like to do? What was your dream?”
For one moment, Tessa’s eyes lit up and her face was animated. “I wanted to be a fashion designer and make clothes. I was really good at it in school. But he said . . .”
“We don’t really care what he said, do we?” Seychelle said. “We only care what you want and what we can do for you. Do you want to go home? To your parents?”
Tessa shuddered and wrapped her arms around her middle, shaking her head. “No, I’ll stay with him. I’ll stay with Brandon. My father gets drunk and he . . .” She broke off and shuddered again. “No. I’m never going back there.”
“You don’t have to. Not ever. And you don’t have to stay with Brandon,” Seychelle soothed. The door to the shop opened and her stomach knotted. She kept her voice calm. “Honey, how old are you?”
“Eighteen.”
“When is your birthday?” Because, honestly, the girl looked like a baby to her. Seychelle knew she looked young. But Tessa looked like she was fifteen. Maybe sixteen at most.
“It was two days ago.” That was said in a whisper.
Another gasp went around the table. That meant Brandon Campbell had been with an underage girl. He had to have known.
Seychelle was getting serious vibes, a warning tingle sliding down her spine. The hairs on the back of her neck standing up. A flutter in her sex. He had walked in. Savage. He was in the Floating Hat. Another thing about Savage she loved: as stubborn as he could be, he was also sensitive, and he could see her hold on Tessa was very fragile and could be broken with the slightest distraction. Sabelia hadn’t come to the table with their tea either. That didn’t surprise her. Sabelia clearly had psychic gifts.
“All right, honey, we’re going to get you some help. What do you think about leaving with Lana? Have you met her before? She’s seriously wonderful. She’s coming back now.”
Those little bells in the shape of hats announced the door to the shop had once again opened, allowing Brandon and Lana back inside. Lana’s soft voice kept Brandon enthralled as they walked toward the table.
“No one can hurt you when Lana’s around. And you know what she does?” Seychelle poured enthusiasm into her voice. “Lana designs clothes. She owns Label 287. Have you heard of that boutique?”
Again, there was a flare of interest in Tessa’s eyes.
“She’s right here, Tessa. She’ll walk you right out and take you to a place no one can hurt you. She’ll give you a job.”
Brandon sank into his chair and Lana took her seat at the table. Brandon barely glanced at Tessa, seemingly completely taken with Lana.
“Brandon.” Seychelle leaned toward him and waited until his gaze jumped to her face. She had used the merest hint of compulsion in her voice. The thinnest note, just enough that it covered his heavier copper-colored ones without penetrating into them. The gold slid against the copper and very gently settled over the top of those notes. “We discovered a huge problem while you were gone.”
The older women nodded solemnly, all three backing Seychelle up, looking at Brandon as if he was in terrible trouble.
“Don’t be alarmed, we’re going to fix it. There’s no way we’ll let this affect your reputation or work,” Seychelle continued, her voice pitched in that same low, almost intimate tone. The golden notes continued to slip out. “Tessa only turned eighteen two days ago.” She dropped her voice and looked around the tearoom before continuing. “That means the entire time she’s been with you, she’s been underage.”
“What?” Brandon feigned horror.
The three older women continued to nod. Lana put her hand over her mouth, her eyes going wide in shock.