“It doesn’t bother him?”
“Making things for others, doing things for others, makes her happy, and when she’s happy, he’s happy. I’m telling you, April, it’s a different world around here.”
“Nate has mentioned that more than once.”
“And you find it unbelievable, and you’re waiting for the monsters to creep out of the shadows?”
“Messed up, huh?”
“Not really. I felt the same way, but I haven’t seen anyone slipping yet. The only thing you have to look out for…” Cara bites her lip.
“What?”
“Everyone is very affectionate.”
“So is Nate. At least he has been so far.”
“I mean… umm… sometimes they get carried away. You may see things that you would never think you’d see.”
I scoff. “I went to a public high school. I’ve seen public displays of affection before.”
She shakes her head. “It can get more intense than that. I just don’t want you to be surprised if you see some of the couples touching each other before they realize they’re still in a public setting.”
“Touching?”
“Or more.” Her cheeks are as red as mine feel.
“Like sex? Cara! Please tell me they don’t have sex in front of each other!”
Her eyes dart across the room. “I haven’t witnessed anything getting that far, but there have been times I wondered if it was going to. They have parties here, and although they haven’t had one yet, I’m just warning you that there’s a lot of activity. At least that’s what some of the other girls say.”
“All of them or just the ones that aren’t attached.”
“Both.”
I turn to face her. “Both? Cara, if you don’t spit it out right now…”
“Gigi told me once that some of the couples like to be watched.”
“Like while they’re…” I can’t even say it.
“Yes, and before you spend the rest of the night gathering the courage to ask which ones, I know that Hound and Gigi have done things at a club in Denver, and Tug, Max, and Jasmine have interacted with each other both in Denver and here at the clubhouse.”
My mouth is hanging open. This is a lot of information to take in. I am glad Cara is the one telling me this, and it’s not a conversation I have to have with Nate, and Lord, I’m glad it’s not something I’ve witnessed firsthand.
“That’s so sinful.”
“And you were warned about sins of the flesh for as long as you can remember, but these people love each other. Although I’m not going to have sex with Javier in front of everyone, I’m also not going to have an opinion about what others do.”
“I have so many questions,” I tell her, taking her last statement as a warning.
“Yet, you’re reluctant to ask because it makes you feel dirty?”
“Yes.”
“Gigi is the only one who you have to worry about talking about that kind of stuff to, oh and maybe Sophia. She’s Dominic’s daughter and is married to that detective you met earlier.”
I nod even though I can’t pull either of those people’s faces from my memory. There were so many introductions earlier, they’re all starting to run together.
“I’ll answer any questions you have to the best of my ability.”
“Maybe I should be asking Gigi. It sounds like she’s the one who knows everything.”
Cara chuckles, not mentioning the debauchery that goes on in this place again.
“Are we going to get some sleep or are we going to stay up all night talking?”
Her question makes me yawn, and we agree to rest. With Nate and Javier gone, it seems like we’re going to have tons of time to chat. I’m honestly excited to get to know my sister better.
Chapter 20
Apollo
“Fuck,” I mutter, swiping my forearm over my sweaty forehead. “It’s hot as fuck down here.”
“It’s the humidity,” Legend grumbles. “My balls are sticking to the inside of my damn leg.”
I huff a laugh when he does an overexaggerated dance to unstick them.
“Greenlake. Looks like the east coast.” I read off the serial number on the St. Andrew’s cross before moving on to the next piece of furniture in the room.
“Slow down, dipshit. I can’t keep up with you,” Legend complains, and I have to wait for him to log the information.
Taking down the information on items we find in these sex trafficking houses have helped us with leads for other cases and has made it easier for us to track the pieces of shit running them. This house, were it not a breeding ground—and I mean that literally because the men here have been repeatedly impregnating the women and selling the babies—for evil, would actually be a very nice place to live, but I guess they think they’re fooling the guests with expensive things. Do they forget that people are traveling from the U.S. to buy white babies from South America? People are depraved, and I’ve known that for a very long time, but it never makes this job easier.