Delta Force Rescue - Elle James Page 0,2

gang member’s vengeance, and the memory still haunted her. She found it incomprehensible that a man could murder a woman and child out of sheer hatred.

The shelter was located at what had once been a dairy farm. The huge old barn, where the cows had come to be milked, had been cleaned out and converted into living quarters for women and their small children who needed a place to hide away from brutal and abusive relationships. The foundation was funded by a celebrity who preferred to remain anonymous. The rumor had it that the celebrity had once been a woman in need of assistance and a safe house to live in.

Manned by licensed psychologists, social workers and occupational specialists, the shelter was there to provide a place to live and to help the residents learn new skills and, ultimately, become independent and able to take care for themselves. They also had an attorney on retainer to assist the women in getting the restraining orders, separation agreements and divorces they needed in order to start new lives away from toxic situations.

When they arrived at the shelter, Briana parked at the rear entrance, where the people who ran it preferred potential residents to enter. Though they were out in the county, the fewer people who knew of the comings and goings, the better they were able to keep women hidden from their abusive significant others.

As soon as they drove beneath the overhang, a woman emerged from the entrance, a smile and frown of concern on her face. She started to open the passenger seat door but quickly changed to open the back door. “Hello, I’m Sandy. Welcome to Serenity Place.”

Briana smiled as she climbed out of the vehicle and stood beside Sandy. “Hi, Sandy. This is…Jane and her daughter, Jill. They need a safe place to stay.”

Sandy held out her hand. “You’ve come to the right place. We’re very discreet here. Our primary concern is for the safety of our residents, both big and small.”

Alejandra took her hand and let her pull her and the baby out of the car. “Thank you.”

In the next few minutes, the woman had Alejandra and Bella assigned to a room with a full-sized bed, a crib and a package of disposable diapers. Once Alejandra had changed Bella’s diaper, Sandy took them to a dining room where she helped Alejandra make a sandwich.

“Would you like one, too?” Sandy asked Briana.

She shook her head, though her stomach rumbled. “No, thank you. I need to get back to the city before it gets much later.” Briana hugged Alejandra and slipped a business card into her hand. “If you need anything, call me.”

The young woman’s eyes filled with tears. “You’ve already done so much.”

Briana gave her a gentle smile. “Nothing more than anyone with an ounce of compassion would have done. Take care of yourself and your little one.” She brushed a finger beneath the baby’s chin then turned to leave.

Sandy followed her to the exit. “We’ll take very good care of them.”

Briana turned to Sandy. “She’s scared. From what she’s told me, some very bad people are after her. The baby’s father has some connections. If they find her, it won’t be good for her or the people harboring her.”

“We’ve dealt with similar situations.” Sandy touched her arm. “We’ll be on the lookout.”

“Thank you, Sandy,” Briana said. “You have my number. Call me if you need anything or have any concerns.”

She nodded. “Be careful driving back into the city.”

Briana climbed into her car and headed for Chicago. All along the way, she thought about Alejandra and her baby. The desperation in the woman’s eyes had struck a chord in Briana’s heart. She’d seen that look before in the faces of young mothers she’d visited. Too often, they stayed in bad situations, thinking they had no other alternative. Alejandra had taken the step to get away from the man who’d threatened her and her child. It took a lot of courage to leave an abusive man. The least she deserved was a safe place to hide until she could get back on her feet, maybe change her identity and start a new life somewhere else.

Back at her apartment, Briana climbed the stairs to the second floor and let herself in.

“That you?” her roommate, Sheila Masters, called out from the kitchen.

“It’s me,” Briana answered as she dropped her keys on the table in the entryway.

“You’re late getting home. Did you have a hot date?” Sheila stepped out of the kitchen and