Page 160 of Nyx

I shake my head. "Secure all the way around."

"But someone could not use the road and gain access," she says, looking over her shoulder as if she expects a stranger to step from around one of the houses across the street with ill intentions.

"High fence all the way around, and patrolled constantly," I say. "We're extremely safe here."

"Okay," she says, following the same path Dana took to get inside.

Caroline and Melissa enter as well, followed by Misty and then Emmalyn.

"Where's Traci?" I ask.

Emmalyn frowns as she approaches me, her eyes darting toward the front door to make sure she can talk freely without one of the residents overhearing her.

"She had a conversation with Victoria yesterday while we were at the park," Emmalyn says. "She asked to leave."

"She didn't want to come here?"

"She wanted to leave before the decision was even made to bring them here, but it was offered after, and she still didn't want to come."

"So someone from Cerberus is protecting her?"

Emmalyn frowns again, her head shaking slightly. "She wanted to go home."

"Home?" I ask.

"Yes. She wanted to be back with her family before the babies were born. She didn't want protection. She wanted a bus ticket and a ride to the station."

"Her family background—"

"I know," Emmalyn interrupts. "She wasn't ready. Now, we have to focus on the ones we can help. Will you attend this meeting? Kincaid, Shadow, and Max will be in the room, and I think it would help them settle a little better if they had another familiar face in there with us."

"Of course," I say and turn to go back inside.

My mind is a cluster of what-if questions and worry about Traci.

I don't know if home means she's going back to her abusive partner, or maybe she'll go back to live with her parents. I know she was raised very religiously, and I have no doubt there will be pressure from her family to make amends with her ex.

I step to the side as Emmalyn enters the conference room, trying to get my head on right so I can face these women without adding extra worry to an already precarious situation.

After a few deep breaths, I feel a little better.

Four women, all with wide eyes, are sitting around the conference room table.

Max isn't behind his computer like the other two times I've been in here, but I imagine that's by design.

I take a seat beside Caroline, noticing a look I read as disappointment on Kayla's face, as if she thinks I'm avoiding her or something. I give her a smile, but the look she directs at Caroline concerns me a little.

"Ladies," Emmalyn says as she walks toward the front of the room. "I know this is going to be a big change for everyone. We want you to feel as safe as possible while you're here. That means if you have a concern, you can speak with me, Beth, Misty, and Juliet, and we'll address it immediately. If you can't find any of us, any woman that walks into this clubhouse is more than willing to help you."

"We have to go over some logistical things," Misty begins. "Right outside of this room, to the right, are the rooms we've set up for you. If there is anything you need that isn't in there, just let us know. The rooms have the same numbers you were given to pack with, so it'll be super easy to find."

Emmalyn looks up, and I glance in that direction to see Kincaid, Shadow, and Max standing outside the room.

"If everyone is okay with it, I'll let my husband Diego, Vice President Morrison, and our IT guy Max come inside so they can explain all the things to you," Emmalyn says. "Any objections?"

Everyone looks in the men's direction, but no one speaks.

"I'm Diego," Kincaid says as he steps forward. "You can call me that or Kincaid."