"What the fuck do you mean she's gone?" I asked in a calm but threatening tone.

"She left in the middle of the night."

"What did you do to that poor fucking girl?" I asked starting to put on some clothes, we had to find her quick.

"I was drunk and I was angry because she wasn't listening to me."

"What the hell Corey!" I shouted.

"The last thing she told me was that I was like the men who took her and I got angry and left." I wanted to punch my dumb-ass brother.

"Well you don't think she's scared of you because you have a smoking hot body do you? She was fucking trafficked and around abusive men on a daily basis, did you forget that they used her as bait to kill me? She could be anywhere, I swear if they have her I will end you." I threatened before giving my phone back to a scared James. I had on sweatpants and a white shirt. I was really not playing around. I grabbed my phone and headed downstairs.

Let's try calling her.

It went straight to voicemail and my heartbeat quickened as I panicked just a little bit more.

"Tanya." James started.

"We have to find her." I said slowly. James nodded and got his keys.

"So lets go." He said grabbing my hand and leading me out of the house.

She's out in the world all alone and scared. She's probably somewhere having a mental break down right now.

Evangeline

I was just relaxing to be completely honest.

"So you want to work, here?" The man asked. I nodded.

"Yes sir." I knew I would have to find a place to work quick so what better way to get a job than to just walk in an demand one.

"Do you know how to serve?" He asked.

"I know the basics, I'm a quick learner."

"Well serve me a drink little lady." I decided to work at a bar. I had a knowledge of drinks because the men who captured me had made me serve them drinks plenty of times so I knew how to do little things like margaritas, bloody marys, etc. so I decided to make him a rum punch.

I gave it to him on a coaster with a big smile. He took a sip and took a second to analyze it.

"You're hired, when can you start?"

"Are you guys open now?" I asked he chuckled.

"I'll have your apron in a minute. Welcome to the team Evangeline." I gave him a smile in response

Corey

I wanted to jump off of a bridge how could she just leave like that? I woke up and went to go apologize and she was gone, she had taken a few things with her but left most of it here. Immediately I had called Rio and sent a team to go search for her. But now I had to apologize to my sister, I had taken the responsibility of taking care of Evangeline and I couldn't even do that. Ace whimpered in the back seat and I gripped the steering wheel a little bit harder.

"How could you let her leave us Ace?" I asked he growled and I frowned, he definitely hated me too. "We'll get her back, I promise." I said looking in the back mirror.

My phone rang and I answered it immediately.

"Boss we found her." Thank the lord. "She's as Mo's, that's neutral territory." Rio reminded me.

"Okay I'll go get her. Be prepared for anything to happen." I took a breath in. Mo's was my property but it was on neutral territory, no one owned that block and I definitely did not want to start a war but if I needed to I would.

"Alright boss. See you there." I called my sister and told her where she was at. In about thirty minutes I was there.

"Stay here Ace. I'll be back soon." I told him as I got out. My shoulders back and my head up I walked into the bar, gaining a few looks but ignoring them. I heard a voice and was ultimately drawn to Eva laughing at a conversation her and a man was having. I clenched my jaw and decided to make my way to her. When did she get a job? Why here of all places?

I sat down in her area and as soon as her eyes caught mine she frowned.

"What can I get you?" She asked in a bored voice.

"You." I said simply.

"Sorry I'm not for sale anymore." She said, things were starting to get tense, she was growing a backbone.

"Can I talk to you?" I asked ignoring the look from the guy she was just talking to.

"My break is in thirty minutes, but why would I want to waste it talking to someone like you?" I sighed.

"I'm sorry Evangeline." I said giving her a defeated look. "I didn't mean what I said. I was just upset and angry but that still isn't a good excuse to take it out on you." I apologized, she bit her lip and contemplated my apology.

"Is everything okay here?" The man had asked barging into our conversation.

"Yes everything is fine." I gritted. He looked at Evangeline for approval.

"Yeah, I'm fine Daniel." She said softly to him. I furrowed my eyebrows, why is she being nice to this man? He gave me another nasty look before going back to his seat, I rolled my eyes.

"So are you coming back home with me?" I asked her.

"I have a job, I can't just leave whenever I feel like it."

"You do know I own this building right?" I asked, she rolled her eyes.

"Listen I don't care if you were the president. If I want a job I'm going to have one." She retorted.

"Fine. I'll just stay until your shift ends." I shrugged.

"Corey why do you even care? We're not even acquainted like that, you proved that yesterday when you had that girl sitting on your lap." Ouch, I forgot about that part.

"It's my responsibility to make sure you're okay, plus I feel horrible for the way I treated you, we both know that you deserve way better and I'm just trying to provide that for you."

"Yeah whatever. You just want to keep me under your control."

"No I don't." I argued.

"Prove it." She said with her arms folded.

"Fine, I'll allow you to keep your job, but you do have a curfew."

"I'm not a child anymore."

"I am aware of that, but dangerous things are going on."

"Can't you just send someone to watch me. Like Rio, he was cool."

"We'll talk about this when we get home."

"After my shift." She reminded. I nodded.

~*~

Evangeline

Corey kept his word about staying with me until my shift was over, he deterred many men away from me in which I rolled my eyes because I desperately needed tips. But once I was ready to clock out I took off my apron and said goodbye to the manager before heading out with Corey.

The ride back was silent and I spent most of my time glancing back at an eager Ace who was constantly wagging his tail.

"You know he missed you." I pouted.

"I'm sowwy Ace, I pwomise I won't leave you again." I said in a baby voice. We were at the house once again and I was actually excited to get back into my old room.

"There's been some changes." Corey stayed as he walked in, I was right behind him as I listened closely. "You're now sleeping with me, there's an alarm that comes on every night at ten pm, I get alerts if the doors or windows are opened pass then and you're only allowed to work four days a week." I pouted even more now. "It's not my fault." My jaw dropped as I followed him up the stairs.

"Yes it is! If you weren't being an asshole maybe I wouldn't have left."

"Well now I've made it so you won't ever leave again." He gritted. He walked into a very large room which I was too busy being angry to admire. "This is your new room, our room if you will."

"You can't be serious, you're not letting me be free."

"Prove to me that you can be responsible first." He said taking off his shirt don't stare.

"You're unbelievable."

"I don't think you understand how worried we were, how worried I was Evangeline. I know I don't know much about you but I care a lot more than I should about your well being and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you are safe." I scoffed. "So if that means you're mad at me so be it, you'll eventually get over it."

"Screw you, I'm sick and tired of people like you trying to boss me around and pretending to care about me so you can use me for your own personal pleasure-" I wasn't able to get another word out before I was pushed against a wall.

"Let's get one thing straight Evangeline, I am not one of them, I'm not lying to you about how I feel about you, if I didn't care about you you would probably still be on the streets. Also, I am not using you for my personal pleasure, get that through your pretty little skull for someone who's so intelligent you do play dumb a lot." I looked at him defiantly in his eyes but his stare was too hard, I moved my gaze to the floor and he backed down as well. "I'm taking a shower. We'll eat dinner afterwards."