BK 3 - Chapter 52 - Leaving Rio
**(Warning: this chapter contains topics that may be sensitive to some readers.)**
Nina stared at the man who had identified her as his mate. He was over six feet tall with dark brown hair and green eyes. She had just turned eighteen a couple months ago, right after being kidnapped, so she hadn't had time to even think of her mate. A smile spread across his face. They began walking toward each other, and only then did she notice Melanie and Saxon watching her. When she caught Melanie's eye, the lioness winked at her before continuing outside.
"What's your name?" The man asked as they reached each other.
"Nina. What's yours?" She asked, taking in his intoxicating scent of sandalwood and the earth after the rain.
"Darian. I can't believe I found you here, of all places. I've been looking all over for my mate." He said, feeling the excitement in him build as he stared at the young woman in front of him. Nina was beautiful with short curly blonde hair and amber eyes.
"Where are you from?" She asked worriedly. She'd planned to return to California with Cat to help with her group homes.
"I'm, for lack of a better word, a rogue. My pack was attacked by another pack leaving almost everyone dead. I escaped and have been alone since. That was ten years ago. How about you?" Darian answered.
"I'm a rogue too. I was an omega in my pack and was constantly abused. I ran away when I was thirteen. I'm eighteen now. How old are you?" She asked, walking a few steps closer.
"I'm twenty-five." He said with a smile.
"Everyone, please come outside. We're getting ready to burn this place to the ground," Wesley yelled. Nina and Darian both laughed, realizing they had forgotten where they were. They held hands while walking outside.
"Do you have plans to go anywhere after leaving here?" Darian asked as they watched the warehouse go up in flames.
"Actually, yes. I would like to return with the lions to California. They run group homes for abused children, and they're getting ready to open some for abused shifters. Would you be willing to go with me?" Nina asked hopefully. She saw the surprise on Darian's face.
"That's incredible. I would love to go and help. So you're not going to reject me?" He asked, squeezing her hand.
"I wouldn't think of it." Nina threw her arms around Darian's neck happily. He wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in their neck, breathing in her scent.
Cat and Melanie were watching the couple with smiles. If nothing else, their travels had helped several mates find each other. Wesley addressed the large group once the warehouse was burnt to the ground.
"The buses are on their way to pick us up. They'll take us to the fighting ring so we can shut it down, and then we're getting out of here. I will send you wherever you want to go when we're done. Thank you all for everything you've done to protect our species." He said just as the buses pulled up.
The fighting ring address had been on the bill of sale, and luckily it wasn't far from their current location. They were at the ring within fifteen minutes. There wasn't much activity around the remote site. Wesley led them straight to the front door when they got off the buses. Everyone was tired and ready to go home, so he was in no mood to mess around.
When they walked inside, they saw several shifters in cages like they were on display. They continued past them and headed to the main office. Wesley kicked open the door and saw Vincent's dad, Phil, and two other men jump from the sudden intrusion.
"Who the hell are you?" Phil asked angrily. He'd been waiting for his son and his friends to show up so he could complete the sale and leave Rio.
"We're the ones who killed Vincent, Karlee, Eli, and Harper. We're the ones who have stopped your operations all over the world, and we're the ones who are going to kill you now." Wesley wasted no time grabbing Phil and throwing him to the angry mob. The other two tried to run, but they were human and no match for Wesley and Saxon.
Once they were dead, the group quickly searched the building and found no one else. After they released the shifters from their cages, they set the fighting ring on fire and got on the buses. Wesley wanted everything burnt, so there was no evidence. It was the only way to keep their existence hidden.
They left for the airport soon after. Wesley made sure everyone got tickets to where they wanted to go. Once he was on the plane with his family and the others going to California, he sighed with relief. It was time to get back to Mindy and finally start living.
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Mindy sat with Valerie on the back patio. It was late, and everyone else was sleeping. She decided now was a good time to talk without any interruptions. She took a deep breath before starting.
"I left off last time on the day I graduated. That day, I was ecstatic. I had finally finished school and planned to go to college. However, my happiness faded as soon as I got to my car. My stepfather was standing next to it, waiting for me. I tried to turn around and leave, but he caught up to me. When I tried to scream, he put his hand over my mouth and dragged me to a van several spaces down. My mom was driving the van. While she drove, he tore my clothes off and raped me. He said I owed him for running away." Mindy felt her tears falling as she stared out at the night sky. Valerie didn't say anything as she let it out.
"When we got to their house, he took me to a bedroom and tied me to the bed. They kept me there for a week. He raped and beat me repeatedly to the point I was begging him to kill me. On the last day, I was barely hanging on, and they dumped me in an alley. Luckily, someone found me and called an ambulance. I was hospitalized for two weeks due to the damage he had done."
"I left the hospital and got a bus ticket to Sacramento using the money I'd saved. I didn't have a plan; I just wanted to be here because this was the last place someone tried to help me. I wanted to go to school but had to work to survive. I've been working three jobs since I arrived just to make ends meet. I thought pushing everything from my past deep down inside me so I wouldn't think about it was the only way to get over it." Valerie took Mindy's hand in hers while she remained quiet. She wanted to remind her she wasn't alone. Mindy squeezed her hand tightly.
"Besides going to work, I mostly stayed in my apartment. I just recently began to venture out and sit in the park not far away so I could read. I wanted to go to nursing school, so I would read medical books with the hope that I would still get there one day. That's what I was doing when Raul found me. He made me think he was older, so I let my guard down. I should have listened to my gut telling me to run away when he asked me to help him to the street, but I didn't. He pulled me off the trail and raped me for hours."
"I walked to the hospital when he left. I was actually contemplating suicide until Wesley walked into the room. As soon as I saw his warm brown eyes looking at me, I felt safe in a way I had never felt before. Even after what I had just endured, I felt drawn to him. He's been so gentle and understanding with me. He's already broken down every wall I put around myself." Mindy smiled. Wesley changed her whole world. From pain and darkness to love and light. She still had a lot to deal with, but she was no longer scared because she had Wesley. His love was all she needed to survive. He was the light at the end of a dark tunnel she'd been running towards but never thought she'd reach.
