Ghost

Ghost Read Free

Book: Ghost Read Free
Author: Jessica Coulter Smith
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side to check on her, and the other part was dreading what he might find. He took the stairs calmly, not wanting to seem too eager, and peered into each room until he found Shelly.
    “Shelly?” he called out softly.
    She rolled to face him and his gut twisted. Her beautiful face had been ravaged, and with the way she was wrapping her arms around herself, he’d be willing to bet the damage went further down her body. Had the sick fuck downstairs done this to her? And if so, why?
    She visibly swallowed, then pushed the covers off her body. She was naked under the blankets and he could see the purple bruising on her ribs and stomach. Bile rose in his throat as he thought about someone harming her on purpose. He eased his way across the small room and sank to his knees beside the bed. With gentle hands, he reached out and cupped her face.
    “Who did this to you?” he asked.
    “Richard.”
    “The man downstairs?”
    She nodded. “Don’t worry. I can still please you. I know that’s why you’re here, that you paid him for my time. I’m afraid my bed isn’t very big.”
    His heart kicked in his chest. “Doll, I didn’t come here for that. I came here to check on you because you didn’t show up at the clubhouse tonight.”
    “He wouldn’t let me go. Said I had to stay here and take care of whatever customers called for service since the rest of the girls were at the clubhouse.”
    He didn’t want to ask, but he needed to know. “Has anyone called?”
    “Not yet. Richard told me to get ready in case someone did.”
    Thank fuck she hadn’t been touched tonight! “I’m going to get you out of here. Can you trust me to do that?”
    “It won’t do any good. He’ll just come after me. He owns me, just like he owns the others. We’re his property and we have to do what he says. And if we don’t….”
    “He beats the hell out of you.”
    She nodded.
    “Why did he beat you, Shelly?”
    “I came home empty-handed. Preacher pays for us to come to the clubhouse, but that isn’t enough for Richard. We’re supposed to pick the pockets of the bikers while we’re there, bring home some extra cash to him, and the bikers generally don’t say anything because they don’t want anyone to know they were taken by a woman.”
    “Aw hell, honey. How did you get mixed up in all this?”
    “It’s a long story.”
    Ghost nodded. “Let’s get you dressed and then we’ll get you out of here.”
    He helped Shelly off the bed, then rummaged in the dresser drawers until he found a tank and some shorts. He tossed a few more things onto the bed then went to the closet and dug around until he found a backpack. Stuffing the clothes inside, he helped her put on a pair of tennis shoes.
    Shelly rose unsteadily to her feet and he wrapped an arm around her waist. She stared up at him with uncertainty and a bit of hope. “Why are you helping me?”
    “Because it’s the right thing to do. You don’t belong to this way of life, not if you didn’t choose it.”
    “You’re never going to get past Richard. He won’t let me walk out of here.”
    Ghost pulled a Glock from his holster. “I don’t recall saying I was going to give him a choice.”
    She stared at the gun then nodded.
    Ghost took her by the hand, gave her the backpack, which she slung over her shoulder, and then he guided her down the stairs. Richard was standing at the foot, smirking, until he saw Shelly.
    “You can’t take her with you. She has other customers to take care of.”
    Ghost cocked his weapon and pointed it at Richard’s head. “Are you sure about that? Because my hour isn’t up yet and I’ll take her wherever I damn well please. And if you disagree? Well…” Ghost gave him a sinister smile. “Your brains won’t be the first I’ve splattered. Pimps are somewhere below cockroaches, so if you think I’d lose sleep over it, you’d be wrong.”
    Anger simmered in Richard’s eyes, but Ghost could tell the man knew he’d been bested. He gave a

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