Reno lifted Zuri in the air and spun her around.
“Did that just happen?” she asked, throwing her head back as Reno lowered her body just enough for their chests to meet before locking Zuri’s lips in a passionate kiss.
“Yes, my love,” he answered as their tongues danced. “You are mine. All mine. For as long as you want to be.”
“That’s forever,” Zuri said, sliding down and burying her head in Reno’s chest. “I never thought Baba would let me go––– self-preservation and greed will make you do all sorts of things.”
“I’m happy about the outcome,” Reno replied, stroking her hair. “It was quite different from the way they stormed in here.”
Reno plucked a phone from his pocket and dialed Skyler’s cell. “Hey. It’s safe to come down.”
“Okay, thanks,” she replied before disconnecting the call.
He slid the phone in his back pocket and walked over to the door, turning the knob and checking the lock mechanism. Everything appeared to be in place.
“How are you feeling? Do you need to go to the hospital?” Reno asked as soon as Skyler’s clicking heels announced her arrival.
“I’m fine,” she replied, approaching him with a slight limp.
“Are you just saying that, or are you really okay?” he asked, shooting her a questioning glance. “Your body and facial expression say otherwise.”
“My side hurts a little, but I’m good.” Skyler rubbed her left hip and thigh. “Nothing a pain killer, and a heating pad can’t fix.”
“You’ve got forty-eight hours. If you don’t feel any better, I’m taking you to the hospital myself.”
“Roger that,” she joked, giving him a mock salute.
Snickering at Skyler, Reno put his focus back on the door. “It’s not catching.”
“That’s because you have to pull it closed until you hear the lock click,” Skyler commented, pushing the door shut from the inside, then tugging on the handle, which had engaged. “It hasn’t been automatically catching with the increased humidity the past week,” she explained, opening the door, then letting it go, demonstrating the problem. “We’ve been pulling it closed behind us when we enter or leave, but those men didn’t give Tia a chance.”
“It wasn’t her fault,” Zuri chimed in; her soft voice was like a hummingbird’s song, instantly bringing a smile to Reno’s face.
“I know,” he replied, gazing at Zuri for a moment. “Excuse me.” He moved around the women and went to Skyler’s desk, pressed the intercom button, then said, “Good morning. Can everyone please meet me in the lobby within the next five minutes. Thank you.”
The disruption to the client’s lives was not sitting well with Reno. He promised the women safety above all else, and the shelter had been anything but in the past several weeks.
Reno’s phone rang as the women filtered into the lobby. He almost sent the call to voicemail, until his sister’s picture popped up on the screen. Sofia didn’t call him often, and when she did, it was never mid-morning because she had patients.
“Hey, Sofia. Is everything okay?” Reno asked, smiling and nodding at the women as they claimed seats.
“Yes. I wanted to tell you–––”
“Can I call you later? This isn’t a good time.”
“Hold on, Mariano,” Sofia shot back. “Frank Maddox just scheduled an appointment for his daughter.”
“Wait a minute.” Reno covered the phone, then leaned over to Skyler. “Can you get everyone situated. I have to take this.”
“Sure thing,” she replied.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, tapping Zuri’s arm, then scurrying to his office.
“I’m assuming it’s not the eleven-year-old, right?” Reno said, closing the door.
“No. This young lady goes by Irena Rodin, although I doubt that’s a real name,” Sofia added. “Her chart and ID says she’s nineteen, but I have a feeling she’s younger. She’s Russian like his other daughter and speaks very little English. The last four times, I’ve seen her have been for urinary tract infections. I’m only breaking HIPAA because those are one of the symptoms in young girls who are being sexually abused.”
“Why didn’t you say anything about this before?”
“Because it’s not conclusive. Many other factors could cause a UTI that have nothing to do with sexual abuse,” Sofia explained. “God knows I had several as a teenager, and no one had ever touched me inappropriately.”
“I didn’t know that,” Reno said, sinking into the office chair.
“Why would you?” she countered, sighing. “It’s nothing that I would talk about with my little brother. Anyway, they are coming in tomorrow afternoon at three.”
“Thanks for the heads up. I’m going to have to work fast.”
“What does that mean?” Sofia asked; her voice hitched.
“I have a connect with a detective that I can trust,” Reno said, whipping out his wallet and pulling Xavier Carter’s business card out. “I’m enlisting his help with arresting Frank at the office and getting Irena away from him. Maybe she can tell us where he’s holding the other girls hostage.”
“When you asked for my help, I had no idea this is what you had in mind. I have other patients and staff here. I can’t put their safety at risk.”
“Sofia. Do you think I would do that?”
“Not intentionally, but things go wrong all the time,” she retorted.
Reno marinated on her words for a second. Sofia was right. His life was proof of that, hence the fiasco that took place less than an hour ago.
“Some things you just can’t predict, but I will do my best to assure everyone’s safety.”
“I’m holding you accountable,” Sofia shot back.
“I know you will.” He chuckled. “You always do.
Sofia couldn’t help but laugh at that last remark. “Priyanka keeps nudging me to tell you hello.”
“Tell my future sister-in-law; I said hey.”
“From your mouth to the man above,” Sofia said, her tone all of a sudden sounding sad. “What I wouldn’t give to stop living in secrecy.”
“Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be by your side.”
“Mariano said hi,” Sofia relayed to her girlfriend of three years, who was also her physician’s assistant. “Papà makes life impossible.”
“Who are you telling?” Reno shook his head. “Thank God for Mamma, who accepts us as we are. But I have to go, sis. Love you. I’ll be in touch.”
Reno ended the call, then made a beeline to the lobby. Immediately, he found Zuri sitting among the women, listening to Skyler speak. Reno stood next to Skyler and whispered, “Thank you. I’ll take it from here.”
“Ladies, thank you for your patience,” Reno clasped his hands together. “I know we’ve had out of the ordinary activity around here the past few weeks, and I can promise you that it has come to an end. I want each of you,” he said, scanning the crowd, giving every client direct eye contact. “To feel safe and protected.”
“Mr. DeLuca, a lot has been going on, but I’ve never felt I was in harm’s way,” said a woman with Bantu-knots and a nosering.
“I’d have to agree with Nakida,” another woman chimed in, resting hands in her lap. “You handled everything swiftly. We didn’t have time to get caught up in whatever was going on.”
“I disagree with that,” said an older woman who had been at the shelter for almost a year due to arson in the senior building where she once lived. She was having problems with the Department of Aging finding her placement. “These old bones aren’t made to be jumping up on a whim every time something goes wrong.”
“My apologies, Ms. Violet,” Reno walked over and knelt in front of the raven-haired woman. “I promise this will not happen again.”
“You can’t promise that,” she warned, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not God. I know your intentions are good, Mr. DeLuca. Just do your best. That’s all we ask.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Reno rose to his feet. He was grateful that he hadn’t lost the women’s trust.
“Zuri, could you come to the front, please?”
He wasn’t sure how he should introduce Zuri to the women. As his significant other? As a client? The only people he’d seen Zuri interact with were Olga, Tia, and Kiley. The other women didn’t know her. Zuri rode in his car the day of the evacuation, she snuck back on an empty bus and stayed at the transitional apartments.
Zuri maneuvered through the women until she was at Reno’s side. He smiled at her, then turned to Skyler, who stood in the background and waved her forward.
“This is Zuri Okusanya and ...” Reno paused, and Skyler took over.
“She will be helping at the shelter with the children in the late afternoon and early evenings. Zuri’s been vetted and cleared, so get used to her friendly face. She’s now part of the All-Star team.”
Reno glanced at Skyler, and she winked at him. Again, she always knew what he needed.
“Hello, everyone.” Zuri waved and smiled. “I look forward to getting to know all of you and your children.”
The women gave Zuri a warm welcome, and from that moment, Reno knew she would be a good fit in personal life and business.
“Let’s get this started, ladies.” Skyler clasped her hands together in the same fashion as Reno had earlier. “If you need a statement for work or school, come see me at the front desk.”
“Skyler, you rock,” Reno said, patting his pants pockets for his phone and keys.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” she teased, moving behind the desk.
“I have to leave. Can Zuri be your copilot today?” Reno asked, observing Zuri engaged in conversation with the clients.
“Go handle your business,” Skyler waved him off. “I got her.”