Read Online Meadow's Keep (The Gatekeepers Series) by Shanon Grey - Free Book Online Page B

twirled and stepped in front of the young girl, who flinched, her eyes once again hooded in fear, as she looked beseechingly at the tall beauty standing in front of her. It took everything Jasmine had not to drop the garment on the floor and enfold the young girl in protective arms. Instead, she swung the top in front of her and, tilting her head, studied the top, then the girl. “Well…I suppose…,” her voice drawled, dripping southern honey with each exaggerated syllable.
    Jenn coughed, interrupting. “I’m sorry. But Lily—it is Lily,” Jenn asked, directing her question to the young girl in the chair, “isn’t it?” When Lily nodded, she looked up at Jasmine. “Lily hasn’t decided if she wants to avail herself of our facilities.”
    A small voice spoke. “Well, if I could help… .” Lily stared at Jasmine.
    Jasmine looked her up and down. “I don’t know. This is a 5-ish.”
    The girl smiled for the first time. Perfect white teeth graced her mouth, except for a chip which had broken off the side of one of her front teeth. A little porcelain…, Jasmine couldn’t help thinking. “I’m a five,” Lily said, her large brown eyes widening, almost too big for her heart-shaped face.
    “Well, you do have that perfect neck,” Jasmine purred, hiding the horror she felt when she saw the deep purple bruise peeking out above the line of her deeply cut T-shirt. She wanted to kill the son-of-a-bitch who’d done that to Lily with her bare hands and made a mental note to talk to Dr. Browne about that—someday.
    Jenn interrupted. “ Lily, this is Jasmine. She came to us a year ago and has graciously agreed to stay and help me out. She owns an upscale boutique in her hometown and provides these gorgeous pieces for our women. We have impromptu fashion shows,” she added, trying to cover the ruse. Well, what the hell, a fashion show might just be the ticket . Jenn jotted a note on her desk blotter. “Unfortunately, it’s in-house only.”
    “I…I,” Lily stammered, eyes darting to Sonya, tears springing to her eyes. “I don’t want to go home...I can’t.” She looked at the lieutenant again. “I’m afraid they’ll make me go home.”
    Jasmine knelt in front of her, crumpling the expensive top without a second thought. She took her hand. “ Lily…listen to me,” she looked into the frightened hazel eyes, “I promise you, if you don’t want to go home, you won’t.”
    She saw Sonya take a step forward and held up a hand. Sonya stopped.
    “You must be honest with us.” She tried to use her own little push. “How old are you?”
    “Seventeen,” she whimpered.
    Jasmine saw Sonya roll her eyes.
    The young girl looked from one to the other. “But I’ll be eighteen next month. Honest.”
    Jenn spoke. “You can stay for now.” She turned to Jasmine. “I’ll call Bask."
    Jenn looked at Sonya.
    Sonya cleared her throat and forced a cough. Her voice, when she spoke, sounded hoarse. “I’ve got this terrible cold. I’m having the worst time hearing. A ringing in the ears. It’s a real nuisance. How old did you tell me you were?”
    Lily looked down. “Eighteen,” she mumbled.
    “Yep, that’s what it says on the paperwork. I have to get back to the precinct. Young lady, if you would please sign th ese papers, I can get out of here.”
    Jenn held out a pen. Lily looked as Jasmine, who took the pen and handed it to Lily, and nodded. The young woman scrawled a name, probably fake, across the paper.
    Jasmine leaned back on her he els as every adult in the room gave a silent sigh of relief.
    By the time Jenn escorted Lily to her initial meeting with Dr. Browne, the girl looked completely different—and much younger. Her brown hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders; her face was devoid of make-up, except for a light lipstick. She was wearing a new pair of jeans and that $800 shirt that Jasmine had lured her with. Jasmine didn’t have the heart to take it away.
    Jasmine smiled as they walked