CHAPTER 1

Rose gripped her cell phone so tightly her muscles ached."Where are you, Lily?"

"At—Nowhere Motel." A sob caught on the end of the lastword. "Help—me." Lily's breath rattled, followed by a clunkingsound as though she'd dropped the phone.

Rose paced the small bathroom at Beacon of Hope. "Lily?"Sweat coated her palms, and she rubbed her free hand againsther jeans.

Silence taunted her.

What have you done? But the second that Rose asked thatquestion, an image came to mind of her friend lying on thedingy gray sheets in the cheap motel, wasted, trying anywayshe could to forget the horror of her life.

"Lily, talk to me. Stay on the line." Pulling the door open,Rose entered her room. When she saw her roommate, shecame to a stop.

Cynthia's wide-eyed gaze fixed on Rose for a few secondsbefore the fourteen-year-old dropped her head and stared atthe hardwood floor. Rose crossed to her dresser, dug into theback of the top drawer, and grabbed a small, worn leather case.She pushed past her roommate and headed into the upstairshallway.

Striding toward the staircase, Rose dismissed her roommate'sstartled expression and focused on the crisis at hand."Lily, are you still there?"

A sound as though someone fumbled the phone and caughtit filtered through the connection. "Rose, I need—you."

"I told you I would come if you wanted to get out. I'llbe—"

A click cut off the rest of Rose's words. No, Lily. Please hangon.

Rushing down the steps to the first floor, she quickly redialedthe number and let it ring and ring. When sheapproached the program director's office, she finally pocketedher cell, took out her homemade tools, and picked the lock, askill she learned to give her some sense of control over her life.In the past she'd done what she had to in order to survive.

Guided by the light through the slits in the blinds, Roseentered Kate's darkened office and switched on the desk light.A twinge of guilt pricked her. If Kate found her in here after-hours,how could she explain herself? Especially with whatshe was going to do next to the woman who had saved her andtaken her in.

Kate's gonna be so disappointed in me for stealing—no, borrowing—thevan. She's put so much faith in me. But I've got to save Lily.I promised her. When I bring Lily back here, Kate will understand.

Rose used her tools to open the locked drawer on the right.Pulling it out, she rummaged through the papers to find theset of keys at the bottom, then bumped the drawer closed withher hip.

I have no choice, Kate. Please forgive me.

The memory of the words, I need you, spurred Rose to movefaster. She had to get to her friend. Get her out ... finally.Bring her to Kate.

Clutching the keys in one hand, she turned off the lampand carefully made her way to the office door. She eased itopen a few inches and peered out into the short hallway. Theempty corridor mirrored the feeling inside her.

When would it go away? When will I feel whole?

After she checked to make sure the office door was locked,she hurried toward the side exit of the building that housedthe residential program for teens like her. Outside the summerheat blasted her in the face even though it was past midnight.Her heart pounded as hard as her feet hitting against the concrete.Sweat beaded on her forehead as she rushed toward theparking lot to find Beacon of Hope's van. The security lightcast a yellow glow on the vehicle at the back of the building.Visions of her friend slipping into drug-induced unconsciousness,no one there to care whether she died or not, proddedher to quicken her steps.

I won't let you down, Lily. She was the reason her friend waswhere she was right now, stuck in a life that was quickly killingher.

As Rose tried to unlock the white van, her hands shookso badly the keys dropped to the pavement. Snatching themup, she sucked in a breath, then another, but her lungs criedfor more oxygen. With her second attempt, she managed toopen the door and slip behind the steering wheel. Her tremblinghands gripped the hot plastic. After backing out of theparking space, she pressed down on the accelerator and easedonto the street in front of Beacon of Hope. With little drivingexperience, she would have to go slower than she wanted. Shecouldn't get caught by the cops. This was her one chance tosave her friend. If all went well, she could be back here withLily before morning.

She tried to clear her mind and concentrate totally on theroad before her. She couldn't. Memories of her two years as aprostitute tumbled through her mind, leaving a trail of regrets.One was having to leave Lily behind.

Nowhere Motel—her and Lily's name for one of the hellholeswhere they'd had to earn their living. A place—one ofseveral used when they were brought to Dallas—near thehighway on Cherry Street. A place where inhuman acts happenedto humans—young girls who should be dressing up fortheir prom, not their next trick.

She'd escaped only because she'd been left for dead on theside of the road when a john discarded her like trash. But theLord had other plans for her besides death. A judge had seento it that she came to the Beacon of Hope program, and Katehad given her a glimpse of a better life.

And I'm gonna start with rescuing Lily. I'm not gonna let her die.She's gonna have a chance like me.

Rose slowed as she neared the motel, two rows of units.Bright lights illuminated the front rooms, which maintainedan appearance of respectability, while the rooms in the backwere shrouded in dimness.

After she parked across the street from Nowhere, she sat inthe van staring at the place, its neon sign to welcome travelerstaunting her. Sweat rolled down her face, and she swiped atit. But nothing she did stopped the fear from overwhelmingher to the point of paralysis. Memories of what went on in theback rooms of the motel threatened to thwart her attempt torescue Lily before it began.

I owe her. I have to make up for what I did to her.

She pried her hands from the steering wheel and climbedfrom the van. After jogging across the two lanes, she circledaround to the second building that abutted the access road tothe highway.

The sounds of cars whizzing by filled the night. Peoplegoing about their ordinary life while some were barely hangingon. A loud, robust laugh drifted to her as she snuck pastthe first unit, heading for room three, the one Lily always usedat Nowhere. Someone opened a door nearby and stepped outof a room ahead of her. Rose darted back into a shadowedalcove at the end, pressing her body flat against the rough cinderblock wall. Perspiration drenched her shirt and face. Thestench of something dead reeked from a dumpster a few yardsaway. Nausea roiled in her stomach.

Two, sometimes three, of his guards would patrol, makingsure the girls stayed in line. She wasn't sure this was a guard,but she couldn't risk even a quick look. She waited until theman disappeared up the stairs, then hurried toward the thirdunit. With damp palms, she inched the unlocked door openand peeked through the slit.

Dressed in a little-girl outfit that only underscored Lily'sage of fifteen, she lay sprawled on the bed, her long red hairfanning the pillow, the sheets bunched at the end. Her friendshifted, her eyes blinking open. Groaning, she shoved herselfup on one...