Lindy cradled her throbbing cheek in her hand. “So? I owe him. He made me.”

“He made you a whore.” Lindy flinched at the description, and Gabe moved forward in protest. A single glare from Erin stopped him. She knew every word she spoke to the battered girl risked exposing her secret to Gabriel, but once more, it was about choices. Someone had to make Lindy see hers, to lend her the courage to decide what she wanted from her life.

“He made you a whore,” she repeated. “But you’re better than that.”

“What? Being a typist for some lawyers who’ll make fun of me?”

“No. By being a woman who can take care of herself.”

“What do you know?”

“I know Gabriel is a good judge of character, and he sees something in you. Sometimes, we can’t trust our own vision. We have to see the good another sees in us.” Like Sebastian had done for her. “Gabriel sees the good. Trust his sight until you can trust your own.”

Lindy shook her head. “I don’t know how to do it.”

Urgent now, Erin brought Lindy to her shoulder. “If you don’t let them help you, he’ll take everything from you. Not just your dignity and your courage and your self-respect. He’ll take your life, Lindy.”

The appeal was muffled against her shirt, but Erin could feel the plea. “But how can I—”

She straightened her arms to hold Lindy upright. “File the report. Let the detective help you. Let Gabriel help you.” Erin fished her wallet from her purse but saw only credit cards. Without a second thought, she unclasped the sapphires from her lobes and held them out. “Let me help you.”

“My God, lady. I can’t take these.” Lindy balled her fingers to keep from snatching at the earrings.

“Fine,” Erin said. “Then I’ll buy your services with them. One,” she clarified as she set the stone in the trembling palm, “is for tonight. File the police report.”

Detective Iberville interrupted. “You can’t buy a police report, Dr. Abbott. It’s against the law.”

“Then turn around and pretend you don’t see us,” Erin said. Turning her attention back to Lindy, she swung the second blue drop in front of her. “Bring a copy of the report to me at Burkeen University, and this one is yours. Do we have a deal?”

Lindy hesitated.

“Right now, Lindy. Yes or no. Do we have a deal?” The tone brooked no arguments.

The girl nodded once, shortly, then bobbed her head in quick agreement. “Yeah.”

“My office.” Erin slid a business card from her wallet. She gracefully rose and extended a hand. Lindy clasped it between both of hers.

“All right.”