Phoenix Club: No More Victims Books
When four young sex trafficking victims come to the foster house—rescued from a brothel upstate—the caretakers of the house, Emmy and Oliver, are most concerned for the youngest: thirteen-year-old Franny. The child is withdrawn and fearful and panics whenever a doctor attempts to examine her. Certain that Franny is the most psychologically damaged of the four new girls, Emmy and Oliver are shaken to the core when, Amber, one of the older girls awaiting an abortion, abruptly and brutally takes her own life. Seeking personal aid from Max and Horatio Kaplan-Raines—founders of the foster house—Oliver and Emmy quickly notice a fatherly affection developing in the men for Franny. Yet, the young girl remains distant and distrustful, even growing suspicious of her two new friends, Nina and Kelly. As truths arise concerning Franny, the four adults fear she may follow Amber’s fatal path unless they can convince her that they care about her and that she can trust them. However, they soon discover that Franny’s fear isn’t for herself… but for someone much more precious. TRIGGER WARNING: Teen suicide. PTSD as a result of sexual and psychological abuse. References to child sex trafficking.
Just as Franny is settling into her new home and growing comfortable with her new family, her world is shaken when her biological father shows up at the foster house. Touting proof that he is, indeed, Franny’s father – while claiming he’d known nothing of her abuse by her mother – he insists on full custody of the young girl. Max and Horatio are devasted over losing their new daughter – and heartbroken, knowing that Franny doesn’t want to leave them. Both men develop an uneasy feeling about the girl’s father who “appears” to be a good man… on the surface. Horatio questions their emotions, uncertain if their gut feelings are authentic—or if they’re simply resentful of the man for taking away their little girl. But when Franny is suddenly taken by child services before the matter of her custody is resolved, Horatio and Max realize they should have heeded their feelings of unease as evidence arises suggesting that Franny’s removal from their home was, in fact, an abduction by her father. TRIGGER WARNING: Child sex trafficking. Sexual, psychological, and physical abuse. Abortion references. Suicide references. 18+ readers only
Trapped by the two people who turned her life to hell at the beginning, Franny’s hope of escaping or being rescued is slipping away. Until the street boy returns with evidence that her saviors are closer than she realized. But when her father catches the boy and is alerted to the imminent rescue, he quickly removes them from the apartment and hides them away in an unlikely location, hoping to outsmart and evade the deadly men on his trail. TRIGGER WARNING: Child sex trafficking and child abuse.