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The camera zoomed out, and she dropped her head, her posture defeated.Aiden rolled his hand indicating I should talk. “Why is she bruised?” I spat.“She’s a feisty thing. We had to convince her to cooperate.”“Touch her again, and you’ll be sorry.”The snicker I heard made shivers run down my neck.“What do you want?”“You know what we want.”“A fucking piece of land? You’re going to jail over a fucking piece of real estate?”The voice scoffed. “No one is going to jail. You’re going to give up the land, and you’re going to drop the new development plan of yours. Move on and forget any of this ever happened.”“And if I don’t?”“You will. And you won’t try to do anything once the transaction is complete. We got to her once, and we can do it again. We can get to everyone you care about.”His threat made my hands grip tighter, rending the material completely, and caused my anger to burn brighter. I wanted to reach through the screen and rip the head off the person with the disjointed voi
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“Bentley, you need to understand something. Even though she shows a different façade to the world, Emmy, in many ways, is more controlled than you are. People think she is carefree, humorous, and even flighty. She rarely shows her true feelings. She hides them under a smile or a laugh.”“I know. There is much more to her than one sees.”She tilted her head in agreement. “That’s what she lets them see. She is intensely private, and she doesn’t allow people in easily. The only way she survived being abandoned not once, but twice, was to take charge of her life. Be the one to make decisions about it. Where she lived, what she did, how much money she had. She has refused to depend on anyone for anything. Even Cami and myself.” She shrugged ruefully. “She didn’t expect you and the huge dilemma you present to her.”“I’m sorry—I’m a dilemma? I don’t understand.”“You are her greatest desire—the one she would never admit to having—and her biggest fear. The one person she can be herself with,
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. They were going to pay.“We’ll get her a whole whack of it when she comes home. Anything she wants.” He stepped away, moving to the door. “I need some coffee.”I turned back to Greg.“What’s going on?” he asked.“I can’t tell you. I need you to accept the offer, and leave it alone.”His eyes narrowed. “You’re being pressured.”“Leave it alone.”He started to say something, and I stopped him. “Do this, Greg. No questions, just do it. I need it done today. Do you understand?”He stood, buttoning up his jacket. Even at this early hour he was groomed and unflappable. “I’m your lawyer, Bentley. Whatever you tell me would be held in the strictest of confidence. It’s obvious they have some leverage over you.” He indicated the laptop. “They’ve taken something of great value.”I remained silent. I wasn’t risking her, and I didn’t want Greg digging.“If you won’t confide in me, I’ll do as you ask and we can handle it afterward.” He huffed.I stood, pounding my fist on the desk. I couldn’t let
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“How?” I asked. “You haven’t had any luck yet.”Reid answered. “We didn’t know where to look. We’ve been looking for a needle in a haystack. Now we’re focusing all our energy on him. His online presence, accounts, emails. He’s been hiding using fake profiles, remote access terminals, and burner emails. I can hack into his life, and hope he’s slipped up somewhere.” He chuckled. “They always do. I’ll find something. He can’t hide from me anymore.”“Let’s get at it.”Aiden shook his head. “I think somehow he’s watching—or listening. Maddox is going upstairs with you. I need Reid’s hacking skills, and this room is totally secure. Greg’s never had access to it. In fact, he doesn’t even know it exists. So, if he’s watching your computer or listening in, all he is gonna see is the same gerbil wheel we’ve been on since we started, and all he is going to hear is failure.”“You really think you can find her?”Reid and Aiden answered in unison, Reid never looking up from the computer. “Yes.”“Wh
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I wasn’t sure what was worse. Alone with the four-legged rats I could hear scurrying in the walls, or worried about what the masked, two-legged variety might do when the door opened. I pretended to be asleep when they came in, so they didn’t bother me. Usually, unless it was to make me say something on camera or take one of their stupid photos, they left me alone. The only time I had been hurt was when I tried to get away from them and fell in the struggle, landing on my face, and again on my knees when I tripped. Bentley had lost it when he saw the marks. His tirade about a blanket was frightening, and one of the men had knocked over the camera which stopped the recording.Still, it had worked, and shortly after, one of them had tossed an old, dirty blanket at me. I unfolded it and sat on it as protection from the cold, stone floor, and pulled it over my shoulders to try to ward off the never-ending chill. I had buried my head in my hands and tried not to cry. It was a little later w
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She let out a long, shuddering breath, and leaned back, meeting my anxious gaze.“I’m okay,” she murmured, her voice raspy.Clearing my throat, I reached for a bottle of water, lifting it to her chapped lips. “Slow, Emmy. Sip it slowly.”She sipped the liquid, her eyes fluttering shut as she drank. She drained the bottle with a small huff.“More?” My eyes never left her face, hating the sight of the scrapes and dark bruise marring her skin.She shook her head.“What do you need?” I asked. “Tell me what to do.”She lifted her trembling hand, cupping my cheek. “You. I need you.”I covered her hand with mine, pressing it into my skin. Turning my face, I kissed the bruise forming on her wrist. “You have me.” I inhaled. “Emmy, I’m so—”A knock at the door interrupted me, and Maddox stepped into the room, Aiden behind him. Emmy dropped her hand, but kept it cradled inside of mine.“Our guests are aware and anxious.”Emmy tensed in my arms. “Guests?”“It’s okay. Cami and Dee are here.”“Here
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“I feel shaky, but I’d like to go downstairs.”I stood, sliding my arms under her legs, picking her up. “I’ll take you.”She trembled in my arms, her head falling to my shoulder. “Are you cold?”“No. I’m . . . tired.”“You can eat, and we’ll go to bed. We all will. Everyone needs to sleep.”“Can I stay with you?”I hated hearing her sound vulnerable. She was always so strong.“Always.”We descended the stairs and joined our friends. I sat beside her, encouraging her to eat the scrambled eggs and toast Andrew had made. The rest of us ate the sandwiches. For the first time since everything started, I was hungry and wolfed down the food in front of me. I noticed it was the same for Maddox and Aiden. We cleared the enormous pile in minutes.I tensed when Cami looked up and asked Emmy. “Did you fight?”I started to object, but Emmy placed her hand on my arm. “I tried.” She sighed. “When I realized what was going on, I prepared myself. I knew the car would stop and they would have to open t
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BentleyEmmy cried out, her hand flailing, pushing herself into me. I cupped the back of her head, whispering soothing words into her ear.“It’s okay, Freddy. I got you. You’re safe.”She calmed, and gradually her body relaxed back into the sleep she so desperately needed. Despite the exhaustion she felt, and the pill she had taken, her mind wasn’t letting her rest. I had hoped she would sleep, knowing she was safe, but nightmares had plagued her, no matter what I tried. I left the light on, I held her close, I murmured her name, but still, she only slept for short periods before the fear gripped her and she started crying.Every time it did, my anger toward Greg grew a little more. When her hand reached out, and the bruise on her wrist caught my eye, the need for retribution became sharper. Still, I kept my voice soft and tried not to show my emotions when her eyes fluttered open, scared and anxious. I met her gaze; assuring her everything was okay and lulled her back into sleep.At
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