“I’ve got all day, buddy,” I say out loud to myself.
The front door opens, and I leap out of the truck, jogging to his doorstep. He turns and bumps into me. I’ve got a good three inches on the man, and he tilts his head up to meet my eyes.
“Miles?”
“I can’t do this here.” He turns his head side to side, looking up and down the street. The smell of fear permeates the air around us.
“Fine, meet me atSofia’s Placein an hour.” It’s the same place he and Finley met the other day.
I watch his face drop, but he doesn’t say anything. He gives a curt nod, and I move out of his way.
“If you’re not there, I’ll find you. And I won’t be so willing to move next time,” I call over my shoulder at him. He doesn’t respond, but I know he heard me.
I drive back to the station and find Dylan working hard on Finley’s phone.
“Any luck trying to get information from those blocked numbers?”
He looks up at me, his eyebrows sitting high on his face. “That’s the thing about blocked numbers; they’re blocked for a reason. I never promised to work miracles, just that I would see if I could get anything.”
I run my hands down my face in frustration. “I know. The longer it takes to find her, the less chance I have. This isn’t the first girl that’s gone missing, and unless I can work on shutting these guys down, she won’t be the last.”
He’s typing away on his computer, neither of us saying anything until he looks up at me again. “Is there anything else you can do besides stare at me?”
“Honestly? Without more information, I’ve got nothing. That’s why I was hoping you could help me.” Amelia hasn’t heard ofEver After, and after doing some research, I can’t find anything either. But I can’t get the damn name out of my head. An idea pops into my head, and I toy with it for a minute before I ask, “Dylan, do you know how to navigate the dark web?”
A sly smile crosses his lips as he keeps his eyes trained on his computer screen. “Maybe. What are you looking for?”
“It’s a yes or no question. If you can’t do it, then I can’t tell you what I need.”
He looks over at me and stops typing. “Yeah, I know how to navigate it a bit. I wouldn’t want to do it here, though. Even if it’s for a case, there is always a chance the IP address can be hacked. If so, no one needs to know a police station is infiltrating the dark web. I’m sure hit-men would show up soon after.”
“Fine, where? I need help looking up some information, and I need it soon.”
“We’ll go to my house, lunchtime. I have enough blockers in place; no one would be able to find me.”
* * *
I pullup in front of Dylan’s house, and the two of us get out of the truck. He leads me down a small hallway to his office. He cracks his knuckles, clicks a bunch of buttons, opens a few programs, and then opens a purple web browser I’ve never seen in my life.Where do people find this stuff?
“Okay, what are we searching for?”
“Ever After. The address I’ve seen for it is the same asTemptress. I’ve always thought it was a name change, but now I’m not so sure.
Dylan types in a few different searches until he comes up with something that might be what I’m looking for. It’s a simple website—no pictures, no links. Just a few words:Own a sexual pet, with a phone number. The address is the same, and the area code is Chicago. I think I might be sick. If I’m right, Finley is going to be sold to someone to be their personal fuck toy. Unless I can get her back.
I add the number to my phone and start putting a plan in place. I can’t call with my real name and real identity; that will never fly. I need to become someone new, and I know who’s going to make it happen.
Chapter Eleven
Finley
I wish I had a clock or any way to determine how long I have been here. I’m trying to count by meals, but since I keep losing those privileges, my counting isn’t right. I’ve lost meals, I’ve been left chained to the wall, and I’ve been forced to orgasm for hours. I passed out somewhere around number eight, but he still didn’t stop. I’m living my own worst nightmare.
If I had to guess, I would assume I’ve been here for about three days. Not nearly enough time to break me, but enough time that my psyche is already going to be messed up after I leave. Chris hasn’t had to sedate me more; the lack of food and barely enough water are keeping me docile.Is anyone even looking for me? Does Grayson know?He has to know I’m missing. I didn’t show up at his house, and I’m sure he went snooping around mine and found it a disaster.
I’m lying on my side, cradling my raw wrists as I try to sleep. At least when I’m asleep, I have a few minutes of freedom from whatever hell this is.Hurry up, Grayson.I hear the key in the lock, and my body tenses. I press my back against the wall and try to become as small as possible. Chris walks through with a smile plastered on his face.
“Come on, sweetheart. I’m going to get you clean and into something pretty. There’s been a lot of interest about you, and I want to get some pictures out to prospective buyers. Can’t have you looking like a filthy slut, can we?” He has the ball gag dangling from one hand and a set of cuffs dangling from the other.
