Secrets of Mine (Of Mine #2)

31. Freya

31

FREYA

T he nightmare starts the same as last time. I’m in the corridor, my fluffy socked feet scrunching against the wooden floor outside the kitchen. Everything feels clearer than before and yet more detached. I watch them arguing. When the woman who must be my mother turns and catches sight of me, I don’t flinch away this time.

The bruises are still there on her arms, little fingerprints. There’s a mark on her shoulder too that I didn’t notice before. The skin is raised and a reddish brown, like it’s been burnt into her flesh. It looks a bit like butterfly wings.

I go to move closer, to look around the room, but the detached feeling disappears and panic grips my chest.

“Naughty, naughty. Eavesdropping is bad.”

I try to spin around but his hand grabs my ponytail and yanks me backwards. I crash against the floor, my hip bruising as my hands come up to try and free my hair. It hurts so bad, and tears sting my eyes. I cry out as he drags me down the corridor.

“Shh, Little Star. We’re going to have some fun.”

I wake up on a gasp, sweat sticking my hair to my face. A deep ache pinches my pelvis but it doesn’t feel good like it did last night with Eli. Nausea swims in my head and I’m honestly considering running for the bathroom when Eli stirs beside me.

He wakes sleepy but takes one look at my face and sits up. “What’s wrong?”

“Nightmare,” I say between shallow breaths. “I remembered more this time. I think the interview Oz did helped unlock the memory.” I tell him about the mark on her shoulder, needing to say it aloud in case I forget again. “I think it was a brand. I tried to stay with the memory, but I couldn’t. I—” I break off and grip Eli’s hand hard in mine.

He pulls me closer to him. “It’s alright, just take your time.”

“It’s like there’s a block.” I stare at the comforter. “I think something bad happens to me,” I say on a whisper. “Something really bad.”

Shh Little Star. The words from the nightmare echo in my mind and I wrap my arms around myself.

Eli presses a kiss to the top of my head and holds me tight. “Maybe it’s a good thing you don’t remember.”

“Even if whatever it is could help us find my mother?”

His sigh ruffles my hair then he reaches for his phone on the bedside table. “Come on, let’s call Oz.”

We put him on speaker phone and I tell him what I just told Eli.

“The brand might help narrow things down regarding her identity. You said it looked like a butterfly?” Oz asks.

“Sort of, I was too far away to see properly.”

“I’ll add it to the search, see what comes up but it might not be enough.”

“I know.” I fiddle with Eli’s fingers on my lap. “I miss you, Oz.”

“I miss you too, Mo Leannan.” There’s a scuffle on the other end of the phone then Oz clears his throat. “Jude wants me to ask whether Eli’s got his head of his ass yet. His words, not mine.”

I smirk then blush at the thought of what exactly Eli had in my ass last night. “Uh, yep. We kissed and made up.”

“We did more than fucking kiss,” Eli grumbles.

I elbow him in the stomach then ask Oz, “Any sign of Farrah?”

“No. Not yet. It’s like she’s completely disappeared. None of this feels right though. I’ve known Farrah since I was seventeen. She has no motivation to be working with Maxwell.”

“Some people are good at lying,” I say. After all, my father did that for years to everyone other than his family.

Before Oz can reply, my phone buzzes on the bedside table. I hand Eli his and pick up mine. The fear from my nightmare surges back as I read the message. When will this fucking end? I close my eyes and turn it to show Eli.

His hand tightens around my thigh. “Oz, we’ve got to go. Freya just got another message from the unknown number. It’s looking more and more like it’s Maxwell.”

I can practically see Oz adjusting his glasses and pinching his nose, his frustration as tangible as mine. “Forward it to me.”

“Will do.” Eli hangs up and I tap on my screen to stop it from locking.

I read over the message again.

Unknown: Angelica says hello. She thinks we should let your friend go… but don’t worry, she’ll do what she’s told. She always was better at that than you. Be seeing you soon, Little Star.

That name. Little Star. It makes me want to throw up. The words are so fucking innocent that it hurts, but what scares me most is that I don’t ever remember my father calling me that. I don’t remember anyone calling me that. Except in my nightmare.

I’m fed up of being in the dark. I tighten my grip around the phone and brace myself for Eli’s reaction to what I’m about to say. “I want to reply.”

He scoffs, arching one perfect brow. “Yeah, that’s not fucking happening.”

I press my lips together and try to think before I speak for once. I spent practically my whole life longing for someone to come along and look after me, but no one ever did which means I got pretty damn good at looking after myself. The guys’ overprotectiveness is not something I’m used to, and it gets my hackles up every damn time, but I know it comes from a good place.

“He’s taunting me,” I reason, “but if I can get him talking, take control of the conversation then maybe we can figure out where Josh is. You know how killers work—there’s every chance they might let something slip that could help find him. Keeping the kidnapper talking is like profiling one-oh-one.”

He groans and falls back against the pillows. “God, you’re hot when you go all detective.”

I smack him on the stomach and try not to smile. This is the stupid, flirty side of Eli I hardly ever see, and it makes me feel all warm and squishy inside knowing that I have him back.

I’ve been repressing a lot of my emotions lately but, if I’m honest, I’m not sure what I’d have done if Eli had ended things last night.

I don’t want to leave the guys but I’m not sure I could bear being the person who tore them apart and I have no doubt, that if Eli wasn’t on board, eventually it would have come to that.

I’m the new factor here, the destabilizing one. Everything was fine before I came along and messed with their dynamic. Jude swears I’ve made them stronger, and I want to believe it. I’m falling in love with these men, and I’ll stay for as long as they want me, but the longer it takes to catch my father, the more at risk I’m putting them by just being part of their lives.

My pulse beats in my temple and I turn back to my phone.

“What are you typing, Freya?” Eli says, a warning threaded in his deep tone and a scowl on his pretty face.

I finish composing the message and hold it out for him to see.

He props himself up on his elbows and reads it.

Freya: Why do you call me Little Star?

Eli looks up at me over the phone, the profiler in him showing in his knowing gaze. When he doesn’t say anything but gives me permission to send it with the nod of his head, I know he’s figured out that I’m not just trying to keep the unknown number talking.

I’m asking this question for me.

My heart somersaults when the three little dots appear.

Unknown: I’m hurt you don’t remember.

I swallow, my mouth papery, and look at Eli. He’s sitting up now, his arm behind me so he can read over my shoulder.

Freya: Some things aren’t worth remembering.

The message is risky. It might just make him mad but sometimes angry people give things away. Nothing happens for a while then the three dots appear.

Unknown: Do you want to find your friend?

Anxiety creeps through me as I type out my response. This feels more like a trap than anything else.

Freya: Yes.

Unknown: Then follow the trail.

I think that’s it but then a photo appears. A bloody boot print on concrete. Another comes through, and another. One bloody shoe print after the other until the last photo arrives.

A low keen parts my lips and I bring my hand to my mouth.

Josh is lying on the ground, every inch of his body beaten and broken. His face is puffy, his hair caked in blood, and I’m pretty sure his arm is broken but his eyes are open. Fear glistens in his blown pupils but fear is good. Fear means he’s not dead.

“Jesus Christ,” Eli breathes out, his arm coming around to circle my waist. He pulls me in towards him and when it becomes clear I can’t stop staring at the photo he slips the phone from my hand and turns off the screen. He rests his chin on my head, and I feel his throat bob. “I’m sorry, Freya.”

“He’s alive,” I sob. “He’s still alive.”

“I know,” Eli says but he rocks me a little in his hold because Josh may be alive for now but we both know if we don’t find him and get him to a hospital soon, he won’t stay that way.

We freeze when my phone buzzes again. I’m gripping onto Eli’s forearm, so he reaches out with his free hand and picks it up from where he dropped it on the mattress.

Unknown: I’ll be nice and give you a clue.

Five minutes pass and nothing. After another five my phone rings but it’s Luke’s name that flashes on the screen. Eli swipes to answer.

“Luke? It’s Eli, Freya’s here with me.”

“We just got an anonymous tip about an abandoned car. Registration matches Josh’s. Ruiz and I are heading out there now.”

Luke rattles off the address and Eli says we’ll meet him there.

I open my mouth to tell him about the photo. To somehow prepare him for what he might find but no words come out. How can I tell him that the man he loves is on the brink of death and there’s nothing we can do about it?

There’s no doubt in my mind that the anonymous caller and my unknown texter are one and the same. They’re playing with us and right now, I don’t like our chances of finding Josh alive.