Chapter 29
Amonth had passed since we discovered that the videos were being publicly distributed, and we had been working nonstop to have them taken down.
The circles under my eyes had become permanent fixtures.
I stared at the multiple screens in our office, watching Ryder hunched over the main computer, his face lit by the harsh blue glow as he spoke rapidly with Travis on the video call.
Papers, empty coffee cups, and take-out containers littered every surface, physical evidence of our obsession.
"We've traced the latest upload to a server in Estonia," Ryder was saying, his voice hoarse from lack of sleep. "But it's another dead end. The bastard's bouncing the signal through at least seven different proxies."
Travis, Sebastian Lynch's tech genius, nodded on screen. His own appearance mirrored ours, dishevelled hair, tired eyes, the look of someone who hadn't seen daylight in too long.
"I've written a new algorithm to flag similar content before it fully uploads," Travis replied, typing furiously as he spoke. "But he's getting smarter. Changing small details in the videos, adding filters, splicing them differently to avoid detection."
I leaned against the bookcase, watching Ryder's shoulders tense with each word.
For a month, this had been our existence: a desperate game of digital whack-a-mole.
Every time we managed to take down one of the videos of Cade's torture, three more appeared.
The thought of strangers watching her pain, her violation, her most vulnerable moments, made my stomach turn. We'd all agreed she could never know.
"He's toying with us," Ryder said, running a hand through his already dishevelled hair. "This is exactly what the sick fuck wants. Us chasing our tails while he sits back and laughs."
"Or plans his next move," I added quietly.
Ryder's head snapped up, noticing me for the first time. The dark circles under his eyes matched my own, but there was something else there too, a manic energy that worried me. He'd been pushing himself to the brink, fuelled by guilt and rage.
"Cole," he acknowledged with a nod. "Any word from Logan?"
"Still with his father's security team. They're pursuing that lead in Leeds." Ryder snorted, turning back to the screen.
"Another fucking wild goose chase."
"We have to cover all bases," I reminded him, stepping further into the room. "If Damien's still in the country-"
"He is," Ryder cut in, his voice hard with certainty. "He's not running. He's watching us. Watching her." The thought sent a chill down my spine. I'd had the same suspicion, but hearing it spoken aloud made it more real, more terrifying.
"I still think we should be looking closer to home," Ryder continued, addressing both me and Travis. "This level of coordination, the resources he'd need to stay hidden and keep uploading these videos, he's not working alone."
"Your father?" I asked quietly. Ryder's jaw clenched.
“Wouldn't put it past the sadistic prick, especially after our little chat last month. The bastard even had the balls to ‘remind’ me that it was family dinner night this week. I told him to shove his family dinner up his fucking ass.” Travis cleared his throat awkwardly on screen.
"I should mention, the upload patterns suggest multiple people might be involved. The timing, the different server locations, it's too coordinated for one person."
"Great," Ryder muttered. "So now we're looking for Damien and his mystery accomplices."
I checked my watch, feeling the weight of another responsibility pressing down on me. "Ryder, it's almost time. We need to get upstairs." He blinked at me, momentarily confused before realisation dawned. "Shit. Cade's first day back."
"I'll keep working on this," Travis assured us. "If anything changes, I'll call immediately." Ryder nodded, already standing and gathering his notes.
"Focus on that IP cluster in Malaga. And see if you can get anything more from those metadata fragments we found yesterday."
"Will do. And Ryder?" Travis hesitated. "Tell Cade good luck from me. She's stronger than she knows." A ghost of a smile touched Ryder's lips.
"I will."
As the call ended, Ryder turned to me, exhaustion evident in every line of his face.
"You really think she's ready for this?" I shrugged, wishing I felt more certain.
"Her therapist thinks it's a good step. Just the last week before half term, just to get her feet wet."
"And if she has a panic attack? If someone says something stupid? If she sees a guy who looks remotely like him?"
"Then we'll be there," I said firmly. "You, me, Luce. We'll handle it." Ryder ran a hand over his face.
"I just... I can't stand the thought of her being hurt again. Even emotionally."
"I know." I placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the tension there. "But we can't keep her locked away forever. She needs to reclaim her life." He nodded, though the worry didn't leave his eyes.
"What about Max? You really think he's good for Luce?
" The abrupt change of subject caught me off guard, but I knew what he was asking.
After Ryder's confrontation with his father, he'd immediately cornered Max, threatening all manner of bodily harm if he hurt Luce.
To everyone's surprise, Max had stood his ground. Told Ryder that he could threaten whatever he wanted, but he cared for Luce and would continue seeing her. I think Ryder would have killed him there on the spot if Cade hadn’t given Max a good for you and a wink.
"I think he genuinely cares about her," I said carefully. "And having him watch out for her when we can't be there is a good thing. Especially with your father making threats." Ryder's expression darkened at the mention of his father.
"If that bastard goes anywhere near Luce or Cade, I'll kill him. I'm not even slightly exaggerating."
"I know," I said again, and I did. The rage that lived in Ryder, usually so carefully controlled, had been closer to the surface since Cade's abduction. Sometimes I worried about what would happen when it finally boiled over.
"Come on," I said, nodding toward the door. "She's waiting for us."
We found Cade in front of her bedroom mirror, Luce hovering anxiously beside her.
The sight of her hit me like a physical blow, as it did every time.
She'd gained some weight over the past six weeks, but she was still too thin; her collarbones jutted sharply beneath the soft fabric of her sweater.
Her purple hair, our small victory, framed her face in gentle waves, making her blue eyes seem enormous in her pale face. She was beautiful.
She was terrified.
"I can't do this," she was saying to Luce, her voice barely above a whisper. "Everyone will stare. Everyone will know."
"They won't," Luce insisted, adjusting the sleeve of Cade's sweater. "And if they do stare, it's only because you look amazing." Cade gave a hollow laugh.
"Right. Amazing. I look like I've been through hell."
"You have," Ryder said from the doorway, his voice gentle in a way it only ever was with her.
"And you survived it. That makes you the strongest person in any room you walk into.
" Cade's eyes met his in the mirror, then shifted to mine.
The vulnerability there made my chest ache.
I wanted to wrap her in my arms, to shield her from everything and everyone.
But I knew that wasn't what she needed today.
"We'll be with you the whole time," I promised, moving into the room. "If it gets too much, just say the word and we'll bring you home. No questions asked." She nodded, taking a shaky breath.
"I know. I just... what if I freeze? What if I see someone who looks like-" She broke off, unable to say his name.
"Then you tell us," Ryder said firmly. "And we handle it."
"Exactly," Luce agreed. "Plus, I've already warned everyone in our classes that if they so much as look at you wrong, they'll have me to deal with." A small, genuine smile touched Cade's lips.
"Terrifying."
"Damn right," Luce grinned, though I could see the worry lurking behind her bravado.
Cade turned from the mirror, facing us directly.
"Okay. I think I'm ready." I studied her face, looking for signs that she was pushing herself too hard.
"Are you sure? There's no rush, Cade. Another week wouldn't-"
"I'm sure," she interrupted, her voice steadier now. "I can't hide forever. And I..." She hesitated, a flash of determination crossing her face. "I won't let him take anything else from me. My education, my friends, my life. He doesn't get to win."
Pride swelled in my chest, fierce and unexpected. This was the Cade I remembered, the one who had stood up to us in the beginning, who had fought against every attempt to control her. The spark that Damien had tried to extinguish was still there, flickering back to life.
"Then let's do this," I said, offering her a smile I hoped concealed my own anxiety.
"One class at a time." Cade nodded, squaring her shoulders.
It was a small gesture, but it made my heart swell.
Every step she took toward reclaiming her life felt like a victory, a middle finger to the monster who had tried to break her. Luce looped her arm through Cade's.
"I've already arranged for us to sit in the back row, near the door. And I've got emergency chocolate in my bag."
"For emergencies only," Cade agreed, the ghost of a smile playing at her lips.
As they headed for the door, Ryder caught my eye, his expression a mirror of my own conflicted emotions, pride at her courage, fear for her fragility, and the ever-present rage simmering just below the surface.
"We've got this," I murmured to him as we followed the girls downstairs.
"One day at a time." He nodded, but I could see the tension in his jaw, the way his eyes constantly scanned for threats.
We were all on high alert, had been since the moment we found Cade in that cell.
The fear that Damien might still be watching, might still be planning, hung over us like a storm cloud.
At the bottom of the stairs, Rosa was waiting, a paper bag in her hands.
"Lunch," she said simply, pressing it into Cade's hands. "Eat all of it, no excuses. You're still too thin." Cade accepted the bag with a grateful nod.
"I'll try, Rosa."
"Not try. Do," Rosa insisted, before turning her stern gaze on Ryder and me. "And you two. Take care of her. Bring her home if she gets tired."
"Yes, ma'am," Ryder replied, the faintest hint of a smile touching his lips. Rosa was the only person besides Cade who could give him orders without triggering his defiance.
As we gathered our things, bags, keys, the subtle panic button, and GPS locator we'd had made for Cade that looked like an ordinary bracelet, I found myself running through mental checklists.
Had we covered all the bases? Were there enough housemen positioned around campus to keep an eye on her?
Had we checked and double-checked every entrance, exit, and possible escape route in case something went wrong?
"Cole?" Cade's voice pulled me from my spiralling thoughts. She was looking at me with concern, which seemed out of place given the circumstances. "You okay?" I forced a smile.
"Just thinking about how proud I am of you.
" It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either.
I was proud, fiercely so. But I was also terrified.
The thought of her out in the open, vulnerable, exposed, made my skin crawl with anxiety.
What if we missed something? What if Damien was watching right now, planning his next move?
"Ready?" Luce asked, her hand on the front door. Cade took a deep breath, then nodded.
"Ready."