Chapter 28 Go Public
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
GO PUBLIC
Lennon
“She’s dead.”
Not a question.
A confirmation.
“I’m sorry, love.” Bella’s tone is empathetic and remorseful. “I know she hasn’t been in your life for a long time, but this isn’t the news I wanted to deliver. I thrive in reunions, not delivering the worst news life has to offer.”
My mother is dead.
I should cry or something. Heck, I teared up at lunch when Felicity insisted that I never cook for her, but I can’t shed a tear when I learn that my mother is dead?
There’s something wrong with me.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
Crew and Bella glance at each other, before Crew explains, “Yes, we’re sure. She moved to Chicago years ago. We located many addresses and places of residence over the years. She was in and out of homeless shelters and government housing. I’m sorry, Lennon. She didn’t have an easy life.”
My questions keep coming like I’m an anchor on the evening news rather than a daughter who just learned her mother was dead. “When did she die?”
“Five years ago,” Bella says. “The report was vague as to the cause of death. We’re trying to find out more. It said natural causes but there were also reports of—”
I put my hand up to stop her. “It’s okay. I didn’t even know where she was or what she was like. I really don’t want to know how she died. Please don’t waste any more of your time on this.”
“Of course. Whatever you wish,” Bella says.
“So he lied,” I bite. “Not only did my mother leave me when I was little, but she’s been dead for years, and he tried to emotionally blackmail me with the notion that I might be able to see her.”
No one answers or offers a word. What is there to say? Jett pulls me closer to his side where we’re sitting in the middle of the sofa.
“I know I should be upset. I don’t know why I’m not. I forced myself to not think about her a long time ago. And from the little you just told me, I was right to do so. Maybe that’s why I convinced myself they killed my father too.”
Jett presses his lips to the side of my head.
“Thank you,” I add quickly. “Thank you for confirming that my father is the worst of his kind in human nature. The sooner I can forget about him, too, the better.”
Harlow reaches over and takes my hand. “You’re not in his world any longer. You have your life in Winslet and us. Focus on that.”
“You can do that soon enough,” Devon says. “As soon as your father is behind bars with Petrov.”
“Which brings us to the next issue at hand. Calls have been coming into your father’s phone. Ozzy has been tracking them back to a couple islands in the Caribbean. Petrov wasn’t the only one with clients, though your father isn’t a loan shark or dabbling in drug running.”
There’s a pause, and I wait for him to drop the next bomb.
It’s Devon who speaks up. “Tell her, Bells. Lennon can handle it.”
Bella glares at her brother through the screen, before she turns her attention to me. “Your father is trafficking humans—young women, much like yourself.”
My hand flies to my mouth. I may throw up again. “No.”
Crew leans forward on the desk they’re sitting at with all sorts of screens and technical equipment in the background.
“We would never tell you this without conclusive evidence. The victims are from the islands or Central America. They’re being sold all over.
We caught a break from a few elusive texts.
We followed the trail, and it’s clear. Since this is going on outside the country, we’re going to let Carson take the lead on this and provide support.
Brax and King are working with him on the ground in Florida. ”
My heart speeds, and unlike learning my mother is dead, I can’t control my tears.
I lose sight of Crew and Bella on the screen and drop my face to my hands. Jett pulls me to his chest where my silent sobs come in full force for innocent victims.
Like me.
And all of a sudden, I feel like I hit the jackpot. I know my fate with Andrei could’ve been so much worse. The thought of what these people might be sold into makes me ill.
I hear Crew, Bella, and Devon murmur in the background about what’s next and what to do with me and even how to keep me safe.
Safe.
That word feels different in my soul than it has until now.
“Shh, baby. It’s okay.” Jett soothes me. “They’re going to find him. He’ll be put away for good for what he’s done. He’ll never touch you again.”
I force myself to look up at him. “But what about what he’s already done? It sounds like it’s been going on for years. What about those people who are probably lost forever?”
Jett frames my face with a firm hand. “It stops now. I promise.”
“Tell her the rest,” Devon demands.
I wipe my cheeks. “There’s more?”
Crew continues. “Your father might have had clients all over the Caribbean, but he was living the high life in Ft. Myers. Petrov invested in his business. Brax and King just got a warrant to freeze his bank accounts. It’s like cutting off the food supply to a rat.
He’ll get hungry enough to surface. His federal warrants have been upgraded in a way he’s not going to like when we finally find him.
It would be really nice if we had a phone to track.
We might not have warrants, but we can backtrack proof after the fact. We do that all the time.”
I rub my eyes and don’t care if I look like a racoon from crying off all my makeup. “What can I do to help?”
“No.” Jett bites that word with force. “They’ll find him, probably sooner rather than later, since he’ll be cut off from all his finances. You’re not getting anywhere close to Reed.”
“Or.” Bella draws that word out long enough for Jett to glare at her. “You could help to draw him out.”
“No way,” Jett bites with a sting. “And even if you would, we don’t know where he is or how to contact him.”
Bella rolls her eyes. “Calm down, Jett Parker Cross. I’m not suggesting she chummy up to him.”
Jett frowns. “Did you just call me by my full name?”
She shrugs with a sly smirk. “It’s a really great name. It seemed like an appropriate time, so I gave it a go. I have no regrets.”
Jett ignores her lack of regrets. “How in the hell do you expect Lennon to draw him out?”
“In the spirit of brainstorming when there’s no bad idea, what if Lennon goes public? She’s not on the run anymore. He knows where she is. I say it’s time Reed Shaw is tried in the court of public opinion. Who’s with me?”
I glance around the room before looking back at the screen. “You want me to go public about what he did to me?”
All of a sudden, Bella’s face lights up.
“I say we go for it. Let it go viral. We’ll get Ozzy’s wife, Liyah, to share it from an activist standpoint.
She’s still got millions of followers. It’ll go viral.
The world will be up in arms, and someone will see your father in a donut shop, a strip club, or wading through the swamp like the disgusting monster he is.
And just like that, someone will turn him in. I’m positive.”
“Well, if you’re positive,” Jett growls sarcastically. “No. That’s a shitty plan. I don’t care how much of a badass everyone says you are or about the rules of brainstorming. Lennon has been through enough. She doesn’t need to subject herself to the trolls of America. Your idea officially sucks.”
Crew leans back and crosses his thick muscled arms across his chest. “It’s a solid option.”
Devon nods. “Probably the fastest way to flesh out the rat-bastard. Who knows how long he could be in hiding? We also have no idea how much cash he has stashed away to get him by without his bank accounts.”
“As someone who has been tried in the court of public opinion since I was the young age of twelve, I can attest it sucks,” Harlow says but then offers a caveat.
“But you’re young, and the keyboard warriors have the attention span of a gnat.
They will forget and you will move on to live your life the way you were meant to. ”
Jett drags a hand down his face before he looks at me. “This is fucking insane. If you want to do this, I’ll be here to keep you safe. And you know I’ll support you. I want you to be sure.”
“I don’t want to. But I want this to end. If I have to be uncomfortable for a minute, it’s the least I can do to stop my father and make sure he pays for what he’s done.” I look around the room. “A few trolls ... how bad can it be?”
“Bad,” Harlow interjects. “It can be really, really bad. You’ve been away from reality for six years. Trust me, society has hit rock bottom.”
“If anyone trolls you, I’ll have Ozzy upload a virus to every device they own and put fraud alerts on their credit cards. They’ll have so many headaches, they’ll forget all about you.” The way Bella said that I think she may be serious.
“If Chrissie can make Jett the number one primetime story on The Daily Market Report, she can get you on the nightly news,” Harlow says.
“I have no doubt,” Devon drawls.
“A police report would be the final knife turned in his gut.” I bristle at Crew’s words. I want to tell him too soon for knife analogies, but I’m too grateful for what he’s done for me. “Devon, can you take care of that on your end?”
Jett gives in. “I’ll call Dean and Payne. They might be best friends, but she’s not talking to one without the other.”
Harlow is already typing away on her cell as she gets up to leave the room. “I’ll call Chrissie and see how fast she can turn this around. She flew back to New York so she can get ready for the board meeting.”
“I’m so proud of you, love.” Bella’s smile is genuine. “Your bravery knows no bounds.”
I shake my head. “I don’t feel brave. I feel trapped, but I’ll do it.”
Jett claims my chin and turns my face to his. His dark eyes are intense again. I’m tired of the intensity.
I’ve had glimpses of the normal, playful, and happy Jett. If for no other reason than to be able to move onto a happy place, I’ll do it.
“You’ll never be trapped again. I swear by it,” he promises.
My tears threaten for the second time, but not because I’m upset this time. “I believe you.”
He nods right before he pulls his cell out and makes a call. I’m not sure if he’s calling the chief of police or my attorney. Either way, I need to prepare for what’s to come.
There’s no hiding out any longer.
I’m really doing this.