CHAPTER NINE
JAKE
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“Just saying, I’ve never seen a girl run so fast. Maybe she’s just not that into you.” Liam climbs out of the Jeep back now we’re back at the BHS office.
He thinks he’s funny.
He’s not.
I roll my eyes. “She’s interested.”
I am worried, though. Not so much about our date. It’s my nature to protect and fix things. Watching the blood drain from Caylee’s face and then run off has me wondering what kind of dental emergency her office could have phoned in.
Surely there isn’t anything that serious.
Liam and I continued our surveillance and investigation of the area, then circled back around. We chatted to some locals and checked out the spots where young girls had gone missing.
It was nearby that I spotted Caylee’s workplace.
A chill rushed through me, which made no sense. She’s not the target market, so to speak, yet the protective need rose up.
There are predators in this area.
Where she works.
I don’t like it.
Picking up this blind spot for the FBI is unique, and there isn’t a lot for us to go on right now. I’ve done enough investigative work to know how slow and frustrating it can be.
Until you get a break.
It could happen today or a year from now.
At least we’re doing something.
“Take my advice. Find someone else. Cole won’t be happy if he knows you’re pursuing his sister again.”
I open the office door and hold it for Liam to step inside. “She’s a grown woman. Caylee can decide to date who she wants.”
He shoots me a look. “Okay, then answer me this. If you had a sister and I were fucking her, how’d you feel about that?”
I see red. My brain literally malfunctions, my fists clench and my body starts to vibrate in a way only another trained warrior would recognize.
Liam does.
“Shit, man, you have a sister?”
I can’t speak for a moment, the memory of that night flashing before my eyes. The nightmare I never speak about.
That we never speak about.
“No,” I reply. “No, I don’t.”
It’s a lie. I did have a sister.
One I let die.
So, I don’t deserve to be a brother and acknowledge her. Her death is all on me, and nothing can change that.
Liam starts up the stairs, accepting my answer, but now I’m back in the past and only half listening. “Well, I’m just saying, you have to see it from his point of view....”
“I’m going to hit the gym,” I say when we reach the top and head in the other direction.
I’m in no place to have a reasonable conversation with anyone right now. Remembering Becca always throws me.
I change, then slide on some gloves and proceed to punch the living shit out of the boxing bag for the next forty-five minutes.
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AN HOUR LATER, Thomas walks into the gym. Liam is behind him and his expression has me dropping my gloved hands.
“What’s going on?”
“Just had an alert. Young girl has gone missing in the same area,” Thomas says.
You have to be kidding me.
“The fuck.” I rub the towel along the back of my neck after ripping off the gloves. “We were just there. What time?”
“Around midday,” Thomas replies.
Liam and I share a sharp look.
The clogs of my brain start going back over all the things that happened during the day. We arrived at the park around that time, eating ice-creams, and then I saw...Caylee.
Guilt slaps me across the face.
Was I more focused on her hard nipples and curves than saving some innocent children? Fucking hell.
Josh walks in and crosses his arms, his legs parted. “Thoughts?”
Liam shakes his head. “Didn’t see it.”
“Who is she?”
“Young girl. Fifteen. Mother is a lawyer, father a businessman. Pretty wealthy family,” Thomas reads from his tablet.
Liam and I share another look.
This is in line with what Agent Reed was describing, and it happened right under our fucking noses.
I’m starting to think Reed is right, and these things are not random.
“They’re all planned,” I say aloud. “Reed said the Feds think these girls are targeted. Specifically. Someone is pimping these girls and selling them.”
How?
“You sure?” Josh uncrosses his arms and props them on his hips.
I’ve been on this case for only a day, so I’m not sure, but it certainly appears like it. Am I completely sure? No. I mean, rich kids don’t linger on street corners like those who are homeless or looking for drugs.
They have lives, friends, dance classes or whatever. They have parents driving them around, and people notice when they are missing immediately.
“Not completely, but give me time to look at the other cases more closely. See if there are any themes or consistencies in what happened.” I walk to my bag and shove my towel in it, then lift it onto my shoulder.
“Which the Feds have done,” Liam adds.
“And we will do again.” He knows as well as I do that you never give up on cases—unless they get closed—and sometimes even after ten, twenty people have looked at them, one person can spot something new.
“Do it, let me know. Thomas, get as much information as you can...by whatever means.” Josh walks out, giving us all a nod.
By whatever means.
I don’t know why I keep thinking about Caylee when my mind should be on the job, but seeing her run off when she got a call...
Was it related?
Can’t be.