“Of course it is.” I nod and rub my temples. “Think, Ember.”
“It has to be someplace secluded where no one would see him taking a hostage inside. Somewhere far enough away from others or soundproof.” Carm suggests.
“Fuck!” I yell into the car’s interior.
I can’t think of anywhere that would be like that.
My phone rings and I see Adri’s name flash across the screen. My heart rate picks up and I brace myself as I answer the phone.
“Adri?”
“I know where he is.” She whispers.
“What?” I sit up straight. “Adrianna Hinton, where the fuck are you?”
Carm looks at me and straightens in his seat as well, expecting to have to move quickly.
“I’m a few blocks from the restaurant. I dropped off a takeout order and I think I found Moore’s vehicle.”
“Are you sure?” I ask her. “Why would he be parked out in the open like that?”
“He’s not.” She sounds slightly out of breath. “This is a side street, it’s quiet here.”
“Where is it?” I demand.
When she tells me the street, it dawns on me exactly where they are.
“Get back to the restaurant.” I tell her and hang up.
I text Travis and turn to Carm, “I know where they are.”
22
My head snaps up when I hear the door opening. I’m groggy with exhaustion and my stomach is twisting in hunger. My tongue is swollen and stuck to the roof of my mouth, just the thought of water has my throat constricting.
“Looks like your girl is as stupid as I thought.” Moore chuckles as he leans against the door frame. “She even wasted precious resources by sending people to my cottage… three hours away.”
How long have we been here? There’s no way to gauge time and I’ve been floating in and out of consciousness for a while now.
“Looks like we might just have to cut a piece of you off and send it to her. Motivation to use that schoolgirl brain of hers.”
“Stop talking about it and just do it then.” My voice is cracking and hoarse.
“Don’t tell me what to do!” He yells as he strides forward and punches me in the stomach. “She has one hour and then I’m starting with the fingers on your left hand.”
The blow to my stomach has triggered some fucking cramping and I begin to gag. As long as Em is safe, nothing else matters and I will take whatever Moore dishes out if it means Em doesn’t.
Each breath is like burning fire in my chest and I know I have a few ribs broken. The knife wound on my leg isn’t feeling so good either. It’s burning hot and each time I flex my thigh, the pounding fire increases.
I can feel the sweat gathering on my brow even though this room is chilly and I can feel myself losing consciousness again. I try to stay alert by thinking of Em, my mom, and my family.
Em will find me, I’m sure of it and she’ll protect my mom because that’s what she does. That girl was made for me, designed to balance out all the extremes inside me, and created to teach me what the fuck this life is meant for.
If I make it out of here, I plan on marrying her as soon as I can and putting a baby in her belly.
Life is short and after everything, I can only assume ours will be shorter.
23
“Are you sure this is it?” Carm asks.
“Yes.”
The town hall is completely still and dark, no noise and no movement but I can feel Vin is inside. I texted Travis and told him to head over to the restaurant to be with Adri and Sharla just in case Adri was spotted around Moore’s vehicle.
“Emmett is turning around. We should wait until…”
“No.” I cut Carm off. “No more waiting.”
Carm can stay outside and wait for Emmett for all I care, I will go in there alone to bust my soul out.
“This place looks empty.” Carm says. “There hasn’t been any movement for the last thirty minutes. Where would they be in there?”
“There’s a basement.” I tell him. “It’s where they had their very special perverted meetings, before I started picking them off like flies.”
“Is there another entrance?”
“That I don’t know.” I shake my head. “But I would assume yes.”
“I would bet it’s back around where that fucker parked his car.” Carm says and I look at him wide eyed.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
We walk back the way we came and two blocks over is a quiet residential street. Not many houses here but there is a large dense wooded area behind them.
“Looks like we’re hiking.” Carm says.
“Wait, we could be in there all night searching for a fucking trap door.”
“Or,” he raises a brow at me. “What if these inbred pieces of shit thought they would never be discovered and made it really easy to find.”
“That’s a big ‘if’.”
“We can always go back and storm the front but they’re probably waiting for just that.”
He’s fucking right and I can’t put Vin’s life in any more jeopardy than it’s already in. I have to do this the smart way and my anger needs to take the back burner. Once I know my family and Vin are safe, then I’m giving it free reign.
We enter the forest with Carm’s men in front and behind us. I watch as the men fan out and I keep my eye to the ground, looking for anything to lead us in the right direction.
A few minutes later, I hear a sharp whistle to my right and turn quickly. Carm’s arm shoots up and the men that were behind us rush forward toward the sound.
“Ember,” Carm whispers beside me. “I know you hate taking orders but I need you to do me a favour. Once we’re inside, I need you to listen to me. If I tell you to do something, please just do it.”
I hate taking orders from someone when this is my mission but I
