But… whatever he was doing was working, and I couldn’t very well get rid of him until I found out where he was keeping my mother.
My poor mother.
She was probably so scared.
“Wh-where is she?” I rasped, and the man sighed.
“She’s safe. No one is going to hurt her.”
Not if I did what he said.
The unspoken words hung between us, and I peeked up at him, feeling so helpless and weak.
“I’ll take you to her if you cooperate,” the man said, and I closed my eyes, letting out another long shuddering breath.
“I would take you to her now if I could, but it’s not time yet. Just know that she’s safe, and if you follow the rules, you’ll be together soon. I promise.”
Anger flared in my gut as I sat up abruptly, ignoring the slight dizzy spell that rippled over me.
“And why should I trust you? How do I know you won’t just kill her anyway?”
He stared at me through that impenetrable mask, and my frustration grew. It was irritating not being able to see his face. I couldn’t read him at all.
When he sat there like that, he might as well have been a statue instead of a person. Finally, after the longest minute in history, he sighed.
“Have I given you any reason to doubt my word? I told you if you disobeyed me, there would be consequences, and there were. I’m telling you now, if you listen to me, you will be rewarded, and you will. You don’t have to like it, but you have to trust me, Milo.”
“I don’t even know your name.”
The man paused, as if considering what name he wanted to give me. He lazily traced his fingertips up and down my back with a sort of feigned calmness.
I knew if I tried to run, his soft strokes would instantly turn into a steel grip, so I sat as still as I could and allowed him to continue to trace light circles on my back while I waited for him to speak.
“You can call me The Forgotten,” he said finally, tracing his fingers up the back of my head and carding his fingers through my hair. Hegripped me firmly by the roots and turned my head sharply to face him. My breath caught as I stared up into that glowing, ominous mask, my heart beating wildly like a caged bird in my chest.
“Now. Here’s what’s going to happen. Pay attention, please.”
“In roughly ten minutes, the police are going to arrive at your door,” The Forgotten said calmly, and my eyes widened as I immediately began to panic again.
He wrapped the hand that wasn’t fisting my hair around my jaw, pinching me firmly enough that my lips parted. He gave me a gentle shake.
“For fuck’s sake, calm down. They’re coming to ask about me. I left the security footage at Synapse so there would be no confusing you as Melanie’s killer. They know you were drugged and kidnapped. They don’t know you’re here. They’re just coming to investigate to see if they can find you.”
“Please…I don’t… I don’t want anything to do with this… I just want my mother back…” I whispered, but The Forgotten continued as if I hadn’t said anything.
“Feel free to tell them anything you want about me. It doesn’t matter. Tell them about the texts, the flowers, that I’ve been stalking you… I don’t care. What you tell the police is not what matters.”
He let go of my face slowly, almost as if he was testing me to see if I would remain calm without him forcing me to sit still.
“Whatdoesmatter is what you do once Sebastian Stevens arrives at the precinct.”
His words washed over me, and I felt my eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
Sebastian Stevens?As in the Chief Marketing Officer of Neurovance? What didhehave to do with anything?
My captor chuckled softly at the look on my face and brushed his thumb over my cheek, brushing away the tears that were still dampening my face.
“Yes.ThatSebastian Stevens. He will insert himself into the investigation and offer you a job. I need you to accept that job.”
