Chapter 8
Jace felt his jaw tighten to the point it hurt. His dentist had warned him that if he didn’t stop grinding his teeth, he’d do permanent damage to his molars. The irritable DDS had even given him a night-guard to wear while he slept. Trouble was, Jace couldn’t even stop himself from grinding in the light of day. Especially when he came across something like this.
He zoomed in on his findings—a new picture of Amy posted on the site—and shook his head. To this point, the pictures of her had been easily identified as still shots taken from her news program. Some were taken off social media, others were borrowed from Denver’s Channel 5 website. But this was different. This was a picture of Amy at the grocery store. Her personal life.
Jace hissed out a curse. Perhaps they wouldn’t have months to play this case out like they did with Tammy Brinkman. Because what this picture said was that the enemy already had feet on the ground in Amy’s hometown. Jace had received a lot of bad news over the years. Had situations turn from bad to worse. Something about this knowledge, the idea that some creep was slithering around snapping pictures of Amy on the sly… it made him want to slam his fists through something. To tear the structure of that filthy ring down piece by piece with his bare hands.
In studying the prior three cases, Jace had broken the development steps into phases 1-5. He’d named the first phaseThe Shift,since the target’s name shifted from the main site to the hidden layer. Phase two wasThe Wait—a time period where the target would gain attention from site patrons. This stage had lasted between three to four months in all three prior cases. At that point,The Pushbegan—phase three. Here, the hosts of the site began to demonstrate through photos or facts that the target was within reach.
It seemed as if they were skippingThe Waitaltogether and moving right toThe Push.Next cameThe Bids,and inevitably,The Catch.
He considered the two women who’d gone missing prior to the Tammy Brinkman case. April Massaby, a Vegas dancer and moderately popular socialite, and Linda Graton, an up-and-coming MyTube vlogger. They’d successfully abducted both women, and recovery experts had yet to find either of them. That explained why the monsters behind the site operated under that same pattern with Tammy Brinkman.
Jace had known the bust would set them into a tailspin, but he hadn’t expected this.
The user who’d posted the photo, operating under the nameTaker104,was either local, or connected with someone who was. The idea had Jace itching to snuff him out and wring his neck.
They’d busted a local in the Tammy Brinkman case too. Perhapsthatwas the very reasonAverage Amyhad been so quickly plucked from the sea of popular candidates and dropped into the pool with the bidding sharks: access.
“Taker104, who the crud are you?” Jace eyed the time on the computer screen—2:00 a.m.— and groaned. Two hours ago he’d said goodnight to Amy, and in just a few hours from now, he’d pick her up once more. He needed sleep, but that didn’t mean he’d get any. He was too busy thinking of how a woman in Amy’s position shouldn’t be living on her own. Things had just been shoved into a higher gear, and Jace would have to offer around-the-clock protection sooner than anticipated. Thank heavens she’d asked him to shoot with her tomorrow.
His chest felt like the hollow of a drum as his heart kicked up a pounding rhythm. He glared at the screen. What would happen if he called this joker out? Asked him… asked himwhat?To meet him by the clock tower at noon so Jace could choke the life out of him?
“Definitely a bad idea,” he mumbled. It reallywasgetting late.
With the morning hour fast approaching, Jace forced himself to shut his laptop and head for bed. A quick stroll across the hardwood floors in Leo’s basement, and he crashed onto the couch with a groan.
Leo had gone to bed shortly after Jace got home, but not before griping that the date details Jace shared hadn’t been worth staying up for. “Too bad you didn’t listen to Kip,”his brother had said through a yawn. “You could’ve kissed her all you wanted tonight.”
As Jace pulled the sheet over his aching body, the thin material cool against his skin, he thought back on the way Amy curled into him on the blanket. The tempting fragrance of something sweet on her breath, the feel of her fingertips like angel’s wings on his neck. And a kiss that seemed destined to evade him.
Leo was right: had he simply told Amy about the danger upfront, he could have enjoyed that kiss without a moment’s guilt.
Tomorrow,he assured himself. He’d tell her then. Jace didn’t relish the task; things involving such stark realities could alter a person, but it had to be done. Besides, they needed to be prepared for what was heading their way.
As he drifted off to sleep at last, his mind moved from the danger she was in to more pleasant thoughts. Call him selfish or twisted or a typical male even, but Jace imagined getting that long-awaited kiss after all.
* * *
The yoga studiowas different from what Jace imagined. He figured they’d show up at some gym surrounded by an entire class of attendees. But this yoga class, the one especially designed for couples, would be taught by an instructor out of her own home. The studio resembled the gym Leo installed at his place, mirrors and all. But instead of weights, benches, and barbells, this room featured yoga mats, potted plants, and small fountains. Like those in the instructional videos his mom watched while contorting herself intothe swan.
Luckily, Sutton had agreed it would be safe to shoot the segment with her. In fact, it would satisfy any questions that might arise in regard to his sudden presence. He could be a long-distance boyfriend for all anyone knew, which should hopefully make Jace less suspect of being undercover. He only hoped Amy would play along with the idea—yetanotherreason it would have been nice to tell her about the situation upfront.
Soon. He’d do it soon.
The camera crew worked busily, setting lights, adjusting tripods, and connecting one stretch of electric cord to another. Jace eyed each member as he followed Amy to a room just beyond the yoga studio. He fought the scowl that threatened to pull at his brow. Unlike some crimes, profiling in the trafficking industry was an effective tool; the perpetrators were predominately male and under the age of sixty. Only a couple of guys there fit the bill, but they’d get background checks on the entire crew just in case.
“Okay,” Amy mumbled to him over her shoulder. “Naomi wants to talk to us for a second off-camera, which Nick won’t like, so we’re sneaking off.”
Jace followed Amy and the instructor—a tall, thin brunette with a long braid—to a waiting area with beanbags and floor lamps.
Naomi leaned against the wall with a wide grin. “Thank you for coming,” she said, voice low and smooth. She ran her fingers down the length of her braid. “I’m glad to see that you brought your boyfriend instead of your sister. Friend and sibling partners are fun to work with, but nothing beats the connection of a love interest. Am I right?”
Jace glanced at Amy, who looked like she’d suddenly stumbled onto an advanced trigonometry problem. “You’re right about that,” Jace agreed, giving Amy’s arm a nudge.
Naomi cupped Jace’s bicep with long, narrow fingers and gave him a squeeze. “So strong and handsome too.”
“Yes,” Amy agreed, turning to meet his gaze. “He certainly is.”
