Chapter 12
Jace hadn’t wanted to end the call with Amy, but he’d missed two calls from Logan during the short conversation, which told him they had new intel.
Logan was the acting cyber specialist on the case and, with Baron’s help, had compiled a sophisticated team focused on finding the men who hid in the shadows of the dark web.
Jace dialed him back while sinking onto the couch in Leo’s spare bedroom. “Sorry I missed you,” he said once Logan answered. “What’s new?”
“We found April Massaby and Linda Graton.”
Jace straightened up and gulped. “Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Thank God.” He plopped his elbows onto his knees, his body collapsing with a blend of emotion and relief. Jace had watched interviews with the Massaby and Graton families, been shaken by the devastation he’d seen on their faces—felt in their eyes.
“Thanks to the intel we received through the Brinkman case, they located a trafficking camp in Bangkok, rescuing dozens of others. They were all rushed to a secure medical facility in town. Most were heavily sedated, dehydrated too, bruised… but they’re safe now. We’ve got a specialist flying in to interview them.”
Jace knew the specialist would be a licensed therapist who’d been trained to get case details while helping victims process and work through the trauma they’d endured.
Jace was so choked up at the news, he couldn’t muster a single word in response. So he grunted instead and cleared his throat. It was happening. They were really taking these guys down. This would make a crucial statement: Not on our soil. And just when they thought they were safe to slither onto foreign land, the rescuing team would hunt them down, free the enslaved, and cut the head off the reptilian ring once and for all.
“How many arrests were made?” Jace asked.
“Seven. Two are American. A few of them are bound to talk. Already we’ve learned they have a few baiting women on dating sites.”
He’d have to ask Amy about that. “Hey, did anything come up on the background checks from the news station?”
“So far, nothing has turned up,” Logan explained. “We have a couple more extensive checks we plan to run, but if something hasn’t raised any flags at this point, it’s likely none of them have any connection to the ring.”
Jace cursed under his breath as he considered the pictureTaker104uploaded on the site. “How in the world are we supposed to find him?”
“He’ll surface soon enough,” Logan said. “I’ll let you know if anything comes back from the next round. For now, why don’t you ask her about her experience on dating sites? We’ll look into her history a bit, make sure there aren’t any connections on that end.”
“Will do,” Jace said. “And thank you.”
A heavy metal song thumped from the other room where Kip and Leo pumped iron before work. The sounds of their razzing and laughter mingled with the music. Jace couldn’t help but grin. He liked how … normal their lives were. Seemed they were both pretty happy. Sure, Leo was a little sore after his recent breakup, but he was adjusting well enough. And if his only troubles could be summed up in such a universal problem as having your heart broken, Jace guessed that was a pretty good thing.
Speaking of heartbreak, just how likely was it that Amy would break Jace’s heart? His conversation with Logan had shoved thoughts of Amy’s kiss to the background, but the question brought it back to mind in vibrant color. Amy had owned him in those moments. And heaven help him, Jace was falling hard and fast.
He tidied up the room, snatched his travel bag off the couch, and flung it over his shoulder. He grabbed the sheet off the foot of the couch and took it to Leo’s washroom. Tonight he would stay at Amy’s place. If she objected… well, he’d be persistent. Jace couldn’t very well keep her safe if he wasn’t by her side.
His shoulders lifted. His chin did too.
Thatfearlesspart of him roared back to life. This trafficking ring was going down, and it felt good to be a part of it.
“So,” Kip said as Jace strode through the gym toward the back door. “Did you tell her?”
“Yep,” he said with a nod. His brothers knew better than to ask for details about the case. What they knew was minimal—that she was in danger, basically— and it’d need to stay that way.
Leo shoved the barbell off his chest with a grunt. “How’d she take it?”
Jace’s mind chose that moment to recall their kiss anew. His face went hot. “Um, she took it … well, actually.” He cleared his throat, feeling Windex-transparent as he reached for the door.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.Howwell?” The twins busted into accusing oohs and aahs.
Leo smacked Kip on the arm. “By the look of thosewosy wittle cheeksI’d say it wentverywell.”
“You got that right,” Kip said with a laugh. The brothers high-fived as they changed position, Kip at the bench with Leo ready to spot.
