We always pretended that the codes were just jokes about something else.
Me:Aww sorry man. LOL.
I walked out to the backyard. The guards were gathering the slaves to take them back to their bunkers since the sun was setting. About ten minutes later, Ben showed up.
“You know I wouldn’t ask this of you if it wasn’t her, right? This is not me trying to get some girl for my amusement—”
“Oh, come on, Tristan, of course I know.” He'd raised his voice.
"Please don't call me by that nam—" I said through gritted teeth and lowered my gaze to the ground. The frustration was eating away at me.
"Oh I'm sorry. I'm so sorry man." I could see the worry, and how sorry he really was.
"Go on," I said.
“Sir, there’s something I couldn’t tell you via text.” He paused, touching his chin, then turned to face me. His eyes shifted from one of mine to the other, as if he were trying to gauge if I could handle the information. His hands were in his pockets,and his teeth were biting at his lower lip. It was obvious he was apprehensive. I waited for him to tell me.
“Callum is the one who found her. He’s on the plane with them.”
My mouth fell open, but I still nodded. The information took me a while to process, though I pretended otherwise. I pushed back strands of my hair from my face. My obsession to find the top men running this empire had taken quite a turn in the last few months, and I’d abandoned my usual self-care, including cutting my hair on a regular basis and shaving my beard. Now my hair would constantly slip into my eyes and my beard itched, but by the time I’d get to my quarters, I’d be too tired and forget to shave yet another day. “Fuck. I knew it had to be him. He’s been so fucking obsessed with finding her. I hoped he was too crazy to do it successfully.”
“Mm-hmm.” He nodded. “I know.” It helped that he wasn’t reacting like me, it helped keep me from freaking out.
“Was she in that stupid school?”
“No, she was at her parents.”
“What?” I realized too late how loudly I spat the question. “Are they...”
“I honestly don’t know.” He shrugged.
“Jesus fucking Christ!” I cussed while fidgeting. “I knew this would happen. I warned her. I didn’t think—I just hoped I was wrong.”
“I know.”
“I can’t even fucking think!” I paced the grass, digging my thumbs into my temples. “I’ve been planning for this ever since… and now I don’t know what the fuck to do.”
He sighed. “Maybe, kill her before he really hurts her? Or—”
The laughter erupted from me, surprising him. “You don’t understand.” I shook my head. “She has nine lives. I already tried to kill her once to save her, and honestly, I wasn’t even aliveuntil I discovered I’d failed.” Again, I shook my head. “I can’t live if she’s dead. I—” I swallowed deep. “Just. Can’t.”
“Well, then there’s only one other option.” It was the first time since he’d told me the news that I lifted my gaze from the water and grass to meet his.
“I’ll have to get rid of him. I’ve definitely gathered enough,” I said it as soon as I understood why he was looking at me so intensely. Drugs. I’d gathered enough drugs to kill him.
“You know I’ll always help you, right?” he asked.
When I sighed again, my shoulders sagged. “Did you find him?” I was referring to the silver fox, the last overlord I needed to gather real hardcore evidence on, to shatter this trafficking ring forever.
He shook his head. “No. The bank account number keeps disappearing and changing with every deposit.”
“Is the location still in New York State?”
“Japan.”
“Same bank?” I asked.
“It changed three days ago.”
