“Yeah,”James replied.“She’s shaken up; it’s been a rough few days after what happened with Elijah and the board.”
“What happened?”Kiera said, looking between James and me.
“Another time,”I whispered before turning back to James.“I found a phone on Alec’s body, there’s a picture of Billie on it, but I need different software to get a trace on it, so we need to head back to my place.”
“A picture?”
“Yeah.”
“Show me,” he ordered.
Cursing internally, I crossed to him, holding the phone out. Why he needed to see it was beyond me; we were wasting time.
He glared at the image, a muscle twitching in his jaw when Willow’s entire body stiffened, and she released a faint gasp.
“What is it, Mouse?”James asked, a frown settling between his brows.
Willow leaned forward, taking the phone from James’ hand, her eyes fixed on the picture.“I knowthatplace,”she whispered so softlythatit was almost inaudible.
“What? Where is it?”James barked.
Willow lifted her sorrowful eyes to James’, her words causing a ten-ton anchor to land in my gut.“That’s the holding room for the new girls when they arrive at Peartree House.”
Chapter 31
Kiera
With my head resting against the frame, I stared out the window as James’ private jet flew us to Georgia, where the mysterious Peartree House was situated. Both James and Jackson had been coy about the house, only telling methatit was a place where runaway girls could attend to improve their lives.
The look on Willow’s face told methatwas a lie.
She sat opposite me, also staring out the window, lost in thought. James had refused to leave her alone, not with the emotional state she’d been in since killing Alec, but also because his body remained in the kitchen, awaiting a team of people employed by James who would clear the mess up.
Tearing my gaze from the world passing below, I looked across to her.“Tell me about the house, Willow.”
“No,” James huffed before she could even open her mouth.
I’d mistakenly thought he and Jackson were deep in conversation in the chairs behind us. I’d heard snippets of what they were talking about: the house, young girls, training. Pleasure. Each time I caught a word, my thoughts spiralled, wondering what the hell Billie was facing at the elusive Peartree House.
James and Jackson stood from their seats, moving along the aisle to join Willow and me. James lifted Willow into his lap as if he couldn’t not touch her. GratefulthatJackson laced his fingers through mine, I leaned against him, craving his warmth.
“I need to know what goes on inthatplace,”I said, fixing my glare on my brother.
“Nothing good can come from you knowing about it,”James replied, his customary scowl etched into his face.
“For what it’s worth, I agree,”Jackson added.“You don’t need to know about the house. We get there, we get Billie, and you never have to think about it again.”
I snorted.“Youreallythink it’sthateasy? You honestly think I won’t lie in bed at night wondering what Billie has gone through? Not knowing is making me fear the worst. All I can think isthatshe is going through what I went through, only at a younger age.”I broke off as nausea bubbled in my stomach. Sucking in a deep, calming breath, I held my brother’s eye, determined to find out what could be happening to Billie.“I need to know so I can help Billie through notjustbeing kidnapped by someone she thought she could trust, but whatever she’s had to face at this damn house.”
“They won’t hurt her,”Willow said meekly from the comfort of James’ arms.
“Mouse,”he growled, a warning if ever there was one.
She gazed up at him with pleading eyes.“She needs to know, James. They won’t hurt Billie, she’s too young.”
“Too young for what?”I asked eagerly, desperate for any slice of knowledge about the place my daughter was. James cursed under his breath, but before he could tell Willow off, I sat forward.“James, please. One day, you’ll be a parent, and you will understand how desperately you want to protect your child from the entire world.”A pang of anguish sliced my heart, but I bit back the tearsthatwanted to fall.“And you’ll understandthatif something terrible happens to your child, you will do everything in your power to get them through it. But to help them, you have to know what they’ve gone through.”
James’ jaw clenched before his shoulders slumped.“Willow is right. Nothing will happen to her. She isn’t the right age.”
