“Griz is in contact with Mystic. He’ll get this sorted out.”
“I sure as hell hope so before somethin’ happens to her. I don’t know how I’m gonna keep my shit together, brother.” Patch slaps a hand on my shoulder.
“I know, Tide. I know you’re on a thin line right now, but you gotta think about her. Wherever she is, she’s gonna need you and you can’t just go off.”
“I know, Patch, but fuck.”
“I get it, brother. I do. We’re gonna find her.”
“The longer she’s out there, the worse shit’s gonna be,” I remind them. Traffickers. I know what they do to women. We’ve seen it firsthand. We’ve dealt with the aftermath of that shit, and their reality isn’t a pretty one.
“I know that, Tide. That’s why we’re doin’ everything we can to find her.”
“Are we?” I ask, looking over my shoulder at him. It’s a low blow. It’s a shit move to say that to him because I know he’s doing what he can.
“Yeah, Tide. We are. I know you don’t like it, I know shit’s movin’ too slow for you but we don’t have anything to go on, remember? Trust me, I get the frustration, brother, but you need to calm down. Havin’ you in a fit isn’t helpin’ her at all.” Fuck he’s right. I shouldn’t be acting out right now, but she’s gone, and Beth is still coming around. What the fuck am I supposed to do? Take this shit lying down? I can’t. I’m too amped up. I’m too ready to kill. I need her back before I do something stupid that will have me ending up back in prison.
Chapter 16
Mylah
There are four other girls here. I was finally let out of the room I was being held in, and that’s when I saw them. They’re younger than me. Inside, I’m falling apart, but outside, I’m going to give them hell. I’m not going to take this. I’m not going to do what they want me to do. Fuck that. Why should I? Tide would expect me to fight, and that’s what I plan on doing.
I walk down the hall and toward the exercise room where we’ve been ordered to work out. The others are in here doing what they’re told. I look over my shoulder to make sure no one is watching us when I approach one of the girls. She doesn’t stop what she’s doing or even look up at me. I take that as my cue and move to the next one. She does the same, but the other one? She keeps looking my way, and it makes me curious.
I walk away from the girl and head over to the next, checking over my shoulder to make sure no one is watching us.
“Hey,” I say as she looks up at me.
“Hey.”
“I’m Mylah.”
“I’m Jen.”
“How long have you been here?” She glances around the room and looks at the other girls who now watch her curiously.
“I…I don’t know. I lost track of the days,” she tells me, and my heart sinks in my chest. She’s been here that long? Does he keep girls around that long?
“We have to find a way out,” I tell her when the other girl laughs.
“You think we haven’t tried?” She snips at me. I turn to look at her now.
“What have you tried?”
“Running. Windows, doors. We’re locked in this place, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave it like that.”
“Why should I? I was taken. I’m not staying here.” She smiles a sad smile and shakes her head before glancing around once more. When she sees it’s all clear, she turns and pulls her shirt up over her head, revealing lines of scars across her back. I walk over and reach my hand out, running my fingers along them before she quickly tugs her shirt back on.
“You’ll be punished if he finds out,” she tells me. She’s right. He beat her. Why wouldn’t he do the same to me?
“I can’t just accept this,” I tell them.
“There’s really no other choice.” Then they all turn away from me and go back to their workouts.
I won’t do this. I won’t be the victim. I won’t be stuck here. I take a deep breath and walk back out of the gym and down the hall, taking in my surroundings. I make note of where the doors are and who’s standing next to them. I’d have to get past the guards in order to get out of here.
I keep walking even as I feel eyes on me. Who’s watching me? Is it Padgett? I quickly look over my shoulder to see one of the guards eyeing me, but when he sees me looking, he quickly looks away. Does Padgett let his guards harm us? There are so many questions that I don’t have answers for, and it bothers me, but I keep walking.
