Page 42 of Face

She put a hand on my arm. “Like I said, doesn’t mean anything. Just go down there, make sure she’s okay. And if she is, tell her to go fuck herself.” She shrugged.

I bit back a smile. She rarely cursed.

“And if she’s not, call the calvary and the guys will help you find her.”

I was so conflicted. Did I really want to do this? It felt too needy and creepy. “I don’t know. God, I hate this stuff. This is why me and relationships do not mix. It’s easier to stay single.”

“It’s easier, but it’s not rewarding. Being in love with your other half and having them by your side is worth every misery, soul scar, and heartbreak you’ve ever endured, because once you’ve found your soulmate, you can’t imagine a life without them. It becomes a seamless journey as easy as breathing.” She had that dreamy, faraway look in her eye.

I scoffed. “I don’t believe in soulmates.”

“You will. Now, get.” She shooed me out of my office and then took my seat behind the desk.

I killed the engine and hopped off my bike. The main entrance to the apartment complex had no lock or code, and while it was convenient for me, I didn’t care for the lack of security with Devon living here alone. Yes, I was mad at her, but I wouldn’t ever not care for her well-being. The office was closed, so, looking around briefly and seeing nobody, I used vampire strength to break the doorknob. I left the lights off and crept around to the filing cabinet. There was a computer, but I was going to try there last. I hoped they kept paper records.

I pulled the metal filing cabinet’s handle, and it was locked. I yanked harder and broke the lock. Using the flashlight app on my phone, I rifled through the files. They were organized by apartment number, not name.

“Dammit.” I didn’t even know what floor she lived on. Then, I remembered she told me she’d rented the apartment under an alias. It took me fifteen minutes, but I did locate a Devon Smith who leased apartment 302. I pocketed the phone and left the office before sprinting up the stairs.

I knocked on the door. “Devon?” I pressed my ear to the door and heard absolutely nothing except the humming of her electronics and refrigerator.

I tried the handle, and it was unlocked. I became immediately alarmed. Nobody as paranoid as Devon would leave the door unlocked, home or not. I pulled the buck knife off my belt and slowly crept inside. “Devon?”

The apartment was small but neat and organized. A large workstation was set up in the corner with a desk containing four mounted monitors, a printer, and a bunch of external hard drives and modems. A back bedroom with a bed and dresser was the only bedroom there. In the closet were lots of hoodies on hangers. This was obviously her place.

I went back out into the living room and punched the space bar on the computer’s keyboard to wake the computer. Very complicated screens of windows even I had trouble deciphering were on three of the screens. The other had no windows open on it, with a picture of a beach as the background

“I’ll look at this later,” I said to myself.

I searched the entire apartment for her cell phone and couldn’t find it. “What the hell?” I said, running my hand through my hair. I left the door unlocked but closed it all the way and went back downstairs. After walking out of the building, I looked both ways down the street. People were walking around, cars drove by, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I went around to the side of the building, where an alley separated this one from the next. On the ground was a cell phone. It was up against the wall and blended in with the color of the building. I bent down and saw blood next to it. It was still a little tacky, so I put my finger in it and sniffed it. Vampire blood mixed with a whisper of her rosy-citrus cent. I then picked up the phone and wiped the dirt off on my pants, flipping it over. Its protective case depicted a popular video game, and I knew it was hers. Of course, the device was locked with a biometric lock. So unless I had a copy of her thumbprint, I wouldn’t be getting into this phone quickly.

I looked up and down the street again. Obviously, something terrible had happened to her and I wanted to punch something. If I wouldn’t have been such a tool and waited hours and hours to try to find her, whoever took her wouldn’t have gotten such a long head start. Because I knew deep down, she’d been kidnapped, and it had to be those assholes from the website.

Chapter 17

Vampnappers

Devon

I screamed in pain as I grabbed my nose and snapped it back straight. That fucker had broken it, I could still taste the blood on my lips. One of my captors, wearing one of those white tragedy theater masks and a hoodie, came rushing into the small room they held me in.

“The hell are you screaming for?” he barked.

“Tell me what you want with me. Huh?” I replied.

After I’d come to, I found myself on this boat. The below-deck room they held me in had no way to see to the outside, so I had no idea where we were. We could be floating on the Mississippi River or in the Bahamas. I had no idea how long I’d been out.

“Keep it down in here. Boss will be here shortly, then we’ll be questioning you.” He slammed the door and locked it from the outside.

I waited until I heard his footsteps pound up the stairs before pulling out my burner phone. After I’d been knocked out cold, they must have found my regular cell phone in my back pocket and took it. They didn’t think to search me further because I had this one in the inside pocket of my hoodie. I had three-quarters of a battery left but it was going to drain fast because it was constantly looking for a signal. I had no bars.

To make matters worse, I didn’t have anyone’s number programmed into it. I should have memorized Parker’s number but never got around to it. The only numbers in here were the contacts from the jobs I’d done, and of course the human trafficking dickheads. I remember Gregory telling me he owed me the world. Well, I didn’t need the world right now, I just needed a small favor from him. My hands were tied with rope in front of me, but they hadn’t chained me to the bed or anything. I walked around the room and held the phone up to the highest point, trying to see if I could get a signal. There was no WiFi on this boat either, I’d already searched. Not that it mattered, this phone only made calls and texts. It wasn’t a smartphone because I didn’t feel like paying for two plans. It was one of those prepaid things.

I typed out a text to Gregory as I constantly checked the door. I hoped maybe I’d get lucky, and we’d get a second or two of service wherever we were headed, and it would go through eventually.

Me: Gregory, this is Rocky. I hate to ask but I need a favor. I’ve been taken by some men and they took my other phone that had all my contacts in it. I need you to go to the Cobalt Room, it’s a bar near the Quarter, and ask for Face or Viper. Tell them I’ve been kidnapped and I’m on a boat or yacht somewhere. I have no idea where tho. Pls reply if you get this, and don’t call this number, text only. Thanks.

I hit send and just prayed it would go through. I also hoped Gregory was still in New Orleans and not in Minnesota reuniting with his long-lost wife.

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