Page 82 of Marked

Days.

Seemed like months.

Swallowing, she tapped the call button and pressed the device to her ear. The line rang and rang.

Shit.

He was probably dead. They must have found out who her contact was even though—

“’Lo.” The short, abrupt syllable made her sit up an inch.

“Markie.” Her voice shook. “Is that you?”

Silence.

She cleared her throat. “This is Detective Aldridge. We met a few days ago. Are you alone? Is now a good time to speak?”

Silence again.

Frustration gnawed through her. Of course he’d be tight-lipped and wary. He was betraying one of the most powerful organizations to ever cross her desk. “Listen, Markie. If you don’t want to work with me, fine. But I can’t offer you any kind of protection if you don’t.”

Seconds slipped by, and the air on the other end stirred in her ear. “Meet me tonight. Louie’s Lounge.”

Fear gripped her ribcage and she surged forward. “I can’t do that. We need to speak on the phone... at least for now.”

“No,” he said firmly. “We meet.”

Indecision flooded her. She couldn’t pass up a chance to speak to a Lionsgate insider, especially now, when keeping Bella safe was paramount. And she couldn’t do that until the entire organization was flushed, or at least until the ones responsible for Bella’s kidnapping were caught.

But putting herself in direct danger was careless. Bella needed her now more than ever. “Give me something first. I need to know I can trust you.”

She’d met Markie only once before, and he’d been skittish. Understandably. If Lionsgate knew he was talking to the police they’d cut him into pieces and throw him into the ocean. During their brief meeting, she’d offered him reassurance that she’d protect him.

Now, she couldn’t trust anyone.

“You don’t trust me?” Indignation lit his voice.

“Listen, Markie. My daughter was kidnapped two days ago by someone inside Lionsgate. I feel you should know that before we proceed. I have her back now, but I’m very concerned for her safety. And I’m sure I’m still being watched, so it really might not be in your best interest for us to see each other in person.”

“Oh, shit,” Markie breathed. “Does that have anything to do with the killings at the farm? You were there?”

“I wasn’t there, no. But friends of mine went in to rescue her.” Sophia’s spine itched. Markie knew something. Gripping the phone tighter, she tucked her chin and lowered her voice. “Markie, do you know who was involved in the kidnapping? Who targeted her?”

“Ahhh. Lady, I can’t say—”

“Markie, please. If you have even the slightest idea of who could be behind this, I need to know. She would have been trafficked... sent God knows where to God knows who if we hadn’t gotten her out when we did. Tell me you’re not okay with children being sold.”

“Fuck no!” Markie’s voice pitched so high it almost cracked. He made a tsking sound. “I just... fuck, they’d kill me, you know?”

“I get that. But that’s why you’re talking to me anyway. So we can get you out of the organization. I can’t do that without some information. The more you give, the easier the takedown will be.”

“I didn’t know anything about no kids, all right? I wouldn’t be part of that shit. But one of the bosses was really agitated a couple days ago. Said he needed someone with a van and that they’d find out who the traitor was. I was shittin’. Thought for sure they knew I was the mole.”

“Who was it? Who are the bosses?”

Sophia jabbed the center console and rifled through receipts and Bella’s junkie toys until she found a pen and a piece of paper.

“Don’t know. I got a text from an unknown number. That’s how I’m usually contacted. This one was in a group text, and he offered anyone who’d drive the van two grand. Didn’t say what it was for.”

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