Page 109 of Trip Through Your Wires

“It’s …what?” His eyes narrow.

“Royce’s father,” I nod. “One of those men you just heard was him.”

Jake runs a hand through his hair and blows out a charged breath. “And you’ve been working for him?”

I bite the corner of my lip and nod. “At night. This is my second job. Although, that’s not what I would call it.”

Hearing the shift in my voice, Jake pulls me to him, eyes hard. “What did he do to you, Sparky?”

I ball my hands into fists and bring them to his chest, tears pricking my eyes. “I’m doing this to save your life. All of ours.”

“What do you mean?” His eyes search mine.

“Richardson knows it was me who shot Royce and that you and Cruz helped cover it up. He came to me weeks ago with evidence from that night. Security camera footage that implicates all of us.”

His eyes narrow to the point of slits. “He’s blackmailing you?”

I nod. “One year here secures the evidence that incriminates me. Four years for all of it.”

“Four years?” His eyes flick to the door, burning with anger. “Are you kidding me?”

“No,” my voice falters. “I’d just come back from Highland and thought the three of you were about to move on, and I didn’t want you to pay for what I’d done. So I agreed. I’d agree to anything if it kept you all safe.”

Jake cups my face, as my lower lip starts to quiver. “Sparky…shit, why didn’t you tell me?”

I close my eyes, and a tear rolls down my cheek. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do. But I didn’t dance until tonight. He made me. He has been watching me and knew you came to see me. Told me if I didn’t break things off he’d hurt you.”

He looks at me, eyes full of the emotion constricting the muscles in my chest and the breath in my lungs. “He’d have to kill me to keep me away from you.”

He pulls me to his chest and I wrap my arms around him, gripping his back tight. “How are you here?” I murmur.

“Construction on I-95. Detour routed me through the backwoods and past the entrance to this place.”

“Detour?” I shake my head and pull back. “There is no construction on I-95.”

He looks at me, confused, and it’s then I realize….Richardson. He knew Jake was coming and worked his manipulative magic to get him here. Shit. That means….

“We need to go, now.” I reach for his hand and turn to leave, but a sharp pain pricks my neck and the world around me fades to darkness.

Chapter 24

Jake

The faint but consistent drip-drop of water is the first thing I hear, followed by the ragged sound of my breathing. My chest feels tight, my arms restrained, and when I open my eyes, lids heavy and sluggish, I find I have been strapped down in a chair with rope, and my arms restrained with duct tape.

Struggling against the fog in my mind, I try to lift my arms, but it looks like whoever did this used a whole roll of tape on each. With a persistent throb at the base of my skull sending waves of discomfort through my head, I try to remember where I am, and what happened, but it hurts to focus and think.

In front of me is a stone wall, slick with moisture and roots running along its crumbling facade, and to my right, another, with a row of yellow industrial lights strung up, casting a harsh glow. I look to my left, hoping to find a door, but when I find Jenica in a chair next to me, restrained the same way, only with ropes bound around her forearms, the memory of what happened comes crashing back to me.

“Shit, Sparky!” I thrash against my restraints, desperate to get to her, but when I hear what sounds like a door opening behind me, I freeze.

The skin on the back of my neck pricks as the hinges creak, and a wall of air hits me as it slams shut. “Mr. Chambers,” a male voice says coolly. “Finally, we meet.”

The sound of footsteps sends my heart pumping with adrenaline, and when a tall, thin man comes into my line of sight, I clench my fists. He’s wearing a tuxedo, sans jacket, and the sleeves of his shirt are rolled up, and it takes all but one second to know who he is.

“I gather by that look in your eyes you know who I am.” He stops in front of Jenica and looks down. “Which means you also know why she is here.”

I stare at him, jaw tight, neither confirming nor denying, as he moves past me and comes to a stop in front of Jenica. He studies her for a second, eyes full of loathing, then reaches for her chin and yanks it up.

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