Page 72 of Knot Innocent

Knot takes a long draw from his coffee before speaking. “I’ve been doing this shit for a long time. Long enough to recognize when a man is blaming himself for something he couldn’t control.”

“Bullshit. I let him get to her. I was thirty feet away and let the bastard take Birdie right from under my fucking nose.”

“Maybe, but we still wouldn’t have a lead without you. Not even Birdie had this guy on her radar.”

I shake my head in denial, knowing I caused that, too. “She would have seen him coming if I hadn’t told her to stop hunting without me. I found him easily once I got into her computer, and I’m a dumbass.”

Knot doesn’t argue. He shoves the untouched sandwich at me and says, “Eat. That’s an order, sailor.”

I choke down a few bites, but that’s it. Something about finding Hiller so easily gnaws at me. I can’t put my finger on it, so I stow the feeling away for another time. Finding Birdie is all that matters right now. Anything else to come up will have to be dealt with as it happens.

My eyes shift to check my watch again. Three and a half hours that bastard’s had her.

Birdie

With the flick of his wrist, Dolion unbuckles his heavy alligator belt, pulling it free in one motion. “Despite my earlier fine wine comment, my palette prefers a different taste. Let’s transform you into the fifteen-year-old you like to flaunt online.”

Transfixed on that belt and worried about how he’ll use it, I almost missed what he said. “Wait. How do you even know about that?”

He shrugs as though he’s got all the time in the world. “When you hunt as the bigger fish instead of as bait, you get bigger prey. I scroll through places where like-minded individuals share their stories, their conquests. I hit the jackpot one night when someone shared your picture with the online group. He bragged about how he had you begging for his cock and that he convinced you to meet with him. The idiot even gave up the location and time.

“Imagine my surprise when I saw every fantasy I ever had in that dark web forum. On top of that, to learn that you never left the area. What can a man do when presented with such temptation, I ask? I moved back to my hometown and went to the meeting location. I saw you arrive with a team of cops, and I swear, I was transported back fifteen years. I’ve been studying you ever since.”

If it weren’t for holding onto the chain, my hand would be at my mouth. “It was you. You’re the one in the blue car. You drugged me at the dog park.”

Again, with the shrugging. “The sudden appearance of the big ape made me a little crazy, and I got careless. When I tracked you to work Tuesday morning and the guy left a short while later, I kept an eye on things. You didn’t return home, so I figured he was gone for a while. That’s when I delivered the flowers.”

“You delivered them?”

“That’s the fun part. When visiting my parents, I sometimes help them out in their flower shop like I did growing up.”

Shit. The florist shop was always going to be a dead end. This guy has been in this game for fifteen years, perfecting his craft. Everything about the flowers was expertly planned with the mind of a brilliant psychopath.

We couldn’t get a photo of him at Knot’s security gate, but I don’t think it would have mattered. This guy was ready for anything. He’s not listed as one of the florist employees, and I’m betting there aren’t any photos of him in the shop.

Even if the police thought to take a closer look at the florist, Dolion could have claimed that the order went to Knot Corp as a mistake. It’s not like my name was on the card or anything. Dolion just gave my name to the guard. Or he could have set up a cash order under a fake name and address to back up his story. That would mean the police would waste more time chasing a false lead.

I’m guessing Dolion, the successful businessman, has been a model son, and neither the police nor his parents would have no reason to question his story. The florist angle would then be dismissed, and there would be no trace to lead Bastien to me.

To sum it all up, I have no chance in hell of being found.

“You beat me with flowers.”

“And what a sweet victory, though I never expected it to work out so well. Right now, half the city is chasing their tails, looking into a lead I handed them on a silver platter. Don’t worry. They’ll find their suspect, but they won’t find you.”

Dolion straightens the blanket on the bed. “That’s enough talking now. You need a bath so we can do something about your hair.”

Dolion walks to a deeper part of the room where an old, clawfoot tub stands near an open bathroom. He turns on the taps to fill the ancient tub and crooks two fingers at me. “Your chain will reach.”

I don’t move. I can’t. My feet simply will not budge. Wrapping the belt around his closed fist, Dolion warns, “I suggest you do not keep me waiting.”

No part of me wants to get an inch closer, but I recall Bastien’s and Spatch’s advice. Wait for the best time to strike. A fight at the wrong time is too easily lost. I drop the chain, jumping at the loud sound it makes hitting the floor. And then I force my feet to move, shuffling toward the steaming tub.

Arriving at the edge, I play my only strategy. “I can’t get undressed with this chain on. You’ll have to unshackle me.”

Dolion’s answering grin is fucking scary. “Nice try.”

He produces a pair of scissors from his pocket and dangles some of the thick leather belt to emphasize his point. “Don’t move, or I will stripe your ass.”

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