Page 124 of Cruel Dominion

I rubbed my brow, annoyed. Paulson and I circulated photos of Josh to all Anna’s bodyguards. Even through tinted windows, they should have recognized him. As soon as I found Anna, I’d have them all fired and their careers torched. They’d never work in security again.

“Have the cops found the vehicle?”

“Not yet. I asked Ms. Bailey to let me know as soon as they do. Where are you now?”

I checked my GPS with bleary eyes. “Super 8 by the San Jose airport.”

“Get a room. Seriously, Carter,” she said bossily. “You need at least a few hours of sleep, or you’re going to lose your edge and fuck up when Anna needs you. I can bring you supplies. James and I want to help.”

“I already told you?—”

“Yeah, yeah, stay here in case she comes back. But both of us don’t need to be here.”

“Just stay there. Keep your phone on you and keep me posted on that Prius.”

I hung up on whatever she’d been about to say next.

Blinking awake, I cursed to myself, not realizing I’d fucking fell asleep. I pinched the sleep from my eyes and blinked to look at the time.

Fuck.

Sitting in the passenger seat was a pink and white duffel bag with Summer’s initials embroidered on it. She’d left a note in pristine cursive right on top. I told you to get a room.

I unzipped the bag and found energy bars, water bottles, and a set of clean clothes. The clothes must have belonged to her boyfriend. The hoodie and workout pants weren’t my size or style, but they would fit well enough. The clothes I was wearing reeked by now. I stripped and changed quickly right in the parking lot, not caring if anyone saw me.

I was downing a bottle of water when Paulson’s name appeared on my phone. I picked it up immediately. “What?”

“I think I have a lead,” he said. “A motel just outside San Jose. It was listed as sold last week. Looks like it was purchased by a subsidiary of Porter Holdings.”

Josh’s father’s company.

I was already driving.

“Keep looking, see if you can get security footage or anything useful. I’m on my way there. Send backup and a medic.”

I hung up, putting the location in my GPS.

The Castle Inn was every bit the piece of shit I expected it would be. There were two levels of rooms, each with their own outside entrance. The exterior hadn’t been painted with anything but graffiti in decades, and the parking lot was full of potholes. Several rooms had broken windows covered in cardboard and duct tape.

It looked completely empty. Abandoned. Not a single car in the lot.

Nothing for a mile in either direction.

The perfect place to make someone disappear.

I pulled the pistol from my glovebox before carefully making my way to the first door.

I pressed my ear against it and listened, my skin tingling with anticipation. Nothing. I walked quickly but quietly, not wanting to give anyone who might be inside any heads up that I was coming.

The next three rooms were just as dead silent as the first.

Just before I moved to the final room on this floor, a cold sweat broke out over my back. It was like my intuition was telling me, this was the one. Gripping my pistol, I set my jaw and leaned my ear against the rough wooden pane.

Was that…

A woman sobbed softly, distantly, in the room.

Anna.

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