Page 199 of Master of My Life

“What’s your name?” Sydney asked, petting her hair.

“B-Brittany.”

“Hi, Brittany. This is a pretty horrible place isn’t it?”

She gave a shaky nod.

“We’re going to get you out of here and back to your family as soon as possible. Does that sound

good?”

Brittany nodded.

Chase swallowed and blinked back tears, imagining Sabrina in that same place. If only . . . “Are

there other girls here?” he snapped without thinking.

The girl’s jaw trembled, and she stared at him. He realized his voice was harsh. He took a deep

breath and kneeled by the bed, clenching the gun in his hand by his side. “My name is Chase,” he said

in a gentler tone. “Have you seen any other girls around here?”

“Chase!” Sydney sighed. “She is our job, not some—”

He shot Sydney a look, and she snapped her jaw shut. “If there are other girls here, we’re not

leaving them,” he growled from behind clenched teeth.

Sydney glanced down at Brittany, then gave a curt nod.

He looked back at the girl and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Have you?”

She shook her head and Chase let out a sigh of relief, but then his blood ran cold when she said,

“But I’ve heard them.”

He looked up at Sydney with narrowed eyes and then stood. He ran his hand over Brittany’s

tangled hair. “We won’t leave them here, okay?”

She gave him a small smile.

He spun around and pointed to Dale and Billy. “You come with me and help me find the others.”

He stalked out of the room. A moment later, heavy footsteps followed him.

The air was warm against Sabrina’s face. The room was silent. Maybe what she’d just been through,

maybe Terric, had been a nightmare.

But she wasn’t lying in her bed. She lay on something hard and cool. She tried to move her arms

and legs but couldn’t.

She didn’t want to open her eyes. She wanted to be dreaming at home, safe in the bed she shared

with Chase.

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