The magic wand may sound cool, but I wouldn’t have come this far without having to feel it all. Stepping into the apartment, I strip off my socks and shoes, heading to my room to change.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell them, switching on my light.
Leaving the door open, I strip off my clothes, and dump it all in the hamper. I can hear Bee running to the other room to do the same. Opting for long, purple knee-high socks and a long-sleeved flannel dress, I smile happily as I start to feel warmer.
Gathering my hair up into a cute bun, even with the curls, my laptop catches my eye.
I had it open to do some research on a new chord I was working on my guitar. Jack surprised me with one for my birthday, and it has a place of pride in the room on a stand. I’ve come really far with my playing, but this damn chord is making me insane.
The tab next to it is flashing, showing I have a new email, which is odd since I passed my GED with flying colors and haven’t used it for anything else. Opening it, I see my name at the top of the email.
Dahlia Moore, is this you?
No. I want to scream that Dahlia is dead. The idea of splitting away from a name you’ve been in public your entire life is such an odd one. There’s been comfort in using it with Bee and Jack, but now, I just feel terror as I open it.
There’s more in the body of the text, and I read:
Come out, little girl. No one is going to save you. Maybe I should show your employer what a little whore you are.
I miss my cum dumpster.
There’s a photo of me with wild eyes, in a dark room and naked. I’m sixteen in the shot, and it’s grainy. I don’t remember him taking a photo…
Did he?
A man’s large hand pins my wrists to my back as he rapes me, but you can’t see any identifying features other than the fact that it’s a man. Choking, I turn my face and lose control of my stomach, puking violently onto the floor.
The contents shows my lunch from earlier, and a lot of bile. I can’t stop throwing up as I see the photo in the periphery of my vision. I’m wearing my contacts, so it’s a little distorted, but it’s enough to trigger another violent round.
“What? Dahlia, what’s wrong? Oh fuck!” Bee screams, seeing the photo.
“Don't look,” I choke out. “Oh God, please.”
“Jack!” Bee screams, and everything goes black as I collapse.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jack
Leaning against the door to my bedroom, I gaze at Bee and Dahlia in my bed. I had to strip the other room of bedsheets, scrub the floor, and clean everything to clear the air of vomit. I’ve also called my team and delivered Dolly’s laptop to them, to see if they can figure out who the person was who sent it.
I know it was Gareth, but I fist my hand at the memory of her terror and pain-filled eyes as he snapped the photo. She says she doesn’t remember him doing it, and I believe her.
Now, I need to find a way to nail his balls with this photo, because it’s evidence that she was raped and child pornography. I had to warn Lorrie about what was in the email when I ran downstairs to give it to her.
God, I owe them all huge bonuses for the things I ask them to do.
My phone buzzes in my pants pocket, and I take a shuddering breath as I tear myself away from my girls. Bee and Dolly have their arms wrapped around each other as they sleep. I want nothing more than to crawl in with them, but I can’t. Not yet.
Turning away, I pull my phone out, knowing few people would be calling me at home at ten at night on a Saturday. Today was supposed to be fun.
Gareth is a fucking bastard.
“Hey Greg,” I grunt in a dead voice. My bare feet drag along the carpeted floor, as I grab the bottle of scotch sitting out on the coffee table.
“I’m not going to ask how you’re holding up,” Greg mutters, listening to the cap of the scotch bottle open up. “It’s not going as fast as I want it to. If we just kill him, we risk backlash from people.”
“I know all of that,” I growl, taking a healthy sip of scotch from the bottle. I swallow hard, scowling out at the skyline. “He’s taunting her at this point. I just want to drain his goddamn accounts and let the gang kill him.”