Page 25 of Dauntless

“Sure. Let me get my phone so that I can take down your number,” she said. “I should have offered you coffee. I’ve been rude.”

I waved my hand. “It’s okay. I came unannounced. I’m just grateful you spoke with me. I wish I understood why The Agency wants to destroy me.”

“You mustn’t think of them as wanting to destroy you,” she said smoothing the back of her chair. “Women have grown so far from their purpose. They forget they were created to serve man’s needs.”

I bit my cheek hard to stop myself from challenging her. After all, I hadn’t come to question her beliefs, though I found them annoying, I rose and accidentally knocked the tissue box I had handed to her earlier, and we both bent down to pick it up. She moved her sleeve back to her elbow, and I froze. Her wristband. It wasn’t black like the one I had worn on the boat. Rather, it was gold, with a tiny jeweled heart-shaped lock.

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Our eyes met, and she gave a short shake of her head.

“It’s not what you think,” she said. “It only came about after I got out of rehab. I met someone that was a member, and with his help, I turned my life around. I’m off drugs. I have a beautiful home, friends and a community. I can’t have kids but always wanted them. No one would let me in my past life, but now I’m about to adopt twins…. The Agency isn’t bad. My life was ruined, and now it’s better. There are bad people in good places just like there are good people in bad places.”

“Your friend, Angel was tortured,” I said. “Her mind is gone, and all you can say is your life is better?”

“I’m sorry for Angel,” she said. “Everyone is upset by what happened to her. It goes against The Agency’s policies. I’m living proof. The blame is not The Agency’s, but the bad people using it in a way it wasn’t meant to be… I think you should go now.”

I pressed my lips together. There was no use in trying to change her mind. In her eyes, the man that was keeping her saved her. “Yes, I believe I should. I know I can’t talk you out of it, but if you ever feel threatened or scared, please get help.” I was on the patio when she called out to me.

“Please tell Angel I’m sorry, and I love her,” she said. “I hope everything works out for you.”

“It will, but I believe you should tell Angel that yourself. She needs support now more than ever. Thank you for talking to me.”

I went back to the car with Tove, and when we were on the road, I called Elliott to share my conversation with Loren.

“Cash is, of course, hard to trace. We investigated drug connections and came back with nothing, but suspected she met with whoever was involved before she left New York City.”

“So, you got nothing from our talk?” I said glumly.

“Not exactly,” he said. “She showed she’s a member. So now we put the pressure on her to give up more for the case.”

I didn’t want to disrupt her life, but a part of me believed she could do more to help her friend.

“I had hoped it would have given more. Maybe if it had, you might have considered me for a new career at your private investigation company,” I mused.

“Nope, but it’s good to hear you make jokes,” he said. “But jokes aside, you’re good at Perfetto. You’ll have your life back soon enough.”

I wanted that too. I planned to work harder and figure out how I could triumph. For now, I had no control, and that was what hurt me the most. Anyone at any time could bring up the naked video of me. So once again, I wanted to be unknown or, more importantly, unseen. I just didn’t know how.

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