Page 119 of The Attraction File

“Edgar. Edgar,” I whispered leaning toward him.

He lifted his head. As Edgar turned toward my voice, I noticed his right eye was red and swollen.

“Oh, Edgar. I’m so sorry.” I tried to hold back the tears but my emotions were raw. I felt tired and wanted this to end. But I had a bad feeling it was just the beginning.

“Evaleen, how are you? What did he do to you?” Edgar’s eyes cemented on my chest as he tightened his jaw. He tried to pull out of his binds. I shook my head.

“It’s no use Edgar. I’ve been trying since I got here.” I forced myself to smile to settle him. “I’m fine. You shouldn’t have tried to find me. You should have gone to the police.”

He turned his head toward where Damien and Dino were before turning back to me. He lowered his voice. “Don’t worry about that. Why do you think I’m here? This is all part of the plan. The CIA and the FBI are outside, but they need to listen in to what’s happening. I’m their microphone.”

“They put a wire on you?”

He nodded.

Oh, thank goodness. Any moment that door would open and the government would come in to rescue us. I felt relief.

As if on cue, the door opened and I heard some voices.

For the first time since I left Mimir, my heart filled with hope. The good guys were here and we would be free at any moment. I forgot about my blouse. I forgot about my father. I only focused on the footsteps moving out of the darkness and the hope they brought in the form of CIA agents.

But I was wrong. Horribly wrong. Trey and Dino moved closer, untouched, smiling, and still with guns strapped to their chests.

How did Trey get back in with the agents outside? I turned to look at Edgar as they were untying us and he gazed at me. Maybe there was a deal and we are being let go.

“Are you letting us go?” I asked.

Both men started to laugh. “Oh, honey, that’s the funniest shit I’ve heard all day. No, we are locking you up so we don’t have to hear your blubbering faces anymore. Then Damien will be able to take care of all of you the way he likes.”

Both men chuckled even louder at that. I had trouble swallowing as bile rose in my throat.

We were taken to a room in the corner and shoved inside. The door closed and it was dark. I couldn’t see anything, but I heard a voice.

“Hello?”

“Mom. Oh, Mom, are you okay?”

“Yes, Evaleen, I am. How are you and the baby? I’m tied up so I can’t come to you.”

My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I made out my mom’s form, seated in the corner with her hands behind her. I went to her and was thankful they untied me just before shoving me in this room so I could hug her.

“What are we going to do, Evaleen?”

“Edgar said agents were outside and going to rescue us. Can you tell them, Edgar? Talk into the wire to let them know we are in a room locked up?”

“Yeah.” He repeated where we were several times but we heard nothing.

We sat there for a while in silence, desperately listening for any clues. Finally, we heard a man’s voice outside the door. The longer we sat there the more dread filled me. Thoughts of the agents being discovered and killed before they could get to us took over my thoughts.

It had been too long. Maybe the wire on Edgar had stopped working when Damien punched him? As much as I wanted to hope for the best, it seemed anytime I thought something good would happen, I turned out to be wrong. Dreadfully wrong.

That voice, the turning of the door knob, I knew it was Damien coming to take the people I love away from me. To use me for his sick gain. I didn’t even want to think about what he would do once he found out I was pregnant.

It opened and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust. He was tall, in a gray T-shirt, with short brown hair and had a gun in a holster tucked under his arm. Another one of Damien’s thugs come to take care of us? I turned to my mom fearful this would be the last time I would be able to lay eyes on her.

“Jagger,” Edgar said.

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