Page 57 of That Emerald Vow

After speaking to Alex, we assemble a team to head to find Walter and Craig. This was the lead we’ve needed all along because now we know exactly where Lily is. The odds that Craig, who became obsessed with Lily, and Walter, a person with a vendetta against Adrian, found each other is insane.

I try calling Charlie again. She was still stuck in the surgery when I tried calling her earlier to tell her about the newest development, knowing she’d want to join. It went straight to voicemail.

“Hey, baby girl, we’re on our way to pick up the package. I think you should go home after hearing this and get ready for your surprise. I’m sure you’ll love it.” I have to speak cryptically just in case anyone overhears the message.

We make it to the giant cabin in the woods where Walter runs his sex ring. He trafficks high-risk women and brings them here to forced prostitution and sometimes even sells them overseas. Lily’s definitely not his target demographic, but it seems like he kidnapped her as a personal favor to Craig.

We make our way into the cabins. One half of the team has instructions to take care of all the guards, while the other half is there to take care of the men paying for the women’s services, ensuring the girls’ safety. They all know what Lily looks like and to notify us as soon as they find her—if we don’t find her first. Adrian’s primary targets are Walter and Craig, and I’m his backup.

The cabin is one floor, split by the living room and kitchen, with each wing holding several bedrooms. We aren’t detected, as most of the peopleare with one of the girls in the bedrooms in the right wing. We take them out one by one with our silencers—not that we need them. The music is blasting in this place so loud, I can’t hear myself think.

I move the curtain for the next room, and the woman sitting on the bed’s eyes bulge out in fear. The man in front of her is facing away from me, so he doesn’t notice me entering the room and is probably used to seeing fear in those he rapes. Putting my finger over my mouth for the woman, I pull my gun and aim for his head.

The woman gasps in fear, which alerts the guy to turn to look. I pull the trigger, not giving him a moment to even process what’s going on. Moving my finger away from the trigger, I put my hands up. “We’re not here to hurt you. We’re only here to help.” She nods her head but doesn’t seem to believe me. Aria, one of our team members, comes in, and her presence seems to ease some of the tension the woman is feeling. “My friend Aria here will help get you to safety, okay?” I leave them and go into the hallway to further my search.

Mike comes out of one of the rooms saying, “Damon, you’ll want to take a look at this.” I follow him into an office-like room and see there’s an open filing cabinet. It contains files on every person who frequents this house of horrors to prey on these women, including their names. Bile rises at my throat at the thought as my hands clench into fists.

“Looks like we have a long list of assholes to catch.”

I start quietly reading through the list in alphabetical order by first name. My eyes stop around the letter D and pick out the file that caught my attention.Bingo!

Looking at Mike, I say, “Pack this room up and bring it to our place. But this folder”—I hand him the file I pulled—“this one goes on my desk.”

“Yes, sir.”

I head towards the door, ready to pummel some faces in. One man istrying to make a run for it as I leave the room, and I grab him by his hair and he trips over his own legs. Yanking him back, I ask, “Where are you going?”

“Please let me go.”

“Not a chance,” I say wickedly as I pull out my switchblade. “I just found something important, and until I can seek revenge on him, you’ll do.” I take it and slit his throat slowly, making sure it’s facing the other way, then I go through each room on my side and kill whoever’s left. The killing helps ease some of the electric current under my skin.

I head back to where I left Adrian and find him coming back from the other end. We circle the living room. “I can’t find her anywhere!” My heart is running rampant with worry for Lily and seeing my best friend distressed. We have to find her. She has to be here.

Walter comes out from one of the doorways we haven’t checked yet with a redhead. “Walter!” Adrian shouts as the vein in his forehead ticks. “Where the fuck is Lily?”

Walter is smirking. “Took you long enough. We had so much fun with our friend, Lily.” He puts his arm around the redhead. “Didn’t we, Cherry?”

“You asshole!” Adrian says before shooting.

Walter gets shoved back by the momentum of the bullet as it hits his shoulder. “Ugh!” he groans.

He goes to shoot again, but this time, Walter shoves Cherry in front of him with his good arm. The bullet hits her in the chest, and she immediately falls to the ground.

“No!” Adrian and I both scream. That’s when I notice movement behind the curtain at the same time he does.Fuck.He will use every single woman here as a potential shield. There’s only a few feet between him and the curtain to the right.

Adrian and I both exchange a quick glance and nod as we empty ourclips into him before he can move a single muscle. It isn’t the death he deserved, but we weren’t going to risk another person dying.

Three of the women carefully come out from behind the curtain. “Are you gonna hurt us too?”

I try to give a reassuring smile. “No, we’re here to help. We’re actually looking for someone.”

“Do you know Lily?” Adrian asks.

“Yes! She’s our friend,” one of the girls with scars littering her body says. “She went to the room all the way in the back with . . . with Tony.” The girl quickly covers her own scars.Fuck. What has Lily been through?Adrian runs through the curtain down the hallway.

Some of our team members walk through with other women that were down the same hallway behind the curtain. “They will help you to gather anything you want to take and take you to a safehouse, okay? And then to wherever you want. We’ll help you.”

“Okay. Thank you,” she says, hesitantly. Her eyes are darting between each member of my team and the other women. They huddle close together to find comfort.

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