Page 158 of Two Guys, a Girl, and a Tripod

“You told me we’d have fun with her.”

I close my eyes against Jesse’s words. These fucking brothers. Ruining my goddamn life even after I ran halfway across the country to leave Caleb’s violent ass. I want to scream. I want to rage and break things and push Caleb and his cunt of a brother off the goddamn roof.

When I open my eyes again, Caleb is grinning. He obviously believes he finally got a reaction from me. He has to know that it was Jesse who did it, though. Has to know that it wasJesse’swords that forced a response.

Jesse’s hand falls on my shoulder, but I don’t look at it. I focus my eyes on the graffiti on the window, memorizing it like it’s a beautiful piece of art in a museum. The hand on my shoulder slides toward my neck, leaving a trail of decidedly creepy goosebumps in its wake. When he reaches the back of my neck, Jesse moves quickly, fisting my hair, his grip tight. He yanks backward and I hiss, squeezing my eyes shut against the pain.

“Look at me, you worthless bitch.”

No.I refuse.

“I fucking saidlookat me.”

Jesse’s fingers begin to pry open one of my eyelids. Caleb laughs in front of me and I give in, opening my eyes to avoid further pain or worse. Jesse stares down at me, grimacing–or maybe smiling? With him, it’s hard to tell. He looks like his brother, onlyseveral inches taller. His muscular build doesn’t seem to have suffered during their stay in LA and I wonder if Jesse has been here the whole time or if that’s what Caleb was waiting for. Maybe that’s why it took him so long to act. He needed his guard dog.

“I dunno what my brother ever saw in you,” Jesse mutters, studying me. I notice his eyes stray to my tank top.

“She was a good little slut for me,” Caleb muses. I can’t look at him with Jesse’s hand still stuck in my hair. “Until she started fucking other people.”

“That was forwork,” I snarl. Fuck being silent. I supported his chronically unemployed ass.

“Don’t lie.” Jess pulls harder on my hair. “You liked it. You wanted to make a fool of my brother.”

“Shut up, Jesse.”

“I don’t think your brother likes that,” I sneer. It earns my hair another tug. If Jesse doesn’t let up, he’s going to rip it out in chunks, but I can’t stop now. “Are you just gonna keep insulting me all day?”

Jesse finally lets go of my hair.

“Still too early to start the real fun,” says Caleb, glancing out the window.

The blindfold descends over my eyes and then a ball gag is being shoved into my mouth, forcing my jaw open. It’s buckled behind my head and then I’m left alone. Whether the Davis brothers actually leave or simply remain silent over the next few hours, I’m not sure. It gives me time to swing between rage and despair. Rage at Caleb for ruining a life I worked hard to construct and despair that I’ll never again feel Miles’ hands on my face or Brody’s arms around me.

42

Brody

“Well?” Miles paces my office. He hasn’t left since we spoke with Mel earlier.

She refused to grant me access to our systems again, giving me no way to help or even follow her team’s footsteps in tracking down Sophie.

I shush Miles with a wave of my hand, and switch to speakerphone, setting the phone on the desk.

“These brothers are a piece of work,” says Mel.

“We knew that,” I mutter, frustrated. “Mel, please. It’s been hours.” There’s no point trying to keep the desperation from my voice.

“We found her car at a coffee shop near her apartment. I have someone driving it over to your place.”

“She wasn’t in it?” I demand.

“Brody.” Mel sighs and my stomach drops. My mouth goes dry. Is that a good sigh or a bad sigh?

“What is it?”

“My team thinks they’ve found her.” Mel is quiet and I wonder, yet again, who this team is that she assigned Sophie’s safety to. “I have someone heading to you. He’s ex-military.”

“What? Why is he coming here?” I frown at the phone.

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