Page 42 of S.O.S. Perk

He took off, and once they were on the road, he eased his grip from her, filled with caution over what she might do. When she didn’t immediately attack him, he began talking. “I’m not a student. I’m an undercover operative working with the FBI.”

Kaelyn snorted, even though he could clearly see her fear. “What makes you think I believe that?” She crossed her arms over her chest protectively.

“Because I know you went to the principal with your concerns about Jeremy, but that before your scheduled meeting with the police, Jeremy somehow managed to lure you away, so the FBI and my team became involved.”

“Anybody could know that stuff,” she scoffed. “I’ve been all over the news.”

So, she’d had access to a TV in her basement hidey-hole,andshe was a news watcher. That would help.

“Okay. How about this.” He went into a short, but succinct explanation of the Jakes’ case the team had just wrapped up, giving her pertinent details that had andhadn’tbeen released to the press.

The girl deflated. “You sound legit. I guess.”

She wasn’t letting her guard down completely, but she sounded more open as she began to speak. “I didn’t want to go with Jeremy, you know, but… He has my dog. He said if I didn’t do what he wanted, he’d kill Blitzy.” Tears filled her eyes.

“Blitzy is just fine,” Perk assured her softly. “She’s with your parents right now. I promise.”

Kaelyn instantly sat up straighter and regarded him with optimistic caution. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

He pulled his burner phone out of his pocket and tossed it into her lap. “Call your mom and dad.”

“At…three in the morning?” She’d glanced at the time on the screen.

“They know what’s going down. They’re actually waiting for you at FBI headquarters,” he said more gently. “Call them and let them know you’re okay. I’m bringing you there to meet up with themandBlitzy, before you’ll all be taken to a safe house. You’ll probably have to testify, though, once this is all wrapped up, so keep that in mind.”

Kaelyn sobbed once, nodded, then sucked in a deep breath and with trembling fingers, dialed the phone.

“Mom?” she managed.

For the next fifteen minutes, Perk got an earful of what the girl had endured in Jeremy’s basement. He wanted to chuckle. The worst of it, it seemed, was the lack of channels on the TV, and the pile of junk food she’d been forced to eat.

“High key first thing I’m going to do is have a major salad,” she sniffled. “And the next time I see Jeremy, I’m going to punch him right in the balls.”

Perk laughed.

That’s when he knew Kaelyn was going to be fine.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Sloane let out a breath when she finally heard that Perk was headed back to the FBI offices. She’d known he could take care of himself, but it hadn’t stopped her from worrying. She’d seen too many simple ops go sideways. And also, if she were honest, some very convoluted feelings were tangled up in her head where Perk was concerned, and she needed him to be okay so that with his help, she could work them out.

Anxiously she watched the door for his arrival while Agent Tertia gave her smug looks every few minutes. Luckily, the rest of the team were focused on Kaelyn’s parents and their dog Blitzy—not that Sloane hadn’t taken time to tickle the mutt under her chin—to take too much note of Sloane’s preoccupation.

When Perk finally walked in flanked by Kaelyn, Sloane wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms. But…

WTF?

“What happened to your face?” she growled.

Kaelyn, looking sheepish, ducked quickly away to be embraced by her parents.

Perk simply gave Sloane a shit-eating grin.

“Girls these days pack a wallop,” he allowed cheekily while running a hand over the shine of a bruise that was forming.

Sloane scoffed. “That’s your excuse?” She wasn’t having any of it. “I’ll have you know that girls havealwaysknown how to take care of themselves. I just didn’t have you pegged as someone who’d be blindsided.”

“What can I say?” Perk shrugged. “I was trying to be a gentleman, not using any undo force when she nailed me.”

---