Page 82 of Sincerely, Your Enemy

“What the fuck is your problem?” The guy TJ just turned into a Frisbee pushes to his feet and lurches at him.

Let me rephrase—the guytriesto lurch at him. TJ easily dodges his attack, catching the guy’s fist in midair and twisting his wrist like it’s a twig.

The guy wails in pain, his eyes bulging out of their sockets when TJ jerks him closer and says, inches from his face, “You’re making out with a sixteen-year-old, you fucking asshole.”

Any twenty-five-year-old with half a brain would back off,but this guy doesn’t seem to take the hint. “Who gives a shit?”

The guy tries to reach for Kelsea, who’s still sitting on the couch, watching the scene unfold. “Come on, baby. Let’s get out of here.”

Disgust crawls down my spine, a sentiment TJ seems to share because the next thing I know, he’s cocking his fist back and punching the guy straight in the nose.

“You’re not taking her anywhere.”

The sicko drops to the floor, unconscious, and no one in the living room even bats an eye, which leads me to believe that violence is an everyday occurrence in these kids’ lives.

Kelsea pushes off the couch the next second, and TJ grips her shoulders. “Where’s Sierra?”

Doubt spreads across Kelsea’s face. “I… I promised I wouldn’t say.”

“Goddamn it, Kelsea, we think this Gabriel guy might be trying to kidnap her. Where is she?”

Color spills from her face. “H-How do you know about Gabriel?”

“It doesn’t fucking matter how we know. She’s in danger,” TJ fires back.

“I… Gabe wouldn’t hurt her. He loves her,” Kelsea argues.

We’re running out of time.

I move closer. “Kelsea, please, youneedto listen to us. Girls have been going missing left and right in the area, and we think my sister’s next. If you’re not going to tell us where she is, then at least tell us what happened.”

Kelsea’s features twist with worry. I can see we’re getting through to her.

Kelsea sighs. “She went to meet up with her boyfriend in the park earlier. I went with her because there was no way I was letting her go alone, just in case. I know they’ve been talking for a long time, but you never know. Once I saw he was who he said he was, I felt better leaving her with him. Then, he asked her to go for a walk around the neighborhood. He said it wouldn’t take long.”

“And how long ago was that?”

“Like, fifteen minutes.”

Wait, so the guy in the pictures really isGabe?

Everything about his profile pointed to him being a catfish, but you’re telling me the profile with no picture really belonged to the blue-eyed college guy?

It’s not entirely impossible that he was telling the truth about not liking social media, I guess…

So, then, why do I still have this sinking feeling in my stomach like something terrible is about to happen?

“What did he look like? This Gabe?” I ask.

“I mean, he looked like his pictures, but he wasn’t as cute as I thought he’d be. He was all sweaty, and he was shaking. It was weird, but I figured maybe he was nervous.”

Okay, none of this is adding up.

“Holy shit,” TJ whispers to himself. “He’s the bait.”

I look up at him. “What?”

“He’s the guy luring them in. The one seducing the girls to get them alone.”

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