Page 34 of Out to Find Freedom

Once inside the front door, I spotted Travis sitting on the couch. Before I could say anything, Vi dropped her arm, turned to me, and yelled, “Now tell me why I should forgive you for making out with my brother, Jackson. My brother!”

Grinding my teeth together, I mouthed, “You fuckin’ bitch.”

“Emmie, sweetheart, I told you already I didn’t know it was him. It was dark. I thought it was you climbing into bed, not him.”

Travis snorted softly.

Her lips thinned to stop from laughing. “I don’t know if I can believe you.”

“Come here, let me make it up to you.” I lifted a finger to my lips and jerked my head towards the stairs. I started for them, and Violet let out a loud moan before she tipped my damn lamp off the side table. It crashed to the floor and she cried out, “Yes, He-Man, yes.”

For fuck’s sake.Guess at least she was selling me as being good in the sack.

Shaking my head, I walked up the stairs knowing they’d both follow me. I took them into the study on the far side of the house, away from next door. When we were all in, I shut the door. Violet went to my desk and sat behind it. Travis parked his arse on the edge near her. Great, I was going to have to disinfect the hell out of it.

“A couple of weeks ago, I got a text late one night from an unknown number. She wouldn’t tell me how she got it but that she just wanted to reach out. The name she gave me was Emmie.” There was no fucking way I’d tell them it was because my singing “soothed” her. “I looked into the people around my house and came up empty-handed. I tried to find out more, but she backed off. It was somethin’ in her text that had me concerned for her. I couldn’t pin it down, until just before I called you.” I paced, running a hand through my hair. “When she stopped communicating, I kept messagin’ her random shit to see if she’d open up. She didn’t. Not a single message back. But that changed when earlier, I went out on my back deck and started calling her name. She frantically texted me tellin’ me to be quiet. That was when Lenny, the dickhead next door, came out. Thought it was strange he’d appear after me being here for nearly two months. He questioned who I was yellin’ out to. I got a read on him that something was up. I asked if he was alone. He said his woman was out. I acted as if my pretend girl, Emily, was gonna give me shit, said I’d be lookin’ for something else, that maybe his woman would know someone. Thing was, when he’d said his woman was out, I caught movement in their basement window.”

“Fuck,” Travis clipped.

“Who is she?”

“Don’t have a fuckin’ clue. She won’t tell me anything. She’s scared. I know that much. They’ve got something over her or are threatenin’ her with something.”

“You want her out?” Vi queried.

“Fuck yes, but I need to make sure she’ll be safe when it happens. Need to know what they’ve got that’s keepin’ her wanting to be locked up.”

“You know for certain she’s locked up?” Violet asked.

“Never seen anyone around that house except for those two fuckers. I got a good indication she’s trapped down there.”

“How do you want to lead this?”

“Got Lan looking into them. See what he can find out. Spoke to Butch. He’s on my other case following the lead. For now, we need to watch the house, and I’m gonna try and talk to her some more through text.”

“Do you have any more information from Emmie?”

“She says she’s safe. Gotta believe it for now. Says she’s thirty, but not sure if I can believe that. I told her I could get her out. She said no. Not yet.”

“Which is why you think they have something over her,” Travis commented.

I nodded. “We need to set up cameras, front and back. I have some equipment here, but I’ll need more.”

“I’ll make a trip to work, grab what you need. Make a list.”

I went to my desk and grabbed a pen and paper, jotting down what I’d need.

“If you don’t have everything at work, I’ll get Link on to finding it,” Travis said. Link was his man. Heard of the guy, just hadn’t met him. I grunted in response.

My phone vibrated. Dropping the pen, I took it out and my chest tightened.

“It’s her,” I bit out.

“What did she say?” Violet asked.

“Please know I appreciate your offer for help, but I can’t accept it. I won’t have anyone else hurt because of me. You need to stay away from Lenny and Gloria. Stay safe, Warden. One day I will get out of here, away from them. But until then, I can’t communicate anymore. I promise I’ll be free one day. One way or another. You’ve helped me by talking to me. I’ll always treasure the small gift you’ve given me, but please, please, Warden, stay away and be safe. I won’t let them darken your door again. If you just go on with your days as you were and pretend I don’t exist, it would be better for all of us. Thank you, and I’m sorry.” I gripped the phone. If I didn’t need it, I would have fucking crushed the damn thing or thrown it.

“She doesn’t want anyone else hurt because of her,” Violet said. “Who have they hurt?”

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