Page 22 of Hunted Innocence

Then he shoves his hand in his pocket and takes out his phone. He touches the screen a few times before he holds it to his ear.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“No, nothing.

“I don’t know what the fuck she did with it. It’s been five years. She may have tossed it.”

“I haven’t been able to get to her. Those fucks have had her under lock and key.”

He snorts. “Don’t worry. Either they got tired of her, or they think I’m no longer a threat. They’ve loosened their rein. I’ll get to her.”

“I know I’m running out of time. You want it, you’re going to have to have some goddamn patience.”

“Yes, you can use her when I’m done teaching her a lesson.”

“Bye.”

He turns around in a circle in the middle of the living room, then shakes his head and leaves the same way he came in, through the front door. Trying to keep my anger at bay, my control in check, is a harder task than I ever thought possible. Because right now, I want to find this motherfucker and kill him.

I want to turn him inside out.

“I’m not even going to respond to some of that,” I grind out.

Theron clears his throat. “What is he looking for?” he asks without commenting on theusing and teaching her a lessonportion of our surveillance.

“I don’t know.”

We sit in silence for a few moments. I debate calling Vaughn, because other than me, he’s been the most invested in all of this. With his ties to the dark web and all that shit, I’m pretty sure that he would be the only one who might know something.

“I think there is more to find out about Landon and Nadine. Again, she has not been truthful, which is making it difficult to continue with this. I know we’re obligated because of the deal we made with the Night Devils. But I don’t like the way this is sitting.”

I agree. I don’t like the way this is sitting, either. “I’m going to talk to Vaughn and see if he can dig anything up at all. I don’t anticipate anything because I feel like we’ve exhausted all possible avenues of research on this fuck.”

Holding up my hand, I stop him from leaving as I remember what Nadine said. He would let other men use her. That isn’t normal. That’s more than just control. If he wanted her for controlling purposes, it would be the way I feel about her.

It would be touching. That is Ravet shit. When she said it, flashbacks of my own teenage years started coming and going.

“See if Vaughn can connect Landon with Ravet.”

Even from the goddamn grave this man is trying to ruin our lives. Theron’s eyes widen, then his brows snap together. “What the fuck do you mean?” he demands.

“Exactly what I said. Something she said makes me think we need to check that connection. It’s probably nothing.”

“But it could be something.”

“Possibly.”

“What could she have that he wants?” Theron asks.

Shaking my head, I clear my throat and tap my finger on the desk again. “I’m not sure. Something small, though. Possibly a thumb drive or something like that.”

“Fuck,” Theron hisses. “If that’s the case, and he’s connected to Ravet, this could go higher.”

“This could connect some dots.”

I don’t want any of these dots ever to be connected, not when it comes to Nadine. But it would make sense. Theron runs his fingers through his hair and leaves the room without saying anything else.

Staying seated, I stare at the computer screens, but I’m not seeing anything. All I can do is think about Ravet, Landon, and Nadine. Landon works for ATF… or worked. Ravet traffickedpeople. Nadine was sold to Landon. It all fits. I don’t want it to, but it does.

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