Page 36 of Playing For Keeps
“I gather intel and evidence. I hand it over to my contact on very limited days. And I’m not sure when those days are.”
“That makes no sense. How does that work?”
“It’s random. When I’m out running errands for Mort, my connection finds me, and we duck away for no more than ten minutes. I dump all the information I can during those meetings.”
“You mean to tell me you let girls get taken by thesehorrible people?” A new level of fear cascades over me. “Do you hurt these girls too?”
“No, I don’t touch them.” His expression tightens. “Like I told you earlier. The way I help isn’t so cut and dry. That’s why I try to get as much information as I can out of all of you.”
“How is that enough?”
“It’s not, but it’s better than nothing. If I can give the agency some details about these girls and where they were auctioned, then maybe we can find them.” He lowers his head. “I’m the only hope they’ve got.”
A puff of exasperation comes out with my laugh. “Some hope that is.”
“If I can help find one, I’m doing better than most.”
Mort’s voice barrels through the door. “What’s taking so long, Xander?”
“We’re coming out now. She couldn’t piss.” He tips his head toward the door. “Come on. We need to go.”
He takes my chains and leads me out the door and toward my room. We pass Mort in the hall, and his gaze travels down my body.
He licks his lips and whistles as I go by. “Just wait until we take you at the same time, and you’ll understand who owns you.”
A thick roll of nausea twists in my stomach. Now that I know Xander doesn’t have access to anyone unless they reach out to him, I can’t help but collapse into the hopelessness of it all.
A flash of burning energy strikes me and I glare at Mort. “You’ll never own me.”
He yanks my head back by my hair. “What’s it gonna take to get you to understand?”
I lean against the brick wall while trying to calm my nerves. I pushed Mort too far, and he’s about to snap.
“They have to find me.” I send telepathic messages to Jami.
Please get help and do it fast. If you don’t, we’ll never see each other again.
Sasha stirs next to me. “We’re lucky they haven’t drugged us today.”
“Why would you say that?”
“I’ve been drugged every day since I got here. They only let me have something to eat and drink. Then I get to use the bathroom before I’m out for the rest of the day.”
“Maybe they’re still going to.”
She sighs. “That could be, but I haven’t been awake this long since I’ve been here.”
My stomach hardens. Maybe they need us to be coherent so they can lead us to this auction I keep hearing about.
“That does it.” I rise to my feet and scan the area of my room. “It’s got to be somewhere.”
“What?”
“Something that will get us the fuck out of here.” I get to my knees and lift my mattress.
I reach under it and paw around. Nothing. My chest grows heavy.
“What are you doing?” Sasha whispers.
