Page 48 of Loki
“But you’ll understand my reason for having you come here. And it will be well worth it. Come on.”
I stepped out of his embrace, and he grasped my hand. “Prospect, lock the doors and wait outside.”
“Sure thing, Prez.”
Joshua pulled me down a narrow hallway and a shiver ran down my spine when I noticed the large metal doors at the end.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise,” he said, looking over at me smiling.
When we reached the double metal doors, he pushed through them. We stepped into a larger room that had a table along with a sink, and some kind of machine sitting next to a tray that had scalpels, and other tools on it.
“What’s this room?” I asked as we walked through to the other side where there was another door.
“This is the embalming room,” he said, as he opened the door.
“Ew,” I mumbled, and his deep chuckle echoed off the sterile walls.
That was another reason I hated places like this. Even the echoing sounds were a reminder this place was lifeless. A place of death. A place of grief.
We walked down another narrow hallway, my hand still in his. And the closer we got to the door the more anxiety rose inside me. I didn’t know if it was because I hated funeral homes, or if it was because I had no idea why I would have a surprise here.
Joshua opened the door, and immediately I noticed the temperature difference. It wasn’t unbearably hot, but it was definitely hotter.
New York caught my attention as he leaned against the wall, engrossed in his phone, a frown etched on his face. I could understand why Lila was infatuated with him, despite the age gap, the man was undeniably attractive.
“This is the crematorium portion of the funeral home,” Joshua said, drawing my attention away from New York.
“Okay…but where’s my surprise?”
Why the hell did he have me at the crematorium?
“Where is she, New York?”
Pushing off the wall, New York quickly slid his phone into the back pocket of his jeans before motioning for us to follow along.
When we rounded the corner, I stopped in my tracks, letting out a gasp.
“Is that her?” I asked, unable to take my eyes off the woman who was going to let her husband do whatever the fuck he wanted to do to me.
“Yes,” Joshua said, as New York snatched gray tape from her mouth. “I thought you might want to be here when we find out where Decker is.”
I gazed at him. I hadn’t thought of anything but taking Decker down. After going through my notes and putting my story together, I’d come to the point where I didn’t give a fuck what happened to anyone who was involved in this sex trafficking ring. I hoped the Sinners found every one of them.
“Thank you.”
He nodded. “You stay over here. I don’t know how messy this will get.”
He pecked me on the lips, then he walked over to Samantha Decker who was on the verge of a breakdown. She didn’t even look like herself, with her curly red hair. If she had changed her appearance, it was likely her husband had done the same.
Joshua stood in front of her and crossed his arms over his body. “Where is your husband?”
She glared at him then spit. It landed at Joshua’s feet, and a wave of fury washed over me. I rushed towards her, but New York grabbed me before I could reach her, then pulled me away.
“You bitch!” I struggled against New York’s hold. “Let me go!”
“Let him handle it,” New York whispered in my ear. “She’ll shut down with you because you are one of the women her husband fantasizes about. We’ll never find him.”
