Page 69 of Beautiful Revenge

I scoff. “You guys can follow behind them to make sure they don’t stray.”

“And if they do?” Dylan questions.

I think about it for a moment. “Then abduct them once you’re in the middle of nowhere. It will just look like they’ve dumped their car for another one.” I frown. “You may have to drug them if that happens. We can’t have the area of the so-called swap to look like a scuffle occurred.”

“I think drugging them is the only option if we go that route, then shove them in the trunk. No way I’m looking at them for the drive,” Dev grumbles.

“What about you?” Dylan asks me once I’ve sat down again, but before I can answer, my phone rings.

I look at the number, wondering who could be calling me at this hour, when my breath catches in my throat.

“It’s Sophie,” I tell them before answering the phone and putting it on speaker. “Hello?”

There’s a beat of silence before she answers. “H-hi,” she greets, sniffling. “I don’t know if you remember me, but… you gave me your c-card days ago,” she says, sounding so small.

“Sophie?” I ask gently. She introduced herself to me in class last night.

“Yes,” she whispers.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“You… you said if I e-ever needed help to call.” She sniffles again, and I look at my guys.

“I did, Sophie. Does your mommy know you’re calling me right now?” I ask, wondering if there’s an extra thing we will have to cover.

“No,” she says softly. “She’s sleeping.”

I let out the breath I was holding. “Okay. That’s okay, sweetheart. Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

“He makes me do things,” she cries, and I feel the anger rushing through me again.

“Who? Who makes you do things, Sophie?” I ask, wondering if she will tell me.

“My neighbour. He says… he says he loves me, but I don’t like it,” she says through broken tears.

“Okay, Sophie. I am so proud of you for telling me,” I praise, remembering not to call her a good girl after that asshole said it to her.

“I can’t tell Mommy,” she cries. “H—he said he’d hurt her if I told anyone.” Her sobs get louder.

“Listen to me, sweetheart. Can you open your ears for me?” I question, needing her to pay attention.

“Y-yes,” she whispers.

“I’m going to fix this for you, okay? He’ll never touch you again, but I need you to promise never to tell anyone. Can you do that, Sophie?” It’s a risk. I know it is. She’s only six, but I also remember the secrets I had to keep at her age.

“You’ll make sure he never touches m-me again?” she asks, her tears slowing.

“I promise, Sophie.”

“Okay,” she whispers. “Wh—what do I have to do?”

I blow out a breath, closing my eyes to steady myself before responding.

“Nothing, sweetheart. I’ll take care of everything, okay? Just don’t tell anyone you called me tonight. Can you do that?”

“Yes,” she cries softly, relief and exhaustion clear in her voice.

“Get some sleep, Sophie. I’ll protect you.”

Once we hang up, Dylan doesn’t waste time. He hacks into Candice’s phone, deleting our call from its history before hacking into the phone company’s records to make sure that call never happened.

“Time to get to work.” Devon jumps to his feet, moving to pull me close. “We’ll get them, baby.”

I nod against his chest, hugging him tight. “I know. I know.”

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