Page 53 of Beautiful Revenge

They used a false name when signing up for the class. We knew they probably had, but Dylan is struggling to track that little girl and her mom down. With each day that passes, I get a little bitchier about the whole thing.

I know the mother didn’t seem that worried, but I saw the fear in the little girl’s eyes, and knowing she is living with that daily is killing me. I don’t know what’s been happening to her, but I know Iwillstop it.

“Brie, I think I’ve got something,” Dylan says from the other side of the living room where he has his computer set up tonight.

“On the little girl?” I ask, jumping to my feet and rushing toward him.

“Yeah, but it’s not what we expected.” He swallows, watching me nervously before shooting a worried look at Devon.

“What are you talking about?” I look between them. “What did you find?” I question, a feeling of anxiousness settling in my stomach.

“The little girl’s name is Sophie Price. Her mother’s name is Candice. But they don’t have anyone in their immediate life that I can find as a direct threat.” He frowns. “Candice is a single mom who works a lot to help take care of her sick father, but he’s in a home,” he explains. “And the father isn’t in the picture as far as I can tell. I’ll look into him and make sure he isn’t a threat, though it’s unlikely.”

So, who is Sophie so afraid of? She’s much too young to be on her own. Maybe a babysitter? “Do we know where she’s staying when Candice is at work? And exactly how old is Sophie?” I ask.

“Sophie is six. And no, we don’t know who she’s staying with. Not exactly, anyway. If I had to guess, I would say it’s probably one of their neighbours,” Dylan says, looking toward Devon again.

“Why do you keep looking at me?” Dev asks, and I have the same question.

Dylan winces. “Brie, I need you to take a deep breath before I get you to look at this,” he states.

“Why? Look at what?” I ask quietly, that ball in my stomach getting bigger.

Devon is quiet as he walks around the desk to look at Dylan’s computer before taking in a sharp breath. Oh, fuck. That’s not good.

“What? What is it?” My voice shakes with uncertainty. They aren’t usually this delicate with me, so I know whatever it is has to be big. I just can’t fathom what it could be.

“You know how your mom just kind of… disappeared when you were little?” Dylan hedges, and my eyes widen.

“Yeah. I kind of assumed Dad killed her.” I take a deep breath. “Why are you bringing her up?”

Devon runs his hands down his face before walking back over to take me into his arms. “Because I think my brother just found her,” he whispers into my hair, holding me tight as I start to shake.

“What?” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Brie,” Dylan says, moving from the desk to come up behind me. “If this is your mother, we have a bigger problem.”

Fuck. No, it can’t be my mother. Right? If she was still alive, she couldn’t have left me alone with him. That wouldn’t be possible.

I sigh, shaking as they hold me tight.

Of course, it’s possible. I know the darkness and depravity humans are capable of better than most.

“Show me,” I demand, taking a deep breath to settle my nerves.

“Brie, remember. Even if it is your mother, we don’t know for certain that she’s the one watching Sophie,” Dylan says gently.

“But we will go over there and do some snooping to find out,” Devon adds on. “We won’t get out of the car, but we can take up watch for the day to see if that’s where Sophie goes when Candice is working.”

“That’s a good idea whether it is my mother or not,” I say, closing my eyes and taking another deep breath before opening them to look at Dylan’s laptop.

For a moment, I feel frozen. Numb. I don’t remember much about my mother, but Dad had shown me her picture a few times growing up. He kept insisting he would make sure I was never to turn out like her.

Her face is one I could never forget. And looking at her right now is something I wasn’t prepared for.

“Th—that’s her,” I whisper, a mixture of anxiety and dread filling me. “How is this possible?” I question, and Dylan clicks a few other things on his computer before her information comes up.

“It looks like she ran from your father and changed her name. She created a whole new identity,” he explains, and I frown.

---