Page 41 of Redemption

Desperate though I am to see her and check she’s okay, I decide to wait for her to come back. I don’t even know which building she went into.

Pulling my phone free, I message Ryder to let him know I found her. Then I message Seb and check in on work. He tells me that Jay is in London still doing the escort agency job and that neither him nor Dean have had any luck with the email address for the videos I received.

Needing some fresh air, I exit the car, leaning against the side and scroll through the news app on my phone. The air is crisp and fresh this morning after a heavy downpour last night, and the sun is even attempting to break through the dingy clouds.

I stop my scrolling when a picture of Jess in that stunning dress she wore last night appears. But it’s not her or the dress that catches my eye and has my lungs squeezed free of air, it’s the headline and the married couple in the picture next to hers.

Chaos and Scandal at the Collins’ Charity Ball.

Twenty-Three

Jess

I pull up to the building where Lottie and I were taken from, and a lick of fear runs up my spine as memories of that day slip into my mind. Shaking it off, I step from the car and climb the steps to the entrance.

I take a few minutes to scan the intercom, noting there is no name next to the button for the second floor. The business on the first floor looks to be offering some sort of therapy or advice for people with addiction.

I reach out to push the button for the first floor, hoping to blag my way in when the door opens. A young girl, late teens, steps out with her head down and wearing a well-worn dark hoodie, which at some point in time used to be black but is now a dull grey, pulled up over her head. Her jeans are ripped and not in the fashionable sense, and the sole of one trainer is flip flopping open at the front.

Raising her head slightly when she senses me there, I catch a glimpse of her gaunt face, the dark circles under her eyes and sallow skin.

She holds the door for me, and I step past, thanking her as I go.

“I wouldn’t go in there if I was you, lady,” she warns, then hurries off down the street before I can ask her what she means. She’s probably high as a kite.

During my time as a cop, I came across many a girl like her. Living on the street and doing whatever it takes to survive another day. I only hope she gets some help before it’s too late.

I climb the stairs like last time, as the lift is still out of order. Each step causes a tremor to skitter beneath my skin and more goosebumps to break out. I place my hand inside my bag and wrap my fingers around the small can of pepper spray I keep there. I can’t rid my mind of the awful trauma Lottie suffered at the hands of the men that took us. I wish that I’d been able to finish the job on Raul. Given half the chance, I would have torn the place and everyone in it apart.

It wouldn’t be the first time I’d taken a life. Sometimes I think about what that makes me, but I can’t afford to worry about it. I just have to remember why I did what I did.

At the top, I take a deep breath before pushing through the doors.

My skin prickles with awareness, and the hair on the back of my neck rises as I step into the empty space. Only it’s not empty. There on the far side of the room is Jake Danvers.

It takes me a couple of seconds for my eyes to communicate to my brain exactly what I’m seeing, but when I do, the feeling isn’t a pleasant one.

He has his back to me, hands in his pockets, looking out over the square below.

“Jake?” He turns at the sound of my voice, surprise at seeing me clear on his face.

“Jess, what are you doing here?” His eyes flick around the room, back and forth over me and then to the door.

“I was about to ask you the same question.”

Jake looks at his watch before looking behind him out the window. “I…umm, I’m meeting somebody here. You can’t be here. Shit! You need to leave. Now!” he says, his voice rising in pitch, and a look of concern etched across his face.

“What the hell is going on, Jake?” I demand, as he turns back to the window, cursing again and griping his hair in his hands.

He looks far from the composed and friendly guy I met at the cabins.

“No, no, no.” Spinning back around to face me, he starts pacing. “Why are you here? What’s your boyfriend doing here? You can’t be here, or you’ll ruin everything.”

“Boyfriend? What the fuck are you talking about? Jake, what do you mean ruin everything? Tell me,” I implore, as I step toward the window. I stop instantly as Jake pulls a gun out, pointing it right at me.

“You need to leave, Jess. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to. I need this. I need answers, and I need for this to happen. Please, just go.”

Unarmed, having released the pepper spray when I saw him there, and facing a gun, I don’t have a lot of choice but to listen to him. Keeping my eyes on his, I take a step back towards the door.

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