Page 89 of The Twins

I don’t know what to say to the girl. “He shouldn’t be doing this to you.”

“I know.” Carey sighs. “But he says mom will lose everything if I don’t comply and make him feel better. I won’t be famous anymore, and he’ll leak my pictures.”

“Pictures of what?” I hiss.

She shrugs. “He… While he does things to me, he takes pictures.”

“You’re a minor.”

“Duh.”

I bare my teeth. I take a deep breath, and I calm down. I get up from the grass, and I stomp my way into the house. The girl follows me, but she can’t keep up with me in my fury. I don’t bother knocking on Charles’ door, and to my surprise, he’s not asleep either.

He glimpses at me, and when his eyes meet Carey, he narrows his eyes.

“It’s the middle of the night,” Charles says, but he’s not sleepy. Neither am I. This isn’t the time to fall asleep.

“Carey Jean is being molested and blackmailed by Hugh Abbott,” I reveal.

The kid flinches.

“Office. Now.”

Charles rushes by us, and I have no idea where he’s going, but I know that I have to take the kid back to her room. She follows me, but she asks too many questions.

“Who is Hugh to you?”

…

“Please, don’t get into any trouble.”

…

“Why are you so quiet? Talk to me!”

…

We reach the room that Grey prepared for Carey. I watch as she enters it, and then I step through the doorframe. She’s bubbling with questions, and she throws every single one of them at me.

I take a deep breath.

“Hugh Abbott won’t hurt you again. He won’t hurt any other kids either,” I promise her, and her features relax. “Please, stay here. My brother Vegas will protect you and Grey. We’ll be back later today.”

I turn, my steps heavy as I carry myself away. My limbs don’t want to move. I want to stay and be there for Grey and the kid, but I have a responsibility.

Charles and I have to go back to the task force’s headquarters to research Hugh Abbott’s connections to Liz Jean, the Avra channel. This stinks of privileged Hollywood dick, and fuck, I want to saw it up.

We need to scheme our next move.

Hugh Abbott’s been right underneath our noses, hiding in plain sight.

“Mr. White?” The tentative voice almost breaks the shell of emptiness inside of me.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay in your room?” I scoff.

“You’ll be a good dad.”

I cough. “A what?”

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