Page 112 of Spooked

“There is.” Jerry glanced at Tulsa, and an unspoken message passed between them. Tulsa nodded. “But Brax won’t like it.”

“What is it? I’ll do anything.”

I was a doctor, whether I practised medicine or not. My job was to help people. To save them.

“We have a way of contacting these people. An email address. It’s possible that we might be able to send them a girl via the same route Meera took.”

“You mean we let them abduct yet another innocent victim? Have you lost your mind?”

For the briefest second, Jerry’s eyes widened, while Tulsa and Alexa both burst out laughing.

“Even I’m not that fucking crazy.” Jerry shook her head. “No, I was talking about you.”

“W-w-what?”

Brax took hold of my hand and squeezed it in a death grip. “Youarethat fucking crazy. Indi’s not going anywhere. I’ll pay every cent I have before you use her as bait.”

“Told you he wouldn’t like the idea.”

I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t like it either.

“Think of an alternative,” Brax said.

“Then we’re back to plan A. I’d go myself, but there’s no way I’d pass for twenty-five, and neither would Tulsa. Plus there’s the bullet hole in my thigh.”

“What bullet hole?” Brax asked.

“Why do you think I kept a pair of stockings on in that video?”

“What video?” I asked.

Brax shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, and it’s also irrelevant. Nobody else is going to get kidnapped.”

But Alexa begged to differ. “Statistically speaking, that’s not true. Each auction lasts two weeks, and there are seven women on offer at this moment. So they grab one every two days. Which means—”

I knew exactly what it meant. “What if you lost me? What if they gave you the slip and I ended up on this website too?”

Brax’s grip tightened, and now it hurt. I tugged my hand away, and he released me in an instant.

“Sorry, my darling.” He stroked a thumb over my knuckles. “Nobody will lose you because you’re not going anywhere.”

I curled an arm around his waist instead. I loved this man, and I didn’t want to fight with him, but at the same time, I couldn’t sit in this luxurious house and let other women go through hell. So I looked to Jerry. She seemed to be in charge here.

“Tell me.”

“We’d use a surveillance team and a tracking device.”

“How long do you think the police would take to arrive?”

Tulsa let fly with a peal of laughter. “Oh, honey, we want to rescue you, not create a hostage situation. We’ll pick the two of you up ourselves.”

“But what if these people are dangerous? I mean, they’re kidnapping innocent women.”

“We’ll be careful, Scout’s honour.”

“Were you actually a Girl Scout?”

“Okay, you got me there. Pinky promise?”

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