Page 39 of Dirty Dillon

“Just kidding, man. I can tell you care about her. It was a dumb joke. I say stupid shit when I’m rattled.”

I don’t like Chad any more than Cherry and Max do, nor do I trust him. But he can be useful, and it’s possible he’s not a monster like his old man.

The thought of her bound or hurt makes my rage boil over. But I use that fury to propel me forward, knowing that every step brings me closer to finding her. And when I do, there will be hell to pay for whoever dared to lay a finger on her.

Max pulls out his phone to find the report our investigator sent him last week detailing Masterson’s assets.

“Got it,” Max says. “He’s got two hunting cabins. One is about an hour away. The other is in Tennessee. The one nearby is pretty isolated, according to the map on my phone. It’s a good place to start.”

“Alright, let’s move,” William commands, determination etched across his face. “Let’s take several rigs in case there’s a chase.”

As we set out, I can’t stop myself from imagining what Cressida must be going through. The thought of her suffering ignites a fire within me, driving me to push harder and faster in my search.

“Hold on baby,” I whisper to myself, my chest tightening with anxiety, “I’m on my way.”

Chapter Twelve

Cressida

My head throbs as Islowly regain consciousness, the room around me dimly lit and unfamiliar. The cold hard floor beneath me offers no comfort as I struggle to remember how I ended up here. Panic sets in when I realize my wrists and ankles are tightly bound together, leaving me immobile and vulnerable. My heart races, a terrifying sense of helplessness washing over me.

I was walking. I saw a shadow behind me then...then what?

“Ah, you’re finally awake,” a voice cuts through the darkness.

“Blake? What’s going on?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me.

“Let’s just say that I’ve decided it’s time for you to learn your place,” he replies, obviously relishing in my terror.

“Why are you doing this? What do you want with me?”

He sits me up. A tremor of revulsion shivers through me at his touch. “You belong to me. Nobody takes what’s mine. Especially not a thug like your mechanic.”

I shake my head. “Blake, I don’t belong to you. We don’t even know each other.”

“Your father gave you to me.”

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