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“Holly Brook Police Department,” a lazy voice drawls. “How can we help?”

I grip the phone hard enough for my knuckles to turn white. “Hi, yes, hello. I have a couple of questions for you.”

“This isn’t a hotline. You’ve got questions, go on the internet and do a search.”

“Please don’t hang up. I need to know what course to take if an online profile makes a threat against my life.”

“An online profile,” the cop repeats my words back to me and this time, his syllables drip with a combination of curiosity and inconvenience. “On what sort of platform?”

I hesitate a moment, swallowing over the needles that are suddenly in my throat. “A cam girl site,” I whisper.

The cop pauses for a moment before he lets out a shrill laugh. “One of your clients getting a little too rambunctious for you, Miss? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“A threat was made against my life and I want to know my options for tracking him down. To make sure he doesn’t threaten me again, online or in person.”

“From what my son tells me, there are trolls everywhere. The internet is the perfect place to make threats but it’s rare to have someone follow through,” the man continues.

“What if this one did? What if someone broke into my house right after the threats were made?”

“You don’t sound local to me. I know voices and I know everyone in this town. We’re a small community. So who are you?”

I grimace. “I highly doubt you can tell if I’m local or not from my voice.”

“Well, I can. I grew up here. Who is this?” A few more moments of silence and then the distinctive click of a keyboard sounds.

“Look, I’m trying to tell you about my situation. I believe someone is after me and I need to know what to do.”

“Honey, this might be a small town, but we get a lot of calls here during the day. Real problems, real people. Not online stalkers. If you have an issue, then you need to contact the site and have them sort it out for you.”

“I don’t have access to the internet,” I press.

“You’re on a cell phone, aren’t you? So you do have access?—”

“But not the necessary access to get into my account.”

“Not my problem. There’s a free public library in town. Use a computer there. Now, unless you are calling about a formal complaint over something I do have control over, then I’ll be hanging up.”

“Sir, please. Wait a minute!”

His chuckle twines through me, low and contemptuous. “Seems to me girls in your situation should understand the risks before you set up an online profile on a site like that. You’re inviting all the weirdos to see your body and take part in your fantasy bullshit.”

Sounds like a good ol’ boy mentality to me. My spine prickles with alarm. “Kind of a shitty attitude you have,” I sputter.

“Goodbye, miss. Good luck.”

The cop hangs up on me before I have a chance to say anything else. My fingers tremble as I set the phone down.

A part of me wonders why I expected the cops to be of any help. And another part thinks I should have expected the derogatory tone and the laughter.

Chapter 10

Soren

My patience is a rubber band pulled tight enough to snap.

“Dude, if you aren’t careful, you’ll ruin your day. By yourself,” Aiden tells me. “Take a fucking breather.”

“I don’t want your advice.” My tone has a bite.