Page 34 of Merciless Obsession

Inaya didn’t look convinced and I didn’t blame her, since for months I wanted nothing more but to take that family down. “Okay…but that still doesn’t explain how you even got connected enough with them to get to that point.”

The server came to our table to get our drink orders. After ordering we sent her away. I scanned the dining room of the restaurant. It was one close to Inaya’s house, a small hole in the wall spot we often met at.

“I found out it was Ezra leaving the roses and notes on my door.”

“Really? How the hell did you figure that out?”

“That’s a long story, but apparently Emmet is as good as the rumors say. He found out I was the face behind my blog and Ezra was sent to force me to stop talking about his family. After some unconventional circumstances, we came to an agreement.

Her eyes narrowed on me. “Unconventional circumstances.” Inaya leaned in. I felt like I was now in an interrogation. “Why do I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me?”

I flicked my curls out of my face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

It would have been easy to tell Inaya about the drugging and kidnapping, but something about that interaction had me wanting to keep it close to my chest, at least for now.

The server returned for our food orders and once we gave them to her she walked back off. We ate here enough that we could probably name the whole menu without a second glance.

“Okay, then tell me about meeting with the girl’s family. Did they say anything to help?”

I shook my head. “No. Basically the same thing as the other girls. She comes from a rough childhood, just turned fourteen, pretty sure the mom’s boyfriend is abusive, single mom, and low-income family.”

“This is so fucked up! How the hell has this been going on for so long and no one knows nothing? It’s not adding up.”

I licked my lips and tapped my finger on the table. “When I left the house there was a note on my car.”

“A note?”

I nodded then turned around and grabbed my purse I hung on the back of my chair when I got here. Digging inside I grabbed the black notecard.

I turned and held it out for Inaya. She grabbed and scanned it. “What the hell? Did you see anyone?”

I shook my head. “No. I was only in the house for about twenty minutes, so in that time they had to leave it.”

Inaya held the card back out. “So now what?”

“What do you mean?” I looked over the notecard.

“You’re not going to back off, are you?”

I scoffed. “Do you not know me at all? This only proves there’s something to find and makes me want to find it more. Now, with the Tavarezes on my side, I’m sure we’ll figure things out and these muthafuckers will be taken out for all the families they’ve hurt.”

Inaya reached over the table and placed her hand on top of mine, giving it a squeeze. “For Charlie,” I said.

“For Charlie.”

I closed my eyes and pushed out a deep breath. My skin felt tight and my pulse accelerated. Tears threatened to pool in my eyelids.

I cleared my throat then slowly pulled my hand from under Inaya’s and wiped my eyes. “You said you learned something.”

“Oh yeah.” She perked up and sat straighter. “So I was working a party and?—”

I cut her off. “For The Bensons?”

Inaya worked at Ace of Diamonds, which was Wise Benson’s casino, as a blackjack dealer, but she also was a part of the selected crew who worked at The Den sometimes, his underground gambling club. A lot of powerful businessmen attended The Den and talked freely a lot there. Inaya was good at doing her job and staying off the grid so she learned a lot of intel about things in the underground world, as well as things aboutdifferent justice service people. You’d be surprised who showed up at these things.

“Inaya,” I groaned. “I thought you said you weren’t taking that kind of risk anymore.”

She waved me off. “I can handle myself. Don’t act like you haven’t done things that put you in harm’s way too. Plus it was worth it.”