Page 19 of Merciless Obsession (The Bloodline #2)

“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 about different 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.”

Sometimes some of the girls Inaya worked with did side jobs as bottle girls and entertained for private parties.

There were times they would ask if she wanted to make some extra money, and most of the time she turned them down, but every once in a while, she agreed.

I hated when she went because anything could happen at those parties.

They were typically with douche bags and people I wouldn’t trust with my goldfish if I had one.

They were scary with no moral compasses in sight.

I sighed and nodded for her to continue.

“Okay, as I was saying, I was asked if I wanted to work this party. It was from a regular at the casino. He always comes to the blackjack table and flirts with me and sometimes I entertain it. This night apparently, they were throwing a party for his boss’s birthday and a couple girls backed out and he needed someone to cover serving liquor.

I was gonna turn it down until I heard him on the phone talking about the girl being ready for tonight. ” I narrowed my eyes but stayed quiet.

“Fast forward, I got a link with the directions to the place and it was in some warehouse close to the outskirts of the city, close to the docks.” My teeth scraped over my bottom lip.

The docks were well-known to be dangerous.

A lot of illegal activity happened down there.

It was suggested not to go down there alone at night if you didn’t have to.

“Did you at least have someone with you?”

Inaya shook her head. “Inaya!”

“I tried to get in contact with you, but you were off the grid, remember?”

I sighed and my leg began to bounce. We grew quiet when the server brought our food back then she continued.

“Anyway, I was working the bar. They had turned the warehouse into a mini club. I don’t know who the guy was, but he was scary looking.

He was older, maybe in his mid-forties, dark, beady eyes, a ridged scar across his cheek like someone tried to cut half his face off.

The girls there were on edge when he stepped inside too and his men looked like they would shake hands and ask questions never. ”

A knot began to grow in the pit of my stomach. I wasn’t liking where this was going. I glanced down at my food but my appetite was starting to dwindle.

“All that isn’t what’s important though.

It was the girl who was with the boss. Ziora, she was young, couldn’t be more than fifteen or sixteen.

She had bruises on her arms and some kind of collar on her neck.

I wanted to try to speak to her, but he never left her alone.

The girl looked like she would jump at the sight of her own shadow.

I felt so bad for her, but the guy? He acted like she was his girlfriend or something.

Fondling her, kissing her, forcing liquor down her throat and laughing when she almost choked on it. ”

My pulse picked up. “Did you take a picture?”

She shook her head. “They took my phone and didn’t give it back until the party was over.”

“Do you at least remember the address or where it was?”

“No. That’s why I was trying to get in touch with you. The link with the address expired after an hour. I could probably lead us there, but I doubt there’s anything left that can help.”

“Damnit,” I cursed under my breath.

“And the boss, you don’t know who he is? What about the guy? The regular?”

“I only know him from the casino. He shows up at random times, but I’m good with faces, you know that. While I was working though, there were some guys who were talking about a shipment of girls.”

“A shipment of girls.” I swallowed hard and pushed my food away as bile built in the back of my throat.

“Yeah. I don’t know when exactly, but I’m sure it’s soon. I don’t think they were a part of the boss’s crew of people. They talked to his crew, a bag was exchanged then they left. It was shady as hell.”

Shit. Shit.

This could have been the break we needed, but because I was being held hostage we missed our chance.

“So you don’t know when the guy will be back at the casino?”

“Sorry, babe. Like I said, he comes sporadically. Probably won’t be for a couple weeks.”

My finger tapped on the table and my phone vibrating gained my attention.

I glanced at the screen and my brows furrowed.

“The hell?” I picked my phone up.

I clicked the notification I got and saw Ezra opening my door then got another notification that my alarm was going off but it soon settled.

“I got to go,” I told Inaya without thought.

“What’s wrong? Do you need me to come too?”

I grabbed my purse to get my wallet. “No, I got it. Look Inaya, no more side parties alone, okay? I want to get who took my sister but not at the expense of your life.”

Inaya stared at me but didn’t agree and I knew she wouldn’t. Inaya was a risk taker. It took a lot to put fear in her.

“I’m gonna call you later. Right now I need to head home.” I tossed some money on the table.

“Okay. Be careful!” she called out behind me.

I checked my phone screen again. It had been four days since I laid eyes on Ezra. Outside of his text about watching me, and the notes and roses still being left on my door, I hadn’t heard from him. Now he popped up at my house unannounced while I was gone. I could only imagine what he wanted.

____

It took me fifteen minutes to get from the restaurant to my house. When I stepped inside, Ezra was sitting on my couch with his shoes kicked off, in a suit like he just got off work, and his feet kicked up, reading the book I had sitting on the coffee table

“Excuse you!” I slammed the door shut to gain his attention.

He closed the book and lowered it to his lap. A smile split his face when he looked at me. I noticed he must have seen his barber since the last time I saw him. The sides were tapered into a fade and the top cut low, almost just as faded.

“Happy to see me. Bumblebee?” He moved the book to the side and stood loosening his tie. “It’s been too long, I know. That’s my fault. I’ve been swamped with my current caseload.”