Page 83 of Submitting to Them

Joel scoffs.“I know what you’re thinking.Listen up.If someone drives past and stops to help, I’m shooting them.So hurry your ass up, little girl.”

I cringe.I hate that he’s using his father’s nickname for me.He must’ve heard Kingston use it at some point.

He’s trying to mock it, to cheapen it.

But that will never work.

Oh, Kingston.Sebastian.I miss you both.I miss them so much my chest aches.

Kingston

I haven’t slept.Bash hasn’t, either.We’re camped at Ironwood’s offices because the police station kicked us out when we didn’t have any more information to share.Detective Baldwin, at least, is keeping us informed.He calls frequently.None of us expect this to be a ransom situation, although that would make this easier in some ways.

I’d pay to get her back.I’d give Joel the whole fucking company.I don’t care about anything else—I just want Ella.

The conference room at Ironwood is full of movement—their investigative team is moving fast, blazing through computer records, hacking into things they probably shouldn’t hack into, leaving absolutely nothing unturned in our hopes to find out where Joel might’ve taken Ella.

Lin pulls up a list of every Hackler property she can find.Jaxon and Ryder have sent some of their people out to start canvasing each property.So far, no luck.But there are a lot of properties to go through.I had no idea Rayanne and Steve had so many houses.

Our current theory is that Joel has hunkered down at one of them.Why he’d bring Ella, though, isn’t exactly clear.

Except for that phone call he and I had last night.I’ll destroy what you love most.

If he hurts her, I’ll never forgive myself.I’ll never get over it.What must she be feeling, thinking, right now?She’s probably scared.Pissed, too, the little firecracker.I’m sure she won’t hesitate to tell Joel exactly what she thinks about his stupid ass.

My girl’s a fighter.I try to keep reminding myself of that.She’s going to be okay.Shehasto be.

Sebastian paces the conference room, looking over peoples’ shoulders as they work.To their credit, they don’t snap at him to sit the hell down and let them do their thing—which is what I want to tell him to do.But he’s antsy, anxious.Just like me, but it shows up differently.I go still.He starts moving.

An hour has gone by.Unable to keep waiting, I dial Baldwin, who answers on the second ring.

“Have you talked to Rayanne?”I ask.

His voice is faint—he’s only half-listening.

“Are you there?”I ask.

“Yeah, sorry.Mrs.Hackler has nothing to share with us, nor does her husband.”

“Is there any way to encourage them to talk?”I ask.“Like mentioning their cooperation during sentencing?”

“They insist they would tell us something if they knew,” he says.“Look, I gotta go.”

The call ends abruptly and I sigh.

“Nothing?”Bash says.

I shake my head.

“I can’t fucking take this anymore,” Bash says, shoving his chair back.“I’m out.”

He storms from the room and the door slams closed after him.

Lin starts to get up like she’ll go after him, but then she sits down.With a shrug, she meets my gaze.

“He needs a minute,” we say at the same time.

It would be funny if this were any other situation.