Unleashed by Jasmin Quinn

Author:Jasmin Quinn [Quinn, Jasmin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781999037185
Publisher: Jem Monday Publishing
Published: 2020-06-23T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Pudge is in my office, rubbing at his temples as he closes his eyes. It’s been almost 24 hours since Gem was taken, since either of us has slept. Twenty-four fucking hours that we’ve heard nothing from anyone. Not the kidnappers, not the cops, not the special team of investigators that we’ve hired.

It’s like she never existed.

Except my heart tells me otherwise. It’s breaking apart and killing me slowly. I’m furious at myself for belatedly realizing what Gem means to me. Why did it take a crisis for me to fucking wake up and acknowledge my feelings?

“I don’t know what else to do,” I tell Pudge, hating the helplessness I’m feeling, but knowing that the best people are working on it, and shouting at them about the lack of progress won’t bring her home faster.

My phone lights up and I take the call because it’s Detective Flores. “What do you know?” I say as a greeting. I thump the phone on the desk and put him on speaker.

Flores is agitated and it clearly comes through in his tone. “Since Adrian’s death, among his staff, besides Jake McKinnon, there have been two suicides, two accidental deaths, and three missing. It appears they left town.”

I suck in a breath. “Why are you only telling me this now, for fuck’s sake!”

“I just found out.” He hesitates. “They died in different jurisdictions, one not even in the country. And different methods. Nothing in common to make the connection until we tried to track them.”

“They’re killing witnesses,” Pudge says as his eyes bore into mine. “What about Adrian’s business associates and friends?”

We’re both drinking coffee, pots of it, to keep our energy levels up.

Elena has been here since dawn, ensuring we have everything we need, including a plate of sandwiches, which I haven’t touched. The thought of food makes me ill.

“They’re pretty much one and the same. But no, other than the two who died with Adrian. And that was collateral damage. Wrong place, wrong time. We’ve interviewed and dug into everyone’s background. Business dealings were all above board.”

I white-knuckle my coffee cup before taking a drink. “Then someone who has been to his home, but not a legitimate business partner.”

Pudge grunts his agreement. “What I don’t understand is why they’d take Gem in such a public way.”

“Or not kill her.” Flores says what Pudge and I are thinking.

I press the heels of my hands against my forehead. There are two possibilities and only one I can say while the cop is on the line. “Traffickers.”

Flores agrees. “I’m working with the organized crime unit to see if they can help narrow down the known gangs in the area that are suspected of human trafficking.”

I’m grateful Flores is a good cop, but angry at the same time. “When you get a name, I want it. Your guys will go through bullshit legal channels, which will do fuck all to get Gem back.”

Silence hangs in the air like a noose. “You’ll be the first to know, but I want in on this.

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