So, I do, and it doesn’t take long for the jovial atmosphere to evaporate completely.
“Shit, A.” Drew cradles his head in his hands, and his breathing is labored. Kai links his fingers through mine. “I never wanted you to see any of that.”
“One part of me wishes I hadn’t, but another part is glad I did, because now, I’m even more determined to take him down. And I think we need to add the order and Parkhurst to our list.”
“Are you truly that insane or that naïve?” Drew barks.
“I’m not fucking naïve,” I snap back. “Or insane. I’m fucking disgusted.” I stand, bracing my palms on the table, and leaning across at him. “How are you not absolutely sickened at what is going on down there?”
“Trust me, I’m sickened!” he yells. “You think I wanted to be there?”
I remember his stiff stature. “I know you didn’t want to be there, but how can you do nothing about it?”
“Because there is nothing that can be done, A. You don’t understand how powerful these people are. They are virtually untouchable. And we must pick our battles. Father is our priority, and we can’t lose sight of that.”
“The girls were so young, D,” I whisper, slumping back in my chair. “How can we turn a blind eye to that?”
“I’m only asking you to turn a blind eye to it for now,” he adds, his voice dropping to normal levels.
“Who are those girls? Are they part of the elite too?”
“Some are.”
“Why would the elite give their daughters over to other elite to degrade and abuse like that?” Kai asks. He’s gripping the arms of his chair in a way that implies he’s restricting his blood supply.
“Some do it for a short while as a punishment for disobedience,” Drew says. “Others hand them over when they’ve exiled them from the family for any number of stupid reasons.”
“Like?” I inquire.
“They have a medical condition, or they’re not intelligent enough, or they refuse to abide by the traditions and rules.” He drills a hole in the side of my skull. “Or they’ve tried to escape.”
“Fuck.” Kai hauls me over into his lap, and I drape myself around him.
“But most are girls they pull off the street,” Drew continues. “Runaways and orphans, kids from foster homes. Girls, and boys, not likely to be missed. When they get older, they turn them into recruitment managers, paying them to find more young girls and boys to bring into the fold.”
My nostrils twitch, and the scent of marijuana fills the air. I glance at Jackson, puffing frantically on a joint like it’s the air he needs to breathe. Drew opens his mouth to say something, but Sawyer cuts him off with a sharp, pointed look.
“Who were those men because not all of them were local,” I say.
“They are all high-ranking elite members, there by invitation. People Father wants to network with or manipulate. There are cameras all over the room, and they purposely capture men in inappropriate acts and then use it to blackmail them after. No one talks about it because they are too embarrassed, so more men fall into the trap.”
“Are you saying Father uses the dungeon to blackmail members of the elite into doing his bidding?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. You know how he operates. He finds weaknesses and exploits it.”
“We’ll never be able to defeat someone like that,” Jackson says, frustration evident in the slump of his shoulders.
“Yes, we will.” Determination surges through me. “We find his biggest weakness and exploit it until he’s crushed with no way of getting back up again.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
“Can we talk?” Xavier asks when the meeting breaks up.
“Yeah. Just give me a sec to say goodbye to Kai.” He nods, and I walk over to where Kai is lounging against the door, watching Sawyer half-carry Jackson to the car. “Is he okay?” I ask, because I’ve noticed something off about Jackson the past couple weeks.
“The anniversary of his sister’s death is approaching,” Kai confirms, pulling me into his arms. “He always goes a little off the rails.”
“Can I do anything to help?”
Kai tucks my hair behind my ears. “There isn’t anything anyone can do. It’s just something he has to go through.” He nuzzles his head into my neck. “I hate this part.”
“Me too.” I run my hand up and down his back. “I hate that we only get snatched moments here and there.”
“We need to find something to bury your father with and fast.”
“Hopefully, my conversation with Trent’s mom will offer some leads.”
“Anderson.” Sawyer’s tone is sharp. “We need to hit the road.” He jerks his head in the car’s direction.
I stretch up on my tiptoes, kissing him passionately.
“I love you,” he whispers over my lips. “Be safe.”
“Love you too.” I hug him tight before letting him go.
“Call me later.”
I bob my head. I look forward to his nightly calls as the highlight of my day. I blow him a kiss before waving at Sawyer and heading back inside to chat with Xavier. “You okay to wait for a few minutes?” I ask Drew as I pass by him. He has his nose buried in his cell, and his fingers are punching buttons as he taps out a text.
“I’m not in a rush, and I just messaged Charlie to say we’re grabbing something to eat after the movie, so take your time.”
I walk into the main room, and Xavier closes the door behind me, looking nervous as he wrings his hands together. “I was so worried you’d never speak to me again,” he blurts. “I haven’t been able to eat or sleep all week for fear I’ve fucked everything up.”
“How could you do that to me?” I prop my butt against the edge of the table, folding my arms across my chest.
“I didn’t have a choice,” he admits, his voice wary. “When I first took the job, I thought it’d be a cakewalk, but then I got to know you, and I was smitten.”
I purse my lips. “Attempting to flirt with me will not work.”
He pushes off the wall, walking toward me. “I’m not flirting. I’m being honest. You’re an easy person to love, Abby. I’ve told you that before, and it’s true. You’re even easier to like, and I knew I was in deep shit within the first week.” His tongue flips against his lip ring in an obvious nervous tell. “But, as time went on, I convinced myself I wasn’t really doing anything wrong.”
“How’d you figure that?”
“Because Drew only wanted to protect you, and I was helping him to do that. I knew you’d be pissed when you eventually discovered the truth, but I hoped the fact I genuinely cared for you and that I didn’t tell him tons of stuff would make it easier for you to forgive me.” He stares at me pleadingly. “So, does it?” he asks, and I like his bluntness.
“I know both of you thought you were doing the right thing, but I needed you to be true, Xavier. You were the last one. The only one I thought I could trust one hundred percent. The only one who hadn’t betrayed me.” Pain slices across my chest. “But then I discovered that was just a lie. That you were just like everyone else.”