Page 20 of Hard Game

She sucks in a breath and bites down on her lip. “Vanessa.”

My heart skips a beat as she reaches out to hold the phone almost lovingly in her hands.

“Her name is Vanessa Oltroy. That’s all I can tell you.” Then, she thrusts the phone back into my hands and walks away, giving me a warning stare not to follow her.

“Fuck!” I punch at the screen of my phone and call the precinct, repeating the name.

Elijah jogs up to me, watching the cleaner walk away. “What happened? Did she tell you anything?”

“I think we found our Vic,” I say, hope burning in my chest. “Vanessa Oltroy.”

“She knew her?!” Elijah goes to chase the woman, but I hold him back.

“She knew her. Not only that, she knew she was being watched and by whom. She’s trying to keep herself safe.”

Elijah gapes at me. “We could keep her safe, for fucks sake.”

“She doesn’t trust the police, especially not men,” I say, watching the woman turn a corner. “I don’t even want to think about why.”

Elijah says nothing, but I know he’s pissed. You won’t find a more caring detective than Elijah. A single mother raised him, so he’s got nothing but respect for women.

If only the cleaner knew that.

But she doesn’t trust anyone.

And she knows about the traffickers.

“Why wasn’t she scared?” I wonder aloud as Elijah shrugs.

“Maybe she’s got a weapon?”

I shake my head, puzzled. “Even with a weapon, you don’t stand much chance against a gang of traffickers.”

Elijah huffs, then turns to examine the mall again. “Who knew the mall was such a scary place?”

I can feel eyes on me again, and I turn behind me, my eyes locking with the same ones that blew me away earlier. He isn’t smiling now. I try to work out the look on his face, but I can’t.

The woman pulls him away, and my stomach churns.

Is that concern on his face?

Why would anyone be concerned for me? I suppress a chuckle and turn to see Elijah on the phone, his eyes meeting mine.

“Got it. We’re on our way.”

“What?” I ask as my stomach rumbles again.

“Vanessa Oltroy was a student from a good family. She went missing six weeks ago.”

Fuck.

10

MADDOX

We’re at Tassa’s apartment, and she’s tearing me a new asshole.

As usual.

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