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"I'm told he lives upstairs somewhere. Has several rooms, several women to serve his needs. I've never seen more than three men with him at a time, but they are loyal to him."
Trenton closed his eyes. "What do you want from me?"
"A way to contact your team. A way to let them know you're here so they can rescue you?"
"And what do you get out of it?"
"Other than not seeing one more person raped or killed, not a damn thing, but I can't live with myself if this goes on. It was hard enough thinking I had a month of waiting, but that's turned into three. I don't see an end to this. I've become someone I hate."
"How close do they watch you?"
"Isaac has me followed at times, but not always. If he knows I'm a cop, he could be watching me more than I realized, but other than a car trailing me from time to time, I haven't seen anything. I'm sure my phone is being traced."
"Fuck, if this goes south, I'm going to get everyone killed." Trenton stood up straight. "What you need to do is call a local psychologist named Katie Burns. Play like she's your aunt and you're calling to wish her a happy birthday. Tell her you and Trenton enjoyed running into her at Xander's. Use my name often. Tell her Trenton laughed at her wild purse or Trenton still talks about her huge dog. Whatever it takes for her to catch on that you're talking about me. Ask her how your cousin Faith is doing at medical school. Then ask if you can do lunch one afternoon soon to celebrate her birthday. She'll know what to do."
Ben repeated the name, "Katie Burns?"
"Yeah, she's local. Well-known psychologist. Uninvolved enough that if you're fucking me over, she won't be hurt, but aware enough that she can get information to the people who need it." Trenton turned off the water and reached for a towel. "Don't hurt her. I'll accept this life if it keeps those I care about out of harm's way."
"We both need out of here. I'm only sorry I didn't do it sooner. I'll call her tonight when I leave here. I'm off work tomorrow, so don't panic if you don't see me until Sunday."
"I don't even know what day it is anymore. I think I've been here ten days."
Ben thought back. "About that. It's the sixth of July today. A Friday."
"I feel like it's been years." Trenton hung the towel on the rack. "My team will want numbers. Guards, hostages, everything. The more you can give them, the better they can plan." His head snapped up. "Shit, I told you Katie was local, but I don't even know where I am. I assume not far from Los Angeles, due to the police chief being here, but I really don't know."
"You're in the heart of L.A. One of the large mansions up near the observatory." Ben pulled a granola bar out of his pocket. "Eat this. We don't have long before Wade will come checking on us. I told him I just needed a quick fuck."
"Thanks." Trenton took the bar, tore off the wrapper, and took a large bite.
Ben went to the sink and poured some water into a paper cup. He held it out for Trenton after he'd finished the granola bar.
"My team, they'll send Xander to meet you. Tell him I said for you to tell him to back off. He's going to want blood and I'm afraid it will be yours."
"I can handle it." Ben smiled. "I probably owe you a little blood after the shit you've been through this week. I'm as guilty as anyone for standing by and doing nothing."
"You're nothing like them." Trenton downed the water and tossed the cup in the trash. "Okay, pinch my hips, slap my ass, make it look like you used me."
"What?" Ben shook his head.
"We have to make this look real. Just a few handprints and red marks."
"Fuck." Ben hated this, but Trenton was right. Those would be things Wade looked for. "I'm so sorry."
"Get me out of here and all is forgiven." Trenton braced his hands on the wall and angled his hips back.
Ben walked up behind him and grabbed Trenton's hips as if he was going to fuck him. He let his fingers dig into his flesh, leaving red marks and fingerprints against the pale skin. Then he slapped Trenton's ass several times, drawing out a nice red tinge. "Turn around."
Trenton did.
Ben mussed up Trenton's hair, then his own. He met Trenton's stare. "I am sorry. I wish…"
"Don't. You're doing a job. If you weren't here, there would be no one to save me, so don't start on that sorry shit. Yeah, it sucks, but you're doing the right thing now. Once this is done, I'm going to find out who is really involved and bring this whole thing down around them. I don't care who I have to take down to do it."
"You can have any information I can share. Knowing the chief is involved in this makes me furious. It also explains a lot. There's been so much hesitation, delays, secrecy. I wouldn't be shocked if my captain isn't involved as well. But now I'm curious, who sent us here and why."
"Once I'm safe, my team will find the answers." Trenton swallowed hard. "Thank you. I know this might not work and could turn into a huge clusterfuck, but you're giving me hope, and I needed that more right now than ever."
