Page 38 of Haze of Obedience
I reach for her arm. "Hey."
"Don't touch me."
I put my hands in the air. "I didn't mean it in a nasty way."
"Forget I said anything." She storms off.
"Zoe," I call out.
Great. Back in the doghouse.
"Dirk, let's go," Axel says.
I get in the Jeep, and we make our way into town.
"What was that about?"
"She wanted lemons and honey, and I made a snarky comment about her entertaining us. She got upset."
Axel glances at me.
"What?"
"Penelope said she had to sing every night for Santigo and his thugs. She never got a break. They made her sing naked a lot of nights too."
Anger like I've never felt surges into my bones.
"She also told me that Zoe is worried her voice is going to go out one of these days. She thinks she won't get it back, either. Before Santiago, they worked her just as hard and were giving her vocal injections."
"Who?"
"Penelope wouldn't get specific, but she claims Zoe had two performances most nights."
"With Santiago?"
"No. Before the cartel abducted her."
"Why would she agree to that?"
"She didn't."
My gut flips. "Someone forced her?"
Axel nods.
"Who?" I growl.
"Don't know. Penelope was giving me things in pieces. I was trying to keep her talking, but something is scaring her from telling me everything."
"Zoe won't fill me in either."
"You were busy with the rats when Andre got back, but Interpol is sending Naomi to the U.S. and everyone else to their home countries."
My hairs on my neck stand up. "Why does that not sound like a good plan? Tell me why I'm getting a bad feeling right now."
"Penelope is petrified to go back to Britain or Panama. Did Zoe say anything about Mexico?"
"No. We hadn't discussed the drop off except for when she asked me during the rescue."
