Page 6 of Lost In The Dark
When I reached the attorney, he had removed his suit jacket and he made short work of wrapping it around my quaking shoulders.
“Oh, I…I’m okay,” I tried to reassure him, but when I moved to take it off and hand it back, he stilled my hand and shook his head.
“You must be freezing. Keep it for now,” he told me. I nodded. It did feel so warm and comfortable against my frozen skin, but I couldn’t stop the worry that I might ruin the expensive item, merely by touching it.
The officer led the way down the long corridor and opened a door, holding it as the attorney walked in. I hurried to follow, knowing my best chance was to stick with him, whoever he was.
The officer closed the door and the attorney was there, right beside me. He held my elbow and helped me across the room, leading me into a seat at the table in the middle of the room. His touch set me on edge, but I needed the help. I was barely staying upright.
“Adeline, can I call you that?”
“Addy,” I whispered. “I prefer Addy.”
“Addy,” he nodded. “My name is Max Kline. I’m an attorney withKline, West, and associates. I’m here to help you,” he told me.
“Who sent you?”
“This is where things get a little complicated. Asher Lyle wanted to be here to tell you the details himself, but his flight is still several hours away.”
“Asher Lyle?” I didn’t know that name. I was pretty sure. Had I met him in the last two years?
“Asher and Elijah Lyle are brothers who now own the controlling interest ofLyle Industries. Their father, Joseph Lyle, died two weeks ago. Do you recognize that name?” he asked.
“No,” I shook my head. “Should I?”
“Maybe not. Addy, Joseph Lyle was listed as your father on your birth certificate, and his sons, Asher, and Elijah, believe they are your half-brothers. They have sent me here to help, and they’re also on their way as we speak.”
“Brothers?” I gasped. None of this made sense. My mom had always told me she didn’t even remember my father’s name. She said it had been a one night thing round the back of some bar. Why would she have told me that if she took the time to list him on my birth certificate? And how had I never seen my own birth certificate?
“Yes. They want to help you. I don’t know them personally, but I know of them and have been told they are good men.”
“Wh-what’s going to happen? The police…they think I killed that senator?” I asked. It seemed more pressing than the bombshell of my father and potential brothers in that moment.
“Have you been questioned?”
“Y-yes. Twice since I got here.”
“What did you tell them?” he took the seat opposite me and pulled a notebook and shiny silver pen from his briefcase, as well as what looked like an old style tape recorder.
“Just that I…I don’t remember anything. I don’t know the senator. I’m not even from here. I’m from Ohio,” I told him shakily, tears filling my eyes once again.
“I have my own investigators looking into things right now, and I believe they will find something to have you freed. Leo Hilton is a member of several BDSM clubs and he has been rumored to attend illegal sex parties for years. If we can prove he bought you and held you against your will, the police have nothing to hold you on. Even if you did shoot him, it would have been in self-defense.”
“B-bought me?” Oh God! This was too much.
“I’m sorry Addy, but I believe from what I know already, that you were taken by sex traffickers and bought from them by the senator. I believe he is the one who held and abused you,” Max explained.
“Oh God!” I slammed a hand over my mouth as my stomach revolted. I tried to stand, but Max was already rushing towards me with a trash can from the corner of the room. I grabbed it with my good hand and retched violently. Nothing but bile came up because it had been hours since I last ate, but the retching wouldn’t stop and it caused unspeakable pain to shoot up my right side every single time.
Sex traffickers? I had been sold? Could that be right? It definitely lined up with the injuries I had, as detailed by the doctor. BDSM? I wasn’t even sure what that was. Was it like that movie? Did it involve pain and whips? God, that made sense with the marks on my back.
“Here Addy. Rinse your mouth then just take small sips,” Max told me as he handed me a bottle of water.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice shaking and my throat feeling scratchy and painful.
Once I had rinsed my mouth out Max placed the trash can near the door, then returned to his seat. He was looking at me like a concerned parent and it helped. At least he wasn’t screaming at me like the detective. At least he seemed to be on my side.
“Are you in pain?” he asked as he nodded to my wrist.