Page 110 of Finding a Melody
“Cadence, right? Luck has been on your side lately. I’ve been having a bit of a hard time reaching you.”
I licked my licks as I tried to hide my shaking. “Maybe a phone call would have helped?”
He chuckled. “I can see why Janice liked you.”
Coldness traveled through my body as he spoke her name. I knew it. This could only be about her.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked.
I looked him over slowly, the way he held himself in confidence. I had known he was older than Janice, but didn’t realize how much older. Apparently, Janice was one of the types who loved the dangerous type of men. And now I was going to pay for it.
“Rick McCormack,” I whispered.
He grinned big, showing his teeth. “So you are aware. Smart girl. Then you have to know what I want.”
I clenched my teeth as a shudder went through me. The way he said that last part had doom written all over it. The man looked like he was looking forward to hurting me with the way the corners of his lips turned up.
“Where is she?”
“I haven’t talked to her since she left,” I said.
“That answer isn’t good enough.” He came closer and grabbed my face hard enough to bruise as he forced me to look up at him as he leaned over me. “Where is Janice?”
My eyes burned with tears. “I already told you,” I forced out through the pressure of him squeezing my face.
“I don’t have time for this. She took something of mine when she took off and I need it back. Where is she?”
I blinked, the tears falling now. He let me go, scowling hard as he stepped away. I took in a breath, my heart hammering in my chest as he stood before me.
“The police are already on my ass and I don’t have the time for this to drag out.” He reached behind his back and then before I knew it, I was staring down the barrel of a handgun.
I gasped out, whimpering as the reality of my situation slammed into me. More tears fell as my body shook and my muscles ached. I was staring down my final moments.
“Now, where is she?”
“I-I already told you, I don’t know.”
A loud bang echoed through the room and I expected pain. Or darkness. Anything. I jerked hard enough in my chair to feel like I got shot, but instead Rick still stood over me, smiling cruelly, his gun pointed to the side. I followed where he pointed and noticed he shot into a wall instead.
No doubt, that’d be me instead very soon.
“I didn’t waste my resources on you just to get an ‘I don’t know,’ Cadence. I’m not risking my entire operation because I thought it’d be fun to go chasing after some teenage girl. This is your last chance.” He made sure the gun was pointing at me again. “Where is Janice?”
“I don’t know!” I screamed.
“I’m not a dumb guy. I know you helped her escape. I have no doubt she keeps in touch with you. I didn’t spend the time creating contacts with that fucking Embrace group to get the wrong information.”
“What?” I gasped out, trying to understand.
“I know they helped Janice escape and I also know you were the point of contact for it. You were friends with her. I heard about you from her a couple of times. It was stupid of me not to connect the dots sooner. I’m fixing that now. So stop lying and tell me where the bitch is. There is no way you don’t have an idea.”
“I don’t!” I desperately tried to get him to believe. “I really don’t know.”
Rick’s expression only darkened and he seemed only more furious.
“Boss!” someone called down from the top of the stairs. “We have a problem!”
“What?” Rick turned and glared hard at the man. He glanced back at me before stomping up the stairs, the basement door slamming shut behind him. At least this time he left the light on for me.