Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 61900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 310(@200wpm)___ 248(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Hugh takes a deep breath in. “We’ll deal with it when we’re back at the club. For now, let’s go.”
We all get into their trucks.
Nobody says a single thing on the way home.
They know Delilah was with us.
If they suspect she knows anything they’re not going to stop.
This just went from bad to worse.
Really, really quickly.
19
“I don’t understand,” Delilah says, her legs crossed on the sofa at Hugh’s place, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, a cup of tea in hand. “I’ve known those guys all my life, there is no way they’d be doing something like that.”
“Just because you know someone, don’t mean they’re not doin’ bad shit,” Riggs explains to her. “I can promise you, they are. Your father knows about it, no doubt involved, too.”
Delilah glares at him. “My father would never take girls and sell them. He’s a great dad. He’s not a god damned monster. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“But I fuckin’ do,” Riggs growls. “You want fuckin’ proof? I’ll get it for you. You think I’m lyin’, go ahead and start digging around. I’m sure what you find will change your spoiled fuckin’ mind.”
“Okay, okay,” I say, putting up my hands. “We don’t need to get upset. Delilah is allowed to feel what she feels, Riggs. It’s her family, I’m certain if someone told you Hugh or one of the guys was the scum of the earth when you didn’t believe it, you’d fight back, too.”
Riggs grunts.
Hugh, who is feeding Star her bottle, carefully places it down and brings her up over his shoulder and pats her back. He’s so good at this now, it’s so damned cute how well he took this on. Especially for someone who didn’t want kids.
“I just,” Delilah says, “I think I have the right to say I know my family, and I know they wouldn’t do something like that.”
“You’ve heard of all the missing girls in the area, surely?” Hugh says to her.
“Yes, I mean, of course but those girls have nothing to do with us.”
“Don’t they?” Riggs mutters.
“I just ... I can’t believe it. I won’t.”
“Well, that’s where we’re goin’ to have a problem. Can’t have you runnin’ back and tellin’ your family what we know. It’ll cause a huge fuckin’ problem. So, if you’re not goin’ to keep your mouth shut, then you’re goin’ to get held here until we sort this out.”
Delilah’s mouth drops open. “If you think you’re going to hold me as some sort of prisoner, you’re mistaken.”
“I’m not, though.” Riggs crosses his arms. “I can and will hold you. You might be rich and powerful little lady, but around here your money don’t mean fuck all.”
Delilah looks to me. “Maggie ...”
“I know you’re upset, D. But I promise you, what I heard ... it wasn’t a lie. What they’re telling you, it isn’t a lie. How much your dad knows is yet to be proven, that’s fair, but what is happening in that country club is disgusting, illegal, and cruel. You have to understand we’re just trying to help those girls.”
Delilah stares down at her hands for what seems like forever. “I ... I know my dad, I do. He wouldn’t do this, I just ... I don’t believe it, but ... I ... I did accidentally see something once.”
Everyone falls silent.
I hold my breath.
She looks up at Riggs. “I was only fifteen, maybe sixteen, and I had snuck out to see a boy I was obsessed with. I was coming back in at maybe two in the morning and I had to go right around the back of my parents’ place, there was a tiny gap in the big fences I could squeeze through. I was just about to pop through when I saw two men that worked for my father. They were carrying this girl out to the back entrance where a car was waiting. She was unconscious, but the guy who was holding her sort of looked like he was carrying his drunk daughter out.”
“Was it his daughter?” Hugh asks.
“He didn’t have a daughter, that I knew of anyway. Back then, I didn’t really care about the people my dad spent time with. I couldn’t even tell you half of their names. I was a little confused, so I asked my dad what they were doing. He told me that the girl was a family member of his, and she had gotten drunk and Dad had picked her up stumbling around on the road on the way home. They were just coming to get her. That was the end of it. I honestly never thought of it again, I believed him. I had no reason not to.”
“Delilah, you gotta understand that what we have found out, it runs deep, and your family is the most powerful family in this town. Your dad knows what’s goin’ on, whether he’s involved or not don’t matter. He knows. He knows fuckin’ everything.”