Page 68 of I Will Break You
My throat tightens. Does he think I’m suicidal?
“Amethyst.”
“Right.” I rub the back of my neck. “I appreciate your offer, but I’m fine.”
He glances down at the vodka before meeting my eyes with a knowing look. It’s like he can read everything I’m trying to hide. “There’s always hope, even in the darkest times. You only need to ask.”
“Sure.” Bowing my head, I pick up my shopping and scurry away like a rat.
As I round the corner, an older woman cries out his name and hurries over to him with a group of friends. I need help, alright, but he’s not the man for the job.
Only a heavy-duty exorcist can solve my problems, but I don’t have a hotline to the Winchester brothers, Abraham Van Helsing, or any other legendary supernatural hunter. Relaney is right. Google is my friend.
When I return to Parisii Drive, it’s still rammed with police vehicles, blocking everyone else from leaving the road. I pause at a lamp post, and gape at a picture of JakeRake69 on a poster.
MISSING PERSON
Name: Jake Ryland
Age: 32
Height: 6 feet
Build: Athletic
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Blue
Last Seen: Last Friday at 6:00 PM
Last Location: Parisii Drive
Description: Jake Ryland was last seen wearing a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and white sneakers. He has a scar on his leftcheek.
If you have any information regarding Jake’s whereabouts, please contact Dale Ryland at (555) 789-4321.
A reward is offered for any information leading to Jake Ryland's location. You can reach us confidentially at [email protected].
What.
The.
Fuck?
That company name sounds familiar. Reaching into my bag, I pull out my phone, finding dozens of messages from the unknown number. Right now, my troubles are bigger than a possessive ghost. How the hell did Jake’s family track him down to Parisii Drive?
I fire up the app and navigate to the UnofficialXerofan club, where Lizzie Bath has already uploaded fifteen new videos since the last reaction one she made of me reading out Xero’s last letter.
On her bio are a bunch of URLs, including the affiliate link for the company selling Xero’s execution video.
Just as I suspected. It’s X-Cite Media.
Shit.
A group of men in white jumpsuits amble toward me, too preoccupied in their conversation to notice I’m freaking out. How the hell is Jake connected to the people who are renting out execution videos for $99.99 a day?
As the men approach, I notice another pair emerge from my doorstep, one of them looking suspiciously similar to the man I killed. They each hold stacks of paper, which I assume are more of those missing person’s posters.