Page 54 of Echoes of Obsession
“What do you think, Pres?” Reynolds asks. “Do we wait for the call, or do we check up on this kid?”
“Can you find the uncle’s address?” I ask Knox.
“Already on it.”
“King, I want you to go check the address,” I say. “See if the story checks out. Knox, let me know if you can get a video feed from around the rental place. Maybe they caught this person on film. I’m going to go to Pops’.”
“Why Pops?” Venom asks.
“Because I have no fucking gun in this building, and Ma and Pops place is just around the corner.”
“Wait,” Sophie says. “What if they call? The fax said you have to be the one to answer the phone.”
“Easy fix,” Knox says. “I’ll set up any incoming calls to forward straight to your cell. Just don’t let it go to voicemail. I’m actually not sure if it will be your voicemail or the clubs that picks up.”
“Blaze, you’re with me. The rest of you, don’t leave Knox and Sophie unguarded.”
“I agree, Xander,” Venom mutters.
“Honey, we can’t hear what he said,” Sophie reminds him.
“He said he’s about sick and tired of our family members being taken,” Venom answers. “He thinks we should lock you all up so no one can get to you.”
Looks like Xander and I are on the same page.
Chapter Fourteen
Amara
My head feels like it’s filled with cotton, and every inch of my body aches. I blink slowly, my eyes struggling to adjust to the dim light around me. Where am I? The last thing I remember is packing my bags at my apartment. I try to sit up, but the effort makes me dizzy, and I slump back down onto the hard, cold surface beneath me.
Panic rises in my chest as I take in my surroundings. This isn’t my apartment. The room is small, almost claustrophobic, with concrete walls and a single, flickering light bulb hanging from the ceiling. There’s a faint, musty smell in the air, like damp earth and rusted metal.
I struggle to remember what happened. Someone knocked on the door, and then... everything went black. My heart races as fear tightens its grip on me. I try to move again, more slowly this time, and manage to sit up. My hands are shaking, but I force myself to stay calm and think.
“Hello?” I call out, my voice trembling. There’s no response, just the echo of my own voice bouncing off the walls. I try again, louder this time. “Is anyone there?”
Still nothing. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I need to figure out where I am and how to get out of here. My thoughts turn to Ghost. He must be looking for me by now. He always knows when something is wrong.
As I sit here, trying to gather my strength, I hear a door creak open in the distance. Footsteps approach, slow and deliberate.My heart pounds in my chest as I brace myself for whoever is coming.
The door to my prison swings open, and a man steps inside. He’s tall and muscular, with a cruel smile that sends chills down my spine. I recognize him instantly – Hunter, Ghost’s best friend.
“Hello, Snow,” he says, his voice dripping with malice. “Welcome to your new home.”
I stare at him in shock. “Hunter? What are you doing? Why am I here?”
He chuckles, a dark, unsettling sound. “Let’s just say you’re going to help me make a lot of money. And Ghost will never know it was me.”
Fear grips me tighter, but I refuse to let him see it. “Ghost will come for me,” I say, trying to sound braver than I feel.
Hunter’s smile widens. “We’ll see about that. For now, you should get comfortable. You’re going to be here for a while.”
I swallow hard, my mind racing. “Hunter, listen to me. I have a seizure disorder. I have at least one seizure every single day. If I don’t take my medication, it can be life-threatening.”
He crosses his arms and smirks, clearly unimpressed. “Nice try, Snow. But I’m not falling for it.”
“I’m serious,” I insist, my voice rising with desperation. “I don’t have my meds with me. If I don’t take them, things could get really bad.”