Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
“Can you give us anything, anything at all, about where we might find some people involved in this fuckin’ mess?” Cohen asks, tightening his grip on the man’s arms until he winces in pain.
“Ease up, man,” he cries out. “I’m tellin’ you what you want to know. I don’t know any names. You guys sell drugs around town, you know the big dogs, go and fucking talk to them. They’d know more than I know. It’s a whole fuckin’ secret dark world out there, and Magnolia got tangled up in it.”
I feel pain swelling in my chest.
Pain that I didn’t know what was going on in Magnolia’s world.
Pain that I didn’t come soon enough to help her.
So much god damned pain.
It feels like it’s never going to end.
In fact, judging by what I just heard, it feels like it’s about to get a whole lot worse.
Really quickly.
“I KNOW IT AIN’T RELATED now, but back when King was dealin’ with Aviana’s father, there was mention he had somethin’ to do with sellin’ women.”
I stop in the hallway when I hear Alarick’s voice. Curiosity burns and I inch forward just a little, so I can hear better.
I haven’t heard anyone mention Aviana’s name in such a long time. She was never seen again after she disappeared all those years ago, and to this day, I still don’t know if she’s alive or dead. It haunts me often, thinking about what might have happened to my best friend, but I was living my own nightmare at the time.
I was incapable of finding her.
There was zero trace.
Everyone I asked said she just moved away.
Nobody wanted to help.
“Did hear that,” Mykel murmurs. “Heard her uncle had a good deal to do with it. Know that a girl went missing years ago and all eyes were on them. They’re messy as fuck and I’m fairly certain they were involved in that underground sales bullshit.”
“I know for a fact her dad was, never heard about her uncle. I know her dad was messin’ with the wrong people just before he got taken out. King was gettin’ real fuckin’ close to him, and he didn’t like it. Started tryin’ to mess with King, take things from him, stole a bunch of drugs, caused a fuck loads of problems, and well...we all know how that fuckin’ ended.”
“You think her uncle still has somethin’ to do with this?”
“Well, gotta question it, yeah. Aviana has been missing a long time now, and I’ve often thought she got tangled up in the wrong hands. Those hands might just be her uncle. Any idea on his location?”
“No idea,” Mykel murmurs. “I don’t even know his fuckin’ name, but I’ll do some digging, see if I can find out. It’s worth lookin’ into.”
“It’s the only lead we’ve got right now. Never heard a thing about no cult and a leader than convinces people to fuckin’ let themselves be sold overseas, as fuck knows what. It seems like somethin’ out of a fuckin’ movie, doesn’t seem like somethin’ that happens in real life.”
“Could be a cover up?” Mykel suggests. “Maybe he was tryin’ to throw us off?”
“Could be, still, gotta take it all seriously. Startin’ with that cop ...”
“You still think he has something to do with this?”
“I’m fuckin’ certain he has somethin’ to do with this. I just haven’t figured out what, but I fuckin’ will. He’s dirty as they come, and I want to know who he’s workin’ for.”
“You think he killed Mags?”
Alarick exhales. “I don’t know who killed Mags, I don’t know what she was into, I don’t know who she was hangin’ out with. There is so much mystery surroundin’ this whole fuckin’ thing. It isn’t something I’ve had to deal with before. All I know is that before she wound up dead, someone took her from her car, and I gotta wonder who that person was.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Mykel says, and I peer around the corner just in time to see him slap Alarick on the shoulder before disappearing into the living area.
Alarick turns, and when he sees me standing there, he tips his head to the side just slightly. “You hear all that?”
I nod.
“Pretty fuckin’ messy ...”
“I didn’t know Aviana’s dad was involved in that sort of thing,” I say softly. “Why didn’t you ever tell me that back then, when I was so damned angry?”
“Because it was club business, and it was dangerous. Didn’t need you runnin’ around tellin’ people that sort of thing. It was too big of a risk. Better you hate King, then to know the truth about what Aviana’s father was really doin’.”
“Do you think someone has Avi?”
Alarick exhales. “I don’t fuckin’ know. There is a high chance she’s dead, nobody has ever seen or heard from her after she disappeared.”
“What if someone has her, all this time, and we’re just here living our lives?”