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MORGAN
Icheck my phone for the tenth time in the past minute, irritation spreading throughout me as I see the same empty notification list on my phone. I haven't heard from Trent all day, which puts me on edge. After learning the truth, I can't help but wonder what he's doing when he's not with me. Is he killing someone else? Has he found the person responsible for all of this? Is he safe wherever he is?
I'd opted to stay home from classes today, as it didn't seem like the safest idea to be out in public at the moment. Besides, it's not like I would've been able to concentrate anyway. The only thing that consumes my mind is that someone's out to get me, someone I don't even know, making it hard for me to go back to my life as if everything is normal. Not hearing from Trent doesn't help either. There's always this sense of safety when he's around; if I'm honest, I miss him. After learning the truth, I'd been angry with him last night, but I can see why he did everything he had. But it's unlike him to go so long without responding to me—not even a text—which only fills my head with all kinds of worst-case scenarios that do nothing but increase the already growing anxiety within me.
I spend the entire evening looking out my window to see if I can see him. He'd told me last night that he'd been watching me for a while, so I wonder if I would be able to see him sitting outside of my house. But as the sun dips out of the sky, there still hasn't been a single sign of him or his car near my house. I grab my phone with a sigh and open his text thread.
Morgan: Hey, where are you?
I nibble on my bottom lip as I stare at the screen, relief spreading through my chest when his chat bubble pops up on the screen as he types his response.
Trent: Outside your house.
I look back out of the the window into the darkness, frowning when I don't see his car in front of my house. I quickly respond to his message.
Morgan: I don't see you outside. Can you come inside?
I divert my attention back to the window to see if I can see him, wondering if he's really out there. He finally appears after a couple of minutes, coming from behind the ledge that lines our property before he crosses the lawn to head to the front door. I meet him in the doorway, a smile on my face as he approaches.
"Hey," I say, stepping out of the way so he can enter the house. He steps inside and looks around the foyer while I close the door behind him.
"Something wrong?" he asks when his gaze finally falls onto me.
I shake my head. "No. I just haven't really heard from you so I wanted to talk to you a little." I lead him to the living room andsit on the couch. "So? Have you found out anything useful about what's going on? Like, what happens now?"
He takes a seat next to me and clasps his hands together as he rests his elbows on his knees. "The main thing is getting to the people responsible for putting the hit on you to begin with," he says. "But right now, we're keeping you and your father protected just in case they're planning another attack."
A lump of panic lodges itself into my throat at the thought of someone else coming after us. "I don't understand. Why in the world would someone want me dead? I haven't done anything to anyone," I exclaim.
"Unfortunately, you're simply the victim of doing business with the wrong kind of people." Trent shrugs. The wrong kind of people? I think back to all the companies I've worked with. On the surface, the companies all have everyday products that the average person could use. It's not like I'm advertising drugs or something super expensive and exclusive. I just can't fathom someone wanting to kill me over a few protein shakes and lipsticks.
"What? What do you mean business with the wrong people?" I finally say when I compose myself from the shock of his words. "We've only been doing business with makeup companies and fitness brands."
"That live you did the other night? The company you did that promotion for isn't who your father thought they were. It's a complicated situation, but they're the main reason you're in this situation to begin with."
I stare at him in confusion. "I don't understand. All I did was advertise lipsticks. What's wrong with that?"
He's quiet for a moment, and the silence weighs heavy on my mind. A multitude of different things pass over his face as he seems to struggle with what to say, and it only makes merealize that this situation is so much worse than I could've ever imagined.
"It's been revealed that the makeup company is a front," he starts. "The entity that owns that company is actually an Italian mob. And while you think you were only advertising their new lipsticks, they actually had you giving a coded message for a human trafficking auction in the script you had to use."
"I did what?!" I exclaim. Nausea flips my stomach. He has to be wrong. There's no way I could've done that. There's no way my dad could’ve allowed me to do that. My breath caught in my throat. Did my dad know about this? As if reading my mind, Trent shook his head.
"Your father didn't know either," he says. "I think your father simply took the money because it was a big payday for you, but he had no knowledge of the auction itself. Trust me, I checked into that."
I release a short breath as I smooth my sweaty palms along my jeans. This situation seems to get worse with each new piece of information presented to me, almost to the point where I'd rather be ignorant and not know anything just so I don't have even more to stress about.
"So are they the ones trying to kill me, then?" I finally bring myself to ask. Aside from the stress of knowing that I've been unknowingly working with an Italian mob, I've also been unknowingly committing a crime. Human trafficking isn't new to me, as it's something I've read about in news articles when girls go missing. I nearly throw up knowing I've been helping the bad guys facilitate something like that.
"No, but we finally know who's responsible for the hit after interrogating the surviving guy who attacked you and your father last night." I open my mouth to respond, but Trent holds his hand up. "I know you have a lot of questions, but I don't think it's a good idea to dump all of that on you right now. Justknow that I have the information needed, and my team and I are devising a plan to handle all of this."
"But if I'm in danger, I'd rather know instead of walking around with no idea about who I should watch out for," I state with a frown.
"Even if I told you who they are, you wouldn't know them if you saw them," he says. "Besides, the less you know right now, the better."
"But—"
"Do you trust me?" he asks with a raised brow. I purse my lips as I stare at him. The question is loaded, especially after the truth bomb he'd dropped on me last night. A few hours ago, I didn't think I could trust him after he'd lied and kept so many things from him, but I know that trusting him is my only option right now. I sigh inwardly before I finally nod.
