“That could be anyone,” Marlin said, but his voice had gone thin.“The letter I -- it’s not specific.The codex changes monthly.”
“Except you initialed the special handling form,” Knight replied.“The one that specified age, condition, and service parameters.You wanted a virgin, Judge.You paid for a virgin.Iron delivered a virgin.”He flipped to another page.“Her name was Tessa Garrison.”
I shifted, the need to grab the nearest object and break the guy’s knees.Griffin settled his hand at the small of my back, grounding me.
“Where is she?”I demanded, taking a step forward.“Where’s my sister?”
Marlin’s eyes darted to Seth, then back to me.“I don’t -- I never kept them here.They came in, they went out.Sometimes I never even saw them.”
“You’re lying.”I took another step, close enough now that I could smell the sour reek of his fear.“You know exactly where she is because you’re the one who bought her.”
“I didn’t --” Marlin swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing.“Look, I don’t know what Iron told you, but I never purchased anyone.I just provided a location for transactions.A neutral ground.”
“Bullshit.”Knight flipped to another page.“The Vossberg account shows six deposits matching six special handling purchases over the last eight months.The routing numbers trace back to a trust in your daughter’s name.The trust your ex-wife doesn’t know about.”Knight looked up, face impassive.“The trust that owns the property on Lake Radnor where you keep the girls between transactions.”
Marlin went very still.“You can’t prove that.”
“We already did,” Tonio said, speaking for the first time.“My father is a patient man, Judge.He let you use his territory because you were useful.You are not useful enough to justify the risk you’ve created.”He glanced at Seth, who nodded once, a small dip of his chin.“Now, either you tell us where the Garrison girl is, or I call my father’s specialist back in.She was just getting started with the pliers when we pulled her off.”
Something in Marlin’s face crumpled.“Iron moved her,” he said, the words coming out in a rush.Clearly, this specialist had made an impression on the judge.“After the raid on the club.He said she was leverage.Bait to draw the sister out.He moved her to Renee Vossberg’s place off Route 9.The restaurant that’s been closed for renovations.”He looked at me, eyes wide.“I’m sorry.I swear.I should never have --”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” I cut in, my voice steady despite the rage boiling under my skin.“But you did.You’re not sorry, you bastard.You’re scared.There’s a difference.”
The room went quiet.My arms dropped from my chest, hands bunching into fists at my sides.Griffin stepped closer, wrapping his fingers around my hand and holding firm.
“We’ll need a layout of the building,” Knuckles said.“Guards, exits, any security systems.”
“I can get that,” Knight said, already working at his laptop.
“And we’ll need to move fast,” Hannah added.“If Iron’s using her as bait, he’ll be expecting us.”
I turned to Seth, meeting his gaze directly.“I’m going.”
“I’d expect nothing less,” he replied.“But you’ll go with our protection.Tonio?”
Tonio stepped forward.“We seal the roads.No one gets in or out of that stretch of Route 9 without our say-so.You handle the restaurant.We handle the perimeter.”
“Listen up!We’ve got fifteen minutes to walk through this, so I need everyone’s attention.”
The guys all gathered around the table, Knuckles laying out exactly what he planned to accomplish his goals.We stood in a rough circle around Knight and his laptop as Knuckles and Hawk -- the club’s sergeant at arms -- took us through the layout of the grounds.The building sat isolated at the end of a paved access road, surrounded by trees on three sides, the back lot bordered by a drainage ditch that would make for a natural choke point.Perfect for an ambush or a trap.
Tonio, who’d been mostly in the background, spoke up.“My men are already set around the three exit routes farther out.We’ll keep everyone inside that building in play.”
“Good.”Knuckles turned to the rest of us.“We move in three vehicles.Knight stays on comms at the compound.Everyone else, we’re on the road in five.”
“I’m going,” I said, the words coming out harder than I’d intended.
Knuckles gave me a long look.Instead of objecting, Griffin simply positioned himself at my shoulder as the group broke to ready themselves.His hand brushed the small of my back, not restraining, a reminder that he was there, that I wasn’t facing this alone.
The next few minutes blurred into a controlled chaos of weapons checks and radio tests.I’d been given a compact 9mm and two extra magazines.I also had on a Kevlar vest that Griffin had fussed over more than once since I’d put it on.
When Griffin eyed a second bulletproof vest like he intended to wrap me in a double layer, I rested my hand on his chest.“Griffin.I’ll be fine.I will do everything any of the club members tell me to do and I’ll do it immediately.”
“You remember what I showed you?”he asked, voice low.
I nodded.“Don’t pull my gun unless you say so.If you say so, front sight, trigger squeeze, follow-through.Don’t stop shooting until you say so.”
He grinned.“Good girl.”
