Page 95 of Grace

“What? Why not?”

“Because they saw everything.”

“What do you mean they saw? Who saw?”

“I could only keep you if I followed the instructions. Everything went on the dark web.”

“The dark web?” I’m appalled. “What do you mean, everything?”

“Us having sex. The abuse…”

“And who told you to do this?”

“My brother.” His fingers clench around the steering wheel.

“Jesus.” I rake my fingers through my hair and sink into the seat.

“They didn’t see our faces. I didn’t let them see you.”

“Only my body?” I snap.

“I couldn’t do anything else. He would’ve taken you from me, and…” He licks his lip, smiling. “He did.”

“How?”

Chase doesn’t answer. He turns the key, but this junker only listens to Cyrus’s magic hands.

“Get out,” he orders, but I can’t move.

He yanks open the passenger-side door and hauls me out as if I weighed nothing. He grabs my hand and drags me after him. I can barely keep up. We splash through cold puddles. My canvas sneakers are soaked, and my hair is plastered to my face by the wind and the rain hurls at me. I can’t see a thing.

“Chase!” I shout. “The message on the fridge—was it your brother who left it there? Was he in the apartment?”

“I’m not sure it was him. He doesn’t go into places that low. Maybe it was one of his men.”

“If you did what he told you to do, why did he take me from you?” I ask, bitter as poison.

“Do you remember when I told you I couldn’t do it anymore?” he asks.

I nod.

“I didn’t want to hurt you. I wanted him to leave us alone, but…”

“Why did you have to hurt me?”

“Because there are people who love watching stuff like this. Who get hard-ons from violence—the more blood and tears, the more fucked-up and sick the video, the more money they’ll pay for it.”

My stomach turns. His words make me feel dirty and naked. Bitter bile rises in my throat, threatening to make me vomit. For now, I take this information and shove it deep down somewhere.

“How did you get out of jail?”

“I was never a lowlife, Grace. I just chose this life. That’s why you saw me the way you did.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a hacker. I’m pretty good at it. Too good—which makes me too valuable to Lucas. That’s why he got me out after two years. He needs my expertise.”

“The videos… will they be there forever?”