Page 41 of Cash

“Are you safe? Can you hear anyone?”

“I can’t hear anything,” she whimpered.

Once I was in the stairwell, I took them two at a time, hearing boots crashing on the steps behind me.

“Are you safe?”

“I don’t know.”

I hit the lobby and debated calling the police. But the police might hinder our next steps depending on what we found.

I tried a different approach. Knowing Lore, a special room would be a panic room.

“Are you safe in your special room?”

“Lolo said, no one can get in and I had to stay in here until you came to get me. The King, The Dove, or The Snake. No one else is allowed in. You’re the King, right Cash?”

Jesus fucking hell.

I felt a crack in my heart and the air leave my lungs and it had nothing to do with the exertion running to my truck.

“Yes, sweetheart, I’m the King. I’m on my way.”

“Okay,” she cried.

“I’m coming to get you, Cara. Don’t open that door for anyone. Not anyone but me. When I get there and I’m at the door I’ll call you back.” I bleeped my locks and yanked open the door. “Do you know what a code word is?”

“No.”

Shit, she was back to whispering.

“It’s a special word. When I’m at the door, I’ll say Cash is King and you’ll know it’s me. That way if someone else tries to get you to open the door you’ll know they’re not me unless they tell you the code.”

The passenger door opened. Jonas hefted into the truck and slammed the door. I heard the back doors open, grunts, then they slammed as well.

“Okay,” Cara said.

Why did the soft whisper hurt my heart worse than the kid crying?

“Is your phone charged?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, sweetheart. I’m in my truck. I’ll be there as soon as I can. It won’t be long. Sit tight for me.”

“Okay, Cash.”

Fuck. I couldn’t hang up with her, not when she sounded so scared.

“Are you sure your phone is charged?”

It took her a moment to answer but when she came back she told me, “It says ninety-eight.”

That was plenty for a thirty-minute drive.

“I’m going to stay on the phone with you.”

“Thank you.”