Page 106 of Ruthless Protector

He nodded, eyes screwed shut.

A sick twisted killer had Willa. I fought the terror inside me and asked the questions I needed. Van was already on the phone on the other side of the room. “Do you give the girls directly to this guy?”

“No.”

“Who?”

“Donny.”

“You’re sure he’s not the one killing them?”

Trent shook his head again. “No…no, it’s not him. He’s afraid. I’ve seen it, the fear…I seen it…”

“Donny’s a middle man?”

“Yes.”

I glanced up at Van and he dipped his chin.

“On it.”

I knew he was calling Tomas. He’d be able to bring him in faster than we could, and time was running out.

“Do you know where he takes them?”

“No.”

“You better not be lying to me.”

“I-I don’t, I swear.”

“Why did you take Tilly?” I asked him, tightening my grip on his throat.

“To get you away from Willa, so she was left unprotected.”

“That’s why you led us to your old apartment, so Willa was left vulnerable?”

He nodded shakily, eyes wide, not missing the rage now contorting my features. “I-I had no choice. I owed them a lot of money. Willa…she didn’t give me enough. She was ten grand short. I had to give them something, I had to pay my debt or they’d kill me.”

“So you gave them Willa?”

He nodded again.

He had nothing else for me, and I needed to get out of here before I choked him to death.

I slammed my fist into his face and let him drop to the floor.

Then I strode out.

* * *

Willa

“Middle of the room,” Donny said. “Arms up.”

I shook my head and stepped backward, the sheer fabric of the robe I wore tangling around my bare legs. I’d been forced into the bath. He’d washed my hair, then scrubbed my skin almost raw. I’d dried off, and he watched me in a detached sort of way.

He’d just finished brushing my hair.