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How long had I been out?
I knew he wanted me to tell him what had happened, but my mouth couldn’t form the words. Instead, I dialed 911. Yes, I cared, and if Devin was left to bleed to death and I could have prevented it…I couldn’t live with that. After I called the police and gave them the address of the injured man I shot—conveniently leaving that part out—I hung up.
“And you shot him?”
“Yes, out of fear. He was standing when I left.” I took several calming breaths before I questioned him. “How did you find me?”
“Tracking device on your cell and cars. We discussed that, remember?” I nodded, very much in the same state of mind as he was when he’d told me about it months ago. He sent a text as I looked around us, suddenly terrified I’d never feel safe again.
“Oh my God,” I cried into my hands. I couldn’t stop shaking. I reached in my purse for my emergency Xanax, but Cedric stilled my hands.
“Okay, Nina, before you medicate, let’s switch seats, and I’ll drive you home, okay?”
I looked down at my hands, sure I would see blood on them, but there was nothing. I pulled at the rearview to look at my face and realized I had makeup on. Makeup, how trivial was makeup? Why the hell did we try so hard to hide our flaws? What was the point? Anyone who truly knew you would see them; no amount of paint could truly cover up the ugly in someone.
Suddenly the dim light from the parking lot showcased every flaw I had. I began wiping at my face furiously to erase them.
“Nina,” Cedric said calmly. “I need you to listen to me. I want you to get into the passenger side, okay? I’ll give you a few more minutes to collect yourself, and then you will need to tell me what happened.” I nodded, still not really hearing him, but moved to get into the passenger seat, keeping my gun close.
I buckled my seatbelt, but Cedric stayed where he was as he waited for me to talk. It was a little over ten minutes before I was calm enough to relay the story.
“He was…mutilating her. With her consent!” I closed my eyes, trying to erase the image of the bloodied girl from my mind.
“He’s in the one percent.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m sure you have heard of BDSM.”
“Oh, God, not the Dom shit again!” Despite my co
mment, I perked my ears up because I knew whatever he had to say might actually be on point.
“The community has a small amount that practices extreme BDSM. It’s not news to me, and honestly, if I stumbled upon it, I would have to take action. It’s some sick shit, consensual or not, and highly illegal. If you could find the victim, we could have him arrested. She wouldn’t even have to press charges because the state would.”
“I have no idea who she was. She left and actually refused my help before she did.”
“That’s how he gets away with it, and it’s typical. Some of these people have serious issues. Some of the women either enjoy the abuse or find release in it. They are like cutters, but to the extreme.” He glanced over at me, and I shook my head, disgusted. I remembered the girls moan in between screams and shuddered.
“Look,” I told Cedric, pointedly, “this may not be news to you, but my life, my childhood, my upbringing, and what I thought was nightmarish about it was pretty fucking normal. This…shit…is not normal.”
“It is to Aiden.”
I felt the nail drive through my heart at the loss of who I thought he was. “He’s a monster.”
“Very much so. But to him, it’s pleasure.”
“How do you know so much about this?” I turned to Cedric, who eyed me with concern. “I’ve become aware in a few situations I’ve had to get involved in. Nothing as extreme as the one you’ve described.”
“So there is nothing we…I can do, to put him away? To stop him?”
“Yes and no. It would be extremely difficult.”
A few minutes of silence lingered as I let my mind wonder. All I felt was dread at the thought that Devin might be lying there. Aiden had called us his hindrance. Without Devin, how far would he go?
“I have to know if Devin’s all right. I just left him there!”
“I have a confession,” Cedric said suddenly.
