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They could hear Cameron typing as he dug into Hannah's background. "Well, we know she works full-time at Bloomer's Florist and part-time at the Four Seasons, bar-tending a few nights a week. It looks like she got her California driver's license about two years ago. Had an Ohio license before that. She was registered at Ohio State University for one semester a few years ago and then dropped off the grid for a while until she showed up here in California. Wait..."
They waited for several minutes while Cameron's fingers flew across the keyboard. Dylan held his breath, anxious to learn more about Hannah's past in hopes it would help him understand how to better help her now. The techie's surprised whistle wasn't a good sign.
"Shit. Looks like she's had one hell of a time of it. Her old man is in prison serving a forty-year sentence for kidnapping and sex trafficking. He got caught red-handed with a half-dozen young women, several under age, locked up in a building he owned. Says he pimped them out to his friends and business associates. There's a picture of Hannah and someone that looks like it could be her older sister in the article from about three years ago that covers the sentencing. The article says they both testified against their father. Well shit, that sucks."
Dylan was filled with fury. It was bad enough a stranger like Jake Davenport was fucking with Hannah, but how messed up it must be to have a father who abused women. He prayed she had been spared, but even as he thought it, he knew the chances were slim that Hannah had escaped unscathed, having lived with someone like that as a child. His blood started to boil to a new level.
"Hey, here's something new. This might be the link we're looking for. Looks like she recently got her associate's degree from the local community college; the same college Jake recently did a big project with, donating security electronics to the technology department in exchange for a big tax break."
Dylan could see Lukus's thoughts churning. "Accounting, you say? Have you been able to hack into their employee records? Do we know who is cooking the books for him?"
"Yeah, I got into those records last week. Up until last month, Jennifer Atkinson was listed as the official accountant for Strictly Disciplined, but it looks like Ms. Atkinson met an untimely death in a single car crash while driving along the coast a couple of weeks ago. Her body was burned beyond recognition," Cam told them.
"That's an interesting coincidence. A dead accountant at the same time he starts showing interest in a young, submissive accountant."
"Who the hell told you Hannah is a submissive?" Dylan didn't like the way the men were talking about her.
"Down, boy. I'm just saying Davenport likes to hire beautiful women he can bully and manipulate," Lukus said.
"Well, it isn't working. She's telling him to take a leap."
Dylan didn't like the look that had suddenly appeared on Lukus's face. "So far she has," Lukus said slowly. "But what if she was working for us and we could get her into that warehouse? You might be right. She could be the key to the whole investigation."
Dylan instantly regretted pushing the men to notice Hannah. Now they were going to try to use her, just like Davenport.
What assholes.
Before he could even protest, Lukus was on his feet, barking orders. "Keep digging on Hannah Martine, Cam. I want to know as much as you can tell me about her so I know how to turn her into our eyes and ears." Lukus turned to Dylan to ask him a surprising question. "Where is she right now?"
"At the florist she works at. Why?"
"Because we're gonna make a trip to her apartment and see what we can find out about her and her connection to Jake Davenport, that's why. We need more information on Hannah Martine."
Dylan had been pushing them for weeks to include Hannah in their investigation. Now that he'd succeeded, he was regretting it. "That's an invasion of her privacy, not to mention illegal," he said.
"Then I guess we should be careful not to get caught then, shouldn't we?" Lukus was already gathering up his laptop and a few other belongings.
Dylan stood his ground, not liking the turn of events. Lukus and Derek turned back from the front door. "Well, you coming, Junior?"
The only thing Dylan hated worse than the idea of breaking into Hannah's apartment was the idea of letting Lukus and Derek break in without him.
He begrudgingly moved to follow them, reminding them, "My name's not Junior."
Chapter Seven
Hannah
Hannah was just about to wrap up helping Mia get their orders out the door. It was the least she could do on her last day. She'd tried to break the news that she was leaving town, but the words just wouldn't come. She'd have to send her best friend a letter after she and Connor got settled somewhere safe.
She looked up at the sound of the front door to Bloomer's dinging a customer's arrival. It took a second glance for her to recognize Mia's younger sister. It had been almost five months since she'd seen Lucy, and the time had not been kind to the twenty-year-old.
The skin-tight mini-skirt she wore barely covered her ass, and her four-inch heels looked ridiculously out of place in the casual shop. It was the caked on make-up and over-processed hair that made her look like a hooker.
Mia chose that moment to join them from the back room, carrying a large bouquet in her arms. She almost dropped the flowers when she saw her younger sister. "Lucy?"
"Hey," was all the youngest member of the family managed, dropping her duffel bag to the floor.
Mia got over her surprise first. "Thanks for coming home. We need your help around here."
