AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Would he seriously get rid of everyone? My mind raced with all the possibilities. Martin lived by a swamp, his warehouse in the middle of nowhere and away from everything. All he’d have to do was throw the bodies in the water and let the alligators take care of the rest. There would be no trace of anyone. Martin couldn’t just have anyone showing up at his doorstep for these auditions. He had to be looking for specific kinds of people.
“With the other women,” I began, “did you talk to them much?”
Wren nodded. “Most of them, yeah. They’re just like me. Hard up for money.”
“What about families? Do any of them have husbands or kids?”
She snorted. “Hell no. They were pretty much loners, doing everything they could for a buck. Damn good fighters, though. Guess that’s how you have to be when you live on the streets.”
They were women with nothing to lose. I bet the same went for the guys. If they were to go missing, nobody would even notice.
“What else was on the website? Did it lead you here to this house?”
Wren shook her head. “Oh no, there was only a phone number. When I called it, I was told I had to pass the interview first. It turned out the place where I had to meet the guy was only an hour away from where I lived.”
“Where did you meet this guy? And when?” I asked.
“Charlotte,” she replied. “North Carolina. At a hotel downtown. It was three weeks ago.”
That was interesting. Was it a coincidence that all of this took place in North Carolina while Ethan and I were there too?
“Were you not scared to meet a stranger in a hotel room?”
She shook her head, her expression hard. I could see it in her eyes that she’d seen her fair share of trouble through the years.
“No,” she answered. “When you’re someone like me, you get used to fighting off men. I’m not a stranger to violence, Peyton. I’ve had to escape a lot in my life.”
My eyes burned. “I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine.”
She shrugged. “It’s the cards I’ve been dealt. But anyway, I met with the guy. He was young and sexy as hell with sandy blond hair and crystal blue eyes.” Her lips pursed, and she looked away as if remembering all the details. “He was regal, but there was something dangerous about him. Very sexy if you ask me, especially dressed in that expensive suit of his.”
My stomach fell, although I wasn’t shocked. I’d never seen Nikolai Michelson in person, but it sounded just like him.
“Did he give you his name?” I asked, hearing my pulse pounding in my ear. If she said his name, it wouldn’t change anything. Ethan and I were trapped either way. It would just confirm that Nikolai helped.
Wren nodded. “His name was even sexy too. Nikolai. Nikolai Michelson. He’s the one who gave me the money to travel here.”
And there it was, the confirmation.
Bile rose up the back of my throat and I stood, clutching my stomach tightly. Nikolai told Wren his name. There’s no way he would do that if he knew she’d make it out alive. I walked away from her and grabbed one of the bed posters.
“You’re not getting your money, Wren. Nikolai Michelson is a fucking douche. He’s been after my family for months now.” I glanced at her over my shoulder. “None of you are getting out alive. This movie Martin wants to film is brutal. Now that you know I’m here, he’s not going to let you go.”
Wren jumped to her feet. “Like hell, he’s not. I’ve gotten myself out of tighter spots than this.”
“Then help me,” I begged. “I’ll give you five times the amount of money you’d get from this stupid film. And if you want to fight professionally, I’ll get my mom to train you. Your name will spread far and wide. You won’t have to steal money or wonder day to day where you’ll be sleeping.” I closed the distance between us and grabbed her hands. “Please, Wren. I can’t do this alone.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but are you sure Gabriella Reynolds is your mother? If it was her in this situation, she’d be throwing punches left and right to get out of here.”
“Believe me,” I said, keeping my voice low, “I would if I could. My mom taught me how to fight.”
Wren shrugged. “Then why don’t you?”
Shaking my head, I could feel my eyes burn. “Because I can’t risk it.”
“Risk what?” The breath caught in her throat, and she immediately dropped her gaze to my stomach. “Oh my God, are you pregnant?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
