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“Why are we being so secretive when we know Gunther’s people aren’t close by?” Dane asks, which is a damn good question.
“Because right now, the people in this room are the only ones I trust.”
“And why’s that?” I ask.
Russ takes a place against the wall and lets out a shuddering breath. Irma moves next to him and presses her forehead against his shoulder.
“Why am I here?” I say with an edge, because I don’t like being misled.
“The girl I told you about? The one I asked you to help with?”
Christine’s head pops up. “Yeah?”
“She’s my daughter. And she’s gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean gone?” she snaps.
“It happened three nights ago. We woke up, and she just wasn’t there.”
“She run away?” I ask.
He shakes his head from side to side. “She wouldn’t, and what I found later confirms this.” He clears his throat and pulls a note from his pocket, handing it to me.
Russ,
Has there ever been anything so sweet as a Georgia peach?
Gunther
I furrow my brow. “What does this say about anything?”
“My daughter’s name was Georgia.”
“Oh…”
“The thing is, my men would have spotted someone on the farm, which means one of mine took her and handed her over.”
“Why would they do that?” Selina asks, disgusted.
“I was going to request that you take her. I knew you had doctors, and we’re living in medieval times, where women died giving birth too frequently for my comfort. Then, she was gone. They must have known she was leaving and decided it was now or never.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” I growl, angry that he blindsided me.
“It’s my daughter. I needed you to come. I’d hoped that if you brought that girl, we might be able to trade her.”
“So that’s why you wanted her. Not to give us someone for her, but to trade her away to Gunther.”
“Yes.”
“And why would I allow that?”
“Because it’s my daughter,” Russ says, his voice breaking. “It’d be one thing if we knew where they were, but our best guess is that they’re south.”
“And they haven’t made demands?”
“Not yet,” Irma says. “It’s only a matter of time.”
“And you think if we hand over Amber, they’ll give us the girl?”
