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“She’s been missing since last night.” Vanessa paced in the bedroom, occasionally looking out the window in case she saw her partner walking through the backyard. “Did she call you? Did she tell you anything when we arranged… you know?”
Erica was sorry she could not be more help. “I remember her saying something about wanting to end this with that woman as soon as possible. The poor thing staying with us is really shaken up. I admit, I’m not the best person equipped for this because I’m not as into the lifestyle as you. But I’m guessing now is not the time to sort through her problems.”
Erica referred to Thalia, who was lying low at Mann Manor. Erica had agreed to take in Candace’s latest victim as a favor to Mitch and Vanessa, but she knew nothing about what Mitch had planned after that.
“Have you called the police?”
“No, but I’m working my way up to that.”
Vanessa hung up on her friend and called the next person who might know something.
“She actually did call me last night with a cryptic message.” Penny must have been at work based on the sounds of construction in the background. “She said if you called to ask about her, I was to confirm that she isn’t in Sacramento. She might not even be in California.”
Vanessa’s heart stopped. “Did she say anything about someone named Candace?”
“Hm, no. What is going on with you two?”
After hanging up again, Vanessa knew she had to get drastic. That meant playing some of Mitch’s favorite games.
“Iknowyou two know where she went.” When Vanessa entered the gay bar in the Castro district, it was with bouncing curls and a winter cape that fluttered on her shoulders. “So, where is she? Where is my Mitch?”
Stella put down her coffee and looked at Vanessa as if she had no power here.I have power wherever I go when it comes to the only person who matters.These people would see that.Candacewould see that!
“We’re not at liberty to say.”
Vanessa could hardly breathe. “She went to her, didn’t she?” Whispers of disbelief clouded her mind. “She’s going after Lister. The fool. Thatidiot!”
“It’s pretty brazen, yeah.” Stella resumed sipping her early afternoon coffee. “James signed off on it if you can believe it. Somehow, I’m not surprised that she didn’t tell you. The less you know, the better.”
“You can’t be serious! This is mypartnerwe’re talking about here!”
“Trust me. If they don’t want you to have details, there’s a reason. They want you to remain ignorant so you either stay out of danger or don’t do something stupid. Sounds like you want to do something stupid.”
“I want to get my partner out of the trouble she’s certainly found herself in!”
“As long as she has her phone, she’ll be fine. There’s a number she can contact the FBI with using a passcode to alert that she is in danger. As far as I know, she hasn’t given a signal.”
“You’re going to have to do a lot better than that.” Vanessa struck closer, arousing Jade’s suspicion from the other side of the back room. She was halfway to intervening when Vanessa chose to back off for herself. “Is she at Candace’s?”
Stella’s steely gaze stilled Vanessa’s soul. “Last I heard? She’s not in California. That’s all I can tell you.”
“With Candace!”
That noncommittal countenance told Vanessa what she needed to know.
“Oh, God!” Vanessa cupped her fingers around her mouth. It wasn’t the images of Mitch being in Candace’s presence that upset her. It was how the situation could turn ugly, quickly. Vanessa now understood what Candace Lister was truly capable of, not just as a ruthless ringleader of a multimillion-dollar sex trafficking scheme, but as aperson.She treated no one with tenderness, including her partners. Boundaries were suggestions she often ignored. Her appetite for exerting ownership was probably only paralleled by how she got off on the situation she created. A woman’s pain and suffering brought her joy.
Mitch was not safe with her. Not as long as Candace wanted her.
“She’s done a helluva job these past few weeks.” Stella added more sugar to her coffee. “Between being an ex-Marine and how well she does undercover, she could probably be an agent herself. Instead of… you know.”
Vanessa ignored that. “Where is she?”
Stella sighed. “I don’t know. Only that she went to Lister’s last night. Alone.”
“Has she come back out?”
A nod didn’t comfort Vanessa. A nod meant Mitch was out of town.
