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16 DAMON
I’ve spent the last three hours locked in my office with Liam in my ear, wanting to know exactly what my last report meant. For a guy running an investment company, he’s acting really stupid today. But I can’t blame him. He’s been on cloud nine ever since he asked JJ to move in with him—and she agreed.
“Dude, you need to go home,” I mutter after I explain the same thing to him for the fourth time in a row. “I know you want to go hang out with your new roommate.” He gives me a look, and I smirk. “You can’t tell me that you’re not distracted.”
“Fine. Yes, I’m distracted. All I can think about is JJ moving all her stuff into my place. If I could move her in right now, I would. But she’s worried about Clara.” My head snaps up at the mention of Clara.
“Why would she be worried about Clara?” I ask a little too forcefully. Liam chuckles and starts walking toward my office door.
“Calm down, big guy. She just wants to make sure Clara is okay on her own before she moves to my place. They’ve been roommates since their first year of college, so it’s a big deal that she’s leaving,” he says, shutting my office door behind him.
I never thought I would be jealous of Liam. I’ve known him all my life, and never once have I envied his life over mine. Except right now. The idea of Clara and I living together sends a burst of warmth through my body, something that jerks me back to reality. We’ve only been seeing each other for a few weeks, it’s way too early for this…right?
My phone goes off, letting me know that Clara’s video has gone live, and I get up and lock the door to my office. I want to watch the whole thing with no interruptions and, knowing Liam, he’ll burst in any minute to talk about how excited he is to move in with JJ.
I open my computer and load the video. “Hello, everyone! As you probably noticed, this video is a little different than usual. I’m not testing any makeup or doing a tutorial, but I am sitting here, needing to get something off my chest.” Her face goes ashen, and I can tell from the look in her eyes that she would rather be talking about anything but this. My chest constricts as she continues.
“I have always loved the YouTube community. You all have been so supportive through everything in my life, but I have to admit, there is a darker side of this life that no one really sees or acknowledges.” I take a deep breath along with her.
“Lately, I’ve been getting some pretty despicable comments from some viewers regarding my body. I understand that, in this business, there will be certain people that will not agree with my way of life, but that doesn’t give anyone—and I mean anyone—the right to discuss my body or how it is used.” She’s shaking, and I can see the moisture behind her eyes. She’s trying her hardest to keep her composure, and I’m so damn proud of her.
All of a sudden, my phone goes off. I look and see that it’s JJ.
“Hey, what’s up?” I ask, pausing the video and scrolling down to read some of the comments.
“Is Clara with you?” JJ yells the second I stop talking. My back straightens and my eyes catch a comment that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
God, you look so hot today. Can’t wait to see that smile in person.
“Why would you think Clara’s with me?” I ask, looking at the comment again and feeling the panic rise.
“She was supposed to meet me for coffee an hour ago. She’s never this late.” I stand and open my office door and wave Liam over. The look of concern on his face makes me think he has a bad feeling about what’s going on.
“You call her?” I don’t know why I ask the question, I already know the answer, and the pit of dread grows with every second.
“It’s going straight to voicemail.” I can hear the panic in JJ’s voice, and I know she’s thinking the worst. To be honest, so am I. My eyes drift toward my computer once more, and my gaze lands on that comment. The one that sets my teeth on edge. I tell JJ to go to Liam’s and that I’ll meet her there. Once I hang up, Liam’s at my side.
“What’s your plan?” he asks, leaning against the side of my desk while I scroll through my phone, looking for a specific number. I catch his eyes, and his eyebrows rise.
“You’re calling in the big guns, aren’t you?” I just nod, pressing the call button, hoping that I can get to Clara before something horrible happens.
17 CLARA
Fuck.
My head throbs as I struggle to open my eyes. As they adjust to the dim light, it takes me a moment to realize that I have no idea where I am. The damp, stale air seeps into my skin, and I shiver, looking around to see if I can figure out what the hell happened. I can tell I’m in a basement or something similar. The concrete floor under my bare feet give that much away.
Wait, where are my shoes? I look around and see nothing around me.
My eyes struggle to focus as I try to remember what happened. I remember leaving my apartment and heading down the hall toward the front door, but that’s it. I shake my head, wincing at the blinding pain that pierces through me. I raise my hands to my head, only to find my wrists bound together.
What the hell?
The plastic ties dig into my skin as my fingers probe the gash on my head. I wince, lowering my hands only to find blood on my fingertips, as I wipe the blood on my pants. I notice for the first time that I’m lying on an old mattress with blankets surrounding me. I don’t see any ropes or chains, so my guess is that my captor thinks these plastic ties will be enough. I look around the room once more, trying to figure out where I am, only to come up empty.
A chain-link fence separates me from the rest of the space, almost like an animal at the zoo. There is a door within the fence that locks from the outside and, for a moment, I wonder if I can pick it. I quickly think better of it since, you know, I’ve never picked a lock in my life. There are two small windows on one wall, one of which is on my side of the fence, letting me know it’s still daylight outside. There is junk everywhere, mostly on the other side of the fence, but I see a scattering of boxes in the corner and a bucket that I do not want to have to use. My eyes adjust to the dim light of the room only to see a set of stairs on the other side of the fence that must lead up to the rest of the house.
What have I gotten myself into?God, I hope JJ figures out that something’s wrong when I don’t show up for coffee.
