Page 25 of Out for Blood
Her attention shifted down the hallway, then back to me, fear washing over her.
“Big Salt,” she whispered.
“Where can I find them?” I asked, advancing closer to her.
Her eyes widened in shock.
“You don’t go looking for Big Salt,” she muttered. “You forget.”
“I’m not forgetting,” I answered, holding my ground and hardening my facial expression.
My tone must have gotten my point across because she leaned in closer to me, and I could smell the cigarette smoke on her breath as her voice came out raspy, “Best case?” She licked her lips, “They’ll be pimped out in brothels.”
The words hit like a physical blow, my mind reeling.
“Worst case, well, you don’t want to know.” She shook her head pitifully.
Goosebumps sweeping over my skin.
“What will happen to them?” I kept digging anyway.
She stared at me then, the wrinkles around her eyes relaxing, enough to tell me she knew the answer but wasn’t going to tell me.
“The look in your eyes, you’re not going to stop.” The words left her in a whisper, as though speaking only to herself.
Then she hauled herself backwards and swung the door shut.
I don’t remember dialing Tyler. My body was shaking too hard, my breath coming too fast, the world shrinking to the noise surrounding me.
When he got there, I was on the curb. Bent forward, trying but failing to steady my breath, sweating profusely with my hands gripping my knees so tightly it was as if I were trying to hold myself together.
Another panic attack, Tyler was used to them by now. He helped me up and guided me into the passenger seat of the car, while his hand sat firmly at the back of my neck. I’m not sure how much time passed, but eventually he moved around to the driver’s seat of the car.
One second, I’m staring out the passenger window at the dark road ahead.
Next my chest is locking up.
Air catches in my throat.
My hands curl into fists.
The streetlights blur together.
Too many memories.
Too many faces.
Too many things I’ve spent two years trying not to think about.
I suck in a breath.
It doesn’t feel like enough, so I try to gulp in another breath, still not enough.
“Cassidy.”
Tyler’s voice parts through the haze.
I don’t answer.
