The Stranger Behind My Orgasm novel Chapter 271

Chapter 271: DEVIN’S SICK TWISTED GAME

Abigail

The phone slipped from my fingers and clattered onto the pavement outside the prison gates.

My eyes widened, and quickly I scrambled to pick the phone up off the ground, pressing the device to my ear.

Devin was with Meemaw. Devin was not in Denver. I caught myself against the cold concrete wall nearby, gripping it hard so I wouldn’t crash to the ground.

My breath came in short, ragged gasps. I immediately tapped the record button, trying not to pass out from panic.

"Surprise?"

"What... what are you doing with Meemaw-"

"Oh, now come on," he grunted. "Let’s not do that dance. You know damn well what I’m doing here. It’s not like I came here to play cards with the old hags,"

"I swear to God, if you hurt them,"

"You’ll what? Kill me? I’ll be long out of the country by then. I don’t intend to stick around. But first I need to clean up my mess. And that includes you,"

"Let them go! Let them go, Devin, or it won’t be fucking pretty,"

"An eye for an eye," he spat. "Your precious grandma for my mother’s life."

"NO!" I yelled. "Okay, okay, look, it’s me you want, right? It’s me you want. I’ll fly down tonight if I have to. I’ll do anything you want, just please, please let them go. Please,"

"I am not very convinced. Why don’t we play a game? You have twenty-four hours to find me. You find me, and I spare your poor grandmother and kill you instead. Deal?" He let out a harsh, sinister cackle, and the line went dead.

He had Meemaw’s phone. He had my grandmother and grandfather.

My fingers trembled so badly I almost dropped the phone again. I hit redial, but it went straight to voicemail. I tried again and again, panting hard.

No. Not Meemaw and Gramps. Not them. I had already lost my parents; I couldn’t lose them too. I couldn’t lose anyone else!

"Miss?" A guard passing nearby frowned at me. "You okay?"

No. No, I was not okay.

I didn’t answer and ran toward the parking lot, where Connor waited with the car. My legs were shaking. By the time I slammed the door shut, I was already dialing Finnegan’s number.

"Hey baby-"

"Finn"

"What’s wrong?!" he demanded, his voice suddenly filled with alarm. "Abigail? Where are you?"

Hot tears streaked down my cheeks. "Devin has Meemaw. He just called me from her phone. He said... he said an eye for an eye. A grandmother for a mother. I have twenty-four hours to find him, or he’ll..."

I couldn’t finish. A sob tore out of me. Connor glanced back in the rearview mirror, an alarmed look on his face, but he kept driving.

"Where are you? I’ll come get you,"

And then he’ll kill me.

Finnegan’s head snapped toward her. "What?"

"She’s still in custody. Devin loves her, right? If anyone can draw him out or get information, it’s her. We could use her as leverage and maybe offer her something — a reduced sentence, protection, whatever it takes — in exchange for helping us contact him or giving up his location."

I stared at her. The idea made my skin crawl, but desperation clawed at my chest. Meemaw and Gramps’s lives were on the line.

My sweet, fierce grandmother who had raised me after my parents died. I couldn’t lose her too.

Finnegan’s jaw clenched. "She’s dangerous. She hates my guts. She’d rather help Devin than us."

"But she also wants to survive," River countered. "And she knows Devin better than anyone. If we frame it right and make her believe helping us is her only way out of prison, she might bite."

Annette glanced up from her screen. "I can monitor any communication. If we get Victoria to reach out, I’ll trace it."

I squeezed Finnegan’s hand, my voice hoarse. "I’ll do it. I’ll go back to the prison. I was just there, but... I’ll talk to her again. Whatever it takes."

Finnegan’s green eyes met mine, filled with love and torment. He brushed a tear from my cheek with his thumb. "You don’t have to face her alone. I’ll come with you. I’ll be by your side."

I nodded, feeling a bit of relief that I didn’t have to go through this alone. Time was running out. All we had was twenty-four hours. One day to find that asshole.

Hold on, Meemaw. Please hold on, Gramps.

We were out of options, and as much as I hated it, Victoria might be our only one.