The Devil's Debt 2

THE STOCKYARDS.

That had to be the place.

My grip was so tight on the steering wheel, I worried I’d rip it off. I forced myself to relax my hands and for a moment allowed my mind to drift, tried to let the rotation of the tires soothe me.

As I drove, I looked at the scenery I had seen so many times before but never really noticed.

The trees in the median, the tall buildings in the distance.

I thought of Kayla and how much she loved to go to the roof of the tallest building she could find in a given city.

She didn’t know I knew that, but I’d followed her once.

It wasn’t uncommon for her to sneak off alone, and I’d wanted to know why. So I’d tailed her to downtown Toronto and followed her up to the top of the CN Tower.

She’d looked so peaceful, so serene as she’d stared out over the city. I’d wanted that for myself, the peace, the serenity that I knew she would bring.

Knew she would never give it to me and had been so angry at that realization, I’d wanted nothing more than to punish her.

I’d done just that, and over the next couple of months, I’d driven Kayla so relentlessly, I’d been sure she would leave.

Or try to, anyway.

Because I wouldn’t have let her go.

Wouldn’t let her go now, either.

And I would not, ever, ever, let her be harmed by the hands of another.

Which was why I had to put the panic, the fear of what my father might do, the question of what I might be forced to do aside and focus on getting her back.

As I drove, I replayed the video call over and over in my mind, trying not to be distracted of the memory of Kayla tied to that fucking chair and instead think about the clues.

And each time I scrubbed my memory and replayed every second of that call, the conclusion was the same.

The piece of metal I’d spotted in the corner could only have come from one place.

© 2024 Joseph E Tacelli (دفتر الصوت ): 9798347770342

تاريخ الإصدار

دفتر الصوت : ٤ ديسمبر ٢٠٢٤