Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 183(@300wpm)
“Little girl, you need to watch your tone,” Kestrel said with a frown.
“And you need to watch keeping me in the dark. This is my life. I get to know what’s happening and at least help make some decisions,” Zara said, trying to look brave as she made her demands.
Kestrel looked at her and nodded. “Not the best way to ask for information, Little girl, but I understand you’re scared and concerned. I’m just trying to protect you, but you’re right. You get to know what’s going on.”
“The guys arriving are coming from various countries. It’s almost as if they were called here. I found this picture buried deep in the dark web,” Magnus shared and switched a picture from his phone to one of the large screens above the computer system.
Gasps erupted from Sadie and Celeste. It was a photo of Zara holding a large sheet to detangle it. The wet fabric had soaked her shirt, and the normally baggy T-shirt material clung to her body. Obviously alone in the laundry area, she looked up to free a snarl above her head and smiled enchantingly.
Zara’s heart sank. The picture was a trafficker’s dream. It showed her natural beauty, unenhanced by makeup. The wet fabric drew everyone’s eyes to her youthful, lush body. It also showed her working hard, proving her strength and resilience. Even she could see that some scumbag could want her for several illegal purposes.
“How did someone get that picture? It’s from the laundry room here.”
“I don’t have a camera filming from that angle. The resort also doesn’t have lenses like those. I went to check it out and found this.”
Magnus pulled a small device from a drawer and placed it on the desk. “It had been carefully placed, so it was almost undetectable. I had to know the angle the picture was taken from to search for it.”
“Were there other pictures on it?” she asked.
“It uploads immediately to a different site.” Magnus flipped it over to show her the charred backside. “It ignited when I pulled it off the wall. I can’t trace where the data went.”
“Fingerprints?” Sadie asked.
“None. It was wiped clean, or they wore gloves. There was a hint of bleach residue. I’m not sure if that came from a cleaner used in the laundry room or from the person who installed it,” Magnus explained.
Zara wrapped her arms around herself. She’d thought she’d been so careful. The idea that cameras had been watching her made her skin crawl.
Kestrel pulled her close to his body heat. “We’re all here to keep you safe, Zara. They can’t get to you without coming through us. I’m not going to let anything happen.”
“It was interesting that as I came out of the laundry area, I ran into the laundry supervisor. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice the device I held. He did ask where Zara had been reassigned. I faked a message coming in that got me out of there.”
“Have you found anything new regarding our influx of single male guests?” Kestrel asked, refocusing their attention on the pressing matter at hand.
“I’ve investigated the men arriving. Two of the three most recent arrivals have ties to Asia. One to the Middle East. It’s possible they’ll give up if Zara isn’t seen around the resort. They may think she’s moved on,” Magnus suggested.
“Here’s what we’ve planned to do,” Kestrel said as if knowing she needed to have a plan in place. “We’re going to continue to keep you out of sight. Sadie, you could help us with the next step. Could you drop into different conversations that Zara asked for your help to get a work visa at a different resort and has moved to the north island to be closer to a friend who works there?”
“Oh, I can do that easily,” Sadie agreed. “Anyone I should tell in particular?”
“It’s probably best if you add it in whenever it fits the conversation. The rumor mill will spread it around,” Rocco said.
“What about meals? The kitchen knows how many individual plates to send down. Someone paying attention would realize that six men plus Celeste and Sadie don’t equal nine plates,” Phoenix pointed out.
“We could order things like pizza that doesn’t have a specific number of servings,” Celeste suggested.
“Good idea. Daddies and Littles can share plates and glasses as well,” Kestrel pointed out. “Then no one in the kitchen can track the number dining here.”
“I am causing so much trouble. You could just help me get to the north island,” Zara murmured, widening her eyes to keep the tears at bay. She didn’t think she’d survive leaving her Daddy.
“You’re not going anywhere, Little girl.”
“No way,” Celeste agreed. “If the guys had let Sadie and I leave because we were causing them problems, Sadie and I would’ve been stuck on a bus going anywhere but here. They want us here—no matter how much trouble we cause them. And we want you here, too.”