Holden's Resurrection (Gemini Group #6) - Riley Edwards Page 0,107

way.”

McKenna glanced around the room sheepishly before her eyes landed on her husband and she worried her bottom lip.

“Out with it, sweetheart.”

It was safe to say, not much got by Nixon, and nothing did when it pertained to his wife. He had finely honed skills when it came to McKenna.

“Molly Buchannan, the girl Jonny found behind the barn at the party?”

“What about her?” Jonny asked.

“She has a friend, Sydney, who from what I can tell is newish to the area. Sydney was telling Molly about a party she went to. She didn’t mention any names but she was bragging about this hot older guy she met.” There was a twinge of recognition, but before he could suss it out, McKenna continued, “Sydney’s description was tall, built, brown hair. She told Molly for an old guy, he was ripped.” Seven disgruntled male growls sounded in the room but McKenna pushed through. “Molly was engaged, asking questions and sending thumbs-up emojis until Sydney told her the guy brought a bottle of Malibu rum. After that, Molly shut down and warned Sydney to stay away from him. Sydney became angry and accused Molly of being jealous she couldn’t get an older guy. Molly’s last message was, and I quote, ‘been there, done that, and threw the t-shirt away.’”

“Fuck,” Jonny grunted.

Holden’s stomach dropped. “Sydney Powell?”

“I don’t know her last name. They use an anonymous messaging app.”

“Then how did you get Molly’s info?”

“I may or may not have sent Molly an email with a link to a YouTube video of a hilarious camel spitting at a zookeeper. And I may or may not have cloned her mother’s email address to make sure Molly opened the link that, once clicked could hypothetically give me access to her phone.”

“Jesus.” That came from Jonny who was used to Micky’s hypothetical scenarios but still mostly liked to be kept in the dark on how Gemini Group obtained their intel. And that ‘mostly’ actually meant that he absolutely didn’t want to know when McKenna hacked illegally.

“I only know HotSyd4Life’s name is Sydney because that’s the name Molly used.”

“Are there no goddamn parents that check their kids’ phones?” Alec grumbled.

“Even if Molly’s parents checked her phone they probably wouldn’t think to check an app that’s icon is a clock. Teenagers are crafty when they want to hide stuff.”

“Who’s Sydney Powell?” Weston asked.

“Charleigh’s planning her fifty-thousand dollar birthday party,” Holden answered, then asked, “The girl’s turning fifteen. What the fuck is she doing at a party in the first place?”

“He’s starting early,” Jonny noted.

“Or he’s grooming her,” Jameson retorted. “Didn’t think about what comes before the three-month mark and he takes the girls. This could be his normal routine.”

“Jesus. Are you telling me he picks a girl and spends the next few months toying with her before…” Jonny clamped his mouth shut, unable to finish his thought.

“That’s exactly what I think. And it makes sense. If he just showed up out of the blue and forced himself on the girls, even if he threatened them, more than likely they’d break. But, if he takes his time and makes the girls think he loves them, that they love him, there’s nothing wrong with what they’re doing, convinces them they’re in some sort of sick relationship, it would be easier for him to control the girls. And when he’s done he could manipulate them into thinking that the disintegration of the relationship was somehow their fault, that they weren’t good enough, and he moves on to the next.”

“The ultimate mindfuck,” Nixon added.

“And they don’t tell because they think they’re in love.”

“A teenage girl’s emotions are fragile,” McKenna said softly.

Jonny’s hands went to his temples and his eyes closed. When he opened them, his expression was tortured. “Been a cop a long time. I thought I’d seen pretty much all there was to see. I know we live in a small town and we don’t have the same crime as they do in big cities. But people still rob, kill, and harm around here. Never did it occur to me that…” Jonny gritted his teeth. “Fuck, what else have I missed?”

“You can’t find things that people don’t want you to find,” Chasin told Jonny.

“Then what the fuck am I doing?” Jonny stood and shook his head once. “Appreciate you all coming in on a Sunday.”

“Jonny,” Alec called out, and Jonny stopped in the doorway but didn’t turn back.

“Whatever you’re gonna say, don’t. I’m a fucking cop and this sick shit has been happening in my