“See that you do.” Lazinski hangs up, leaving me holding a silent phone. Asshole.
I sit back and rub my head. I find it interesting that he’s carefully chosen to tell me Britney has something of value. She sure the fuck does. Her goddamn virginity.
I’m pissed because there’s no way to avoid involving Cindy now. And that means I need to call her Master. Hudson isn’t going to like finding out that his woman might be in danger. And considering my history with Cindy, this will be difficult all the way around.
I draw in a deep breath and place my next call. It’s a Saturday morning, so I shouldn’t have trouble locating Hudson. Hopefully, he’s at home and not working this weekend.
Hudson picks up after two rings. “Hello?”
“Hudson, this is Davis.”
“Hey. How are things going with Britney? Cindy told me what happened.”
I sigh. “Not great, to be honest. She’s in a lot of trouble. I’ll let you decide what you want to tell Cindy, but I’m going to be frank. No reason to beat around the bush. The owner of the Sky Lounge is involved in human trafficking.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah.”
“What does that have to do with Britney?”
“He sold her. Or he’s in the process of selling her.”
“Fuck,” Hudson repeats.
“Yes.” I’m not going to mention her virginity. It isn’t important and it’s a violation of her privacy.
“Anything I can do to help?”
“No. Long story short, I’m working on the inside.”
“That’s good. Not even gonna ask how you pulled that off.”
“Even longer story. I’ll tell you someday over a beer. The reason for my call is that I’ve run into a snag. It seems Britney told some of the other employees she was working at an animal shelter. Her boss didn’t know which one, but he thinks I’m scouring the city looking for her. She also left her car there Thursday night. I already had someone pick it up and move it, so hopefully it won’t be a problem. I just wanted you to be on alert. Don’t leave Cindy alone there. I’ll wait a few days before I tell Lazinski I figured out it was that shelter. Won’t be able to avoid it. I’ll do my best to maintain that Britney never showed up there either, didn’t call, and no one knows anything. Hopefully, that will keep Cindy out of it, but I can’t guarantee anything. If anyone comes in asking about Britney, do you think Cindy can lie? And what about Charles? They would both need to say they haven’t seen her since Wednesday.”
“Yes. No problem. Thanks for filling me in. I’ll take care of things from my end.”
“Good. If you need manpower doing so, let me know. I can send a guy.”
“I’ll call if I get in a bind. Otherwise, you can assume Cindy will not be alone at the shelter at any time.” He sighs and murmurs the next part under his breath. “Never fucking liked her alone there in the first place.”
“I hear ya, man. I’d feel the same if she were mine.”
“She’s gonna want to know about Britney. Is she still with you?”
“She is…” I glance at the door and listen to make sure I can’t hear her. I don’t think she would leave the kitchen table for quite a while considering I left her with something she was salivating to get her hands on. I actually smile at the visual.
“There’s more,” Hudson states.
“Yeah. I can’t be certain, but I’m fairly confident she’s a little.”
Hudson blows out a breath. “Gotta tell you, I’m not surprised. Obviously, Cindy has never discussed her personal life with Britney because Cindy is very private. She doesn’t share our relationship or any kind of fetish with anyone outside of a select few. You know that.”
I swallow. “Of course, I do,” I say in a low voice. I know better than just about anyone alive what type of fetish Cindy prefers, and I’m partially responsible for the fact that she guards her privacy closely.
“Nevertheless, Cindy has mentioned to me that she has seen tendencies in Britney that would indicate that at the very least she has holes in her life that have left her wanting.”
“Yes,” I agree because he’s exactly correct.
“I seriously doubt Britney has much knowledge of the fetish community.”
“This was also true, until she came to stay with me.”
“Just…be careful.”
“I’m doing my best. It’s been challenging. She’s a sponge. Eventually, I’m going to have to sit her down and tell her my suspicions. At