Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 78732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
"You could see about the video from wherever that first date happened," I offered, feeling like knowing that would be basic.
"I did," Rooster says. "I don't know if he had access to their video feed, but it's been deleted. There's nothing."
"Not even a phone number?"
"The number she was getting the texts from is a burner phone. We did some minimal triangulation of where he was texting her from, but it didn't provide any personal information."
"I fucking hate burner phones," Bandera snaps, gaining a rumble of approval from all of the rest of us.
"It seems he went super stalker on her very quickly. He texted her within an hour of them exchanging numbers outside of that restaurant."
"She didn't find that creepy?" Twisted asks with a hint of misplaced judgment in his tone.
"I haven't spoken with her," Rooster reminds him. "What I do know is that she texted back, and it wasn't to tell him to leave her alone. This all escalated from that one text until I guess the argument on her front porch the other day."
The television screen behind him flashes with screenshots of the texts.
"Jesus," Bandera snaps when the texts begin to include pictures sent, and I'm grateful for Rooster blurring out some of the images so I'm not stuck with having to try and get images of my wife's best friend out of my fucking head.
"I’ll need to speak with her before we know more, but I can tell you that whoever this guy is, he's good at what he's doing," Rooster adds as the screen behind him goes dark. "He's very capable of hiding in the shadows and making himself known only to others when he wants it to happen."
"Was the first meeting even by chance?" Twisted asks as he leans forward, a scowl on his face.
"I'm not so sure that it was," Rooster answers. "I've traced some of her steps, and as easily as he hid his face from the cameras during the instances that we know of, I've found several more videos prior to their first meeting at the restaurant where there's a shadow of a man. It's very possible he placed himself there to be seen by her exactly when he wanted it to happen."
"When did he first show up?" Bandera asks.
"The day we got to Vegas," Rooster answers. "At least from what I can tell."
"So it can't be related to Cerberus, right?" Twisted asks. "This for sure isn't from Tkachenko's crew."
"It doesn't look like it is," Rooster answers. "But we're still working different angles to make sure. On that note, Tkachenko and Vasilev have both been released from jail."
"What the fuck?" I growl, leaning further across the table in anger, but I know Rooster doesn't have anything to do with their releases.
"They were being held on EPA violations and the jails were overrun with violent criminals. The judge didn't consider them a danger to others," Rooster explains.
"They had the proof of trafficking from their raid on his house and the house where the girls were living," I argue further.
"They had speculation, but not one woman has stepped forward to make allegations about him hurting them and forcing them into marriage," Rooster says, and I know it's a fine line for the lawyers and judges to walk.
They can't hold someone when they don't have enough evidence.
"Bail was posted at ten million dollars for each of them, and that was the best the judge could do. I'm looking into any links between the judge and the organization, but so far I haven't been able to find anything that would suggest that particular judge is on their payroll," Rooster adds as he looks in my direction. "There isn't a bug moving on this property that I don't know about. Kaylee and Morgan are safe here."
His assurance goes a long way, but that still doesn't keep the hairs on the back of my neck from standing on end. I really thought we had longer than forty-eight hours before that piece of shit was released, but I guess this is the hand we've been dealt and we have to work with what we have. Thankfully, Kaylee understands the danger, and I don't think that she's going to push her luck very far this time around. Not after what happened last night even though they seem to be unrelated.
"Who’s sitting on those two pieces of shit right now?" Bandera asks.
"Whiskey got in last night," Rooster says, making me sit up further in my seat once again.
"Who?" I snap.
"Spencer Blanton," Rooster says. "He's the newest member of Cerberus Vegas. He's watching Vasilev and Tkachenko for us right now."
"My wife is here," I growl.
"And Morgan," Twisted adds, as if he's already invested in the woman somehow.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Rooster asks.
"If there's going to be a strange man around the house my wife is at, I think I need to know."