“I tried to save Lara… unsuccessfully.”
“It wasn’t a fair fight.” Lara puts her hand on my forearm. “He tried to get me away from Guy. Two men attacked him… They nearly killed him.”
Molly’s hands are on the keyboard typing quickly. “I found the one of Lara killing Guy using the terms dark angel, lights, and pussycat. Time and date stamps are helpful, but sometimes they muddy the waters. A lot of files are uploaded every day.”
She’s working in an unusual web browser, and it looks like she’s simply scrolling through lists of filenames on a white screen.
“It’s a database?” I ask, watching the list filter up the screen.
“If you didn’t know what you were looking for, you’d think it was just another pirate site. Porn videos or bootleg movies, ebooks, songs…”
A soft chirp sounds, and her eyes flicker to the smart phone lying facedown on the desk. She stands, leaving the screen open.
“I have to go. You’re welcome to search. I’ll help you again later.”
“Later?” Lara steps between her and the door. “Where are you going?”
“It’s nothing for you to worry about.” Molly’s eyes divert, and she tries to step around Lara.
“I always worry about you. I’ve worried about you since you were a girl.”
“Don’t.” Blue eyes flash, and I see the two of them hitting that wall. I remember a time when it didn’t exist, a day in Jackson Square when Molly was still a happy kid holding Lara’s hand.
“Will you tell us what you’ve been doing here?”
“No.”
She snatches up her phone and goes to the door. “Search for what you need. If I can help you, I will. Otherwise, stay out of my way.”
Lara’s eyes meet mine, but it’s just like before. It’s like it’s always been. We can’t stop Molly from doing what she’s driven to do, fighting her demons, and now that we have Jillian, we’re even less able to chase after her.
“We have to find the videos,” I say. “It’s why we’re here.”
I won’t let Gavin threaten Lara. I won’t let him hold this over her head forever. The videos are our only hope, and the thought of losing them forever, drives me harder than whatever mess Molly is mixed up in.
The metal door slams shut, and I drop into the chair typing in phrases.
Dark angel, lights, pussycat…
I’ve got to find them.
17
Sometimes following your heart means losing your head.
Lara
“Dark angel is what he called me,” I say, pacing the room behind Mark. “It might locate more videos of me.”
His fingers fly over the keys then scrolling, scrolling, scrolling…
I stand behind him helpless with only the one computer, and I can’t stop worrying about what new dangerous thing Molly is doing. Her words from the last time we were here, from today echo in my mind—she wants Gavin dead—and now that she knows I killed Guy, it’s like she has my permission.
The video shook me to the core. It was like a little earthquake, bringing all the horror, the pain, the anger to the surface…
It overwhelmed me, but it also forced me to see the truth. For the first time, I see the wicked strength Roland has always told me I possessed.
I’ve texted Molly several times. No reply.