“They tried. Arin is too well protected. We can’t post around-the-clock protection on each of her employees. We need to take Elizabeth’s kidnappers alive, without interference, to find out who is paying them.”
The Last Riders planned to do whatever necessary to get the information they wanted. Rory didn’t have a problem with it. If they kidnapped a woman, they deserve what’s coming to them.
Viper didn’t keep him guessing long at what use he could be.
“One of the kidnappers has been in contact with you.”
“Ah … Now I understand.” Rory nodded. “He or she is one of my online clients.”
Rory saw Jewell take her eyes off Viper to stare at him.
“He,” Viper revealed. “His screen name is Incog.”
“There couldn’t be any mistake it’s him?” Rory’s stomach sank like lead at the information.
“None.”
“Then I’ve got a hell of a lot of bad news for you.” He paused. “I wouldn’t worry about her being moved to another location. It’ll be a miracle if she’s still alive.”
Chapter Five
“What makes you think that?” Viper’s tone sharpened.
“Incog has been following me for the last year on my page. He’s tried to get me to accept him as a client. I refused.”
“Why?” Shade asked from the chair he was sitting on in the middle of the room.
“When he first started following me, he trolled me. Made several nasty comments on my page, which I ignored.”
“Why didn’t you block him?” Rider, who was sitting at the same table as Shade, asked.
“Two reasons—concern for others in his life and for the next therapist he would target if I removed him.”
“What kind of therapist are you?”
Rory eyes went to the female who had ask the question. “I’m a sex tutor.”
Jewell’s mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding? That sounds like a glorified term for being a gigolo.”
“Depends on the client,” Rory responded casually, without shame. “I get paid to fulfill a variety of roles. I offer hacks to make sex more pleasurable, I perform as a sex surrogate for those who have trouble with intimacy, and I also teach kink and BDSM. Sometimes, it’s just as simple as providing companionship when they don’t want to be alone.”
“You fuck them?”
“Sometimes.”
“If it walks and talks like a duck, it’s a duck. You’re a gigolo.”
“Call it whatever you want. I’m not ashamed of what I do for a living,” he said forthrightly. “I’ve been able to help a lot of people reach a level of intimacy they believed was unattainable for whatever reason, to gain the confidence they need until they no longer need me.”
“You look more like a nerd than a gigolo.”
Rory gave her a crooked smile at the all-over look she ran over him. “How is a gigolo supposed to look?”
Jewell confidently flicked at something on the sleeve of her sweater. “I don’t know. I’ve never needed to use one.”
“Good for you. Some women, and men, can’t say the same.”
“Are you any good?”
Rory gave her a suggestive wink. “Interested?”
“Curious.”
“If I weren’t, would I be here?” Rory asked, even though enough of them already knew the answer.
“Can we move along? I have two bikes to put together,” Shade interrupted the battle of wills taking place between him and Jewell.
Rory turned back to Viper. “How did you find out Incog has the woman?”
“We were able to hack into the computer that has been sending the demands to Arin. So far, we know the person is a low-level player, merely playing messenger for who is in control. The only reason we were able to find Incog is because the person we hacked accidentally contacted him. He tried to delete the message as soon as it was read, but the hacker we used was able to retrieve the message.”
“Exactly what do you want me to do?”
“I want you to get inside the house we think Elizabeth is being kept in, confirm to us she is there and which part of the house she is in. Any descriptions you can give about the inside would also be helpful.”
“When are you wanting me to set this up?”
“As quickly as possible. The house is located in Indiana, so it will take a few hours to get there.”
“I told my followers I won’t be online until the day after Christmas. He always messages me during my live discussions. I can respond to him then and arrange a session.”
“What if he doesn’t use the address we think Elizabeth is at?” Train spoke from the doorway.
“I stipulate any personal instruction I give will only take place at their home.”
“Why not a hotel?”
Rory swung his head back to Jewell. “For my safety, they have to have two forms of identification and three forms of proof they live at the address.”
“Still dangerous,” Viper said.
“Yes, it can be at times.” Rory didn’t try to make light of the danger that was inherent in his profession. “Which is why I refused Incog’s offers before.”