The Joy of Revenge

CHAPTER 85 Marla is Missing Xavier | waited for Cristos to get out of his suit and change so we can bring in more boxes. Once we were inside Virtue’s, my phone began to vibrate. | pulled out my phone.

“It’s Sam,” | told Cristos, who nodded his head and gestured forto answer it. He pulled out a laptop from a bag he placed on Joy’s counter, sat down and opened it. “Sam, what do you have for me?” “I don’t know how am | going to say this, X, but lost Pete McDowell,” Sam said quietly.

“You lost him?!” | asked shocked. How was it possible for Sam to lose him? | began pacing up and down the length of Joy's store, trying to calm myself down, so | can think.

“I don’t know how it happened, X,” he said. “I was following him out to Mandan when his car stopped at a restaurant. He sat near the window where | could see him, so | decided to wait for him in the car. The only the left his seat was for two minutes and that was it. After he ate, he got into his car again and proceeded to Mandan Regional Airport. That's when | discovered it wasn’t him.” 2018 “What the f uck do you mean it wasn’t him?!” | hissed at him. | wanted to yell at him, but | knew Sam was already beating himself up for losing Pete.

“I followed him into the restroom and stared at him through the mirror. When | saw it wasn’t him, | followed him out, dragged him to my car and knocked him out. Then | took. everything in his pockets. His carry-on was empty.

This guy, Logan Finn, is an actor. He was called up by his agent, Marshall West, this morning,” Sam explained.

1 shook my head and laughed. | heard Sam heave a huge sigh of relief, hearing my lau Pete did the old switcheroo...

He was probably still here, watching. He couldn’t leave New Salem on a whim when h Liam was making plans too.

Why fly out when you can just lie, right? “That ba stard might still be here. So technically he hasn't gone missing,” | said calmly. “Where are you?” CHAPTER 85 Marla is Missing “At a basement of an abandoned building here in Mandan waiting for sleeping beauty to wake up so he can answer sof my questions.” “Does he really look like Pete McDowell?” | asked.

“I'll send you a picture. In my opinion, from afar, yes. Up close, this guy is better looking than him,” Sam answered.

“Don’t scare him. Offer him a business proposal. Tell him you'll pay him a hundred thousand dollars if you need him for a job. Before you let him go, give him smoney,” | instructed Sam.

“No problem, X. I'm really sorry for letting you down,” Sam apologized.

“No worries, Sam. At least we know Pete might still be here. I'll see you when you get back.” | hung up and turned to Joy and Cristos who were listening in on our conversation. | pointed at Joy. “As a precaution, you stay here for the night. Chip, you and | are going to do ssurveillance work at the Old Taylor House later. Have Lou pull out all properties that the McDowells might have in Bismarck, Mandan and Lincoln.” Cristos nodded and began clicking away.

“You really think he’s still here?” Joy asked.

“I do. Why leave now when the Spring Formal is so close by?” | asked.

“You have a point, but hereout on this one,” Joy asked before continuing. “I saw something which... unnerves me. At the funeral earlier, Pete was looking at Marla strangely. His eyes went up and down the length of her body, like he was undressing her with his eyes. He even smacked his lips like he was salivating. It was totally disgusting. Poor Marla kept hiding her face away from Pete the whole time. Watching the exchange between the two, it just gavean uneasy feeling. Maybe right now, it isn’the’s after. Maybe it's Marla.” | did notice that too. Pete was obviously leering at Marla. | thought about it. It was possible. Sebastian did mention he suspected Pete and Marla had ssort of relationship. | couldn't blMarla. She had to do what she could to earn money. Poor thing.

“Do you think he’d be crazy enough to kidnap Marla? Our Miss Honey Bee?” Cristos asked.

“He’s crazy enough,” Joy replied matter-of-factly “He wantsin exchange for Theodore, remember? That, | say, is insanity.” True. In this rivalry Pete had with Liam, Theodore was more important than Joy, in my opinion.

But he was a rapist and rapists are only obsessed with one thing.

2/6 CHAPTER 85 Marla is Missing | took out my phone and dialed Sebastian's number. The way Joy described Pete madefeel uneasy too.

“Bo, what's up?” Sebastian answered.

“Marla... is she still with you?” | asked.

“No. | dropped her off like over an hour ago,” Sebastian answered. “What is this all about?” “Pete did a switcheroo on Sam, so it’s highly probable he’s still here,” | replied. “What's worse is Virtue here said she noticed at the funeral earlier that Pete was looking at Marla like she was a piece of meat he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into. It just gave out this weird vibe. Dom, it might be nothing, but with Pete you never know. | just can’t shake the feeling that Marla might be in danger.” “Call the men and have them ready just in case. Keep this line open. I'll call her first and see if she’s okay. If she’s not, I'll tell you where to meet me. Tell Virtue to stay in your office at the warehouse until this is resolved.” “Copy that, Dom.” Sebastian | was back at the smelly restrooms of the gas station. Before Xavier called, | was scolding De Luca for not getting the information | wanted on the missing capo of Rafael Cadena who fled Texas. De Luca was having problems finding information on him. No one wanted to talk.

rewell’s capo. If Pete “De Luca, | need to leave. Since your men can’t seem to find people willing to talk in Texas, bribe your contact at the FBI for information on were to fl his capo will have free reign over New Salem. | need that information, so | know who I’ against, | told De Luca.

“That means | need to fly back to California then, if | need to get that information, Domenico,” he said. “Once | get that information, | will call you.” | nodded my head at h before exiting the restroom.

| entered my car and dialed Marla’s new number, hoping she would pick up, but she didn | called her landline. Luckily, her mother answered.

[e] CHAPTER 85 Marla is Missing “Hello, Ms. Lawrence, it’s Dom. | was hoping to talk to Marla. She’s not answering her phone,” | said.

“I'm sorry, Dom, but she just left,” Ms. Lawrence replied. “Mr. Martin called and he said he needed her to take a shift at the diner.” “Thank you, Ms. Lawrence. I'll pass by and check up on her.” “Sure thing, Dom,” she said and hung up.

| dialed Xavier's number. They were closer to the diner.

“Bo, | can’t contact Marla through her new phone, so | called her mother. She said Marla went to the diner. Can you check if she’s there?” “Sure, I'll call you once | know something.” Xavier hung up. | started my car before dialing one other number on my burner phone.

Taking a page in Xavier's book, | had one of my men keep an eye on Marla. | had a funny feeling Pete would becjealous-knowing one of his prized girls was now mine.

It took several rings before Delgado answered his phone.

“Domenico, sorry if | didn’t call you right away. was scared | might lose sight of the car I'm following. It is a red Kia with license plate 267-ILM. The car stopped for the girl while she was walking, Delgado explained briefly.

“She was walking? She didn’t take the car | bought her,” | asked.

“No, she didn’t. Domenico, it seems she knows the people inside the car. She entered without a fuss,” he said.

“Where are you?” | asked.

“I'am on the highway driving towards Bismarck. We are about ten minutes away from the exit into the city,” Delgado said.

“I'm heading towards you. Make sure to keep this line open and don’t lose that car,” | instructed and hung up. | took out my mini-laptop to ping on his location, then I quickly exited the gas station and turned right towards Bismarck | was about ten miutes minutes away from Bismark when Xavier called.

CHAPTER 85 Marla is Missing “Dom, asked Kate and Lyle, but no one’s seen Marla,” Xavier said angrily. “I’ve got Chip and Big Man Lou looking through all the CCTV cameras for a lead. F uck! | can’t believe this is happening.” “I have a lead. | instructed Delgado to tail Marla and he said she entered a red Kia with license 267-LLM which is already in Bismarck according to the tracking device | have on Delgado’s car. I'm about eight minutes away,” | said.

a “Big Man Lou and Chip’s men are there. I'll round them up for you,” Xavier said, sounding a bit relieved | knew where Marla was. “Do you needand Chip to go there?” “You won't get to Bismarck in time. Just have Chip man the CCTV cameras,” | instructed.

“Copy that. | hope you find her Dom.” too,” | said, before hanging up. This was all my fault... another woman under the mercy of a lu natic named Betes | noticed the green circle had stopped at a building in the heart of Bismarck. | stepped on the gas. Twas of the essence.

The sun was beginning to set when | arrived at the building. | drove into the carpack, following the directions on my laptop.

On the third level, | found Delgado’s dark colored Honda Accord parked with its engine. running. | passed by looking for the red Kia and found it parked on the other end of the parking level. | decided to go down to the second level parking and park below them. | dialed Xavier's number for snews.

“You're on speaker phone,” Xavier said as soon as he picked up.

“I'm at the Aspire Tower Building carpark. Delgado’s car and the red Kia are parked on third level,” | said while | changed my jacket and put on a ball cap and sunglasses.

“Yeah, we know based on your tracker, but there seems to be a major problem,” Cristos “There aren’t any CCTV cameras online in that specific building at the moment. It's like every camera was conveniently turned off.” Now that didn’t sound so good.

“I'm going up to check. Delgado’s car is parked but his engine is still running,” | told ther took my gun out of the glove compartment and holstered it to my belt.

warned“Big Man Lou and my men are about a couple CHAPTER 85 Marla is Missing minutes away. Don’t go at this-" | didn’t hear the rest. My burner phone began vibrating. | quickly swiped it, hoping Delgado had news.

“SD... What does SD mean?” An unfamiliar male voice said. | clenched my Something fists has happened to Delgado. “Sefior De Vega? Is this you? | can hear you breathing.” The man laughed, snorting at the end. | knew that laugh. It was Pete.

| wanted to shout and yell at him, but | decided against it. | needed to keep my anonymity.

“Your man in the Honda Accord is dead. Did you actually think we wouldn't notice him. following my my men? You killed my mother and you are so desperately trying to kill me. News flash... | have nine lives, baby.

You better watch your back, De Vega, because I'm coming for you,” he hissed and hung up.

Delgado is dead and Marla is missing. This couldnt get any worse.

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