“Hi, guys. I’m still looking, but I wanted to share what I found so far.”
Fuck. Jenna squeezed my hand, her eyes fixed on the phone, her bottom lip trembling. I pulled my chair closer, wrapping an arm around her.
“Go ahead,” I said.
“Jenna, he has a lot of child pornography on his computer. Sick stuff. I’d like to send him a link to a site that the FBI controls, if that’s okay with you. If he clicks on it, they’ll be onto him.”
“Yes,” Jenna whispered. “Send it.”
“Will he be able to track it back to you?” I asked.
“Definitely not. Sending an untraceable email is child’s play.”
I looked at Jenna, and she nodded. “Do it,” I confirmed.
“I’ll keep digging, and as soon as I’m done on his computer, I’ll send it. If there’s anything else on this asshole, I’ll find it.”
“Thank you, Beth,” I said.
“Um,” Jenna started, her breath hitching. “In the email you’ll send, will there be a picture or a description of the girls?”
“I could put a description in.”
“Could you describe them as…um…to look like me?”
Beth’s voice softened. “I will. I’m sorry for what you’ve been through, Jenna.”
“It’s okay.”
“Itis not okay. But I knowyouwill be okay.”
“Thanks, Beth. Appreciate everything you’re doing.” I ended the call and tried to hold Jenna, but she pushed away, standing quickly.
“I’m going to shower.”
I wanted to say no. Wanted to tell her to stay with me and let me take care of her. But I didn’t. I tried to smile for her. “I’ll be right here for you when you’re done.”
She nodded and hurried into the bathroom, and I sat through the first few minutes of her heart wrenching sobs until I couldn’t take it anymore.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Jenna
Their hands. Their creepy, leering eyes. Their penises. The bruises all over my body. Their disgusting words. My mom’s and my dad’s guilt, and Liam’s, and John’s. He didn’t know what his son did. And my guilt, too. God, the crushing guilt. The woman in the park. Children forced into pornography. And tomorrow, I’d hurt Tyler. How could I ask if Brian did anything to him without telling him what Brian did to me?
My heart was broken, my sullied blood mixing with the filth they’d left on me. It was on me, crawling over my skin. I was spreading it to everyone I touched, and I couldn’t wash it away. I couldn’t make it go away.
“Firefly?” Liam knocked on the door. “Can I come in?”
I swiped at my eyes and tried to clear my throat. “Yeah.”
Steam billowed around Liam, making him look like a superhero. But even he couldn’t fix this. He couldn’t undo what had been done. Couldn’t take away what was on me. Inside me.
“May I come in with you?”
I nodded, and he undressed quickly and stepped into the shower, nearly filling the space. The shower spray hit his back, his broad shoulders blocking the water. His muscles were tense, but his eyes were soft. His penis—cock—was soft too. His eyes roved over my face and body, narrowing as they stopped on my chest. I followed his gaze and found my skin red and raw where I’d been scrubbing.
He took the washcloth from me and tossed it onto the ledge.