"Edith's parents saw the messages calling her a homewrecker. Her father had a heart attack and is in the ICU."
"Who else would do something like that if not you?"
Cold sweat streamed down my face. I clung to his wrist with everything I had, shaking my head desperately.
"I only found out about you and her today. I don't even know where her parents live. How could I have reported anything?"
Jesse's grip loosened. Something lost and blank flickered through his eyes.
Then his phone started buzzing violently.
It was Michael.
"Jesse, it's bad! Edith's gone! After those people in the livestream called her a homewrecker, she turned off her phone. Her location's dead. No one can reach her!"
The color drained from Jesse's face. He walked toward me, step by step, and the look in his eyes was the kind of unhinged that made your blood run cold.
"Lucretia. Where are you hiding her?"
"I'm not! I have no idea where she is!"
The whip cut through the air and cracked across my back.
"Talk! Did you lure her out?"
I screamed. I begged. But every word I said, he took as another lie.
Jesse wore himself out. He dropped the whip, panting, and pulled his phone from his pocket.