"Do you know where the key is? Or did he take it with him when he left?"
Cassie's gulp was audible. "It's over there."
"The bastard," Giulia hissed in my ear.
"Where was it?"
"Close enough to be torturous, far away enough that she'd never reach it."
"Prick," I snapped. "But at least she can get out easily enough."
Of course, that was when all hell broke loose.
"Who the fuck are you?" someone, I assumed her fucking husband, roared. "Cassie? What's going on here?"
Cassie started sobbing, and my anxiety levels shot through the roof.
"You're safe," I chanted in her ear. "You're safe, I promise. Nyx is..." How did I use his reputation as a killer of pedophiles to reassure her?
Jesus Christ.
Then, I didn't need to.
Because there was a dull thud, a couple more, then Giulia hooted, "Nice hit, baby." She rounded that off with, "You take that, prick. And that."
I heard some thuds and asked Cassie, "Is she kicking him?"
"She is," was her response, and I could sense how close to hysteria she was because her breathing was so loud in my ear that I knew if she didn't control herself, she'd trigger a panic attack.
There was a metallic click, then I heard Nyx say, "You're free now. You should put your head between your legs so you can regulate your breathing."
To me, Giulia demanded, "Tell her to calm her breathing, Savannah. She's going to have a panic attack if she's not careful, and we need to get her out of here."
"You do, but…" My mind raced. Things were different now that her husband had returned to find two strangers in their apartment. Especially after Nyx had kicked the door in. "Think about how it will look. He could call in a charge of kidnapping or something."
Giulia grunted. "We've dealt with worse charges."
"No, Giulia. I won't let this be a problem for you, not when you're doing me a favor."
To Cassie, I urged, "I need you to listen to me. I know you don't want to go to the cops over this, but if Nyx and Giulia take you away, then you have to understand that your husband could say they were kidnapping you."
In my ear, her breathing practically rattled. Worse than the echoing clink of the cuffs against the headboard. I was sure she wouldn’t answer, then she breathed, "What do I do?"
"You need to listen to Giulia and Nyx." To Giulia, I remarked, "Put me on speaker."
"We can hear you."
As I hung up the landline, I asked, "Do you have a cop in your pocket?"
"West Orange’s sheriff," Nyx rumbled.
"Call him in."
"Will do," Giulia replied. "Thank you for giving a damn."
"Of course. You’re only there because I asked, and, hey, we’re allies, aren’t we?"
Giulia laughed. "Guess we are. We can get this creep locked up by the night's end. Do you still want her brought to your place?"