Chapter 13

Ezra felt like he was getting closer to finding Danika. At the coffee shop, he'd felt her presence, or he thought he had. But he hadn't seen her. Today would be the day, he knew it.

When he was ready to head out, his phone buzzed. He looked at the screen, groaning as he saw it was his crew lead, Thomas, back in England.

"What?" Ezra snapped.

"You need to get back. Things are falling apart."

Anger flashed hot, but he didn't yell. "What is the problem?"

"The guy you're working with from Portugal is pissed. He wants more money. Says if you don't show up here for the next transfer, he's going somewhere else."

Ezra snorted. "Jesus. I'd love to see him try. That wanker needs to get his head on straight. Where else would he go?" He wasn't the only Englishman trafficking girls, but he was one of the more discrete operators. Building his business had taken time, and he'd gone from embezzling money to trafficking. Actually, he did it all. But with Danika missing and him trying to find her, it had become difficult. Maybe he should let her go, but he couldn't let her disrespect him this way. She needed to pay for her insolence.

"I don't know, boss, but if you aren't back here soon, it's all going to shit."

Frustration almost overflowed, and he snapped. "Why can't you keep it running, Thomas?"

"They don't trust no one but you. They want you there for the transfer."

"Fuck." Ezra shook his head, wishing his business hadn't grown so fast. Now, he had to deal with too many jerks, and he didn't have enough time to track down Danika.

The call ended, frustration filling him. Danika was here in Savannah. He could feel it. But she was hiding from him. Did she know he was here looking for her? There was no way she could know. He'd been careful, almost too careful. He should have been reckless and barged in, demanding to know where she was. But he'd honored the criminal element, trying to act like he respected them. They were nobodies, pieces of shit who didn't deserve his respect.

There was no way around it. He would have to fly back to England and have words with this jerk. Once his business was squared, he would fly to Savannah and make sure Danika knew she couldn't escape him.

Why the hell was everything falling apart? He'd worked hard to get where he was, and Danika had ruined it for him by running. She had to pay.