A Billionaire's Revenge

Ch. 11: Pointless

I'm too busy sorting through numerous reports that I don't hear Delano enter my study. He clears his throat, his tall frame leaning casually against the doorframe. A manilla folder is in one of his hands, and I assume it's filled with the information he claimed was important enough to only speak about in person. I should be thrilled he might have a lead on Rafino, but all I feel is cold. Lifeless. An empty-shelled version of myself.

"Drinking before noon?" Delano stares pointedly at the glass filled with amber liquid beside me.

"Is that a crime?" Picking up my third glass of the day, I take a long drag and cherish the burn it brings. "What's in the folder?"

Delano narrows his eyes, but thankfully, he doesn't ask further questions. He sits down in the chair adjacent to my desk, crossing one leg over the other. "It seems Rafino has decided to dabble in another atrocity on the black market. I was able to meet with Jesse, and he gave me a flash drive with these images. It just wasn't what I was expecting."

I arch a brow. "In what way?"

He shakes his head, eyes growing vacant. "Just open the folder."

I'm not sure what I was expecting to find inside, but it certainly wasn't brutalized images of multiple women. Some are coated in dirt, others are chained to walls... The photos turn my stomach, but I force myself to look at every single one. This is what Rafino is doing to the city. What started as a drug operation is now bleeding into human trafficking, and although these photos are sickening, it fuels my motivation to track this fucker down and end his rein once and for all.

My eyes flick to Delano's. "Did Jesse witness this first hand? Is he with these women now?" Jesse is the one insider we've managed to sneak into Rafino's inner circle. Our contact with him is limited, but Jesse ensures we get updates every few months pertaining any information that could help further our mission. If Rafino put Jesse in charge of these women, at least they'll have an ally until we can find a way to free them, even if they may not realize it yet.

"No. Even though he's connected with Rafino, he's not privy to his whereabouts. He found these images after hacking into Rafino's system and was able to put them on the flash drive for me. He's trying to find Rafino and these women's location, but his efforts have been fruitless so far. If he reaches back out with anything, I'll let you know. Until then, I'll be spending some time in the city to try and gather any information about the women I can. Four disappearances have been reported by the police in the past month, and we all know how serious the police take these cases. They'll give up after another week, so I'm taking it upon myself to do their fucking job."

I lean back in my chair, folding my hands across my stomach. "We can rent a townhouse on the Upper East Side. I need to stay in the city for the next few months as well."

Delano forms his lips in a thin line. "Because of the woman who was here last night? She got home safely this morning, in case you wanted to know. I had Landon drop her off."