“Get that exact time up on the footage from the camera that covers the entire lot,” I demanded. “Twelve fourteen.” The manager darted across to the computer, and then another screen came to life, a still of the same scene only from a different angle. I pulled my cell out and took a picture of it. “We need copies of these.”
“Of course,” he stammered out.
I turned to face Brody, my entire body strung so tight I was afraid I’d snap. Someone had taken Belle, and we had no idea who or why. Deep down, I had an inkling.
I just wasn’t sure it was plausible.
Chapter Seventeen
BELLE
My head was fuzzy, my mouth dry, and my entire body ached. They said it took a few seconds to come around and realize where you were, but I knew immediately what had just happened. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but I could tell we were in the back of a van and driving along a bumpy road.
My hands were tied behind my back, and I pulled on them, trying to get some traction, but they must have used cable ties because there was no give.
“No use, puta,” a gruff voice said from beside me. “You ain’t getting out of them.”
I turned my head, trying to see in the darkened space, but could only make out the shape of a body. My gut told me to get him talking—to find out what was happening—but my brain told me to stay quiet. I’d listened to my gut earlier when I’d heard and seen the van, and it hadn’t been wrong, so I decided to do the same again.
“Where are we going?” I asked, my tongue feeling twice its usual size. The man ignored me, but I wasn’t going to stop. “Who sent you?” Silence. “Where are you taking me?” The van swerved to the right, and without my hands to help me from toppling over, I went headfirst into the side of the van.
The man laughed, the sound closer to a cackle, and spat on the floor of the van. “Stop asking questions.”
“Why?” I righted myself and used the side of the van to lean against. I narrowed my eyes, which were now adjusting to the darkness. I could make out his hair tied at the nape of his neck, and the sneer on his shadowed face. “Are you not allowed to talk to me?” I was trying to provoke him, and his growl told me I was hitting the right place. “So, you’re not the boss, then?” I nodded to myself. “Noted.”
I felt rather than saw him move, and then a palm connected with my face, but it was nothing compared to what I’d had before. Blood trickled from my lip, and I swiped my tongue over it. I was pissing him off, and although it may not have been the best idea, it was the only one I had right then. I laughed, similar to the way he had. “That all you got? I’ve had better hits from my cat.” I didn’t have a cat, but he didn’t know that.
“Shut the fuck up,” he ground out, but I had no intention of doing that. As long as I kept him talking, I had a way to find out what was going on and where we were going.
“Had you followed me for long?” I raised a brow even though he couldn’t see me. “Nah, you couldn’t have. Otherwise, you would have gotten me earlier when I was alone in an unlocked car.” I tapped my foot against the floor. “You did seem in a rush, though…”
“I won’t tell you again, puta.”
“Tell me what?” I asked, putting on the same innocent voice I did when Asher had tattled on me.
“To shut the fuck up.”
The tires squealed to a stop, and he got his wish because I was too busy listening to what was happening. Two bangs, like doors being closed, rang out, followed by footsteps. They were getting closer, and my stomach rolled. I backed right up as far as I could, afraid of what was about to happen. I was fine with it just being the one guy in the back, but now the doors were opening up, and the sunlight was blinding me, and there was no way for me to escape.
One of them grabbed ahold of my ankles and yanked me down, not caring that the back of my head bounced off the floor. I winced, cursing under my breath. They hadn’t tried to conceal where we were, and I feared it was because they didn’t think I’d be coming back out of here.
“Let go of me!” I screamed, kicking my legs out, but it was no use because another one of the men grabbed me, and together they hoisted me out of the van and into the air. “Get off!” I wiggled and squirmed frantically, fighting with all the strength I had, but a punch to my side had my body bowing forward. I slowly lifted my head, trying to take in everything around me. A large building stood in front of me with two large barn doors, which were open halfway. They headed toward it, dragging me with them. My brain knew I couldn’t win against these three men, so I took the opportunity to look around. All I could see were overgrown fields and a few patches of concrete, and then an abandoned tractor. Were we on a farm?
The scent of hay hit me as soon as we entered the barn, and I bucked, causing them to drop me on the ground. I rolled in on myself, moving to the side so that it took the brunt of the fall, but it still knocked the air out of my lungs.
Someone spoke, but it was a language I didn’t understand, and then the word fuego was used, and I knew that. I remembered someone using it at school, and they said it was Spanish. Were these guys Spanish? Why would Spanish people want to take—
“Ah good, you found her.” I bent my head back to see who the newcomer was, but all I could see were shoes—shiny shoes, to be exact. “My, my, I’ve waited a long time to see you in the flesh.” He halted a couple of feet behind my head but was too close for me to see his face. “Well? Pick her up, then.”
Two hands grabbed me under the arms, and I realized it didn’t matter how much of a fight I put up, I wouldn’t get away, not with four men now surrounding me and my hands tied behind my back.
The newcomer turned, giving me his back, and I took in every inch of him. His suit looked a little big on him, but it was designer for sure. You could tell by the way the material moved with each of his steps. The barn stretched longer than it had looked, and when we were in the middle, he moved to the side, revealing a lone chair.
“I took the liberty of getting you a seat,” the man said, and finally, he turned. His face looked bored, his tan skin showing signs of aging, and I had no idea who the hell he was, but I knew one thing—this guy was the boss. He waved his arm at the chair, and I dug my feet into the floor, trying to stop any momentum the guy holding me had.
His fingers bit into my arm, pinching, and he whispered, “Move, or I’ll slap you again.” He could have slapped me a thousand times, but it wouldn’t matter. I’d been through worse.
“Now, now, no need to be violent,” the boss said, tutting. “Take a seat. I just want to talk.”
“Talk?” I asked, frowning at him. “You don’t kidnap someone who you want to talk to.”
“I know.” He huffed out a breath and shook his head. “But I feared it was the only way to get close to you.” He tilted his head to the side, staring at me like I was a puzzle he was trying to work out. “Sit. I won’t let them hit you. I promise.”
My nostrils flared as I glanced around. There were more guys now scattered around the edges of the barn. There was no way I could put up a fight and win, so I stepped forward and slowly sat in the chair.
“Good.” The boss clapped and shooed the people who had brought me here away but clicked his fingers at the last second. “You understand? Correct?” I had no idea what he was talking about, not until I felt cable ties being wrapped around my ankles and my legs tied to the chair. “A precaution,” he finished, acting like it was nothing.
Another chair was placed in front of me, ten feet away, and he slowly lowered into it, not moving his almost black eyes off me. They looked familiar, and yet, so foreign. He sighed, his chest heaving as he did. “I fear I don’t know where to start.” He tapped his fingers on his thigh. “Maybe with my son? Yes, that’s as good a place as any.”
* * *
FORD
Time was of the essence, which was why I broke almost every traffic law on the way back to the office. I didn’t bother parking my car in a space. I just pulled up outside the
front doors and got out. My legs burned as I ran into the building, and although I wanted to take the stairs, the elevator was faster.
I jammed my thumb down on the button to our floor and clenched my hands by my sides. “I can find out where she is,” I told Brody, watching the numbers as we went past each floor.
“What?”
“I have a tracker on her.” I ground my teeth together and turned to look at Brody. “I gave it to her when she moved in.”
“You have a tracker on my daughter?” he asked, but he didn’t sound so surprised.
“Yeah.” I pushed my shoulders back. “I have several for Leo too.” I stepped forward as we passed the floor below ours. “I’m not taking any chances. Not with the people I love.”
Brody nodded but kept silent, and I wondered if he would have done the same as me in my situation. I could feel the danger lurking on the outskirts, no matter how much I’d wanted to believe it was gone, and the reality was they weren’t safe, not entirely. So I’d taken measures to keep them safe without their knowledge. I just hoped Belle still had her bracelet on that I’d given her. She’d been wearing it this morning, I’d made sure to check. But anything could have happened between then and now, which was what I was afraid of.
The elevator doors whooshed open, and we both rushed out and onto the floor. Several of the team were gathered, waiting for us, and Brody didn’t waste any time in allocating them all jobs. I may have had a tracker on Belle, but that didn’t mean we could rely on it.
I ran across the floor and to my desk, Lottie at my heels, and moved my mouse to bring my computer to life. I cursed as it asked for my password and jammed my fingers on the keys. The screen came to life, but the first thing I saw was an email, the same email which had pinged as I’d left the office.
I clicked on it, my brows furrowing as I read the cover letter, and then I opened the image attached to it with a copy of the birth certificate. And then it all made sense.
Everything clicked and locked into place. The path clear now. A hand clasped my shoulder and spun me around. Brody’s pale face was the first thing I saw, and then his lips were moving, but I couldn’t catch what he was saying.
“What?”
“Garza,” he whispered. “Garza escaped at three this morning.”
I stumbled back, my legs feeling like jello, but my desk saved me from crumpling to the ground. “Why the fuck weren’t we informed?”
“I don’t know,” he gritted out. “But it has to be him. It has to be.”
“It is him,” I told him, feeling fire burning through my veins and bringing me back to life. Gone was the shock, and in its place, a determination I’d never felt before. He had the woman I loved, and I’d do anything to get her back. “I’ll kill him.”
“I’ll supply the bullet,” Brody ground out. “Get your tracking information up. We need to find her STAT. He’s already had her for ninety minutes.”
I turned around, bringing up the app that her tracker was connected to, and followed the activity over the last two hours. “It’s been stagnant for twenty minutes,” I shouted and placed the coordinates into my cell to see where they were. “It’s a forty-minute drive.”
Brody shook his head and pulled his cell out, a muscle in his jaw ticking. “Suit up. We’re gonna get the chopper.”
* * *
BELLE
“Your son?” I frowned, confused by his words. What did his son have anything to do with me? And he still hadn’t told me who the hell he was and why he’d had me kidnapped. The only saving grace I had was that they hadn’t taken Leo, not that I’d have let that happen in a million years.
“He was a handsome man.” He stared away from me, his tone wistful. “He was learning the family business, showing promise. He was good with numbers, but more than that, good with people. He knew when to be fair, and when to bring down his wrath. He would have been perfect to take the business over. But he went and fell in love.” He laughed, his gaze meeting mine again, and I was sure this guy was high as a kite because he was making no sense.
“Love is the root of all evil, you ever heard that?” He paused, waiting for me to answer, but I had nothing to say. “He came to me and told me he was in love, that he’d met this woman he couldn’t live without.” He clicked his fingers. “But the kicker was, to be with her, he couldn’t be involved in the family business.”
I opened my mouth, about to interrupt him, but he held his hand in the air. His brow raised as if he was making a speech in front of a thousand people and commanded the room. “Now, something you must understand, Miss Easton, is that the business I run was first started by my great-grandfather, who passed it down to his son, who then passed it to his son, and then he passed it to his son—me.” He pointed at his chest and leaned forward in his seat, his gaze spearing me with unknown information.
“And I would pass it down to my son. But the moment he fell in love, it risked all of that, so I had him followed.” He shrugged. “It was the logical thing to do. This girl was threatening tradition, and that is a sacred thing in my family, si?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” And I really didn’t.
“Hold still.” He waved his finger in the air. “It’ll all make sense to you soon.” I glanced around the barn, hoping there was a chance out of this, but I counted ten guards just in the time he’d paused. “Where was I? Ah yes, I had him followed.” He chuckled as if he was reliving the memory. “And I found the girl, and then I had her followed. But… Are you listening, Miss Easton?”
I whipped my head around to face him, my eyes widening as the expression on his face changed from bored to pissed off in a nanosecond. I was trying to commit everything to memory on the off chance I could escape. The chance was slim, but there was still a chance. I hoped. “Y-yes.”
“Good.” He brushed off the arms of his suit jacket. “So now I’ve set up the story for you, let me change tactics.” He stood and paced in front of me. “I got arrested for running my business, and of course, I needed my son to take over.” He halted behind his chair and held the back of it. “He didn’t want to take over because he was still infatuated with this girl, but it didn’t matter how many times I showed him my evidence of who she was, he didn’t want to listen.” He took several steps back, dragging the chair with him.
“So I decided to let him have some time. He’d soon come to his senses. And in the meantime, I had trusted men who had been at my back longer than you were alive.” He paused at the wall of the barn and let the chair go. “At least, I thought I had.” He shook his head. “I’d been told a problem, which had put me in jail in the first place, had been taken care of.”
I swallowed as he moved closer to me, each step more foreboding than the last. I saw why these men took his commands. There was a darkness to his eyes that I didn’t want to know about, but now that I was here, alone, I had a feeling I was about to find out more than my fair share.
“Two weeks ago, a new inmate came on my block and told stories of the man who arrested him.” He laughed and moved his arm behind his back. “And would you believe, it was the man who I’d been told was taken care of?” He shook his head and moved his arm, and the glint of metal caught my attention. “Rory?” he called, and one of the guys guarding the barn moved forward.
“Yes, sir?”
Rory? Why did that name sound familiar? My mind was working overtime, and I was trying to put the pieces together, but I was still missing something.
“This is the man, Miss Easton. This is the man who bragged about killing my enemy but, in actual fact, had been fooled.” He turned to face Rory. “Would you like to explain to Miss Easton what happened?”
Rory’s face screwed up, his shoulders high, but he didn’t look at me as he said, “I shot an agent, but they faked his death.”
Agent? He shot an agent. I tried my hardest to keep my expression as neutral as possible, but it was hard because this was the man. This was the man who had shot an agent, an agent I wa
s sure was Ford. Which meant…
Holy shit, this was the man who Ford had been undercover for—the cartel boss. Fuck.
“Precisely.” The boss whipped his arm up, and I realized the glint of metal was a gun. My eyes widened, and my body jerked as he shot off three rounds into Rory’s chest. “That is how you kill a man.”
I swallowed and tried to keep the tears at bay that threatened to fall, but it was no use. The last time I’d seen someone dead—
“Anyway.” The boss stowed his gun away. “Where was I now?” He stared up at the vaulted ceiling. “Right. So, I got arrested, and then I handed all of the information I’d gathered about this girl over to my son, but he didn’t like what he was presented with, so poof. He disappeared. Gone. Determined not to be found.”
His shoes clacked on the floor as he walked closer to me. “But then he made a mistake.” He tutted. “I’d taught him better than that.” He crouched down in front of me. “I sent an order to him to come home and take over the business because I was tired of his insubordination, but he refused because he was too loved up in his little shack.” He paused, his eyes darkening. “Or should I say cabin?”
My heart beat wildly in my chest. What was he saying? What was he—
“But then!” He held his finger in the air. “Like a telenovela, another twist ensued, and the girl, she turned on him.” He made a gun motion with his fingers and placed them against my head, and I squeezed my eyes shut at the contact. “Boom. She shot him.”
My shoulders moved up and down as I tried to catch my breath, but my brain was on fire, trying to put everything together, but I knew. I knew what he was saying. And it all started to make sense. The secret phone calls, the men who had turned up at the cabin in the middle of the night. They were there for him. They were there to take him home.
Tied Bond: Bonded Duet: Book Two Page 20
