Ebony nodded, giving him a half-smile. “Thank you. Could you possibly open that window, let some air in? It’s very dank in here.”
Okay, so it was worth a shot, but the boy just shook his head. “Sorry.”
He disappeared, and Ebony heard the door lock behind him. “Fino, eat a sandwich, please.”
“Only if you will too.”
“I’ll try.”
The truth was she felt sick to her stomach. Back at the diner, when they had been taken, a cloth with chemicals on had been placed over her face, and she’d blacked out. She could still taste the acrid flavor of them now, and her stomach roiled. That, and the pain of the small wound, was making her feel as if she would be sick. She took a couple of unenthusiastic bites of the sandwich and some of the water, then feeling a little better, finished the sandwich.
It became obvious all too soon that the food or water had been drugged as first Fino, then Ebony, passed out.
Carson Franks looked over the unconscious pair and grinned. “Time to call Tigri, I think, see how much he’ll give me to get his wife and nephew back.”
The other man, the young boy, Rex, nodded. “So, you are going to give them both back?”
Carson laughed. “Not a chance. Oh, the boy, I don’t care about. We’ll dump his body in the ocean, but the girl…she’s all mine…and her body, we’ll send back to Tigri just so he knows that you never ever mess with Carson Franks…”
Part Four
Chapter Twenty-One
John Halsey stood up from the chair in his office and looked at the three men. “You understand me, don’t you? No heroics, no going off on vigilante missions. Let us handle this, or you risk everything.”
The three men stared back at him. Atlas Tigri, Blue Allende – and their unlikely comrade in this, Cormac Duggan – all wore the same expression: Skepticism. John Halsey sighed.
“Look, I realize men in your position believe that money can solve all woes – it can’t. You give Franks an inch, and you’ll never see Fino or Ebony again.”
“All we care about is getting Ebony and Fino back safely,” Atlas said, but even to his ear, he knew it was more than that. All of them in this room wanted nothing more than to rip Carson Franks limb-from-limb with their bare hands, and Halsey could see he wasn’t getting through to them.
“Alright, just promise me this…you won’t impede our investigation, you tell me everything.” He fixed them with a hard stare. “Regardless of circumstances, if you get in our way, I will arrest you for obstruction. No taking justice into your own hands.”
“Detective, we are men of the world,” Blue said, a little testily, “and we have the resources to search every inch of it…which is what we are doing.”
“And that’s fine. Just don’t take unnecessary risks, is all I ask.”
“None of us are amateurs, Detective.” Cormac Duggan was the most arrogant of the three, Halsey decided, and the most irritating. He could feel for Tigri and Allende; they’d been through hell. But this man…
“Mr. Duggan, I understand why Mr. Tigri and Dr. Allende are here – why are you?”
There was a long silence, Duggan glancing at Atlas, then Atlas sighed. “Because he’s the father of Ebony’s baby, and he’s also suing me for custody of Fino.” He recited all of this in a dead voice, and Cormac had the grace to look slightly ashamed.
“All I care about right now,” he said softly, speaking directly to Atlas, “is that we get them back safe and well. Anything else…can wait. We can resume our usual feud when they’re back safe and sound.”
Atlas studied him for a long moment, then nodded curtly.
John Halsey sighed and nodded at the door, indicating the meeting was at an end. “I’ll keep you informed, gentlemen. Remember what I said.”
Outside the office, Cormac turned to them. “I’ll be in touch as soon as my men find anything. Can I ask you do the same?”
“Sure.”
Atlas nodded. “Come by the house later if you can. We should all be together.” Atlas couldn’t quite believe he was saying it, but there it was. He wanted his brother desperately right now, wanted to feel that comfort, and in Mateo’s absence, he would take even Cormac.
And he had to be fair – it was Cormac’s child Ebony was carrying. After Atlas had lost it in the courtroom, he’d calmed down enough to hear Cormac’s lawyer explain the circumstances of the conception and the dates, and facts, matched up. Stanley had talked to him when he’d gotten home after hours of searching Seattle’s streets for his wife.
And now she’s gone, and the last words I spoke to her were angry and insulting. God, Ebony, I’m so sorry. I’ll make it up to you somehow, baby. I swear. Just be okay.
Atlas drove home now, to an empty house. He went to Bella’s room but found no one. He sighed. Bella had fucked up for sure, but he couldn’t believe she had done it out of malice.
His cell phone rang, and when he answered it, it was Carson Franks, telling him exactly what he would have to do to save the lives of the two people he loved most in the world.
Ebony, realizing that Carson was keeping them drugged to prevent them from escaping, figured it must mean they were still near civilization. Drugging them would keep them from screaming or figuring out an escape route. She began hiding her food, instructing Fino to only eat the sides of the sandwiches and take tiny sips of water.
“We have to pretend we’re asleep, darling, so they think they’re safe to talk about stuff we’re not supposed to hear. Maybe they’ll say something we can use to escape.”
She couldn’t think of any other way to explain what was happening to them. Luckily, the small bites they took didn’t seem to be adulterated.
When Rex came in next, late at night, Ebony had her body curled around Fino’s, protectively, as she always did, and pretended to be unconscious. She became aware that someone else was in the room with Rex when he said:
“We keep them warm and fed, don’t worry.”
“Are they hurt?”
A shock ran through Ebony, and she clamped her hand discreetly over Fino’s mouth as she felt him jerk in surprise.
Bella. It was Bella’s voice. She wanted to scream, to go for the girl, to beg her to tell her why she had betrayed them so utterly. A tear rolled down her cheek and Ebony struggled to keep up her façade of unconsciousness.
“They look cold.” Bella’s voice shook, and Rex sighed.
“I’ll get them blankets, but look, come on, if Cormac knew you were back here, he’d kill me.”
There was a silence and Ebony risked opening her eyes a crack. She saw Bella staring down at them, tears pouring down her face. “Look, Rex, let them go. I should never have agreed to do this. Take me instead.”
“Ha.” Rex gave a snort. “You did it to protect your own skin so they’d never find out it was you who let that shooter in.”
“I didn’t know what he was going to do! He killed Mateo…” Bella began to sob. “Please let them go. I’ll get you money, enough to get away, live a life of luxury. Please, just, let’s get them away from Carson.”
“No. Come on, get out of here before I kill you myself. You did this. Bella, remember that.”
“Wait. Just let me hug them one last time.”
Before Rex could stop her, Bella dropped to her knees and put her arms around Ebony and Fino. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
Ebony, shielded from Rex’s view, opened her eyes and met Bella’s gaze. “Run,” she whispered, “get help, Bella. If you want to make up for this, save us. Save Fino at least.”
Bella squeezed her eyes shut, disguising her nod as a sob, then let them go. She stood, wiping her tears away, and Ebony watched as she and Rex left the room.
She let out a long breath and was about to tell Fino it was okay when she heard the gunshots. Oh god, no…
A second later, her worst fears were confirmed when Carson burst into the room, his face red and angry. “Fucking bitch!”
Ebony somehow k
new he wasn’t talking about her, but it didn’t stop Carson from handling her roughly, cutting her ties and pulling her and Fino to their feet. The gun in his hand meant Ebony wasn’t going to risk fighting him. If he had just killed Rex and, oh god no, Bella, then he would have no reluctance in killing both of them.
Carson pressed the gun against Ebony’s neck and stared at Fino. “One false move, kid, and I kill her, understood?”
Fino, terrified, could only nod. Carson dragged Ebony out of the small cell and along a musty corridor. At the end, Ebony saw Rex’s body, half of his head missing, and pulled Fino against her belly so he couldn’t see. As Carson yanked her arm, she glanced to her left and saw Bella, laying on her back, her hands clamped over her stomach, coughing up blood. For a brief second, their eyes met, and Bella mouthed “I’m sorry” then went still, her eyes staring blankly. Ebony fought back a wave of nausea mixed with grief and terror.
As Carson pulled them out into the daylight, both Ebony and Fino cringed, their eyes stinging. “Get in the car. You, beautiful, in the front with me. The kid rides in the trunk.”
“No, please, don’t put him in the…please, he’ll be scared.”
“I don’t give a fuck.” Carson picked Fino up with one arm and popped the trunk, shoving the terrified boy and shutting him in. Ebony heard Fino screaming.
“Fino, baby, don’t be scared,” she shouted. “ I’ll be right here, right here…”
Carson smirked. “He won’t be scared long.”
He forced Ebony into the passenger seat and got in, not bothering to help buckle her in. Now that she was getting used to the light, she could see they were outside the city, a deserted farmhouse down a long dirt track. As Carson sped along the roadway, he was driving with one hand, the other aiming the gun at Ebony, she saw something out of the corner of her eye, and as the car hit the main highway, a dark sedan sideswiped them.
The last thing Ebony remembered was the car rolling, smashing into a tree, and then in the seconds before she passed out, she heard Fino screaming once more, this time in what sounded like agony …
Chapter Twenty-Two
John Halsey delivered the news without sugarcoating. “They’ve been found. They were in a car accident and the driver who hit them called 911. It doesn’t look good, gentlemen. You’re gonna want to hurry to the hospital.”
Atlas wanted to drive fast, he wanted to go 150 miles per hour. But getting himself killed wouldn’t help Fino or Ebony, and he’d vowed to protect them from here on out.
I’m coming, he whispered as he fought the urge over and over to run red lights and stop signs, his knuckles the color of chalk on the steering wheel. Wait for me. Don’t give up, baby.
Beside him, by the looks of things, Cormac was every bit as terrified and trying just as hard to hold it together.
As they rounded the corner to the hospital, he spoke suddenly.
“Atlas…you and I have never particularly seen eye-to-eye, and I think that’s partially my fault. I don’t give a lot of myself away, and I’ve made mistakes in our relationship…but god, man, I love that boy. I adore him, he’s the son I’ve never had – and thought I never would have. Doctors told me there was very little chance I could conceive a child naturally.” His half-smile was sad. “So, you can see why Ebony’s pregnancy is a big deal for me.” He rubbed his face and to Atlas’ surprise, reached over to grip his shoulder. “Atlas…all I care about now is whether Ebony, Fino and the baby are okay. Everything else can wait until we know they’re safe.”
Atlas nodded, his heart in his mouth so he couldn’t speak. They parked and ran into the building at a full sprint. As they waited, John Halsey, who met them in the lobby, told them what happened.
“We had our suspicions that Bella was involved, so we had her tailed. She led us right to where Ebony and Fino were being held, but before we could act, Carson shot his accomplice and Bella and took off. That’s when the accident happened – one of our men side-swiped their vehicle by accident when Franks pulled out in front of him.”
Atlas, almost demented with worry, struggled to control himself. “Ebony? Fino?”
“Ebony wasn’t buckled in,” Halsey said grimly. “She went through the windshield. We just don’t know the extent of the injuries she received…or the baby. The doctors will be able to tell you more.”
Cormac was suddenly there, holding Atlas up with a firm grip on his bicep. “And Fino?”
“He was in the trunk,” Halsey replied, waiting until Cormac stopped cussing a blue streak. “He’s shaken up and terrified, but the impact was far enough from him that the paramedics said they think he may only have a concussion.”
It was Atlas’ turn to support the man who he’d loathed up until this day. As they sank into nearby chairs, twin expressions of anguish on their faces, Blue jogged into the hospital.
He didn’t stop as Atlas and Cormac jumped to their feet. “I’m on my way into surgery,” he called as he shoved open the door to the stairs and vanished inside. His voice floated back before the door closed behind him. “Romy’s there already. I’ll come update you as soon as I can.”
They were staring after him when Halsey appeared again. In the overall chaos, they hadn’t even noticed he’d vanished.
“You can come see Fino. They have to do scans, but he checks out as okay enough for relatives.”
Traumatized as the boy was, his head swathed in a bulky bandage, he was admirably composed. Terrifyingly so, Atlas thought as he held Fino close before letting Cormac get in for his own hug. Who knew how many years of therapy it would take to help the kid stop having nightmares about the last month.
There were so many questions running through Atlas’ head he didn’t know where to start, afraid of overwhelming his already trembling nephew. So Cormac asked the hardest question.
“Did the man hurt you, Fino?” Cormac asked, sitting down on the edge of the hospital bed even though it wasn’t allowed. “We know he put you in the trunk. But did he…touch you or talk to you in a way that made you uncomfortable?”
Fino shook his head, thankfully unaware of Cormac’s subtext, and Atlas swallowed a sigh of relief. “He was scary, but he didn’t hurt me. He hurt Ebony…he had a knife, and he cut her. Ebony said it was okay, but she was in pain. There was blood.”
“God…” Atlas felt the blood drain from his face. He had no doubt that had they not found them, Ebony and Fino would be dead right now. Fino reached out his small hand and put it on Atlas’s face.
“Don’t cry, Uncle Atlas…Ebony said we were going to be family and I believe her. She’ll be okay.”
Even Cormac got teary then, much to Atlas’ astonishment. He got up. “Look, I’m going to go talk to the detective…and then I’m going to call my lawyer. Drop the case. In the end, Fino’s happiness is all I care about.”
He turned on his heel and walked out of the cubicle, and Atlas could see the defeated slump of his shoulders. He looked at Fino. “Fino, would you be okay alone for two minutes? I have to ask Cormac something.”
Fino looked like he was going to protest but then nodded, laying back on his pillows and closing his eyes. Atlas found a nurse to sit with him then went to find Cormac. Cormac was standing outside, out of the rain under the hospital’s canopy.
“Cormac?”
Cormac turned to look at him. Atlas went up to him, then after a second, offered him his hand. Cormac shook it. “Whatever differences we have had in the past, and however strange this set up is…Fino loves you,” Atlas said gruffly. “Ebony is carrying your child, whether I like it or not. So…we have to find a way of working this out.”
Cormac nodded. “I agree. Look, here’s the bottom line. A year ago, I was told it was unlikely I would ever have kids. My sperm count is low. I reacted by going a little crazy, going to sex clubs. Ebony…I could tell she was a newbie, so I took care of her in the club…and yes, we made love. I used a condom, but it broke. I swear, I did tell her, but the whole time, she never saw my face. I was wearing,�
� and he laughed now, “one of those ridiculous masks…hey, I was trying something new, okay?” He added as Atlas smirked. “So, she really, truly never knew it was me. She told you the kid wasn’t yours?”
“Yes.”
“I respect her for that. Hell, I just respect Ebony – I’m sorry I called her a whore; she’s anything but.”
“Tell her that.”
“I will, I promise.” Cormac sighed. “So, bottom line, I just want to be involved with my kid’s upbringing, as well as Fino’s. I’ll let you be a family, Atlas. Just allow me to be part of it. Please.”
“No more shady tricks?”
“None.”
Atlas regarded him for a long time. “When you told me you were the father of Ebony’s child, I just flipped. I felt like everything, everything was being taken away from me. Mateo, Fino, Ebony, the baby…everything.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“I am too. We’ve both screwed up beyond belief, but at least you’re making amends. I haven’t even started yet.”
“She’ll forgive you,” Cormac replied. “You were out of your mind for any number of reasons that day. Doesn’t make what you said right, even if I pushed you over the edge. But she’ll forgive you anyway, because she’s that kind of person.”
Atlas nodded, shrugging off more chaotic emotions. “And thank you for dropping the case. Fino does belong with Ebony and me - but he needs you too. As for the baby, really, that’s up to Ebony now.”
“Agreed.” Cormac rubbed his face. “I wasted so many years hating you and Mateo for what now seems to be completely useless reasons.”
“It’s never too late.”
“You’re right.” Cormac clapped Atlas on the back. “Come on, let’s get back to Fino and wait for Blue to update us.”
Two hours later, Blue came to find them…and he was smiling.
Her Dark Melody Page 13
