The Family's Secrets

by T N Lowe

  Tomas appears in the doorway, “Yes, sir?”

  “Please escort Miss Love to her room and make sure Mrs. Volkov is ready for Gennadi,” Hector orders.

  “Yes, sir. Miss Love follow me,” Tomas urged, helping me from the chair.

  As we exit the sitting room and make our way down the hall, I rip my arm from Tomas’s grasp, “I thought you said you would protect me? He tried to choke me in there.”

  “I said I would do what I can to protect you, but you have to do your part.”

  “And what is my part? Whoring myself to Hector’s son?”

  “Is that what he asked you to do?” Tomas growled, anger lacing his voice.

  “No, he informed me his son would be escorting me to dinner where my biological father is the guest of honor.”

  “Nikolas is a twenty-one-year-old who doesn’t know what he wants. Don’t worry; you can handle him.”

  “That’s reassuring,” I quip, rolling my eyes.

  Tomas claps my arm and pulls me close to his chest, “I promise this will all be done soon.” I draw away quickly from Tomas’s hold and we finish the walk to the room in silence.

  Opening the door, Tomas whispers, “Keep your head down and play your part.” Tomas turns to Shauna, “Mrs. Volkov, please come with me.”

  Sitting up straighter, Shauna shakes her head, “No, thank you.”

  “Why do you two insist on making my job harder than it needs to be?” Tomas questions through gritted teeth, then mumbles something in Spanish.

  “If you want an easy job, maybe don’t kidnap people,” Shauna shoots back.

  “Look, I’ll tell you what I told Rylie; I will do what I can to keep you safe, but you have to help me. Play by the rules of the game, and I will get you home.”

  Shauna turns to me and asks, “You bought that load of shit?” Before I can answer, she turns to Tomas, “I played by rules before, and it almost killed me. So, I won’t be playing by your rules, Hector’s rules, or Gennadi’s rules.”

  “Mrs. Volkov, Shauna, please don’t make me force you. I don’t want to hurt you,” Tomas pleads with her.

  “And what do you think will happen when you give me to Gennadi? We’re going to drink tea and pet kittens? No, he’s going to punish me as payback for what Maks did to him.”

  “Calvo told Gennadi he would not stand for him hurting either one of you,” Tomas offers, trying to comfort her.

  “I don’t trust Calvo and won’t be going,” Shauna informs him.

  “I tried,” Tomas mutters, picking Shauna up and tossing her over his shoulder.

  “Put me down right now,” Shauna screams, pounding her fists on Tomas’ back. “I’ll walk, I’ll walk,” she screams.

  Tomas puts her on her feet, “Please come this way, Shauna. Rylie, please get ready for dinner, I will be back later to escort you to the dining room.”

  A few hours later Tomas returns minus Shauna. I am dressed in the midnight blue evening gown Hector’s wife picked for me, with hair and makeup complete. “Wow, you look amazing,” Tomas compliments, offering me his arm.

  “Thank you,” I reply, taking his arm.

  Tomas walks us through the estate to a large ballroom, where Hector greets me at the large double doors, “Thank you, Tomas, I’ll take it from here.”

  “Yes, sir,” Tomas replies, releasing me, leaving me to the wolves.

  “You look beautiful, Rylie.”

  Tomas’s words play in my head, “Keep your head down and play your part.”

  “Thank you, Hector. You look very dashing yourself,” I praise, trying not to choke on my words.

  “Thank you. Now let me introduce you to my wife and son.” Walking into the ballroom, I see a striking woman with long black hair and perfectly tan skin sitting at the end of a large dining table. “Rylie, this is my wife, Ana Sofia.”

  “It is nice to meet you, Ana Sofia,” I say, offering her my hand.

  She looks at me with disdain and mumbles, “You’re a whore just like your mother,” in Spanish.

  Hector slaps Ana Sofia across the face, reprimanding her, “You will show me and our guest respect, you useless cow.”

  Looking up at me, Anna Sofia smiles, “It is nice to meet you too.”

  I bite my lip, not sure of what to make of what just happened. What a terrible man; I wish I could help Ana Sofia, but I’m more of a prisoner than she is.

  Across the room, a door slams. I look to see who has joined us. An average-looking young Hispanic man, straightening his tie, walks towards us. Hector yells, “I asked you to arrive on time, and you can't even do that,” at the man, making him jog faster. “This is my son, Nikolas. Nikolas this is our guest of honor, Rylie.”

  “Wow, you are hotter than my father said,” Nikolas sneers, looking me up and down.

  “Thanks,” I reply, stepping back slightly, in an effort to put more space between Nikolas and me.

  “Please take your seats; our other honored guest will be here shortly,” Hector instructs us.

  Nikolas escorts me to my seat with his hand gliding down my back and stopping on my butt. I slap his hand away with a stern, “Don’t.”

  Nikolas pulls me closer to his side, “Listen, bitch. When you are no longer useful to my father, he will get rid of you like all the other trash. But, if you play nice, maybe I’ll put in a good word and keep you for myself.”

  I laugh in his face, “I would rather die.”

  Nikolas wraps his hand around my throat, “I can make that happen.”

  His hand is not restricting my airflow, so I breathe normally and stand my ground, refusing to give him the satisfaction of showing fear.

  “You think you’re so smart,” Nikolas spits. “You’re a whore like your mother.” He squeezes my throat before pushing me away.

  I stumble backward, my hand clutching my neck, trying to erase the feel of his fingers on me.

  “Sit down,” Hector hisses, glaring at his son.

  Nikolas captures my wrist, yanking me the rest of the way to the table before pushing me into my chair. I look down at my arm seeing the red welts from his grip; I will have bruises tomorrow. Nikolas takes the seat next to his mother, kissing her on the cheek, then looks at me and whispers something to her.

  Hector joins us, speaking to an older man his dark tan skin that makes his hair and beard seem whiter. The man looks up, and his eyes lock on mine, “Alejandra?”

  “No, it is not Alejandra. You killed her many years ago,” Hector tells the man in English for my benefit.

  “Yes, I know. This girl could be her twin.”

  “No, not her twin; her daughter; your daughter,” Hector explains.

  “What? I have no daughter,” the man roars back.

  “Aw, but you do. You ordered Alejandra to get rid of her after she was born. But Alejandra allowed her to be adopted by an American family. Come meet your long lost daughter, Rylie Love.”

  As Hector tells the man the story of how I am not dead, the man’s anger grows. Sitting across the room, I can feel the hatred he has for me; it radiates from him and fills the room. Nikolas and Ana Sofia must feel it too; they squirm in their chairs as they laugh at the rage directed at me.

  “Is now when I ask why you have the spawn that my whore bore?”

  “Aw, you know why I have Rylie, Roberto. Because no matter what you say or how you act, Rylie is still your flesh and blood. And I know you would never turn your back on one of your own.”

  “I have no use for her. Do what you want with her,” Roberto states, turning to leave.

  “She is a member of The Family,” Hector shouts, seeing that he is losing Roberto’s attention.

  Roberto turns so fast, he looks like a cartoon character, “What?”

  “She was adopted into The Family. The adopted sister of Patrick Love, The Family's leader.”

  Nikolas looks me up and down once more, but this time fear crosses his face. “What has father done?” He hisses to Anna Sofa.

  “Your father know
s what he is doing,” she replies, deadly calm.

  “Yes! He will get us all killed.”

  “Enough,” Anna Sofa hisses. “Do as your father says and everything will be fine.”

  Nikolas shakes his head at his mother, watching me, watching them. I smile, knowing he is correct. Patrick may not kill him or his mother, but his father Hector is a dead man. And if Patrick doesn’t kill him, Maks will.

  Roberto takes the seat next to mine while Hector sits at the head of the table. “Rylie allow me to introduce you to your father, Roberto Carballo.”

  “My father is a Supreme Court Justice. This man is nothing more than a sperm donor. And your son is correct; my brother will kill you. Both of you.”

  Hector and Roberto laugh. “She is a spitfire like her mother,” Roberto says.

  “She is,” Hector replies.

  Dinner is served, and the two men talk like they are old friends rather than rivals. Nikolas and Anna Sofa eat quietly, all the while watching me. I push the food around my plate, praying Patrick frees us from the nightmare soon. I’m not sure how much more I can take.

  “Dinner is complete, it is time for business,” Hector announces to the room.

  Roberto shifts in his chair, “What do you want for my daughter?” He asks as if he is concerned for my welfare.

  “Simple. Give me your territory in Mexico and Central America, and I will give you your daughter.”

  Roberto laughs, “That will never happen.”

  “Then I will kill Rylie, and The Family will come for both of us,” Hector announces with a shrug.

  “They will not come for me; I have nothing to do with the girls’ kidnapping or death.”

  “You are mistaken, my friend. I had my men leave some clues pointing to you, not just me. I will give you three days to change your mind and to get your affairs in order.”

  Roberto stands and storms from the room, slamming the door.

  Hector smiles at me, “Don’t worry my dear, he will make the right choice. Tomas will escort you back to your room now.”

  Tomas enters and helps me stand, leading me from the ballroom and into the hall. “Are you all right?”

  “No.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No, I need Shauna,” Is all I reply.

  We walk the rest of the way to my prison in silence. Tomas unlocks the door and opens it for me. Stepping inside, I find Shauna lying on the bed her face bloody and swollen. Racing to her side and kneeling next to her, “Shauna, what happened?” Looking up to Tomas, “I need a wet washrag, now!”

  He darts into the bathroom, returning quickly with a washrag in hand. I push Shauna’s golden hair from her face and try not to cringe at the amount of damage done. “Shauna, what happened? Who did this to you?”

  Shauna whines and tries to sit up.

  “No, honey lay down. Let me help you get cleaned up,” I whisper, laying her back down.

  Looking up at Tomas, I ask, “Do you have a first aid kit?” He nods and takes off down the hall.

  Using the wet rag, I carefully and gently dab the dried blood from Shauna’s face. “It was Gennadi,” Shauna starts. “He said I was his revenge on his son. Maks took his family and his position from him, so now he’ll take me away from Maks.”

  The door swings open, hitting the wall. Jumping, Shauna and I look to see Tomas holding an extensive first aid kit.

  Shauna’s eyes find mine again, tears streaming down her cheeks, “He said he would beat me every day until he killed me. Then he would mail my broken and battered body to Maks.”

  Tomas kneels next to me, opening the first aid kit and begins cleaning and bandaging Shauna’s wounds. I take Shauna’s hand, “We will get out of here.”

  Chapter Ten - Erin

  Morning comes all too soon. I want nothing more than to stay in bed, curled around Landon all day. But we are here to find and rescue Shauna and Rylie. Sitting up and swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I tap Landon on the chest, “Time to get up, honey.”

  He moans into his pillow as I shuffle into the bathroom and turn on the shower. After brushing my teeth, I step into the shower letting the warm water wake me up. The shower door opens, and two strong arms envelop me. “Did you sleep well?” Landon asks, kissing my neck.

  “I haven’t slept that well since Jackson was born,” I reply and lean into Landon’s chest. “How did you sleep?”

  “Like the dead,” Landon answers rubbing the shampoo in his hands, then washing my hair.

  After our shower, Landon and I meet Fi-Fi and Cain for breakfast at La Terraza before starting our walk through the Chapultepec forest. “How was the rest of your night?” Fi-Fi asks as we sit.

  “It was great. How was yours?” I ask with a big smile.

  Fi-Fi gives me a knowing smile, “Never mind,” I say, rolling my eyes, “I don’t want to know. You are married to my brother.”

  Cain laughs and then asks, “What are we doing today?”

  “This morning we are going to walk the Chapultepec forest. Then we want to stop by the American Cantina before dinner,” I reply.

  “What is there to see in a forest?” Cain asks.

  “There is a castle, a zoo, a couple of museums, and beautiful landscapes,” I tease and Cain rolls his eyes.

  “What is it with you and museums?” Landon asks.

  “I don’t know dude; she has been like this her whole life,” Cain complains.

  “What? I like museums. And it wouldn’t hurt you two to add more culture into your lives,” I scold.

  “I agree with Erin,” Fi-Fi huffs.

  Landon leans in and kisses my cheek, “I will go anywhere you want.”

  I melt into his side and enjoy the rest of our breakfast.

  After breakfast, Fi-Fi and I stop at the concierge’s desk while Landon and Cain sit in the lobby commiserating about their wives.

  “Buenos días, señoritas. ¿En qué puedo ayudarle?” The concierge asks.

  “Sorry, I don’t speak Spanish,” Fi-Fi offers shyly.

  This is a lie; Fi-Fi speaks flawless Spanish. Her mother’s family is from Panama and they taught her Spanish and English at the same time. I, on the other hand, know basic phrases, like ‘do you speak English’ or ‘where is the bathroom’. Growing up, Mom insisted Cain and I learn Irish. I always assumed it was so we would know where our family came from. I wasn’t entirely wrong; we do speak it to stay close to our Irish ancestry. But it is also how members of The Family speak to each other to keep the people around them from eavesdropping. It works, considering most people in the United States have never heard, much less understand Irish.

  “I’m sorry,” the concierge apologizes. “Good morning ladies. How may I help you?”

  “We would like four tickers for the tour of Chapultepec Castle,” Fi-Fi answers.

  “Of course,” the concierge replies, tapping on the keys of his keyboard. “We have a tour leaving in twenty minutes that has space available. It is a four-hour walking tour that allows you to see the Chapultepec Castle, and ends with a walk along Paseo de la Reforma.”

  I nod, “That will be perfect. Thank you.”

  “Yes, señora. Let me print your tickets.” After the tickets print, the concierge hands them to Fi-Fi. He points to a woman in a tight blue blazer, “There is your guide. Have a nice day.”

  “Thank you,” Fi-Fi replies as we join Landon and Cain.

  Cain stands from the couch, wrapping Fi-Fi in his arms and asks, “What are we doing today?”

  “Oh yeah,” Landon jokes kissing my temple.

  “Do you want to look at the estate after we eat?” Fi-Fi asks, taking a bite of her sandwich.

  “Sure,” I reply.

  “Do you know anything about this house?” Cain asks.

  “Other than where it is, no,” I reply around my bite of sandwich.

  “So…what are we going to do? Knock on the door and ask if Shauna and Rylie can come out and play?” Landon asks, making Cain laugh.
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  “No,” I say, giving Landon the evil eye. “Fi-Fi and I are going to wander off the beaten path and stumble around the woods. If anyone finds us, we are a couple of lost tourists.”

  “And what pray tell will Cain and I be doing while our wives are stumbling around the woods with dangerous men?” Landon asks.

  “Sitting on a nearby bench waiting for us to return.”

  “You think I’m going to let my wife wander around the woods without protection,” Landon demands to know.

  Fi-Fi turns to Landon, “Don’t worry, I’ve got her back.”

  “And who will have your back?” Cain asks.

  “Me of course,” I reply tossing my arm around Fi-Fi’s shoulders. “You guys forget, we’ve had each other backs long before you two came into the picture. We have been trained to do this and we’re had lots of practice; that’s why we are good at what we do.”

  “Fine. But you have to promise me that you’ll abandon your plan at the first sign of trouble,” Landon pleads, taking my hands in his.

  “I promise,” I reply, squeezing his hands.

  After finishing our lunch, Fi-Fi and I leave our men while we survey the compound where we think Rylie and Shauna are being held. Walking through the wooded area, Fi-Fi and I discuss our plans for tonight, being sure to appear like two tourists. Walking further, we come into a clearing, and the estate comes into view. Fi-Fi stops, “I love the old world-building. Take my picture. I want to show everyone back home.”

  Pulling my phone from my pocket, I snap photos of the estate with Fi-Fi in the foreground, just in case someone asks to see the pictures. After taking five pictures, Fi-Fi walks to my side, “Let me see how they turned out.”

  We examine them and see three guards; two standing point and one walking the perimeter. “Let’s walk around and see what else we find,” I tell Fi-Fi. She nods, and we walk to the west side of the estate. As we walk, we see more people milling around the estate. I don’t see any weapons to make me think they are guards, but that doesn’t mean they are not armed. Fi-Fi snaps a couple of photos on her phone as we round the corner to walk the south end of the estate.

  “Hey, qué estás hacienda?” A man yells at us from the estate grounds.