Chapter Fourteen #3
her hand and a little smile on her face. “I was following Ariel. Testing my
skills. I am behind her the whole way. It was fun.”
Ariel took a long breath and then sat down. “It’s a good
thing I’m used to obnoxious teenaged girls. That’s the bride?”
“Yes, and Mal just mentioned her kidnapping,” Lucy said,
serious again.
This was what they’d set this meeting up for. Since she
hadn’t been able to truly study Tatiana or Edward at the restaurant, she needed
to pay attention now.
Vivian leaned forward and realized her mother was doing the
same.
“She’s definitely having an involuntary reaction,” her
mother said. “She was kidnapped?”
“At a young age. According to what we know she wasn’t
physically harmed, but I think her reaction lets us know the truth. There’s
something they’re hiding,” Vivian said, watching how Tatiana’s skin lost its
color and her hand began to shake. She had to put down her teacup.
“They do not take wealthy girls,” Sosa said quietly. “They
only take those who no one will look for.”
“They never kidnap for ransom?” Ariel asked.
Sosa sat in the last available chair. She could see the
monitor, her eyes steady on it. “Of course they do, but this is rare from what
I know. It was not part of my training. I was built to kill for cash, not to
keep them alive.”
Vivian kept her eyes on the screen, but she was interested
in what Sosa knew. “Do you know if they kept them at The Chateau?”
“No. They would not risk anyone knowing where they were. The
only reason anyone outside would see The Chateau is because they are never
expected to truly leave,” Sosa replied, her tone steady.
She finally turned to look at her. “Are you all right?”
Sosa sighed. “You ask that question all the time. You know
my answer.”
“I know what you’re going to say,” Vivian admitted. “I don’t
know that’s the truth.”
“Who is to say what truth is?” Sosa sounded philosophical.
“That is what I learn at The Chateau. Nothing is as it seem. Not things or
people. They decide what is real and what is not, and the world seem to go
along. She does not talk about kidnapping?”
“I don’t think so,” Vivian replied.
“According to what I read, no one in her family does,” Ariel
explained. “I found some records that she went to a family therapist for a
while, but that’s private so I couldn’t go much further.”
Lucy yawned and turned her chair. “Yeah, I don’t care about
that stuff. I got her records.”
Ariel’s eyes widened. “You did what?”
Sosa frowned. “I am told those records are not public.”
“No one will ever read my notes,” Vivian assured her. “I
know how to protect them. The company has layers of security around every bit
of information contained in our files. Lucy, was that necessary?”
“Like we don’t get all kinds of private information all the
time.” Lucy was deeply unconcerned with doctor/patient confidentiality.
“Tatiana was in therapy for years afterward because her parents felt like she
never recovered from what happened to her. They might say it was easy, but
those records tell a different story. The girl who got kidnapped was different
than the one who came back. Her grades took a hit. She was quiet for a long
time. Then one day she decided she was fine and became the awfully pretentious
thing she is today.”
“What did she say happened to her?” her mother asked.
“Not a thing,” Lucy replied. “She was in therapy for six
years and she never said a word beyond what she told the security team. They
tried everything and finally gave up.”
“Children almost always talk when they feel safe,” her
mother explained. “I can’t believe she never talked. Even adults will make
something up to fill the void.”
“They change her.” Sosa sighed and sat back. “No matter what
she say, they did things to her and it changes her. Even if it was only for a
few days. She learn how to be quiet, how to be someone else. She must be scared
that they might make her go back.”
Vivian would agree. There was something about Tatiana that
she took as fear and anxiety despite how calm she tried to look.
But then she felt that way about Sosa, too.
“Lucy, I’m not happy with how you got the information, but
it is interesting.” Ariel was staring at Tatiana. “I’ll have Robert watch her
when she and Edward are together. Which twin do you think will be better at
getting her to talk?”
Since “Kara” was going to be Tatiana’s bodyguard, they could
use either twin. Kala didn’t go into the field most of the time, but she was
willing to follow around a debutante before her wedding. “Let them both have a
shot. Kala’s surprisingly good at reading people with trauma, but Kenzie’s
better at getting them to open up.”
“I think Tatiana and Kala pray to the same dark god, so they
should get along like gangbusters,” Lucy quipped.
Her mother shook her head. “Darling girl, you have to let
that go. Kala isn’t the same now.”
“Nah, she’s pretty much the same,” Vivian told her.
“Marriage can’t change Kala Taggart.”
“And the deal is done,” Lucy announced. “Mal should be up
here in a heartbeat. Oh, and Oliver is getting into his father’s ridiculously
expensive Scotch.”
“It’s not. Ian and Damon drank that last night,” her mother
said. “Damon knew what Ollie would do and switched it with something cheap. Ah,
looks like Ollie just found out.”
On the screen Oliver winced but downed the liquor. If the
others noticed, they didn’t show it.
Vivian turned to Sosa. “Is there anything you can tell us? I
know you like to collect information.”
“All my information went with Gabby,” Sosa replied simply.
“And my brain is not a computer. I know they do kidnap some, but I would have
nothing to do with, and Tatiana and I would have been roughly the same age. We
would definitely not have had contact.”
“All right. The wedding is next week but we’re going to a
party for them in a couple of days. It will be our first chance to see some of
the people they’ve invited. This is for the high-level guests, a business party
of sorts,” Vivian explained. “I want you to know you will be safe. Lucy and
Sami will be with you and we’re in charge of security, so no one will be able
to touch you. I promise.”
Sosa bit her bottom lip, and for a moment Vivian thought she
would get emotional. Then it was gone. She stood and took her book. “I am all
right, Vivian. You don’t need to worry about me. I am good girl and looking
forward to returning to Dallas with Ian and Charlotte. I enjoy my time here but
there are no dogs or babies. And I find I miss barbecue.”
It was good she was looking forward to something.
Penny was suddenly in the doorway, her laptop in hand and a
frustrated look on her face. “Lucy, I’m sorry to bother you but something is
wrong.”
Lucy looked up. “I’m starting to believe someone is fucking
with you, Pen. Either that or you’ve been clicking on porn videos again.”
“I certainly do not. I don’t watch pornography. I have
Damon,” Penny replied.
“And we’re back to really open sex lives,” Lucy said with a
nod. “It feels like I’m home. All right. Let’s see it.”
Penny brought the laptop forward. “Oh, and Vivian, you
should know there’s a woman here. She says she’s Malcolm’s wife, but I don’t
believe her. I know he’s divorced, and he wouldn’t lie about that.”
Her mother’s spine straightened. “His ex? I heard she hurt
him badly.”
“She wrecked him, Mom.” Her first instinct was to go down
there and defend her man. And then she remembered how much he’d been through.
His leg still hurt, and that was about more than pain. He’d allowed her to take
care of him, but he was only now getting used to trusting her. This could set
him back. But would it be worse if she saw what happened? If she witnessed what
that woman would likely do to him?
“Don’t worry. Your father is going to handle it.” Her mother
gave her a half hug. “We’ve done some research on Andrea Mays. Can you believe
she still calls herself that? I think she’ll find herself in quite a pickle. I
didn’t expect her to show up. We were planning to handle this quietly.”
“What is happening?” Vivian asked, horror rising. Her
parents investigated? They had a plan? “What did you do?”
Before her mother could answer, she took off running.