Chapter Eleven #4
Zahra waved a dismissing hand. “I’ve had far worse in my life, and you know it. I worry about you because I know he’s capable of hurting you in ways I can’t even conceive.”
“Not anymore,” Raine denied. “I have alerts everywhere. If he tries to go after her in any way, we’ll know and can counter.”
Harlow avoided looking up at any of the cameras Rainier had installed in his home.
He had a state-of-the-art security system.
He would have clear video and audio feed.
That meant Wilder could hear every word.
She found herself relaxing now that she had Raine back with her, but more importantly, just knowing Wilder was close made her feel safe.
She wished she could do something to keep him that way, but she would have to trust his friends, Sam, Zale and Rainier, as well as a couple of the other men working for Rainier, including Rush.
“If Guadalupe was pregnant when she was dropped across the border, what happened to her child?” Stella asked, getting them back on track.
Harlow was grateful to her. She certainly didn’t want to think about her father, let alone talk about him. Better the focus was on Guadalupe and how they could best uncover information about her.
“By all accounts, the girl the senator got pregnant was quite beautiful,” Harlow said.
“If the cartel really controlled that area where she was dumped, they would have taken advantage of her immediately. I don’t think being pregnant would have saved her from them, even though the pregnancy was advanced. ”
“More than likely, they would have forced her to get rid of the baby,” Vienna said.
“That,” Raine said, “or they would have sold the baby to the highest bidder for adoption. That isn’t an uncommon practice.”
“We’re assuming this girl is Guadalupe for all intents and purposes right now,” Zahra said. “She’s dumped in the middle of a dangerous cartel’s territory, and she’s pregnant. They want her for their trafficking ring. What’s the one thing she has to bargain with?”
“The fact that her child is the senator’s son,” Harlow answered immediately.
“It wouldn’t be difficult to prove it. Getting a DNA sample from the senator wouldn’t be hard because if he happens to be at a campaign office, he’s leaving tons of DNA behind.
The cartel would be able to blackmail him for an eternity.
And if he was running for president, they’d have someone in their pocket. ”
In all the scenarios Harlow had envisioned with her half sibling, she’d never considered that the boy could be used against her father.
“Do we know if the senator is being blackmailed?” Stella asked Raine.
“It’s going to take some digging if he is,” Raine said. “I only just got my laptop back,” she added, as if she felt she hadn’t done enough already. “I’ll find the evidence if he is being blackmailed.”
Harlow was happy to hear that she sounded confident, more like the old Raine.
But…What had Rush said? Raine feared her friends wouldn’t feel the same way about her if she couldn’t get important information for them.
Were they reinforcing that feeling by asking—no, expecting—her to do the research for them?
“You don’t have to do that, Raine. When you’re tired, stop. I mean that. We want you to get healthy. If you never type another word into your computer, we’re totally okay with that,” Harlow felt compelled to say.
“I will,” Raine agreed. “Rush has me practicing saying no to the General. It’s a little hilarious to stare at myself in the mirror and talk to someone who isn’t there.”
“Why does that man think he’s exempt from the rules?” Stella demanded. “He calls you night and day, no matter if you’re on vacation or not, even when you’re working for someone else. He expects you to drop everything and attend to his emergencies. Which, by the way, he always seems to be having.”
Raine laughed. “That’s true. Everything he wants or needs is an emergency, in his opinion.
I shouldn’t have been so accommodating, but he makes me laugh.
I started with him at a time when I really needed to find my sense of humor again.
He took a chance on me when no one else would.
I was young, looked even younger, a woman, and my father was a mob boss. Blom wouldn’t even consider me.”
“That’s because he lives in the dark ages and thinks women are inferior to men,” Harlow pointed out. “You’re so busy all the time, I thought those agencies all came after you.”
“The General did, but I was actively looking for contracts when I first moved up here. I had to jump through hoops to get the various clearances needed, but it was worth it. The General sort of paved the way. He’s harsh and abrasive, but he’s a brilliant man.
” She flashed a small grin. “You know what that means. I can talk to him without wanting to scream. At least most of the time. He’s a gamer. Not my thing.”
Her head went up alertly, and she touched the small device in her ear. “Guadalupe’s coming up the drive. They’re opening the gates for her.”