Chapter 11
Lani
I’m awakened by the sound of Cade’s panicked voice sounding very far away, the terrified tone of it slowly registering in my groggy mind. I’m trying hard to wake up and ask him what’s wrong, but I can’t get my eyes to open. God, I’m so exhausted. What the hell did I do last night to make me so tired? I don’t remember drinking heavily...no I couldn’t. There’s a reason I couldn’t drink, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what it is. So tired...just a few more minutes, then I’ll get up.
“Lani, wake up! Please, Lani, wake up! You have to wake up!” Cade pleads tearfully. He sounds a lot closer now, and he’s shaking me awake. Why is Cade even here? Where’s Missy and Brayden? “Lani, I’m scared. Please, just wake up.”
Hearing Cade’s voice drop to a quieter plea, sounding so defeated like he’s giving up, makes me fight harder to wake up. As the fog in my brain begins to clear, the memories of what happened slowly come back to me. I still struggle to open my eyes, but I remember Jackson attacking me and placing something over my mouth and nose. I’m afraid to open my eyes, but I have to do it—Cade needs me. I try to blink a few times, but it takes all my effort and strength just to lift my eyelids. After several tries, I finally manage to slightly open my eyes only to see nothing but darkness.
“Cade?” I call out weakly. My throat is dry and scratchy, and my head kills me as I try to lift it to find Cade in the dark.
“Oh, Lani! You’re alive! I was so so scared...I thought you were dead!” he cries out, reaching for me. The relief in his voice is heartbreaking, and I wonder how long I was out.
“Where are we? How did you end up here?” I ask tentatively, attempting to comfort him by putting an arm around him .
“Some man took me from my bedroom and said that he’s my dad and that my mom stole me from him. Did she, Lani?” he inquires uncertainly.
“Cade, I promise you, your mom didn’t take you from anyone. She loves you,” I reassure him.
“Then why would he say that?”
“Because he’s a bad man who’s lying to trick you,” I answer.
“But, I look like him,” Cade states quietly.
“Yes, I know you do, sweetheart. He wasn’t lying about being your dad,” I admit sadly.
“Does that mean I’ll be a bad man too?” he questions worriedly.
“No, Cade, that’s impossible. Your mom and your dad, Brayden, won’t allow that to happen. And you know what? I’ve known you for a couple of years now and you do not have a mean bone in your body. You only have good in your heart and you get to decide whether you’ll be a good man or a bad man. Do you understand?”
“I guess so,” he replies, accepting my words. “Lani, why did the bad man take us here?”
“I don’t know, Cade,” I reply, not having any idea what the sick asshole has in store for us. I don’t even know where we’re being held or even how big this room is. I can only hope that someone finds us soon. “Cade, no matter what happens, I want you to always try to stick close by me.”
“Ok,” he replies timidly. I hear him sniffle, and I push down my own fears to try and be strong for his sake. Had he not been here, I might be the one crying at the situation we are in. I tighten my hold on him and cradle his head against me with my other hand.
“I don’t know how, but we will get out of here,” I assure him.
“You promise?”
“I promise that your dad, Evan, and Maddox will do everything they can to get us back home. Until they find us, we’re going to have to stick together and help each other out.” I feel him nod his head, and I’m a bit relieved when I feel him relax slightly. I don’t know who I was trying to convince more with my words, Cade or myself, but I’m comforted by the thought of Evan coming to rescue us.
Oh God, Evan! He’s probably going crazy trying to figure out where the hell I am. Even though things aren’t going so well between us, he’s never stopped caring or worrying about me. He’s still very protective and likes to know where I am at all times. It’s one of the reasons I’m still living with him, even after what happened the night I’d planned to leave him and wound up in his bed instead. I don’t know how much time has passed since Cade and I were taken, but I know that Evan won’t stop looking for us. Jesus! And I’m pregnant! The memory suddenly appears out of nowhere and I realize just how thoroughly messed up my situation is. I close my eyes and do something I haven’t done in a long time—I pray. God, please let them find us quickly and end this nightmare.
I just want to kick myself for being so stupid. Why did I leave Evan’s place by myself? I knew better than to do something so risky, but I had to know for sure whether I was pregnant or not. Evan is not only going to kill me for risking my life, but once he finds out I’m pregnant with his kid, he’ll revive me just so he can have the satisfaction of killing me again. Oh Evan, what I wouldn’t give right now to see him again, even if it was just to chew my hide for being so thoughtless and careless. How did Jackson even know where I was? Had he been following me this whole time? I’m angry and scared, the two emotions clashing within me and making me frustrated. I don’t know what to do. A sinking feeling begins to set in as the doubts enter my mind. What if they don’t find us in time? How could I possibly protect Cade if I can’t even protect myself? I have no idea what Jackson has planned for Cade and me, but with Jackson’s twisted and sadistic mind, it can’t be anything pleasant. All I can do is hope that Evan finds us soon. Please, Evan, hurry!
Eva n
The past two months have been torture. I have to fight every day just to breathe, knowing that Alani is somewhere out there, alone and scared. I’ve done everything I could to locate her, but every lead has come up empty. I’ve got people watching Michael and Dylan around the clock, hoping they’ll eventually lead us to Alani and Cade or Jackson. I don’t know how the fucker is doing it, but Jackson has managed to disappear without a trace and hidden Alani and Cade where we can’t find them. It’s killing me that the sick fuck has my girl and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. I die a little each night that Alani remains missing, not knowing what’s being done to her or how she’s holding up. I don’t even entertain the thought that she’s anything but alive—I’d never survive that and neither would the men who took her. If I found out that they’d harmed her in any way, I will tear them limb from limb with my bare hands.
The fact that Cade is probably a witness to or shares in whatever horror Alani is going through makes the situation even worse. He’s just a young boy and is probably terrified, not understanding what’s happening to them and not having his family around to ease his fears. I can’t look at Missy these days because the devastation on her face haunts me—she’s probably the only person who can understand what I’m going though, having the person you love most in the world taken away and feeling like a part of you is missing.
I still have no idea why Alani left that night. She sounded like she was close to forgiveness when we last spoke. It was supposed to be just a matter of time before we could work through what happened between us, and we could finally be together like I know we’re meant to be. Self-hatred has taken root inside me, knowing she wouldn’t have had a reason to leave that night if I hadn’t driven a wedge between us. I had one incredible night inside her before I fucked it all up. Sometimes, I wonder if Alani ever thinks about that night and considers believing me or if she still feels used. Whatever she’s suffering right now, I don’t want the pain of thinking I only used her and didn’t really love her to add to that. I hope she’s counting on me finding her and not giving up. If I only knew where she could have possibly gone the night she left, maybe I’d have a clue as how to find her. Maybe there’s a video of her being taken and I’d know who took her or what vehicle was used.
When she and Cade were first taken, I was confident I’d get them back in no time. But as the days turn to months, with no new leads coming up, I begin to worry more and more. Governor Morgan’s garden party is next month, and I hope Jackson shows up to support his father. It’s a long shot, but at this point, I’m hoping for a miracle. Even if Jackson is a no-show, I have a proposition for the governor. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to have Michael and Dylan followed in case one or both of them slip up. They both deny having anything to do with the kidnapping and claim they haven’t heard from Jackson in a while. I believe Dylan may be telling the truth and has been left out of Jackson’s plans, but Michael isn’t as forthcoming. And as much as I want to put a bullet through his skull, I know I can’t—not yet, anyway. The only thing keeping him alive is that he’s still the one link I have to Alani.
Lani
Winter has set in and I’m guessing that Cade and I have been held captive in this cold, dark basement for about three months. The only light we get comes from the daylight peeking through a tiny window close to the ceiling of the basement. I’ve tried holding Cade up to the window so he could tell me what he can see outside of it, hoping for a clue as to where we are. He said he could only see a bunch of trees, so I’m assuming we’re in the woods somewhere—not very helpful.
The only people we see here are a man and a woman, and from what I can tell, they’re the only ones keeping us here against our will. They bring food down to us three times a day, but it’s never enough—especially not for a growing boy and a pregnant woman. Cade keeps trying to offer his share of the food to me, but I refuse to take it. I admire his resilience and how he’s toughened up during our time here, but I’m not about to let him starve for the sake of a baby I never wanted.
Cade says he’s glad they at least allow us to stay together at all times, but he doesn’t know what happens at night when he goes to sleep. I’m thankful he’s kept innocent of how the couple come down each night and force me into the shower or bath while they video me naked. I tried to refuse the first time they brought me upstairs, but they threatened to harm Cade if I didn’t cooperate. It started out with just a video of me washing myself, but it’s become progressively worse. They demanded that I touch myself and show off my private parts in front of the camera, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it until they threatened to have one of them join to do it for me. I was disgusted at the thought of exposing myself, but having one of them touch me would have been worse. From what I’ve been able to piece together from their conversations, they are somehow getting directions from Jackson of what he wants to see of me and then they send the videos off to the bastard for him to enjoy.
Each night, I suffer through the humiliation, but other than that, Cade and I aren’t harmed. At this point, I’m thankful for the smallest of favors, but the uncertainty of our situation scares me. I haven’t mentioned to the couple that I’m pregnant because I’m afraid of what they’ll do. Plus, I still don’t know where Jackson is or what he could be planning. I figured he’d have shown up by now, but there’s been no sign of him. Why hasn’t he done anything to us or with us? What is he waiting for? Sometimes I think that maybe Evan found Jackson and killed him, but I know Evan wouldn’t risk it, not without knowing where Cade and I are. My new fear is that the longer we’re locked away here, the chances of them finding us become slimmer and slimmer. What if they assume we’re dead and stop looking for us? This whole situation is a living nightmare, and all I can do is hope and pray that Evan is still coming to rescue us.
Evan
Today is the Garden Party at the Governor’s Mansion and I’m chomping at the bit for a chance to finally speak with Governor Morgan. Another thirty days has passed with me getting little to no sleep, and there’s still no sign of Cade and Alani. Every time I close my eyes, I see Alani struggling and screaming my name to come find her. I want to take away her fears and endure the pain for her, but I can’t get to her to protect her. I need to have her safe with me. It’s driving me insane not having her near me and smarting off or even giving me one of her signature dirty looks because I did something to piss her off. I’m hoping to get some answers today, because I don’t know what I’ll do if I don’t find her soon.
I’m in my bathroom getting ready, having just shaved for the first time in months. I look at my reflection in the mirror and barely recognize myself. I haven’t exactly been taking care of myself lately, and I had begun to resemble the cavemen from the TV commercials for a while. I let out a small laugh thinking of what Alani would have had to say had she seen me in that state. She was always going on about how meticulous I was about my looks, never having a hair out of place or a wrinkle in my clothes. I’d always tell her that there was nothing wrong with looking good all the time, but that in my defense, I never really had to try very hard—I was just naturally handsome, born with awesome hair. She’d either just roll her eyes at me or call me a cocky bastard. God, I miss her!
Since I don’t have time to go out and get a haircut, I decide to use some product to slick back my hair, which has gotten pretty long over the past few months. With my unsmiling face, I look like a fucking mobster. I head over to my closet and pick out a suit—another thing I haven’t done in a while. With Alani missing, I couldn’t concentrate on anything other than getting her home. I handed all my cases over to several junior partners, who were all eager to prove themselves. My clients were worried at first, but I assured them that we only hire the best and brightest lawyers.
After I finish getting dressed, I take one last look in the mirror and put on an arrogant air that I don’t feel. Knowing I have to do whatever I can to get Alani back, I tap into that cold, calculating part of me until I start to feel like my old self. I head to my car and make the forty-five minute drive to the party, ready to take on anyone and everyone. On my way there, I run through all the possible scenarios, preparing myself for anything and everything that could happen. Soon, I find myself pulling into the gated driveway of the Governor’s Mansion and getting stopped by security before entering .
“Name and invitation, please,” requests the security guard.
“Evan Stone,” I state, handing him the invitation. I watch as he takes the invitation while trying to look through the pages of his. He fumbles with the clipboard, nearly dropping it, and I realize that he must be new. I try to be patient with him, but he’s delaying me from what I have to do and annoying the shit out of me. Just when I’m about to lose it with him, he finally finishes dicking around and hands me back the invitation.
“Thank you, sir. It appears that you’re on the VIP list. Please head up this driveway and a valet will be waiting to take your car.” I nod and take the short drive. Once I reach the valet station, I get out of my car and hand the attendant my car keys. He directs me to a spot where several golf carts are lined up with drivers waiting to take passengers. I head over and I’m immediately greeted by the next driver.
“Please have a seat, sir. I’ll take you to the grounds where that party is being held,” he announces. I get in the cart and he drives around the property for a bit before we arrive at our destination where several large white tents have been set up to accommodate the guests. As we pull up, I wonder who decided to make this a garden party when it’s January and freezing cold outside. I’m guessing that with the governor trying to impress donors and supporters, everything is well planned out, but it still makes me wonder about the practicality of it. I’m assuming that he’s a smart man and would have taken the weather into consideration or have people on his payroll to worry about the details, so I shrug off any other questions I might have about the sensibility of this event. Besides, I didn’t come here to critique the party.
Greeters guide me into one of the tents, and I can see how brilliantly the “garden party” theme has been incorporated throughout the place. It appears they spared no expense in creating garden atmosphere, and there’s even various out of season flowers decorating the tables. The inside of the tent is warm, giving a summer vibe to the place. I don’t see any heaters that indicate the source of the heat, but I’m assuming they’re somewhere. If I had to judge the governor and his handlers based on the kind of party he threw, I’d have to watch my step when dealing with him. From what I observe, they wanted to send a subtle message letting people know that the governor can make things happen, like giving people summer during winter. They planned this event down to the tiny details so that you can’t even tell what’s going on behind the scenes. I make a mental note not to underestimate Governor Morgan.
I see the governor making his rounds, meeting and greeting people, surrounded by his assistants and bodyguards. Seeing how busy he is at the moment, I have to wait for an opportunity to speak privately with him. I look around me, watching people drinking, laughing and going about enjoying themselves while the man’s lunatic son has my girl and it pisses me off. Before I go ape shit, I decide to mingle with the rest of the guests, making small talk as I weave through the crowd. A wave of anger and disappointment hits me after walking through all of the interconnected tents, without seeing a sign of Jackson. It takes everything in me to keep calm and focus on my next task.
I go back to the tent where the governor is holding court to look for an opening to speak with him alone. His time and attention continues to be monopolized by idiots who in my opinion don’t really have anything important to say. In the meantime, I make my presence known to the governor in a roundabout way. I go through the room, making sure I speak with some of the more prominent guests. My profession and reputation allow me to introduce myself under the pretense of networking, handing out several business cards and trying to obtain new clients. In reality, I could care less about the people I’m forced to converse with or getting their business. I just need them to catch the governor’s attention.
I know my ploy worked when I notice the governor eyeing me as I move from one side of the room to the other. He motions one of his lackeys over and says something to the man before nodding his head in my direction. The man whispers something in the governor’s ear as they both look in my direction. I assume the governor is inquiring about me—a man running for Senate would definitely want to keep tabs on potential key players. I make eye contact with him and nod my head in acknowledgement. He smiles brightly at me and I watch as he begins to make his way towards me. Even though I’m the one desperate to talk to him, I play it cool and wait for him to come to me.
“Ah, Mr. Evan Stone...it’s nice to finally put a face to the name of the man who made such a sizable donation to my campaign,” the governor happily greets as he approaches and extends his hand out for a handshake. Looks like my gamble in donating all that money is now paying off—it’s going to buy me some time alone with the governor.
“It’s good to meet you, Governor Morgan,” I reply, shaking his hand and keeping it firmly locked in mine for a few moments to send him a silent message. He looks at me with mild surprise, his eyes meeting mine.
“Well, with your help, that could be Senator Morgan soon,” he responds with an uneasy laugh. I see him trying to get a read on me, gauging whether or not my donation has strings attached and what it could cost him. Maybe the fact that I currently look like a mobster has him a little nervous. I finally release his hand, realizing I may have been gripping it too hard when he discretely flexes his hand a few times.
“Governor, maybe we could speak privately to discuss how I may be able to aid your campaign,” I suggest in a cryptic tone. I see him assess me for a moment before he makes his decision.
“I believe that can be arranged. Why don’t we head inside the mansion for a bit, where it’s a lot less noisy?” He gestures for his bodyguards and I almost laugh. If he thinks anyone could save him from me, had I any intention of hurting him, then he’s an idiot.
We take a golf cart back to the house and go straight into his study. As one of his bodyguards tries to follow us into the room, I stop him by saying, “I need to discuss a private matter with the governor.”
“Not going to happen, sir,” the bodyguard replies, getting in my face. Someone is taking his job seriously, but I’ve got a lot at stake here, so I don’t back down. I take a step closer to the fool, giving him a menacing look, ready to take him down if necessary. Lucky for him, the governor intervenes, hoping to avoid an altercatio n
“It’s alright, Lewis. Why don’t you give us a few minutes?” Governor Morgan addresses his guard. The bodyguard reluctantly steps out of the room, but not before patting me down and clearing me to accompany the governor alone in the room.
“Just so you know, Mr. Stone, I had my people look into you. No one donates five hundred thousand dollars to a campaign fund without being acquainted with the candidate, so I was curious about you. You checked out, of course. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have agreed to be left in a room alone with you. It appears that you’re a model citizen, without so much as a parking ticket. But, I don’t suppose that’s because your brother Maddox is a cop?” He looks expectantly at me, probably trying to catch my reaction to what he’s saying. I’m impressed that he’s done his homework on me, but if he’s trying to intimidate me with the information he has on me, it’s not going to work. I’ve been very careful to conceal my dark past and there’s no way he knows about that. When I don’t respond or react, he continues by saying, “What I don’t know is, what’s the motivation behind your donation? You’re obviously trying to buy my vote, but I have yet to find out what it is you want me to vote in favor of. So, Mr. Stone, what exactly is your cause?”
“I’m not politically motivated,” I start to answer, but he cuts me off.
“But of course, you are. Why else would you give that much money? Why else would we be here, speaking in private?”
“Jackson,” I state harshly, unable to keep the disdain from my voice. I watch his brows furrow together as he eyes me suspiciously.
“My son?” he asks, sounding confused.
“Yes. Where is he?”
“You paid five hundred grand just to find out where my son is?” he questions, sounding incredulous.
“Where is he?” I repeat, demanding an answer. I’m not here to play games and he better start cooperating before he really pisses me off .
“What is this about?” he asks hesitantly. I’m sure he’s concerned by my tone, but he probably wants to protect his son.
“You’re a smart man, Governor. I’m sure you’re aware of all the trouble Jackson has caused over the years—you always clean up after him. Two incidents in particular may stick out to you. The rape and attempted rape of three young girls at your lake house that resulted in your son getting one of those girls pregnant, and the recent abduction of one of his victims from that night and the boy he fathered,” I tell him. I watch his eyes grow wide with shock, and he falters trying to sit down. I wait for him to say something, but he’s clearly trying to process the information I provided, apparently hearing it for the first time. After a couple minutes, he finally collects himself and lets out a shaky breath.
“I heard rumors over the years, but any time I’d confront him about any of it, he’d just deny it. I tried getting him professional help, but he refused—always growing angry with me for trying to interfere with his life. My parents told me that I was pushing my son away and that I should just believe their grandson. He was the first grandchild and could easily manipulate them. When they died, they left most of their money to him. Since he hasn’t needed to ask me for money, I haven’t known where Jackson is for the last year.”
“Do you think he’ll show up tonight?”
“No, and even if he did, my staff has been instructed to immediately remove him from the premises should he ever show up at any of my functions.”
“Is there a way for you to locate him?” I inquire insistently. It almost sounds like a plea, my desperation starting to rise as I realize my last hope is slipping away.
“Why? What are you planning to do?” he asks, sounding worried.
“We both know that your son is out of control and that he’s gone too far. He’s ruined the lives of countless women, and is now endangering the lives of a woman he’s terrorized in the past and that of your young grandson. He has to be stopped and I plan on doing it permanently,” I say with malice. I hear him clear his throat and slowly nod his head in acceptance .
“Mr. Stone, I don’t know where Jackson is. If I did, I’d tell you. I love my son, but you’re right—he needs to be stopped. I wish there was some other way, but I know my son. He won’t get help and he won’t stop doing what he wants no matter who he hurts. If he’d go so far as to endanger his own son, then there’s no telling what he’ll do next,” he admits sadly. I believe him—he seems honest, at least, for a politician. With a dejected look, he asks, “What do you plan on doing with the information on my son’s transgressions?”
I know he’s worried about his run for the Senate. A scandal of this magnitude would ruin him for sure. I have no plans of ruining his career since he’s actually good at his job and good for the citizens of Illinois, but I need him scared, so I say, “That depends.”
“On what?”
“You doing everything in your power to locate Jackson. I need to be kept up to date about your plans to find him and your progress. I expect to be notified the moment you hear from him or get word about him. If you do that, then all of this stays between us. If not, I alert the media first thing Monday morning,” I threaten.
“I honestly don’t know where to even begin. He hasn’t made contact in some time, but I suspect he might when he starts running out of money. He knows I’d pay to keep him hidden out of the way during my campaign. The press thinks he’s living the bachelor life somewhere in Europe.”
“Do yourself a favor—don’t hide him from me. I want him, and I’ll destroy anyone who gets in my way. You understand what I’m saying?” I want to make sure he knows where I stand regarding his son and that if he does as I ask, he’ll be turning his own son in to be put down like a dog.
“Yes,” he replies, he closes his eyes against the painful decision. As I head for the door, he stops me by saying, “One more thing, Mr. Stone.”
“What?” I ask, turning back towards him.
“I just found out that I have a grandson. What’s he like?”
“He’s a good kid, the kind of son anyone would be proud to have,” I tell him.
“I hope you get him back safely. And Mr. Stone, when you finish dealing with Jackson, please make sure that he’s never found. It’s not the kind of press I want or the questions I need asked.”
“Governor, I assure you, there won’t be a trace of him,” I promise solemnly. With a nod of my head, I walk out the door.