Healing Inc. (27 page)

“A frat party!  Abby’s four years older than me which means…”

“She was with him while you were married,” Tony finished for him. 

They noted the solemn change in Tyler’s features as the meaning of this sank in.  It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he was now contemplating the paternity of his only daughter, Cecile.  He had never questioned her dark skin because he knew that it was possible due to Abby’s multiracial background.  Now he wondered if this was the reason behind Cecile’s rich coloring and kinky hair.

“If we can find him we can find Evy.”  Marcus knew he needed to refocus the group.  He couldn’t have Tyler losing his temper with the FBI agents in the next room. “Does Abby own any secluded locations that you know of?”

“Not that I can think of.  It was a very fleeting marriage.”

“What about before you were married?”

Tyler thought hard about the short lived, sex filled time he had with Abby before she became pregnant.  “Her parents owned a cabin on a lake just outside of Oneonta but that was a long time ago.”

“I’ll let our FBI guys know about it.  In the meantime, we need to stay by the phone like the agents requested.”

“Sounds like a plan.”  Tyler’s jaw clenched as the words fell from his mouth. 
You inform your people, I’ll inform mine
he thought.  A moment later his cell phone chimed indicating that a text message had been received.  Hearing the sound, the two FBI agents quietly filed into the room.  All eyes were on him as he lifted it from the table to check it.  It was from Evy’s cell phone.

Do not try to trace this because you will find the phone is still in Oklahoma City. She is not.  You have 48 hours to come up with $10 million.  I advise you to contact your uncle to help cover this cost.  She will only be returned after the money has been picked up from your uncle’s Laundromat
.

Tyler read the message out loud then looked to the authorities for guidance.  The tall blond agent took his phone and went back to the kitchen to attempt a trace while the other positioned himself by the door in deep thought.  Whoever had his wife either had balls the size of Texas or was downright stupid.  He suspected the latter to be the case.  He silently hoped that Abby wasn’t that dense.  He couldn’t disregard the fact that she was still Cecile’s mother.

“I guess it’s time to call your uncle,” Marcus stated, trying to keep his grin at bay.  Until that moment, he had every intention of keeping all actions in the solving of this case legitimate.  Now that the abductors had the audacity to challenge a mob king, of all people, their lives were in their own hands as far as he was concerned. 

He knew that Tyler’s uncle had been behind the discovery of the leaky information on this investigation.  With that knowledge, he had been able to send Harry on a wild goose chase to Maine while he continued to connect Evy to Abby.  Compounding this information with the ruthless reputation of the Moriatti clan, it would be a very cold day in hell before he stepped in the way of Nathan Moriatti.

“The phone has been traced to a garbage dumpster around the corner from the homeless shelter down town,” the blond FBI agent informed them.  “It looks like they put one of those guys up to sending the message, probably by offering him nothing more than a forty ounce for goodness sake.”  The disgust was clear in her voice.

“That’s okay,” Marcus assured her.  “I think we know where to find them.”

Snow fell in Oneonta on the last Saturday of January.  Evy spent the day gazing out the window of the prison she had occupied for the last few days.  She imagined that it was snowing where her loved ones were, hoping that it wouldn’t be the last snow fall she shared with them.

 She thought about her poor mother, Katrina and all the heartache she had caused her when she left home to be with David.  Her mom had been an only child who had lost her own parents at a very young age and then her daughter to a selfish, sadistic bastard.  The man who was her father had probably been some kind of father figure for her and more than likely used it to his advantage to seduce her.  She surmised that she would never be granted the opportunity to decide whether she hated him for what he did to her mother, or love him for giving her the life she had eventually come to cherish.

She knew her thoughts had turned grim but something told her to prepare for the worst.  Abby had been in earlier in the day.  Although she didn’t come right out and say it, Evy knew the visit was a goodbye.  She apparently planned to spend the night at a fund raiser, granting her a high profile alibi in case suspicion ever turned her way. 

She wasn’t sure who she was left with but assumed Harry would be in at any moment to finish what he started the other day.  They had bathed her and changed her clothes after Abby stated she could no longer tolerate the smell.  He had licked his lips, staring at her while she disrobed and sat in the bathtub exposed cleansing herself.  Abby had auspiciously warned him not to touch her again until she gave the go ahead. 

The thought of anything of his on her again, including his lecherous gaze, sent shivers of discontent down her spine.  She knew she wouldn’t be able to hold him off due to the fatigue of pregnancy and the bland diet that they kept her on.  Luckily, she hadn’t had an ounce of morning sickness and was able to keep the little bit of food down.

She idly played with the hem of the short gown.  It was a simple pink cotton smock that Abby had slept in as a teenager.  It was too short for Evy who was eight inches taller than her sister but more comfortable than the clothing she had discarded. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of men’s voices just outside her room.  Fear gripped her as she watched the door knob turn.  Time seemed to slow down as the door ominously creaked open, granting her a glimpse of her unwelcomed antagonist.  He strolled into the large room wearing that grin she had come to loath with all her being.  The room seemed to shrink in the presence of his large menacing mass but Evy refused to let him see any iota of fear she harbored.

“I take it your leash has been removed,” she stated with venom. 

Her insult did little to stop his slow, purposeful advancement toward her.  The anticipation of what he was about to do made him impervious to anything she had to say.

“I guess I should let you know that since Abby isn’t available, I’m going to have to fuck you again when you’re dead.”  He continued his slow progression toward the bed.  “Squeezing the life out of another human being seems to have that effect on me.”

“I just wish I could be around when my husband beats the crap out of you for daring to talk to me in such a fashion.  He has a bit of a temper and I’m not responsible for what happens to you after he gets a hold of you.”

He lifted her shackles to unlock them.  “Then I guess it’s too bad he won’t be around to watch you get banged like David did.  Perhaps I should send him a video of the whole thing.  It’ll make you quite the popular girl on the internet.”

“Then perhaps people will get just as much of a hard-on watching me shove those chains up your ass and pulling them out of your fucking mouth!” Tyler harshly declared from the threshold of the doorway.  His hands were balled into tight fist, making the muscles under his black crew-neck sweater pop out and contort to the fabric.  His stride was purposeful as he made his way toward Harry.  “Get your fucking hands off my wife and I more than advise you to not talk to her like that.” 

A feeling of euphoria encompassed Evy knowing the man she loved had come to save her.  His voice appeased her, even though it carried every ounce of “I’m about to kick some ass” with it.  The lethal intent in his deep blue eyes was just as menacing as Harry’s.

Surprised and annoyed by the intrusion, Harry dropped the keys and spun on Tyler.  He charged at him full speed as Tyler stepped to the side, delivering an uppercut to Harry’s ribs as he passed by him. Tyler grasped the opportunity from the shock his initial blow provided to deliver three more blows to Harry’s nose, jaw and chin.  He then grabbed him by the back collar of his infamous leather coat and shoved his face into the nearest wall.  The act was quick, giving Harry no time to recover or hit back. 

Harry fell to the floor.  Before he could think to roll away, Tyler’s knee was on his chest and his hand at this throat pinning the large man to the floor.  Blood gushed from his nose and mouth.  The two men were about the same size making it easy for Tyler to keep him there.

“So, you like to prey on innocent women,” Tyler bit out through clenched teeth.  Veins protruded from his neck and arms as he worked Harry over.  Spittle and sweat dripped from his nose onto Harry’s face.  Tyler’s grip intensified around his thick neck. 

“You dare come into my world and threaten what is mine!”  Tyler hauled back and punched him square in the left cheek.  “You took my wife from me and added to her torment for fourteen fucking years.”  He repeated the action.  “You put my unborn child in harm’s way!”  This time he lifted Harry by his neck and slammed him back to the floor. 

He slowly reached behind his back, pulling the hidden gun he carried out of his pants.  Harry started to tremble as the barrel of the pistol came to rest at his left temple.  His eyes pleaded with Tyler, the concept of words escaping the frightened man. 

“Give me one reason I should spare your piece of shit life,” he said calmly, his eyes revealing the fury behind them.

“Tyler no!  Please don’t do it,” Evy implored from above him.  “I need you.  We need you to be with us, not in prison.  He’s not worth it, baby.”  She placed her hands on her flat stomach.  Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

Her voice broke the spell of his rage.  Tyler looked up at his bride, his eyes now filled with concern.  She looked so innocent and childlike in the pink adolescent smock hanging loosely around her body.  He immediately noticed that her large eyes were more prominent against her shrunken face.  She had lost weight.  At that moment he just wanted to hold her, to protect her. 

Marcus and the FBI agents came in the room, granting Tyler the opportunity to release Harry.  He wasted no time rushing to Evy.  In one swift move he scooped her up into his arms and sat down on the bed with her in his lap.  They held onto each other as the tears from their ordeal fell between them.

***

Meanwhile in Manhattan, NY…

Abby made her way around the grand ballroom with her parents.  The three of them posed for pictures with the many dignitaries, politicians and celebrities in attendance.  Eric’s company had done very well last year, giving the already well loved billionaire an increase in status amongst New York’s elite.  Many wondered why his son-in-law, Ralph, was not in attendance for the grand event.  When asked, Abby would quickly explain that his company was very busy right now rendering him unavailable for most local events. 

Knowing she still could and under the influence of much champagne, she used her beauty to flirt fervently with every available, and some not so available, male in the room.  Her low cut red clingy gown made the draw of attention only too easy for the brazen beauty.  After an hour of standing witness to her mischief, her father grew weary of her behavior and pulled her to the side. 

It wasn’t long before she found herself in the back of her stretch limo heading to the mansion she currently shared with her husband, Ralph.  Her father had once again played right into her hand, sending her home just when she was ready to call it a night.  She was proud of the scene she had made which served as a ploy to solidify her alibi even more. 

A smile crossed her face as the realization of her accomplishments hit her.  All the evil deeds should be complete by now.  The ransom money Harry had demanded should be in a secure place.  She was still the only heir to her father’s fortune.  Best of all, she had hoodwinked the great Moriatti family.  Comprehension of that alone made her feel giddy.