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“Let me take care of the current problem. Then you and I can schedule some time at my house to talk about everything else.”
“Yes, sir. And Neo, I have your back. I’ve been here for years. I’ve never once even thought of spilling the beans on what goes on here.”
My gaze narrows. “Do you think anyone else knows?”
Matthew shrugs. “If they do, they aren’t revealing it to anyone else. I’ve gotten rid of anyone who seems remotely nosy.”
Trust for this man increases. "Thank you. I'm beginning to feel there aren't many who have my back. It's nice to find someone who does."
“Based on how some of the people in this town operate, I’d say to watch it.”
A quiet chuckle escapes my lips. He’s right. I have to watch everything. I quickly take care of the issue my father caused and do more safeguards to keep him out of our systems. I’ve informed everyone who needs to know that Dad is suffering from something like Alzheimer’s, and he can’t have access to critical systems. Hopefully, there will be no more incidents I have to rush to take care of. Dad can’t work for the company he founded. It makes me sad, but this is for our safety.
I'm about to leave the office when I get a text that chills me to the bone. Dad and Adali are in what looks like kitchen chairs, and their hands are bound. They have something stuffed in their mouths. It's obvious Adali has been crying.
ChapterFive
Adali
The old man seems nice. He’s at least acting like he’s nice while we prepare sandwiches. I’ve never done anything in the kitchen other than watch. No one has ever allowed me to touch pots or pans. I’ve never been allowed to use a knife to cut a tomato or anything else in the kitchen.
“Now then, you have to make sure you’re holding the tomato and the knife where you won’t cut yourself. That’s the key,” he says.
I like this man. He’s more like a grandfather rather than a suitor. Then again, what do I know about how a suitor would act?
Thin slices of tomato fall to the cutting board as he moves the knife. He makes it look so easy.
“You haven’t been in the kitchen much, then? That’s okay. Niallan knows how to cook a little. He’ll be good.”
The words make me pull up. Will his son live here? He’s obviously living here now, but will he continue to live here? And what if the son gets married? Something isn’t right.
The usual ham I eat isn’t here, and Mr. Foster asks what I want on the sandwich. Decisions about what to eat are hard. I've not been given any choices recently. Food is placed in front of me, and I’m told to consume it. After the stint in the basement with almost no food, I’m usually too happy to complain.
The second I move to pick a slice of meat, the door to the outside crashes open. I spin and see four men rushing in, all dressed in black. Fear licks over me, leaving me gasping. The shouts drown out my gasps. These men seem like my father’s men, but none of them hesitate to fire at Stephen as he moves toward them.
My shriek circles the room as Stephen falls to the ground. Fear fills me as I automatically move closer to him. “Is he dead?” My voice cracks over the words, and my only answer is a hand that smacks me in the face. Pain buckles my knees, and I drop to the ground, rubbing the injured spot as I stare up at the men.
One of the men grabs my arm, shoving me into a hardbacked chair. Thick tape is wrapped around my body, holding me in place. Before I can move, my arms are taped together. The guy moves to the side to avoid my kicking legs and forces one of them to the chair leg, taping it tightly. I try to kick him with my free foot, but he's too fast. Both legs are taped to the chair, and there's no way for me to escape.
Tears leak out as sadness swamps me. My guard is dead. I hadn’t known him well, but I didn’t want him to die. What will happen next? What will happen to this family?
Mr. Foster tries talking to them, but they shove a wadded-up cloth in his mouth, shutting him up. When I yell, they shove cloth into my mouth. I try to spit it out, but I can't work my tongue the right way to push it out. Silenced and trapped, I have no idea how I'll get away.
These men won't answer any questions. I see it in the steely glint in their eyes. They are bad through and through.
We'd been so easily overwhelmed. Before coming here, I'd wondered why Daddy was so ruthless, so exacting on security for the house. We had guards, security systems, cameras, and then more guards. Daddy said bad things happen. This must be one of those bad things.
I take time to study the men, trying to figure out what they want. They're like brick walls when it comes to what they reveal. After discussing something amongst themselves, they speak in low tones to Mr. Foster, making his eyes grow wide. Threats were obviously leveled. Mr. Foster is pale as a sheet, and now I'm shaking.
I'm told to smile as they take photos. Hopefully, Niallan has a plan for situations like this. Doubt circles my mind, taking the last bit of hope. There is no way this will turn out okay for us. I need to find a way to contact my father, or we will all die.
ChapterSix
Niallan (Neo)
The threat is real. This isn’t a joke. My life will be worthless if Adali dies. Eric Gale will kill me if I don’t find some way to save his daughter.
There are few options open to me. Bad decisions by my father and erratic behavior have put us in a bind. I should be able to make it right in a few weeks, maybe a couple of months at most, but Dad has fucked up big time.
