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Chapter Four
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“Brice called me twice. When he asked about you, I changed the subject. You should call him.”
Bennett could keep his opinion to himself. Although he was marrying into the family, it didn’t mean he wanted Brice intruding in his personal business. Brice had left Alex three voicemails while he was out with Ziva yesterday. He wasn’t in the mood to retrieve them then and still wasn’t now.
The family might be working on interacting with more normalcy, but they were far from their goal. If Brice had called so many times, he was going to use his eldest card. It might work with his other siblings, but Alex was immune.
“I have other things on my mind.” Like Ziva, and whatever the hell yesterday was all about.
He’d enjoyed himself on one of the most outrageous outings he’d ever been on with a woman. She was definitely not like other women. Figuring her out wasn’t going to be easy.
“Alex, one of us needs to tell him. I suggest it’s you.”
He didn’t want to hear about what Brice wanted. Alex was more interested in finding out what Bennett learned about Ziva.
“I asked you for information. What did you find?” Alex asked, changing the subject.
“You’re making a mistake.” He heard Bennett’s aggravation in his tone. Alex wasn’t about to waste any more time on the phone with him if he had nothing of any importance to say.
“Ziva. Now,” Alex barked.
“You spent the day with her and probably have more than I was able to find. This woman has kept herself out of the spotlight.”
Alex wished it were the case. They’d spoken for hours, but of nothing personal. “Give me what you have.”
“She’s twenty-nine years old. Both her parents are deceased. She had an older sister, Isa, but no one would confirm what happened to her. Isa would be a little older than you, if she were alive.”
“You think she was... abused?” Alex still couldn’t bring himself to say the words. The thought of paying for a virgin, an unwilling participant, made him beyond angry. Anyone involved in such acts should be shot. Yet, he was alive because his father came here and did exactly that. He needed to find answers and his mother. Then he had to shut down this fucked-up human trafficking ring for good. For that, he’d need the help of others. A lot of them.
“Alex, this is a common theme here. Young women around eighteen disappear, and no one speaks of them again. It’s a culture we can’t understand. I’m not sure anyone will open up about what is truly going on.”
That’s why I’m paying for a virgin. My hope is she’ll talk to me.Alex knew it wasn’t the smartest way to accomplish what he wanted, but it was the easiest. Although the girl would initially be scared shitless, after he explained his true purpose, hopefully she’d help. Maybe she’d have information on her kidnappers...
He wondered if Ziva had suffered at the hands of some sick bastard too. She was beautiful, and he could only imagine how valuable she was to them. He held the phone so tightly he thought he’d crush it. If he found out she was assaulted, he’d hunt the asshole down and kill him himself.
“Are you listening, Alex?” Bennett growled in annoyance.
He’d lost track of what Bennett was saying. Alex wasn’t going to pretend he’d been listening either. “No. Repeat it.”
“I was telling you about Ziva. Both her parents are deceased. There are rumors that as a minor she was sent away to have a baby. Yet, no one ever saw one, and she never spoke of a child to anyone. Somehow she was able to get a job as a secretary in the police department. When I dug deeper, it’s more of a file clerk and errand girl. In Tabiq, a married woman cannot work, and single ones rarely get jobs. It isn’t as though they’re uneducated. They believe a woman’s place is in the home, taking care of their husband and children. Since she has neither, she was fortunate to find a place that would hire her. Very few local jobs are considered okay for women.”
It didn’t sound fortunate to him, and by Bennett’s sardonic tone, he knew Bennett felt the same. She’d had a rough life in a horrible country. He still had questions about why she’d followed him when he first arrived. Ziva may be innocent in all this, but yesterday threw him off. Although he enjoyed himself, a ride to the prison wasn’t a place he’d expected to go with her. It hadn’t been by mistake. She’d intentionally taken him there. Why?
“I think she’s the one you want to get close to.”
“Ziva is staying in the room next to mine. I asked her yesterday if she’d heard any commotion in my room during the break-in. Although she denied it, I know she knows something.”
“Do you think she’s working with the police to watch you? If so, they know you’re not really here for a virgin. You could be in serious danger. We both could. I’ll do whatever I have to, but this is no two-man operation.”
Bennett was right. It could turn bad quickly. He had a few options. Let Bennett call in the Turchettas or call Brice. His gut was telling him he should do neither right now. Once either call was made, they would take control. It didn’t mean they wouldn’t get results, but the more Alex learned, the more he became personally involved.
“Give me a couple more days to see what I can find out. If things begin to go south, I’ll pull this mission.”
“Alex, I’ve been in a lot of rough places. If it turns, you won’t have time to reach out for help. It’ll be game over. They won’t care about your money then.”
I don’t care about it now. I only want to...He was losing focus on his role. First, it was to find his mother. Then stop this nightmare from happening to anyone else. Somewhere along the way he wanted to crush every person who was involved even the slightest. Anger definitely clouded his judgment. It was his choice, his risk, to move forward.
