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“Yep, it’s crazy to think that by Thanksgiving, Lincoln and I will be joining the parent club.” I set Colton in his swing and give him a kiss on the forehead. Then hug my sister. “I’m really glad we’ll have you and Micah next door to help us. I’m excited, butI’m not going to lie. I’m also a bit nervous. Being responsible for someone’s life is a lot. And watching how badly mom failed...”
“You’re not Mom,” she reminds me. “And I’ll be there with you every step of the way. And you’ll have Lincoln. He’s a wonderful uncle, and I have no doubt he’s going to make a great dad.” She kisses my cheek. “Let me know how it goes.”
“Will do.”
When I get inside, I call out Lincoln’s name, but he’s nowhere to be found. I check his office, our room, the gym, but he’s not here. I shoot him a text, but he doesn’t respond, so I pop my head out of the door. “Hey, Oscar, have you seen Lincoln?”
“Not since he left about an hour ago. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, we need to leave for my doctor’s appointment, or we’ll be late.” I could’ve sworn he told me to come and get him when it was time to go, but maybe he said he’d meet me there? With my pregnancy brain, anything is possible. “Can you take me? I’m assuming Lincoln is going to meet us at the doctor’s office.”
“Of course, ma’am. You ready to go?”
“Yep.” I grab my purse, and then we take off down the elevator. I check my phone again to see if Lincoln’s responded, but the elevator has no service. The second we step out the back door, my phone pings with a text from Lincoln telling me he’s sorry and will meet me at my appointment.
I’m typing back a response when Oscar yells, “Watch out!” I look up to see what’s going on, just in time to hear a gunshot ring out and then see him fall to the ground.
“Oscar!” I yell, running toward him.
“Ellie, run!” he chokes out.
It takes a second for his words to resonate in me, but once they do, it’s too late. I’m being yanked up by two men wearing all black. My hands are pulled back and restrained, and my phone falls out of my hand, crashing to the ground.
I scream and cry, hoping to get someone’s attention, but before anyone can come to my rescue, I’m shoved into the back of the car, and some kind of material is placed over my mouth, immediately silencing me.
“Don’t forget the jewelry,” the guy who gets into the driver seat says. The guy who got in next to me snatches my necklace and tosses it out of the car, then yanks my watch off, chucking it as well.
“Done.”
Knowing there’s no way out, I calm myself so I don’t raise my blood pressure and put stress on my baby. Since they didn’t bother to blindfold me, I watch the outside so I can try to see where we’re going. If I can somehow escape or find a way to get ahold of Lincoln, I’ll need to know where we are.
The ride isn’t long, and what scares me is that these guys don’t even try to hide where we’re going, and everyone knows the only reason bad guys don’t care how much you see is if they don’t plan to keep you alive.
When we pull up to a small, rundown house on the outskirts of Tesoro, my first thought is that maybe they took me for my money. But if that’s the case, why did they do everything else they did? Was it to scare us, so when they took me, I’d be more inclined to pay them?
My line of thoughts and questions come to a halt when I’m taken out of the vehicle and brought inside to find the man from the hospital parking garage standing in the living room, staring at me. It was months ago, but the look on his face is engrained into my brain.
And then he steps forward, the light from outside shining in, making his green eyes sparkle. And I gasp, only knowing one other person who has those eyes besides me...
But it doesn’t make any sense because that man died in the fire.
And the man in front of me doesn’t look like him.
“Welcome,daughter,” he spits.
My eyes go wide at the confirmation. He’s alive. But how is that possible? And why the hell does he look so different?
“I know I look a bit different,” he says, as if he could hear my unspoken question. “But, yes, it’s me. While you were dismantling everything my father and I worked to create, I was fighting for my life. While you were spending my money, I was having skin graphs and surgeries. It took years to recover from what you did.”
“What do you want?” I choke out. “The money? You can have it all! Just let me go, please.”
Eleazar chuckles, and the sound sends chills up my spine. He might look different, but between the green eyes and that laugh, I know it’s him.
“Oh, you’re going to pay me back,mi hija. But the money is only the beginning. I lost seven years of my life because of you, you little bitch. And then, when I return, I find you’ve destroyed everything. Every business, my home. You ruined it all. So, yes, you are going to pay me back...Starting with giving me the heir you owe me.”
“What?” I gasp. “I don’t understand. Just take my money. I have millions. You can have every penny?—”
“It’s not just the money!” Eleazar barks, grabbing my face and squeezing it painfully. “You ruined everything my family worked for. I am nothing now because of you, but once I have the money you tookandmy heir, I’ll be able to start over, build again.”
