Alejandro
I waitedon the steps of the old Brownstone with Jax by my side. I had no idea what I hoped to gain from this meeting, but I knew that I had to explore every possible avenue. We had still received no word from Alana and Lucia’s kidnappers and as time ticked away, I knew that the chances of finding them both alive were diminishing.
A few moments later, the door was opened by a woman I assumed to be the housekeeper. ‘I’m here to see Foster Carmichael,’ I said.
She looked both Jax and I over. ‘I’m sorry, he’s not in.’
‘That’s okay. We’ll wait,’ I said with a smile. ‘This is concerning his daughter, Alana.’
At the mention of Alana’s name, she hesitated. ‘Hold on for a moment,’ she said and then she closed the door before returning a moment later.
‘Mr Carmichael will see you now,’ she said curtly as she allowed us inside.
‘Thought he wasn’t home?’ Jax muttered under his breath.
We were shown into the sitting room where Foster Carmichael was sitting with his wife, and Alana’s mother, Audrey. I had only met her once before at our wedding. She had sobbed through the whole thing. Alana had told me afterwards that they were tears of happiness as her mother had had no idea about our original business arrangement. Most notably that her father had sold her to me for three million dollars. As far I was aware, she still had no clue.
‘Alejandro. Jackson,’ Foster said as he looked up at the two of us walking into the room. ‘Please have a seat.’
We sat on the sofa and I glared at him, trying to read him and determine if he had any idea for the reason we were there. I had managed to keep Alana and Lucia’s kidnapping from the news. It was better to work in secret than have the whole media circus surrounding us. I already had the best of the LAPD’s resources at my disposal anyway.
‘What brings you here, gentlemen?’ Foster asked as he leaned back in his wingback chair, his hands steepled under his chin.
‘I came to ask you a question, Carmichael. And if you lie to me …’ I didn’t need to finish that sentence. He was well aware of what would happen to him if I ever wanted him to disappear.
‘And what is that?’ he frowned as Audrey shifted in her seat and looked between me and her husband.
‘Do you know where Alana is right now?’
He frowned at me in bewilderment. If he wasn’t lying, he was a good actor – but then I already knew that.
‘I don’t know the answer to that, Alejandro. Because as you know, she has disowned me and her mother. But, I think the more pressing question here, is why don’t you know where she is?’ he snarled, but there was a clear tremor in his voice.
I stared at him and then at his wife.
‘What the hell is going on, Montoya? Where is my daughter?’ he shouted.
‘I don’t know,’ I said as I leaned back against the sofa.
Audrey’s hand flew to her face and she gasped out loud while Foster’s face turned a strange shade of pale while his cheeks remained red with anger.
‘You don’t know? Has she had enough of you and just taken off. Or …’
‘She has been kidnapped,’ I said, trying to keep my voice calm and steady while my heart hammered so hard against my ribcage I wondered how everyone in the room couldn’t hear it.
Audrey slumped against her chair, while Foster jumped up out of his. ‘What? How do I not know about this? When? Who?’ he stammered as he started to pace up and down the room.
‘Just over a day ago –’
‘A day!’ he raged at me. ‘Over a whole day and you’re only just telling me. Why isn’t it all over the news? Why isn’t my daughter’s face all over the television?’
‘Because, in my experience, it is much better to handle these things quietly and discreetly,’ I hissed. ‘And not turn them into a media circus, or an opportunity to draw attention to ourselves.’
‘You think I want to use her disappearance to help my career?’ he snapped.
‘Well, it wouldn’t be the worst thing you’ve ever done, would it, Carmichael?’ I reminded him.
He lunged for me, but I was quicker than he was and was off my feet before he could reach me. I grabbed him by the throat, pushing him back into his chair. ‘This isn’t helping anyone. So, sit down, and think long and hard about anyone you may have upset enough that they would take your daughter.’