“I lured William, Kyle, and” —she lifted her chin toward Rett— “Mr. Ramses. I lured them to a warehouse outside of Baton Rouge. They all thought they were coming because of you. I had to learn the truth.”
“Whythatwarehouse?” Rett asked.
“Sentimental reasons.”
He tilted his head before asking, “How did you get the picture? The one you sent to me.”
Jezebel sat taller. “I didn’t take it if that’s what you’re asking.”
The man beside me tensed. “I wasn’t, but how?”
“It was shown to me. When I learned the men had been killed, I was relieved.”
“Did you send them?”
She shook her head. “Sadly, I did; however, not for them to do what they did. William later explained that he gave the orders. He believed if Emma was scared, she’d go to him.”
It was as if I was watching a tennis match as one spoke and then the other. I turned to my mother. “Liam was responsible for what the men did who...?” I didn’t finish the sentence.
“They hurt you, Emma. I’m sorry. Claim it and it will never be used against you. I didn’t know what they had been told to do until it was too late. Mr. Ramses had already found you. William wasn’t far behind. He planned to save you as he did when you two were young, and then you two would be reunited. I didn’t understand it all as part of his plan, but it was. When that didn’t work, he had other ideas.”
I stared down at my hands, seeing my wedding rings.
What would have happened if Liam had been the one to save me?
“So that morning,” she said, “I lured all three men individually to the warehouse. They all thought they were coming for you, Emma.” She sighed. “Daniel helped me.”
“Helped you what?”
“He tied me to a chair.”
“Not naked,” I exclaimed.
“No, dear. He tied me facing away with my hair hanging down my back.”
I turned to Rett. “Now I remember you saying Kyle thought Mother was me, but with everything that’s happened, I’d forgotten.”
He nodded. “I didn’t bring it back up.”
Jezebel nodded. “I kept my face down. From behind with our hair...I hoped that they’d all believe I was you, unconscious.”
“Did they?” I turned to Rett. “You didn’t.”
He nodded. “I did. I saw her and I remembered when you were taken from me the first time. By the time I arrived to where I thought you were, William was already dead. I’d heard shouting so...” He looked at Jezebel. “You will have to tell us—if you want to—what they said. When I entered, a man surprised me. My guard was down.” He turned to me. “I only saw you.”
“Mr. Ramses.” She took a breath. “Rett. You’ll have to forgive me. Old habits die hard and well, the Mr. and Mrs. Ramses I knew wouldn’t be keen on me calling them by their first names.”
Rett reached for my hand. “This Mr. and Mrs. Ramses would be honored if you’d forget our last name and only call us by our first.”
“Rett,” she said, “have you told Emma what you said?”
He shook his head. “Not in so many words.”
Jezebel grinned. “So you haven’t.”
“I wasn’t sure how to say it without explaining the entire episode.”
“What did you say?” I asked.