The only reason I gave you this much information is because both of your parents have passed away. I do want to add that you were not kidnapped and whoever is trying to make you believe otherwise is lying.
Best of luck with your future,
Jim Togg, Sr.
My head and heart settle for the first time since the day Leeta confronted me in that restaurant. That email is exactly what I needed. I don’t know what game Leeta is playing at, but I’m going to take her head on.
I log out of my email and head off to my last class. Today is Monday, the day after Callie went back to Carly’s. I still haven’t figured out their custody arrangement, but I stopped myself from asking again. Gavin plainly has more time with Callie than Carly, and he certainly wants to keep it that way.
As I’m rounding the corner, I once again run straight into the creepy guy I’ve seen twice before. “I’m sorry.” My bag goes flying across the sidewalk. I lean down to pick it up, hoping to get away from him when I look up and notice him watching me.
This is the first time I’ve really looked at him. Up close and in plain sight, he’s not nearly as creepy looking as I made him out in my head. Actually, if I’m being honest, he’s almost attractive.
“Sorry,” I mumble again. When he remains silent, I start to walk away.
He hollers, “Are you Kate? Kate Reynolds?”
My head snaps back to his and after another long look I’m positive I don’t know him, yet he knows my name. His eyes flare with shock. He can tell he’s frightened me because he quickly brings his hands up like he’s talking to a caged animal.
“I think. I...I think we might be related.”
My jaw drops at his comment and after closer inspection I wonder if there’s any truth to what he said. He has the same light blonde hair, but he doesn’t have my green eyes. His are a dark shade of brown.
“Why do you think that?” I whisper.
He looks around to see who might be watching us when I notice that the hallway is almost empty and I’m already late for my class. At this point, I hope to God that he’s not here to hurt me.
“I’m almost certain that you’re either my cousin or...or my sister.”
My eyes drift shut for a second. He must be the brother to the little girl who was kidnapped. “Why do you think that?” I repeat while I wait silently for him to answer. He stops and takes me in from head to toe before answering.
“A lady called my parents’ house. She told me that she knew where my sister was. That a man paid my aunt five million dollars to steal my sister and give her up for adoption. Then she gave me your name.”
I sigh through a long breath, “I...I’m not sure—”
“That lady on the phone, she knew stuff...stuff she shouldn’t, but she also doesn’t know a huge part of the story. That’s why I think it’s possible that you’re my cousin.”
My mind is racing, but I’m no longer scared where this guy is concerned. I’m already late for my last class, so I decide what the hell. “Do you want to go somewhere and talk?”
****
I called Gavin on the way to the coffee shop where I agreed to meet Alex. He told me he’d probably be there before I arrived, and he wasn’t kidding. I pull up with the guy right behind me, and I can already spot Gavin waiting by the door.
We order and take a seat at a table in the back of the café. “This is my boyfriend, Gavin Loman.”
The guy’s eyes flash when he hears Gavin’s name. “Loman?”
“Yes, I’m sure the woman who called you was my mother. Leeta Loman?” He nods his head yes.
“I’m Alex Johnson. Your mother called my house a few weeks ago telling anyone who’d listen that Hayden was alive and living out here in California.”
Hayden...his sister...the girl that was kidnapped. “Why do you think I might be your cousin and not your sister?” I ask in a weak voice.
“My Aunt Stacy was a real loser when she was younger. She was mixed up with some dangerous criminals and she waited until she was pregnant to finally get her shit together. The father of her baby belonged to the leader of a big drug cartel somewhere in Mexico. Stacy left and had her baby then sold it to some couple in Colorado. She needed money to get away from her past and she wanted to make sure her baby was safe, or at least that’s what she told my mother.”
And he clearly thinks I’m Stacy’s child. “What happened to your sister then? That’s weird timing don’t you think?”
Alex looks heartbroken as he nods his head agreeing with me. “The father to Stacy’s child thought my parents had his baby. He was convinced that my mother was never pregnant and my sister was his daughter. We believe he stole Hayden and returned to Mexico with her.”
Oh, my God. This is not the fairytale I imagined when I thought about my birth parents. A troublemaker and a drug lord. My birth mother caused her sister’s child to be kidnapped by my birth father?
“That’s pretty fucked up,” Gavin replies.
“Yeah. My mother died never knowing what happened to her baby. My dad turned into a drunk. And me? I was the child that no one noticed.”
I stop thinking about myself as my heart breaks for Alex. “I’m sorry,” I tell him.
“Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Gavin reaches over and squeezes my hand. “I know, but...the people who created me ruined your life.”
“No. The people who created me did that. Your birth father may have kidnapped my sister, but it was my parents who forgot they had more than one child,” he adds in a bitter tone.
“What is your plan now? To return home or...” Gavin asks something I desperately want the answer to.
“Back home I work jobs here and there. I took a week or so off to come out here and see you for myself but I need to get back home. I’m working extra to save up. I’m hoping to go back to school next semester.” Alex almost looks embarrassed.
“We should swap numbers. I have a PI checking into things. If we learn anything else, I’ll make sure you know about it.”
Alex’s eyes flash. “Be careful. My parents never breathed a word to anyone who they think has my sister. They were worried if he discovered she wasn’t his daughter that he would have her killed.”
“You think she’s still alive?” I blurt loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Yeah, or at least I hope so. My parents always thought he took her because he wanted his child, not because he was trying to get back at my Aunt Stacy.”
Holy crap. This girl...my cousin might be living life in a drug cartel...because of me.
“We’ll be careful. And here.” Gavin writes down a list of numbers. “Call me if you hear anything or need anything. You’re family now and family sticks together.”
My heart flutters at Gavin’s words. Family sticks together. That is the complete opposite of what he learned growing up. This only confirms what I already know...that below his bad boy layer lies a really great man.
I went to school the next day, but all I could think about was Alex and Hayden, and the life that could have been...should have been mine. I don’t know what upsets me more. My mother, who sold me and in turn caused her niece to be kidnapped, or my father for...well, being a drug lord that’s capable of stealing a child.
If it weren’t for Hayden, I might be able to let go of what I learned from Alex. Chalk it up to a horrible story and move forward, but the worry and concern that Hayden might be out there somewhere living the life that was meant for me—it’s more than I can stomach.
“Kate, can I have something to eat?” I look up from the books laying in front of me to see Callie’s cute face standing in the doorway to Gavin’s office. “Sure, baby. Where is your daddy?”
“He’s talking on his phone.” Gavin limits his phone calls when he has Callie. I know if he’s on his phone and not feeding his daughter then he must feel it’s important. Instantly, I wonder if it has anything to do with yesterday’s news.
“Okay, let’s get you
a snack.” On the way to the kitchen, I can hear Gavin talking, but I can’t make out anything he’s saying. I get out some cheese crackers and a cup of milk then walk them over to the couch where Callie is sitting before deciding to tip toe back toward our bedroom.
“...I don’t know. Shit, man, what should I do?” Gavin pauses, listening to whoever is talking to him.
“Yeah, I’ll talk to her.” I take a deep breath and my nerves start to relax knowing he plans to tell me whatever he’s learned. I’m so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn’t realize Gavin was off the phone until he opens the door and finds me standing directly outside of our room.
“Well, hello,” he says with a smirk on his face.
“...didn’t. I mean. I wasn’t...” I trail off while I clear my throat, trying to think of something to say to justify why I’m standing here.
“C’mere.” Gavin pulls me into his chest. “I’m not upset with you. The PI called me and I wasn’t sure what I would need to say and with Callie sitting next to me I decided to take the call in our bedroom, because of her, not you.
“I promise I won’t keep anything from you, but I think we need to be extremely careful not to say anything in front of Callie. She might accidentally say something to her mother.”
Carly never crossed my mind. “Why do you say that?” Gavin huffs out a breath.
“Because Carly would love to stick it to me any way she can. If she thinks for even a second that you have a father out there somewhere, a father that could end up hurting you, she’d run with that information and do everything she could to make sure you ended up suffering. The same thing goes for Leeta, but I’m not worried about her finding anything out from Callie like Carly could.”
Gavin’s eyes go dark after his comment. I don’t think he really thought about what Carly or Leeta might do until this very moment. “Hey. I’m right here and everything is going to be okay.”
I can tell Gavin is upset at the idea that something could happen to me. “I know you don’t like me demanding to know where you are and who you’re with, but until we know exactly what your biological family is capable of, I don’t think we can be too vigilant where your safety is concerned.”
Right, my biological family...the troublemaker and the drug lord. No wonder my father didn’t want me to know who they are. “What did that guy on the phone tell you?”
Gavin steps back and looks me in the eyes. “He found your birth mom. She's living in Seattle.”
I gasp, “He found her, already?” Gavin shakes his head, “she changed her name but other than that, she didn’t go out of her way to hide.” Gavin pauses, waiting for the information to sink in.
“She’s married with three children.”
“Wow.” She has three children. Children she didn’t feel the need to sell.
“I’m sorry. I know that has to be difficult to hear.”
“No, I’m fine.” The look Gavin is giving me clearly states how not fine I really am.
“Babe, if you want I can go to Seattle and check this woman out, and see if she’ll talk to me. But if you’d rather leave it alone, then just say the word.”
I have questions that I want answers to, but I want to be the one asking them. “That sounds like a great idea, but I’m going with you.”
Gavin is already shaking his head no. “Nope. I’m not going to risk something happening to you.”
I know I shouldn’t, but I decide to use my safety as a way to ensure I go with him. “The only way you can protect me is if I’m with you. Someone could show up here while you away in Washington.”
Again I know it’s a low blow, but it works. “Fuck. Okay...you’re right, but I need to see if Kiran can watch Callie.”
I frown. “Why don’t we take her with us?”
“Too risky. Seattle is too far to drive and she’s old enough that we have to buy her a plane ticket. I don’t want Carly to even know I went out of town, much less knowing where we went. I’ll ask Kiran. He’ll make sure she’s taken care of.”
“Okay. I guess we’re going to Seattle.” Gavin squeezes my hand.
“I’ll call Kiran while I check into flights. Are you okay keeping an eye on Callie a few minutes longer?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll go sit with Elsa and force my brain to shut off for a while.” Gavin leans in and gives me a quick kiss. “I love you. Whatever happens, you have us. We’re your real family now.” His words settle my aching stomach.
“I love you, too,” I say with a thankful smile. And I am truly thankful that for whatever reason Gavin came into my life exactly when I needed him most.
****
I grew up in Colorado, so I’m used to cool temperatures, but I wasn’t expecting Seattle to feel this cold in early October. I curl up into a ball and take in the scenery as we travel down the freeway. The drive from the airport to our hotel was done in silence. I’m not exactly sure what Gavin is thinking, but thoughts about my birth mother have kept my brain in overdrive.
She sold me like I was an item and not a person, and I’m not sure that’s something I can forgive.
“We’re here.” I look up to see a house that screams money. My parents were rich and my mother made sure our house was nice, but it always had a homey feeling. This house—like Leeta’s—is flashy.
Gavin grabs ahold of my hand and the two of us walk to the front door then rings the bell. I’m surprised this house isn’t in a gated community, and lucky for us it’s not.
Gavin wanted me to wait at the hotel, but I refused. This woman is my problem and if Gavin wants to help that’s fine, but I’m not about to sit back and let him take on my problems without me.
My stomach is turning when the door opens, leaving a beautiful blonde woman standing in front of us. “Can I help...?”
She trails off without finishing her question when her eyes find mine. She opens her mouth to say something but nothing comes out.
“Mrs. Freeman? I’m Gavin Loman and this is my girlfriend, Kate Reynolds. We’d like to speak to you.”
In the last few days when I’ve pictured Stacy, I imagined a mean, awful, and definitely greedy woman. What I never imagined seeing is the pain she has in her eyes as she takes me in.
“Come in,” she whispers. Stacy, or Kelly as she goes by now, steps back and motions for us to come in. We follow her to a sitting room and after she tells us to, we take a seat together on the sofa across from two high back chairs. Stacy sits in one of the chairs across from us, watching me the whole time.
Gavin squeezes my hand and breaks the silence. “We’re here because Kate is under the impression that you might be her biological mother. Her parents have both unexpectedly passed on. Due to some recent meddling from my mother, Kate was led to you, and now we both have a few questions.”
Stacy swallows, and it almost looks like she’s fighting tears. “If I can, I’ll answer your questions.”
Originally, I came here wanting to know about Hayden, but now sitting across from the woman who sold me, Hayden is the last thing I’m thinking about. “Are you my birth mother?” Stacy’s not shocked by my question, and after taking a deep breath she nods her head yes.
“You were my mother and you sold me? You sold me like I was an item up for bid? I was a baby, a person, how could you do that?” My voice shakes with emotion as tears start falling down Stacy’s face.
“No. No, it wasn’t like that at all.”
My voice turns harsh. “Lots of women give up their babies so they can have a better life, but they don’t freaking sell them.”
“No, please. I didn’t mean to. It wasn’t like that.”
I open my mouth, about to say something I probably shouldn’t when I get another squeeze from Gavin’s hand. “Why don’t you explain it to her then.”
Stacy clears her throat and wipes at her tears. “When I found out I was pregnant, I knew if I wanted a shot at giving you a good life I had to get out of the life I was living and away from the man I was with. I moved to Colorad
o, and I got a job working for your father at Simple Global Solutions.
“I hadn’t seen Damian, my ex, in months so I thought it would be okay, that we’d be okay. But then when I was almost nine months pregnant, one of Damian’s lackey’s showed up informing me that I was to give birth to Damian’s baby then he’d take it back to Mexico with him. I went to work that day and I freaked out, had a serious panic attack. That’s how your father found me. He was the nicest man I had ever met. When he shared his story about how badly he and his wife wanted a baby, and I knew...I just knew what I needed to do.
“I guess, depending on how you look at it, I sold you, but that’s not what happened. I didn’t go to the black market looking for a buyer. I told Marcus my story and after I agreed to give you to the Reynolds, he wired money to an account in my name so I’d be able to start over. I stayed in Littleton for a while so that Damian would see that I was living my life without my baby. That’s when...” She trails off while the tears start falling again.
“That’s when he took Hayden,” Gavin adds.
Stacy nods her head. “I don’t know how Damian discovered I was pregnant, but once he did, he was willing to do anything to ensure he had his first born. By the time I heard that Hayden was taken, I knew he was long gone. If I’d spoken up and told him that he taken the wrong baby...I was worried what would happen to Hayden.”
Stacy wipes her face again. “Damian is an awful man, but he always talked with pride about the kids he’d have one day. As long as he believes Hayden is his, I don’t believe he’ll harm her. Now, after all this time, I have no idea what he’s capable of.”
Gavin’s grip on my hand tightens, and I find myself fighting off tears as well. “You’re saying there’s nothing we can do to rescue her?”
Stacy gives me a sad smile. “I don’t even know if she’s alive or that Damian in fact has her. But I do know...if he did take her, if he kept her, and if he ever sees you, all hell will break lose.”
My heart jumps at her comment, but it’s Gavin that replies first. “Why?” Stacy’s face softens as it looks back at me.
Beneath The Lies Page 19