Forever a Stallion

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

Mason had fallen asleep, the pain in his skull still throbbing with a vengeance. It was dark when he woke and he had no sense of the time. He could have been sleeping for hours, or days; he just wasn’t sure.

  He sat up slowly, his equilibrium clearly off-kilter. While he slept someone had paid him a visit. A cardboard box had been dropped in the center of the floor. A tray of food—two sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper, three pieces of fruit, a bag of Thai cookies and a gallon jug of water left for him to consume.

  An old oil lantern was burning on low, emitting just enough light for him to see how to maneuver his way around. Mason sighed. He was still in the dark about what his kidnappers wanted. But clearly they didn’t want him dead. Not yet. He thought about the people he knew and he drew a blank as he reasoned who might want to do this to him.

  He’d always been as aboveboard in his business dealings as was possible in Thailand, determined to maintain his integrity. And even in those situations where he might have consorted with individuals whose tactics were questionable, he had kept those dealings on the up-and-up. So he was drawing a blank, and the pain in his head wasn’t helping him.

  He took a deep breath and then a second. The temperature had started to cool, a breeze of fresh air billowing through the concrete opening. It was quiet outside, the hiss of ocean water the only sound. Mason’s frustration was rapidly rising. If nothing else he needed to know that Phaedra was safe from harm. It had been clear in the moments before everything went completely blank that the two intruders were only interested in him.

  But where had she disappeared to? Waking to an empty bed shouldn’t have been different, but without Phaedra by his side, his whole world felt as if it had changed. It had taken no time at all for him to find comfort in her presence, thankful to have her next to him when he fell asleep, grateful to wake up by her side. But Phaedra hadn’t been in his bed that morning. Phaedra had been gone and Mason had missed her desperately. Wanting to find Phaedra had been the last thing on his mind before their peace and quiet had been stormed.

  Mason closed his eyes as he lay back down. He need to rest, to soothe the hurt that beat like thunder behind his eyes. He anticipated needing his strength to free himself from captivity, and if any harm had come to Phaedra, he would need every ounce of his might to cause a world of hurt to whoever was responsible.

  * * *

  After John had called the rest of the family to share news of the ransom note, they all converged back at the hotel suite. When they arrived Mark’s excitement was hard for him to contain.

  “I think we found them,” Mark said, tossing a Polaroid onto the table. “They were at Club Pattaya until four o’clock this morning.”

  “Where did they go from there?” John asked.

  Guy answered. “An apartment in downtown Phuket. Above the fruit market.”

  “We need to go back. We need to talk to them,” Phaedra said as she took the photo from John’s hand. “We need to find out what they know.”

  Her eyes suddenly widened as she studied the picture Mark had taken, playing as if he were just a tourist enjoying the Thai nightlife. She tapped a manicured finger against the image, her own excitement suddenly infectious. “This woman here in the background, was she with them?” Phaedra asked, looking from Mark to Guy and then Donovan.

  Mark shrugged as he leaned to stare where Phaedra was pointing. “They spoke like they knew each other, but she spent most of the night with someone else. Why?”

  Looking over Mark’s shoulder, Kendrick nodded. “They left together. Or rather, she left and they followed behind her.”

  “Who is she?” John asked.

  Phaedra cut an eye toward Kamaya. “It’s Mali Kasam. It’s Daniel Kasam’s daughter.”

  “Is she important?” Donovan asked.

  “Something’s up with that girl, and her father,” Kamaya said. “We just don’t know what that is.”

  “So, now that we know Mali is still here and that her father is hiding something, what’s the game plan?” Phaedra asked, looking toward John.

  The man hesitated for a brief moment. “I hope you girls brought your dancing shoes because I’m thinking that we’re all going clubbing tonight.”

  Kamaya grinned. “Sleazy nightclubs! You gotta love ’em!”

  Kendrick leaned to whisper in Guy’s ear. His brother nodded his agreement.

  “Under the circumstances I’m thinking that we shouldn’t go back unarmed,” Kendrick said out loud, looking around the room.

  Phaedra raised an eyebrow. She wanted to ask about the legality of having a weapon in Thailand, but she didn’t. She looked at John, who gave her a slight wink.

  “We’ll head to Mason’s and get what we need. I have a key to the gun case,” Guy said.

  Phaedra’s mouth fell open. “Mason has a gun case? With guns?” she asked.

  Kamaya laughed. “Our brother is quite the marksman,” she said. “Besides, tourist Thailand is quite different from underground Thailand. There are places here that can be quite dangerous if you’re not careful. We learned that when Mason began building this property.”

  “Only because you didn’t know how to stay put when we told you to,” Kendrick said.

  Kamaya shrugged. “Sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do. Isn’t that right, Phaedra?”

  Without giving it a second thought, Phaedra nodded with conviction. “Yeah, so you boys better get a good nap because tonight we’re going to get some answers. I don’t care what it takes, but we’re going to find Mason and bring him home.”

  As Phaedra and Kamaya exited the room, strategizing in hushed whispers, John, Matthew and Mark all shook their heads, the other men chuckling softly.

  * * *

  Phaedra had retreated to the lobby of the hotel to regroup. She wasn’t accustomed to the madness of so many family members in one place at the same time. Despite the severity of the situation and the resulting stress, they still found things to laugh about, humor easing their tension. It was too much and she found herself needing a moment of quiet to reflect.

  When she’d been gone for a good length of time, each of the brothers sought her out, varying degrees of concern coming in a revolving door of Stallion men. John came first, his eyes skating around the space until he saw her sitting alone in the corner.

  Taking the seat beside her, he took a deep breath, saying nothing as the two of them sat side by side watching the cast of characters that paraded in and out of the hotel.

  “Are you going to be okay?” John finally asked, still staring out into space.

  Phaedra shrugged. “I will be once we get Mason back.”

  “You two have become close since you’ve been here.”

  She tossed him a quick glance. “I care about him. He’s a good man. I haven’t known a lot of good men.”

  John paused, reflecting on her comment. “I hope we can change that,” he said softly.

  Phaedra turned to look at John, who was looking back at her. She took a deep breath. “Your father was a good man, too, wasn’t he?”

  John smiled. “One of the best. You would have liked him. And I know he would have liked you, too.”

  Phaedra swiped at a tear that managed to escape past her thick lashes. She swallowed hard, taking a deep breath.

  John reached a hand out and patted her on the back. “When we get back to Dallas I look forward to telling you more about him,” he said.

  She smiled. “I’d like that.”

  Within minutes of John’s departure, Mark lumbered across the lobby, pausing when he saw her sitting alone. He moved to her side and dropped down onto an upholstered seat across from where she was sitting. He leaned forward, meeting her curious gaze.

  “What’s up?” Mark questioned.

  Phaedra shrugged. “I’m good.”

  He nodde
d. “You need anything?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. But thanks for asking.”

  “Okay, then, but you know that if you need anything you just have to ask, right?”

  Phaedra smiled. “I appreciate that.”

  Mark smiled back. “But ask John. He’s better at things like that.”

  Phaedra chuckled softly as Mark trudged back across the lobby floor, heading out the doors to the outside.

  Just as Phaedra was thinking about returning to the family’s suite, Matthew waved at her from the other side of the room. Rising from her seat, she headed in his direction, waiting as he and the hotel’s concierge had a brief conversation.

  “Are you doing okay?” Matthew asked, turning his attention back to her.

  “Yes, thank you,” she said.

  “We’re all worried about you.”

  “Mason’s the one we need to worry about,” she responded.

  Matthew nodded. “My brother-in-law’s tough. I’m sure he’ll be fine. And I know he wouldn’t want you to worry.”

  Phaedra shrugged. “I can’t help myself.”

  “I just spoke to Katrina and she asked about you.”

  “Your wife is very sweet. You’re a lucky man.”

  Matthew grinned. “Yeah, I am. And so is Mason,” he said, giving her a quick wink.

  Phaedra nodded. “I guess I need to head back up,” she said.

  Matthew nodded as he studied her expression. He reached to give her a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “Family can be a good thing, Phaedra,” he said. “Even one you didn’t expect to have. Lean on us and Mason’s family, too. I promise, we won’t fail you or him.”

  Chapter 18

  Daniel was furious, rage gleaming from his eyes as if he’d gone stark, raving mad. His shouts vacillated between English and Siamese, as if his screaming in two languages would better get his message across.

  But Mali was apathetic, her expression blank as she focused on a spot on the wall behind her father’s head. As she chomped on her signature piece of chewing gum, her father’s tirade went in one ear and out the other, the young woman clearly not concerned with his unhappiness.

  “I told you to go to London. Why are you here?” Daniel screamed for the second time. “Why can you not do what I tell you to do, Mali?”

  Mali sighed, her mouth pushed out in a childish pout. “I wanted to be close to Mason. He might have needed me. Those goons of yours, they hurt him,” she said, snarling at the duo who stood in the doorway, waiting for their employer’s next order. “They should not have hit him like they did!” she said emphatically.

  Her father shook his head. “They will do what is necessary and right now they are spending far too much time babysitting you.”

  Daniel paused as he crossed over to the bar and poured himself a jigger of bourbon. After tossing back the first shot and pouring another, he turned his attention back to his daughter. “Now, Mason’s family has come and they are asking questions. They cannot find you here, Mali. I want you out of Thailand tonight.”

  His daughter rolled her eyes. She rose from her seat and moved to the man’s side, wrapping her arms around his waist as she pressed her head against her father’s chest. “Don’t be angry with me, Papa! I hate when you yell!”

  “You make me yell. You know how important this is. I need this money!”

  Mali shrugged. “And you will get your money. And when I rescue Mason it will all be perfect. That’s why I have to be here, Papa, so that I can rescue him and he will know how important he is to me.”

  Daniel stared at his daughter intently. Mali was spoiled beyond reason and he had no one to blame except himself. Mali’s mother had died in childbirth and his precious baby girl had been all he’d had left. Giving her everything she wanted had made her unreasonable and selfish and had finally taxed him into financial ruin. Hoping to scam money for holding Mason hostage was his last hope to turn his and Mali’s lives around.

  There had been a time when he had hoped Mason would have loved Mali as much as he did, the two partnering as in-laws. But Mali’s disregard for other people and her constant tantrums had done nothing to inspire the man to want a relationship with her. Mali’s shameless pursuit had turned Mason off, and as much as Daniel loved his only child he hadn’t been able to blame the man for his disinterest. Even at her very best Mali could frustrate a person senseless.

  He shook his head, his tone hardening. “There is much more at stake here, Mali. Without that money we will lose everything. When we have that money, then I will decide what we do with Mason Boudreaux. Now, do what I ask, please.”

  Mali bristled in defiance as her father stormed out of the room, his two flunkies following on his heels. She stole a quick glance at the watch on her wrist. Grabbing her purse, she headed in the direction of the front door. Her father knew her better than anyone, and he knew that Mali did what Mali wanted. No more and no less. And in that moment, all Mali wanted was to ensure that no one and nothing came between her and her want of Mason Boudreaux.

  * * *

  Timing was going to be the key to their success, Phaedra thought, sipping on a glass of cola. Donovan was sitting beside her, his eyes skating around the room. They had all been in the club for over an hour, hoping against all odds that the two men who’d taken Mason, or Mali Kasam herself, would show.

  The Stallion brothers were seated at a table in the back of the club, three Thai dancers vying for their attention. Guy and Kendrick were both at the bar with Kamaya, everyone pretending to be interested in nothing but a good time. The music was loud, the thump, thump, thump of a 1970s playlist vibrating around the room. Any other time or place Phaedra would have been enjoying herself, but in that moment she was nervous, believing that they were running out of time to get Mason back safe and sound.

  As if reading her mind, Donovan said, “He’s going to be fine.” He met Phaedra’s anxious stare.

  Phaedra nodded. “I just hate that we can’t get any help. The police have been useless. We’re just running on instinct and what if we’re wrong about the Kasams? What if we’re looking in the wrong direction and something happens to Mason? I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”

  “Let me tell you a story about my brother,” Donovan started, his voice a loud whisper. “Him being the oldest of nine kids, with a father in the military and on deployment as often as he was home, put a lot of responsibility on Mason. I was only six or seven when I realized just how much pressure being the oldest had on him. He was trying to help our mother and be a surrogate father, big brother and best friend rolled up into one. And one day I asked him why he did so much. What made him want to work so hard?

  “Mason said that our father told him to follow his gut instincts and always do what felt right for him to do. It’s a philosophy that Mason continues to live by. He was barely out of college when he decided that he wanted to go into the hotel business and build an empire. And he sold that empire because he said the timing just felt right. He knew that there was something else in this world that he was supposed to be doing. Mason has always stepped out on faith, trusted in God and succeeded.”

  Donovan paused as he took a quick sip of his own drink. “Did he tell you that he called me the night he met you?” the man asked.

  Phaedra shook her head. “No, he didn’t.”

  “Well, he did and I haven’t heard him that excited in a long time and all because this beautiful woman took his picture and made him smile. And something about you and that moment felt right. His instincts told him that you were special, and Mason always trusts that gut feeling. And I tell you all this to say, trust those instincts. Mason trusted his when he followed you here. Trust yours and help us get him back. If you don’t feel right about the Kasams, then there’s a reason.”

  “Thank you,” Phaedra said, pau
sing to reflect on his words.

  With a wink, Donovan resumed his watch, his gaze skating back around the room. Phaedra saw them first, Mali entering the room behind the two thugs. The men headed to a table on the other side of the large room as their companion headed straight to the dance floor. Turning an about-face, Phaedra leaned to whisper into Donovan’s ear, “As soon as I start talking with her you need to get up and leave. Don’t let her catch up to you. She needs to think that you are Mason.”

  Donovan nodded. “No problem. I’ll be in the alley with the car. As soon as she bolts we’ll be right behind her.”

  Phaedra smiled. “Dear God, please let this work,” she whispered as she gestured for Kamaya’s attention. Kamaya, who’d been eyeing them intently, nodded as Phaedra gave her a thumbs-up.

  Rising from her barstool, Kamaya made her way to where the two kidnappers sat, both men having distanced themselves from Mali. She sauntered easily in a seductive red dress, her hips swaying in invitation as she took a seat beside them, gesturing for a waiter to bring them each a round of drinks. It took no time at all before they were both completely entranced by the beautiful woman before them. With her coquettish laughter and overt seduction, Kamaya was like a black widow spider luring her prey.

  Mark had made his way to the dance floor, his large palms resting easily against the line of Mali’s narrow hips. She was dancing seductively, her head tossed back against her thin neck as she laughed, clearly amused by the attention the handsome man was showing her. Mali thrived on attention and Phaedra and Kamaya both had banked on her wanting to be the object of some man’s desire before her night was done. Mark was the perfect man for the job.

  When Kamaya gestured for a second round of drinks, Phaedra watched as the bartender slid two of the glasses toward Guy, the brother dropping two small white pills into the amber-colored liquor. If anyone had been paying attention, they would have noticed Kendrick slipping money into the bartender’s palm and then the waitress’s just before she delivered the drug-laced drinks to their intended targets.

  Phaedra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening them again, she watched as Frick and Frack both gulped their spirits, the duo spurred on by Kamaya’s encouragement. Kendrick had assured her the drug’s effects would be minimal, the two not remembering anything once they recovered. With no color, smell or taste, neither man would even be able to tell that anything at all had happened to him. They would both soon become weak and confused, or even pass out so they wouldn’t be a threat to the next phase of the family’s plan to rescue Mason. In the morning they’d have one hell of a headache for their indiscretions.