Each night, I suffer through the humiliation, but other than that, Cade and I aren’t harmed. At this point, I’m thankful for the smallest of favors, but the uncertainty of our situation scares me. I haven’t mentioned to the couple that I’m pregnant because I’m afraid of what they’ll do. Plus, I still don’t know where Jackson is or what he could be planning. I figured he’d have shown up by now, but there’s been no sign of him. Why hasn’t he done anything to us or with us? What is he waiting for? Sometimes I think that maybe Evan found Jackson and killed him, but I know Evan wouldn’t risk it, not without knowing where Cade and I are. My new fear is that the longer we’re locked away here, the chances of them finding us become slimmer and slimmer. What if they assume we’re dead and stop looking for us? This whole situation is a living nightmare, and all I can do is hope and pray that Evan is still coming to rescue us.
Evan
Today is the Garden Party at the Governor’s Mansion and I’m chomping at the bit for a chance to finally speak with Governor Morgan. Another thirty days has passed with me getting little to no sleep, and there’s still no sign of Cade and Alani. Every time I close my eyes, I see Alani struggling and screaming my name to come find her. I want to take away her fears and endure the pain for her, but I can’t get to her to protect her. I need to have her safe with me. It’s driving me insane not having her near me and smarting off or even giving me one of her signature dirty looks because I did something to piss her off. I’m hoping to get some answers today, because I don’t know what I’ll do if I don’t find her soon.
I’m in my bathroom getting ready, having just shaved for the first time in months. I look at my reflection in the mirror and barely recognize myself. I haven’t exactly been taking care of myself lately, and I had begun to resemble the cavemen from the TV commercials for a while. I let out a small laugh thinking of what Alani would have had to say had she seen me in that state. She was always going on about how meticulous I was about my looks, never having a hair out of place or a wrinkle in my clothes. I’d always tell her that there was nothing wrong with looking good all the time, but that in my defense, I never really had to try very hard—I was just naturally handsome, born with awesome hair. She’d either just roll her eyes at me or call me a cocky bastard. God, I miss her!
Since I don’t have time to go out and get a haircut, I decide to use some product to slick back my hair, which has gotten pretty long over the past few months. With my unsmiling face, I look like a fucking mobster. I head over to my closet and pick out a suit—another thing I haven’t done in a while. With Alani missing, I couldn’t concentrate on anything other than getting her home. I handed all my cases over to several junior partners, who were all eager to prove themselves. My clients were worried at first, but I assured them that we only hire the best and brightest lawyers.
After I finish getting dressed, I take one last look in the mirror and put on an arrogant air that I don’t feel. Knowing I have to do whatever I can to get Alani back, I tap into that cold, calculating part of me until I start to feel like my old self. I head to my car and make the forty-five minute drive to the party, ready to take on anyone and everyone. On my way there, I run through all the possible scenarios, preparing myself for anything and everything that could happen. Soon, I find myself pulling into the gated driveway of the Governor’s Mansion and getting stopped by security before entering.
“Name and invitation, please,” requests the security guard.
“Evan Stone,” I state, handing him the invitation. I watch as he takes the invitation while trying to look through the pages of his. He fumbles with the clipboard, nearly dropping it, and I realize that he must be new. I try to be patient with him, but he’s delaying me from what I have to do and annoying the shit out of me. Just when I’m about to lose it with him, he finally finishes dicking around and hands me back the invitation.
“Thank you, sir. It appears that you’re on the VIP list. Please head up this driveway and a valet will be waiting to take your car.” I nod and take the short drive. Once I reach the valet station, I get out of my car and hand the attendant my car keys. He directs me to a spot where several golf carts are lined up with drivers waiting to take passengers. I head over and I’m immediately greeted by the next driver.
“Please have a seat, sir. I’ll take you to the grounds where that party is being held,” he announces. I get in the cart and he drives around the property for a bit before we arrive at our destination where several large white tents have been set up to accommodate the guests. As we pull up, I wonder who decided to make this a garden party when it’s January and freezing cold outside. I’m guessing that with the governor trying to impress donors and supporters, everything is well planned out, but it still makes me wonder about the practicality of it. I’m assuming that he’s a smart man and would have taken the weather into consideration or have people on his payroll to worry about the details, so I shrug off any other questions I might have about the sensibility of this event. Besides, I didn’t come here to critique the party.
Greeters guide me into one of the tents, and I can see how brilliantly the “garden party” theme has been incorporated throughout the place. It appears they spared no expense in creating garden atmosphere, and there’s even various out of season flowers decorating the tables. The inside of the tent is warm, giving a summer vibe to the place. I don’t see any heaters that indicate the source of the heat, but I’m assuming they’re somewhere. If I had to judge the governor and his handlers based on the kind of party he threw, I’d have to watch my step when dealing with him. From what I observe, they wanted to send a subtle message letting people know that the governor can make things happen, like giving people summer during winter. They planned this event down to the tiny details so that you can’t even tell what’s going on behind the scenes. I make a mental note not to underestimate Governor Morgan.
I see the governor making his rounds, meeting and greeting people, surrounded by his assistants and bodyguards. Seeing how busy he is at the moment, I have to wait for an opportunity to speak privately with him. I look around me, watching people drinking, laughing and going about enjoying themselves while the man’s lunatic son has my girl and it pisses me off. Before I go ape shit, I decide to mingle with the rest of the guests, making small talk as I weave through the crowd. A wave of anger and disappointment hits me after walking through all of the interconnected tents, without seeing a sign of Jackson. It takes everything in me to keep calm and focus on my next task.
I go back to the tent where the governor is holding court to look for an opening to speak with him alone. His time and attention continues to be monopolized by idiots who in my opinion don’t really have anything important to say. In the meantime, I make my presence known to the governor in a roundabout way. I go through the room, making sure I speak with some of the more prominent guests. My profession and reputation allow me to introduce myself under the pretense of networking, handing out several business cards and trying to obtain new clients. In reality, I could care less about the people I’m forced to converse with or getting their business. I just need them to catch the governor’s attention.
I know my ploy worked when I notice the governor eyeing me as I move from one side of the room to the other. He motions one of his lackeys over and says something to the man before nodding his head in my direction. The man whispers something in the governor’s ear as they both look in my direction. I assume the governor is inquiring about me—a man running for Senate would definitely want to keep tabs on potential key players. I make eye contact with him and nod my head in acknowledgement. He smiles brightly at me and I watch as he begins to make his way towards me. Even though I’m the one desperate to talk to him, I play it cool and wait for him to come to me.
“Ah, Mr. Evan Stone...it’s nice to finally put a face to the name of the man who made such a sizable donation to my campaign,” the governor happily greets as he approaches and extends his hand out for a handshake. Looks like my gamble in
donating all that money is now paying off—it’s going to buy me some time alone with the governor.
“It’s good to meet you, Governor Morgan,” I reply, shaking his hand and keeping it firmly locked in mine for a few moments to send him a silent message. He looks at me with mild surprise, his eyes meeting mine.
“Well, with your help, that could be Senator Morgan soon,” he responds with an uneasy laugh. I see him trying to get a read on me, gauging whether or not my donation has strings attached and what it could cost him. Maybe the fact that I currently look like a mobster has him a little nervous. I finally release his hand, realizing I may have been gripping it too hard when he discretely flexes his hand a few times.
“Governor, maybe we could speak privately to discuss how I may be able to aid your campaign,” I suggest in a cryptic tone. I see him assess me for a moment before he makes his decision.
“I believe that can be arranged. Why don’t we head inside the mansion for a bit, where it’s a lot less noisy?” He gestures for his bodyguards and I almost laugh. If he thinks anyone could save him from me, had I any intention of hurting him, then he’s an idiot.
We take a golf cart back to the house and go straight into his study. As one of his bodyguards tries to follow us into the room, I stop him by saying, “I need to discuss a private matter with the governor.”
“Not going to happen, sir,” the bodyguard replies, getting in my face. Someone is taking his job seriously, but I’ve got a lot at stake here, so I don’t back down. I take a step closer to the fool, giving him a menacing look, ready to take him down if necessary. Lucky for him, the governor intervenes, hoping to avoid an altercation
“It’s alright, Lewis. Why don’t you give us a few minutes?” Governor Morgan addresses his guard. The bodyguard reluctantly steps out of the room, but not before patting me down and clearing me to accompany the governor alone in the room.
“Just so you know, Mr. Stone, I had my people look into you. No one donates five hundred thousand dollars to a campaign fund without being acquainted with the candidate, so I was curious about you. You checked out, of course. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have agreed to be left in a room alone with you. It appears that you’re a model citizen, without so much as a parking ticket. But, I don’t suppose that’s because your brother Maddox is a cop?” He looks expectantly at me, probably trying to catch my reaction to what he’s saying. I’m impressed that he’s done his homework on me, but if he’s trying to intimidate me with the information he has on me, it’s not going to work. I’ve been very careful to conceal my dark past and there’s no way he knows about that. When I don’t respond or react, he continues by saying, “What I don’t know is, what’s the motivation behind your donation? You’re obviously trying to buy my vote, but I have yet to find out what it is you want me to vote in favor of. So, Mr. Stone, what exactly is your cause?”
“I’m not politically motivated,” I start to answer, but he cuts me off.
“But of course, you are. Why else would you give that much money? Why else would we be here, speaking in private?”
“Jackson,” I state harshly, unable to keep the disdain from my voice. I watch his brows furrow together as he eyes me suspiciously.
“My son?” he asks, sounding confused.
“Yes. Where is he?”
“You paid five hundred grand just to find out where my son is?” he questions, sounding incredulous.
“Where is he?” I repeat, demanding an answer. I’m not here to play games and he better start cooperating before he really pisses me off.
“What is this about?” he asks hesitantly. I’m sure he’s concerned by my tone, but he probably wants to protect his son.
“You’re a smart man, Governor. I’m sure you’re aware of all the trouble Jackson has caused over the years—you always clean up after him. Two incidents in particular may stick out to you. The rape and attempted rape of three young girls at your lake house that resulted in your son getting one of those girls pregnant, and the recent abduction of one of his victims from that night and the boy he fathered,” I tell him. I watch his eyes grow wide with shock, and he falters trying to sit down. I wait for him to say something, but he’s clearly trying to process the information I provided, apparently hearing it for the first time. After a couple minutes, he finally collects himself and lets out a shaky breath.
“I heard rumors over the years, but any time I’d confront him about any of it, he’d just deny it. I tried getting him professional help, but he refused—always growing angry with me for trying to interfere with his life. My parents told me that I was pushing my son away and that I should just believe their grandson. He was the first grandchild and could easily manipulate them. When they died, they left most of their money to him. Since he hasn’t needed to ask me for money, I haven’t known where Jackson is for the last year.”
“Do you think he’ll show up tonight?”
“No, and even if he did, my staff has been instructed to immediately remove him from the premises should he ever show up at any of my functions.”
“Is there a way for you to locate him?” I inquire insistently. It almost sounds like a plea, my desperation starting to rise as I realize my last hope is slipping away.
“Why? What are you planning to do?” he asks, sounding worried.
“We both know that your son is out of control and that he’s gone too far. He’s ruined the lives of countless women, and is now endangering the lives of a woman he’s terrorized in the past and that of your young grandson. He has to be stopped and I plan on doing it permanently,” I say with malice. I hear him clear his throat and slowly nod his head in acceptance.
“Mr. Stone, I don’t know where Jackson is. If I did, I’d tell you. I love my son, but you’re right—he needs to be stopped. I wish there was some other way, but I know my son. He won’t get help and he won’t stop doing what he wants no matter who he hurts. If he’d go so far as to endanger his own son, then there’s no telling what he’ll do next,” he admits sadly. I believe him—he seems honest, at least, for a politician. With a dejected look, he asks, “What do you plan on doing with the information on my son’s transgressions?”
I know he’s worried about his run for the Senate. A scandal of this magnitude would ruin him for sure. I have no plans of ruining his career since he’s actually good at his job and good for the citizens of Illinois, but I need him scared, so I say, “That depends.”
“On what?”
“You doing everything in your power to locate Jackson. I need to be kept up to date about your plans to find him and your progress. I expect to be notified the moment you hear from him or get word about him. If you do that, then all of this stays between us. If not, I alert the media first thing Monday morning,” I threaten.
“I honestly don’t know where to even begin. He hasn’t made contact in some time, but I suspect he might when he starts running out of money. He knows I’d pay to keep him hidden out of the way during my campaign. The press thinks he’s living the bachelor life somewhere in Europe.”
“Do yourself a favor—don’t hide him from me. I want him, and I’ll destroy anyone who gets in my way. You understand what I’m saying?” I want to make sure he knows where I stand regarding his son and that if he does as I ask, he’ll be turning his own son in to be put down like a dog.
“Yes,” he replies, he closes his eyes against the painful decision. As I head for the door, he stops me by saying, “One more thing, Mr. Stone.”
“What?” I ask, turning back towards him.
“I just found out that I have a grandson. What’s he like?”
“He’s a good kid, the kind of son anyone would be proud to have,” I tell him.
“I hope you get him back safely. And Mr. Stone, when you finish dealing with Jackson, please make sure that he’s never found. It’s not the kind of press I want or the questions I need asked.”
“Governor, I assure you, there won’t be a trace of him,” I promise solemnly. With a nod
of my head, I walk out the door.
Chapter 12
Evan
It’s been eight months of living hell, and I can’t seem to function anymore. I’ve lost hope in finding Alani and Cade alive, but I will never give up searching for them. I won’t rest until I know what happened—I want to at least give their families some closure. Governor Morgan has done as he promised and kept me updated in his search for Jackson. Most of the time, there’s no new developments, and the governor seems certain that Jackson is no longer in Chicago.
With the governor’s help, I was able to sort through Jackson’s accounts two months ago and his funds are running low. And by that, I mean he’s got less than two million dollars. Jackson keeps opening new accounts and switching funds between various banks, forcing us to chase paper trails that always run cold. He’s been smart enough to use traveler’s checks instead of credit cards, which makes it even harder to track him down. He also has a long list of aliases that he constantly adds to. It’s almost as though he’s taunting us.
Since Alani had been taken, I’d begun to cut everyone out of my life. My brothers and Molly worried too much about me, so I stopped hanging out with them. I don’t want them to see the state that I’ve been in since I lost Alani. I pushed my family away so they can be happy without my moodiness bringing them down. Besides, there’s a darkness within me that’s almost completely taken over and I don’t want it to touch them. I still remember the look on Molly’s face and the sound of her cries as I closed the door on her the last time I saw her.
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