Being Zolt
Page 17
Tamara came into view and took the baby from T-bone’s arms. In an instant, T was all business.
“Okay,” T started. “Here’s what we know as of this minute. My contact received an email today announcing the auction would now be held over the internet instead of live. Marcus has vacated the ranch, which is both good and bad news for us. Personally, I liked knowing his location.”
“Thank God,” Irelyn murmured and squeezed my hand. But T was right; knowing where he conducted business made it easier for us to keep an eye on him.
“What’s not good news is since they found out Irelyn was at the ranch, they moved Kenna to an RV. According to Jackson, who’s still on the inside, the vehicle moves every few hours. He’s trying to convince Marcus to let him on the RV. We’ll see how that works out.”
“Has he seen Kenna? Is she all right?” Peter asked, his hand covering his wife’s shaking ones.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Campbell, but he hasn’t seen her. Zolt, I think we have no choice but to go with our other plan. To that end, I have some new information.”
“What’s the other plan,” Cory asked, sitting forward on the couch.
“Delaney Carmichael,” I said. “Marcus’s stepsister.”
“What about her?” Rachel asked. “Why would we care about her?”
“Because we think Marcus is in love with Delaney,” Irelyn answered, telling the rest of the group what we’d learned about Delaney and Marcus.
“Ew!” Rachel blurted out. “That’s, like, sick!”
“I know,” Irelyn agreed. A picture of Delaney appeared on the screen and gasps sounded around the room.
“Holy shit, Irelyn, she really does look like you.” Cory winced and his lip curled into a snarl.
“We know more now,” T-bone interjected. He rubbed his hand over his bald head which told me he was nervous. “Apparently, Delaney has a rare blood disorder—cancer, actually—that requires her to get weekly treatments.”
“Cancer?” I asked and crossed my leg over my other one to rub my knee.
“She has chronic eosinophilic leukemia,” T-bone said. “So, yeah, cancer.”
“Is she dying?” Irelyn asked. I could see the wheels turning in her head. “Is that why he wanted me? As a replacement?”
“She’s already lived longer than many with her condition. I’m guessing that’s why she lived in Europe for so long. That, and to be away from Marcus.”
“That’s why Marcus was always going there, to be with Delaney. It all makes sense now.”
“Or he was searching for her. There’s no way to know for sure. What we do know is where she’s getting her treatments in Scottsdale. The Northridge Cancer Treatment Center is the only place equipped to treat her. From what I was able to find out, Delaney goes every Tuesday.”
“Tomorrow,” I said, finally feeling like luck had joined our side.
“Tomorrow is our chance. I’ve arranged for us to be waiting for her when she arrives.”
“How the hell did you do that, T?” I asked, truly astonished at his abilities. Medical issues were supposed to be kept private.
“I have my ways and your checkbook, Zolt. Let’s just say you made a very sizable contribution to the center. Anonymously, of course.” T-bone grinned at me, all teeth.
“Of course I did.” I shuddered at the thought, wondering if anything was sacred anymore or if the right amount of money really could buy you anything.
“We’ll reimburse you,” Peter said.
“No, you won’t,” Irelyn objected, holding up her hand. “This is my father’s fault. I’m more than happy to spend my inheritance on getting Kenna back. So, no, Peter. You won’t.”
Peter nodded at Irelyn in acceptance.
“I don’t understand,” Celia said and smoothed back her short hair. “We’re going to trade Kenna for this Delaney?”
“Sort of. We won’t give her to him, but we’ll make him think we will. Unless, of course, she wants go to him. You have the major players from Chris’s list on board?” T asked Peter.
“We do. They’ve all agreed that Marcus’s reign needs to come to an end. According to some of the bigger players on the list, Marcus is still throwing his power around, which means he has no idea a list exists or that we have it,” Peter answered.
“If we can pull this off, we really will have Marcus by the balls,” I said with a smile.
“We can’t give Delaney to Marcus, Zolt.” Irelyn shook her head at me. “She doesn’t want to be with him; I’m sure of it.”
“We won’t, at least not for long. We’ll let him believe it was a fair exchange, and then we’ll drop our net.” I kissed Irelyn on the head and smoothed the worry line on her forehead with my thumb.
“I don’t like it. Marcus may be in love with Delaney, but I’m not so sure she’s the bargaining chip we think she is. Are you sure he doesn’t know about the list?”
“There’s no way to know, Irelyn,” T-bone said. “Why do you ask?”
“Because we acted like we didn’t know things we did in order to get Marcus to tip his hand. He could be doing the same to us.” She played with the edge of her navy summer dress. “I don’t know, I’m just so ready for this to be over with, and I wonder if it ever will be. I’m afraid Marcus will haunt me for the rest of my life no matter what I do.”
“Irelyn, you have to be on board with the Delaney plan for it to work. Without you, there’s no reason for her to trust us. We won’t force her into anything. The truth of the matter is we’re losing time now that he’s moving Kenna from place to place. With the auction listed on the internet, it opens up all kinds of possibilities, including international. If we don’t do this now, we’ll lose Kenna for good,” T-bone said. He looked pointedly at Irelyn then at me. I knew he wanted me to convince her we were doing the right thing.
“I get it. I do. It’s just…” She glanced at me and I saw it in her eyes. Fear. Unadulterated fear had turned her sable-browns nearly black. I got it then.
“Baby, this won’t be like Quebec. As long as you’re there, Delaney won’t hurt herself; we’ll make certain of it.” I held her hand tighter. “She said she wanted help, and we’ll get her whatever she needs. Brody can help her; we can all help her. This can work.”
Irelyn inhaled deeply and exhaled what I suspected was some of her reticence, but I could still see it in her eyes. Sold or not on our plan, she’d go along with it anyway.
“Okay, I’ll do it. Let’s save Kenna and Delaney.”
Zolt and I waited in the doctor’s office for Delaney to arrive. It disturbed me that her doctor had been more than willing to help us. How and when she decided to set aside her doctor/patient relationship to help Delaney felt like a slippery slope to me. On the other hand, she seemed to have Delaney’s best interest at heart, and I could only imagine the horrors Marcus had put Delaney through.
“I hope you can help Delaney,” Dr. Wilson said and smiled at us. Behind her weak smile, I could see the worry in her eyes and in the lines of her face. “Delaney deserves better. I have to think that providence is on your side, because this is the first time Marcus hasn’t come with her.”
The doctor stood and put on her white coat over her grey suit. Though she was an older woman—perhaps in her late fifties—she was very stylish, and I couldn’t help but think about my mother. The doctor had perfect hair, makeup, and clothes. I swear I even smelled a hint of Chanel, Emmeline’s favorite scent.
I straightened my spine and pushed the thought away.
Zolt gave me a questioning look, but I brushed him off.
“Are you okay?” he whispered in my ear.
“Fine.” I twisted a strand of my hair, and Zolt stilled my hand with his.
“She reminds you of your mother, doesn’t she?”
“Yeah,” I croaked out and swallowed the lump in my throat. Most of the time, I could get through the day without missing her, Chris, and even my father. Today it hit me hard, though, and my normal survival tactics failed me.
“Irelyn! What are you doing here?” Delaney turned and watched the door close, then turned back to us. Her almond-shaped, brown eyes—very much like my own—widened with surprise. “Dr. Wilson?”
“Delaney, dear, you know I’ve been worried about you. Yesterday, I received a call from Irelyn Hamil.”
“Okay, but I don’t understand. Marcus will not be happy about this.” She nervously pulled on the jacket of her black track suit. She looked drawn and thinner than she had two weeks ago when I’d last seen her. Gone was her ebony hair and intense blue eyes.
Holy shit! I thought. We really do look like each other. Though blonde, her hair had been cut into a cute pixie style; the resemblance came close to unnerving me.
“Sit, Delaney. Let’s talk.” Dr. Wilson ushered her to a chair and poured her a glass of water.
“This is about Kenna, isn’t it?” Delaney said, taking the glass and gripping it so tightly her knuckles turned white.
“It is, but it is also about you. I didn’t forget what you said in the note you slipped me that day.” I kept my intonation calm and reassuring.
“Before I could get her home and tended to the night of the AZ Cardinals’ Gala, Irelyn made me promise we’d help you,” Zolt said. He, too, had adopted the same calm tone. I was glad T-bone had decided not to come. We didn’t want to scare her more than we already were, and T was one intimidating dude.
“But your help will come at a price. Everything in my world comes at a price.” Delaney stared at her water, and then her brown eyes found mine. “I understand now why Marcus has been more focused on you and Zolt. I can’t believe you’re married. I mean, I’m glad you are, but in doing so you’ve made an even greater enemy of Marcus. I’ll do what I can, but he’s ruthless, and he hates being bested.”
I moved my chair so I faced Delaney. Then, I drew in a breath and asked my questions without preamble. “Do you love Marcus, Delaney?”
Her head snapped up, and she almost dropped her water.
Dr. Wilson took the glass from her trembling hand and set it on her desk.
“I don’t know how to answer that. If I say yes, you’ll think I’m a monster just like him. I’m not.” Tears glistened in her eyes, and she blinked several times.
“No, Delaney,” I said and took her hand. “Neither Zolt nor I will think you’re a monster. What I do think is you’re a woman stuck in a situation she doesn’t know how to get out of. I understand how that feels. Before Zolt, I felt trapped by Marcus, too. In fact, if Zolt hadn’t moved back, I’d probably still be with him. So I understand, and we can help you, but we need your help in return.”
Zolt leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his thighs with his fingers interlaced.
“We’re on the verge of ending Marcus’s reign in this town—we have the necessary evidence. But if we do it before we get Kenna back, I’m afraid we’ll never get her back.”
“You’re right to be concerned,” Delaney said. “Marcus has a plan in place that if anything should happen to him, Kenna and several other women will be executed. No questions asked. I’ve done my best to help them, but now I’m out of time. Honestly, I’m terrified of what Marcus will do after I’m gone.”
I looked over at Dr. Wilson then back to Delaney, who brushed a tear from her eye.
“The treatments are no longer working,” she continued. “My body has quit responding, and I’ve decided to stop all treatments. I haven’t told Marcus yet. He’ll freak out, and I don’t want to be responsible for the hurt he’ll dish out to the women he has captive.”
Zolt and I glanced at each other and he took my hand. My heart broke for Delaney. I decided there and then that I’d do whatever I could to help her.
“Come with us, Delaney. Let us take care of you. Help us and we’ll make sure Marcus pays for everything he’s done. I give you my word.”
“As I said, I’m willing to help, but honestly, I don’t have much influence over Marcus.”
“I think you do,” Zolt said and straightened in his chair. “It’s no coincidence my wife looks like the woman who once carried his child.”
“You know about that?” Delaney covered her mouth with her hand and she closed her eyes. Then, she opened them and said, “That was so long ago. We were incredibly young and our lives were miserable. It’s not his fault, you know; Marcus is a product of his upbringing. His father, my stepfather, was an evil, demented man. Marcus did his best to protect me, especially after my mother’s death. When George Xavier discovered our secret, he attacked me, kicking me in the stomach until Marcus pulled him off me and bashed his head in with the leg of a chair George had thrown at Marcus. I’ll never forget that day.” She touched the scar on her face. “He gave me this scar.”
“Anyway, we ran, leaving the evil, old man to die in the puddle of his own blood. Unfortunately, it was too late for our baby; I ended up in the hospital where I miscarried. Marcus wanted us to get married, but we were both underage and the state wouldn’t allow it. In fact, we were both sent to live in different homes, and for a while, I was in a mental institution.” She sighed and stared off into the distance.
“We tried to stay in touch, but eventually life sent us in opposite directions. When we reconnected, he wasn’t the boy I’d loved. He’d turned into an even more terrifying version of his father. I hid from him in Europe, but he found me earlier this year. When I relented and came back, I thought if I just loved him enough, my Marcus would come back to me. I did things I’m not proud of—terrible things. But I tried to protect the women he used.” She sniffed and her gaze drifted off into the distance then returned.
“My Marcus died the day we were separated; I know that now. My absence from his life turned him into the monster he is now, and for that, I’m sorry.”
“Delaney,” I said, squeezing her hand. “That is not your fault. Marcus had choices, and he made the wrong ones. I’m sorry about the abuse he suffered as a child, but that doesn’t excuse what he’s done. Please, don’t take on his sins as your own. They don’t belong to you.”
“Maybe.” She removed her hand from mine. She sat back in her chair, and her eyes hardened with resolve. “And maybe if I would have tried harder, stayed in his life and worked through my fear, maybe, just maybe, my Marcus would still be here.”
Zolt and I looked at each other, his expression as bleak as the one I surely donned.
“I’m glad you two found your way back to each other. I hated what he’d done to you, Irelyn. I don’t understand his need to have you, and I’ll admit I’ve been jealous of you on more than one occasion. But I hated those awful images he exposed you to. I tried to talk him out of his plan to capture you.” Delaney drew in a quaking breath. “I was there the night Marcus murdered your brother. Chris tried to protect me from one of Marcus’s fits of rage. Your brother and I cared about each other, and I warned him to get away from him. But Chris stayed to protect you.”
“I know,” I said and took a breath. “Delaney, Marcus used to call out your name when we had sex. I didn’t question it because I didn’t care. But now I see it for what it is. Marcus is a sick fuck, Delaney. He’s a murderer, a rapist, and God knows what else. But for all of that, he cares about you. It’s so unfair given everything that we have to ask for this favor; I wish it could be otherwise. Here’s the thing: if we don’t ban together to stop him, sweet girls like Kenna will continue to pay a very steep price. Please, say you’ll help us; we won’t succeed without you.”
Delaney stood, pulled down her jacket and kicked up her chin. “I’ll help you. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll make sure Marcus doesn’t hurt anyone else.”
We settled Delaney in a safe house provided by T-bone and waited for her cell to ring. While we hung out, we made small talk and Delaney and Irelyn seemed to get on well. But even in the comfortable
surroundings, a nervous edge dominated the room.
When Delaney’s phone rang, we all shut up. Even T-bone looked apprehensive, standing in the corner like a silent sentinel.
“Hi, Marcus. Sorry, but Delaney can’t come to the phone.” I put my hand in the pockets of my jeans and rocked back on my heels, willing myself to be calm—sound calm.
“Where the fuck is she, Zolt? Where’s Delaney?” I put the phone on hands-free so T-bone, Irelyn, and Delaney could hear Marcus’s rant.
“Delaney is here with Irelyn and me. Say hello, Delaney.”
“Hi Marcus,” she said with a shaking voice.
“Are you all right?” Marcus asked.
“She’s fine. For now,” I answered for Delaney. The threat was empty, of course; we’d never do anything to harm her, but Marcus didn’t know that.
“What do you want, Zolt?” I could tell by his tight voice that his teeth were clenched.
“Kenna Campbell. Return her to us safe and sound, and we’ll return Delaney to you in the same manner. Oh, and one other thing: leave Arizona, Marcus. Scottsdale no longer wants you here.”
“And if I don’t? What exactly do you think you can do to me, Hamil?” Marcus gritted out.
“For starters, Delaney will disappear and you’ll never see her again. And beyond that, well, let’s just say we have plans. Big plans.”
“You think you can manipulate me? I own this fucking town!” Marcus yelled and a crash sounded in the background.
Delaney jumped, and Irelyn put her arm around the frightened woman.
“Not anymore, Marcus. But it’s up to you. You’ve heard our terms.”
There was silence on the phone and then a relented sigh. “Fine. When and where?”
“The O’Shea ranch in two hours. I believe you’re familiar with it?”
“You know I am.”
“By yourself. No driver, no thugs, just you. And don’t try anything, Marcus. T-bone has his boys crawling all over it. You and your car will be searched before you’re allowed on the property.”