Secrets of a Gigolo

19

Zachary sat in the pub sharing a beer with the boys and telling them all about his decision to publish his journal. They were both excited telling him they couldn’t wait to read it. He wasn’t sure about his friends reading his secrets, but he supposed he had to get used to the idea. Millions of people were going to learn all his secrets.

Zachary was enjoying his time with the boys when his cell phone rang. He took it out and saw the caller ID was Eliza’s school. That was strange they didn’t usually call. Zachary put up his finger to excuse himself from the conversation. “Hello?”

“Mr. Cooper?” A woman’s voice came over the line.

“Yes.”

“This is Heather Sado; I’m the principal at St. Nicolas Elementary.”

“Yes, Eliza’s school, is something wrong?”

“Well, we just had some rather unsavoury people here looking for Eliza. The woman said she was Eliza’s mother. Our records show that you are her legal guardian and there is no mother on her file. So, we told the couple Eliza didn’t go to this school which is our practice when questionable people try to pick up one for students. I don’t think they believed me though so you might want to come down here and pick Eliza…” Suddenly there was screaming coming from the other side of the line. Something was going on. “Oh god!” The woman on the phone gasped. “Oh no! Susan call the police.” She ordered someone.

“What’s going on?” Zachary demanded panic is gripping him at the commotion on the other end.

“Oh god Mr. Cooper, they took her. They took Eliza right out of the halls. A staff member tried to stop them, but they pulled a gun. My secretary is already on the other line with the police.”

“I’m on my way.” Zachary ended the call and looked up at the worried faces of his friends. “Addie just abducted Eliza from school.”

“Oh god.” Haden gasped.

“Have they called the police?” Jordon asked.

“Yeah, they’re on the phone with them right now.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Haden asked.

He shook his head. “I got to go. I got to find Addie.” He knew Addie was a terrible person, but he’d never thought she’d abduct Eliza.

Zachary rushed out to his Jag and sped all the way home. He couldn’t think about how to find his sister. He couldn’t call her she didn’t have a cell phone. He’d given her one many times in the past, but she always pawned it for drug money. Why would Addie take Eliza? She’d never before ever cared two bits about Eliza he couldn’t imagine her mothering instincts had suddenly kicked in.

It had to be money. She had to have taken Eliza for the money. She knew he’d pay to get her back. Which meant she would eventually come to look for him. All he had to do was wait. But given how she was tweaking the last time he’d seen her he probably wouldn’t have to wait too long. He had to be home that would be where she would come looking for him.

Zachary pulled into the driveway and rushed into the house just at Brianna was getting on her coat to leave for the BBQ hut. “You’re back early.” She grinned, but her smile faded quickly when she saw the alarm on his face. “Oh god Zac, what’s wrong you look panicked?”

“Addie abducted Eliza from school today.”

“Oh my.” She said coming to him.

The sound of the something hitting the floor drew both of their attention to Esmerelda who had been passing by with the laundry basket and had heard the news. “Oh lord, that horrible woman took the little one?”

“What is going on?” Chino asked coming from the study.

“Oh, Chino that wretched Addie has stolen Eliza,” Esmerelda told her husband.

“Oh, good god! Have the police been alerted?”

“Yes.”

“Why would she take Eliza?” Chino asked taking his distort wife in his arms.

“I can only assume to ransom her back to me,” Zachary said. “She’ll be coming here I’m sure of it… and when she gets here, I’m going to kill her.” Brianna removed her coat. “You’re going to stay?”

“I can’t possibly go to work with Eliza missing. My brother will understand.” She said looking at Esmerelda. “Esmerelda, how about a drink to calm his nerves?”

“Si, Señorita.” She said leaving to fetch the whisky.

***

They sat around for hours waiting for Addie to show. Zachary was drinking heavily as he waited. Jordon and Haden eventually showed up to offer emotional support since they could do nothing else. When Ansley came home from school, she was horrified to hear what their sister had done.

It was getting late into the night, and the house was silent because no one knew what to say to ease Zachary’s distress. The not knowing was killing him. The sound of the buzzer from the gate echoed through the house and caught everyone’s attention. Chino went to answer the door, and everyone followed.

Chino pressed the intercom button. “Yes?”

“I want to see my brother.” Addie’s voice came back over the intercom.

“Let her in,” Zachary ordered, and Chino pressed the gate button to allow Addie access. He wondered why she had buzzed usually she just used her access code to get past the gate. Chino walked over to the door and opened it as Addie reached the door. She came into the house and Zachary lunged at her, but Jordon and Haden held him back. “Where is she?” He demanded as he struggled against his friends.

“She’s fine. She’s with Jesus. And she’s going to stay with Jesus until you give us a million dollars.”

“I’m going to f*****g kill you.” He growled and struggled to get free. Brianna knew the only thing keeping Addie safe at that moment was Jordon and Haden’s strength to keep Zachary from killing his sister. “You are a wretched human being Addie. Every time I think you can’t sink lower you surprise me.”

“She’s not going to get hurt,” Addie assured him.

That comment seemed to infuriate him to the point that he was seething venomous hatred and it was all the guys could do to keep Zachary from reaching his sister. Even Chino had to add his strength to the efforts. “You left her with a dangerous drug dealer!” He screamed at Addie. Zachary was in a blind rage.

“Just give me the money, and she’ll be fine.” Addie snarled back. “I would never hurt my daughter.”

“You have done nothing but hurt that child! Because of you, she was born addicted to crack. She spent the first month of her life in withdrawals. You were more concerned with feeding your habit then feeding your child. When I got her, she was underweight and malnourished because you were latterly staving her to death. You abandoned her on my doorstep while you spent the next six years of her life stoned in crack houses. You don’t care about Eliza you never have. It has always been about you. The only decent thing you ever did for that child was give her to me!” He screamed at her. Brianna had never seen Zachary so angry he was shaking, and there was violence in his eye.

“Just give me the money Zac, and you can have her back.”

“Give you the money? You think I keep a million dollar in my house? Where the hell do you think I’m going to get a million dollars?” He growled.

“Please don’t play poorly with me Zac. Look at this house. You don’t have a house like this and not have money stashed somewhere.”

“My house? You have no idea what s**t I have had to do to get this house so that your child had a home. I have earned everything I have… and you have done nothing but take. I have nothing left to give you.”

“Then I’m keeping Eliza,” Addie said refusing to believe he couldn’t come up with the money.

“You can’t keep her.”

“She’s mine. I’m her mother. You’re just an uncle. Uncles have no rights. She’s staying with me.” Addie turned to leave, and Brianna watched as Zachary’s anger turned to panic.

“No.” He pleaded with her. “Addie please don’t take her from me.” She watched the moment of defeat in his eye. “I don’t have the money, but I can get it. I need time. Just give me some time.”

Addie paused at the door. “You can get a million dollars?”

“I will get the money.” She looked at him uncertainly. “Have you ever known me to fail to get money when I say I’ll get it? I will get it. If I have to f**k an army of women, I will get it.” He promised. His declaration to go back to what he used to do broke Brianna’s heart. So much for their monogamy. She thought she’d gotten him out that world just for his family to suck him back in. “Please let me see her. I need to know she’s ok. I have to see her with my own eyes.” Addie looked thoughtful for a moment. “It’s the only way I’m going to get you the money.” He threatened. “If I don’t see her the deal is off. If she’s hurt, the deal is off. Understand?”

“I think we can do that. But just you.” Addie said. “No one else comes.”

“Fine.” The guys let a calmer Zachary go, and he turned around giving his back to Addie.

Brianna noticed a look pass between Zachary and the guys. They knew something. They knew him better than she did. Zachary walked over to Chino who had fetched him his coat. A look passed between the older man and Zachary and Brianna realized Zachary was going to do something.

Brianna grabbed his arm. “Zac what are you doing? What are you going to do?” She whispered.

He caressed her face and kissed her cheek then whispered in her ear. “I’m going to kill them.” He pulled back, and Brianna looked into his eyes. They were cold unfeeling, and she believed he would kill them or die trying. He might walk out that door tonight, and she might never see him again. “I love you.” He was saying goodbye, he wasn’t planning on coming back. Zachary pulled on his jacket and turned to face his sister. “Take me to her.”