Page 30 of Alexander's Heart

“Caroline, she is alive and here on the psychiatric ward also.”

My eyes widen in disbelief, “No, Caroline died, she, she...”

“She was kidnapped and has been held hostage all this time.” Alexander confirms sullenly.

“I don’t understand, what is going on?” I feel like world has tilted of its axis.

Alexander shakes his head, “We are trying to piece it all together, Caroline hasn’t opened up as yet, she’s not in a good place mentally, for obvious reasons. What we got out of Trickle is, that Trickle and his cousin Rob were groomed to want you and Caroline from a very young age. Their fathers and grandfather wanted pure fair haired, white skinned bloodline. I appears as if they’re white supremacists, and the elders were the ones who picked you and Caroline to be their wives and bear their future generations.”

And the punches just keep on coming, “I-I... this is twisted, so this was going to happen one way or another, if they didn’t successfully court us then they were just going to force us?”

“Yes, it appears that way, the night Caroline was taken Trickle didn’t want to wait any longer, he wanted you and he thought that it was you who was in the car that night and stole the opportunity.”

“Caroline was wearing my coat,” I whisper.

“Yes, Angel, Trickle somehow caused the accident that night we suspect, but the weather didn’t help and he snatched Caroline thinking she was you, and either he caused the explosion or it naturally happened after the accident we don’t know, there was never any real investigation done.”

I have tears streaming down my face now, “Caroline has been alive this whole time?”

“Yeah baby, and she has been through a lot, raped, beaten and drugged. We are helping her but it’s going to take a long time for her to trust us and for her head to be mended.”

“Wow, I-I, this is unbelievable, Alexander, is there anything more? I’m not sure I can handle much more.”

“Yes, we haven’t found the cousin, Rob.”

“I remember a Rob used to bring my mom her prescriptions from the pharma–” I stop talking when realization hits.

“He was the one who we suspect was swapping the medicine with drugs that would change your mom and send you running into Trickles arms. Their convoluted plan worked unfortunately, that is all we know for sure so far.”

I shake my head, “I was so stupid, so naïve, how could I not see it? My mother was never a horrible person.”

“Grief can change a person and that’s what you assumed happened, and that was a natural thought to have at the time.” Alexander says trying to make me feel better.

“And I never wanted Jay, I always refused his advances, but that night I called him only because it was so late and I didn’t want to bother Betty, and only stayed in the beginning because I had my own room and again, I loved Betty and never wanted to intrude, I-I should have,” I breathe out a slow breath, “especially when he started changing but it was a slow progression, it made me think I was imagining more going on than what was really happening but in reality it was the other way around, and I was stupid.”

“I know, my love, and you’re not stupid, you sweet girl, are caring and that was taken advantage of. We have Trickle locked away, and we are searching for Rob.”

“Hang on he is meant to have died, he drowned in the lake, wow, it never clicked at the time that delivery Rob was Robert Trickle.” I say, remembering it was a couple of years before I left home.

“Supposedly, yes, but his body was never recovered from the lake and Trickle admitted they concocted the plan so as their elders would stop hurting them, with only Jay left to carry the bloodline they left him alone, he became important.”

“Holy, shit,” shaking my head as I cuss, “this is craziness.”

“Yes, Angel, and we will find Rob, it’ll just take time, he will slip up and we’ll be there when he does, we will never stop looking.”

I nod, “I need rest, my head is swirling and I feel tiredness creeping in.”

Alexander stands and lays me in the bed and kisses my forehead, “I love you, Angel, mine.”

I hear him whisper as I drift off to sleep.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

LILY

Today has barely begun and I’ve already been put through the wringer. I’m with Dad in the rehab center working my butt off, Betty thinks she’s funny pitting us against each other seeing who can complete our exercises the fastest.

I’m glad she’s here because she’s giving it to Dad hard today, which allows me a little advantage. Betty loves nothing more than to stir the pot, and Dad has been in her sights ever since I woke up.

---