Page 80 of Savage Obsession

“No,” she answers quickly. “No, nothing like that. But they still have Mom.”

I groan. “How was she?”

“Okay when I left, but they said they’d kill her if you don’t do exactly as they say. Please, Daddy, you have to save her.” She starts to cry, loud gulping sobs, probably as much from shock as grief.

“Baby, it’ll be all right.” I try to reassure her though even I don’t really believe what I’m saying. “But you need to calm down and tell me all you can about the men who took you. It’s important, everything you can remember.”

“I d-don’t know anything. There were four of them. No, five including the one in charge. Adan.”

“Adan San Antonio?”

“I don’t know. I just heard her calling him Adan.”

“Who called him that?”

“Rosa. The maid. She brought us food, and blankets.”

The maid? I don’t want to know about the fucking maid. “Who else did you see? Where were you held?”

“It was a farmhouse. We were locked in a bedroom. I don’t know where it was.”

I draw in a breath. “Listen, I’m sending someone over to pick you up.” We’ll be better able to debrief her in person. “In the meantime, can you remember anything else about the place?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“How big was it? One storey or two? How long did it take to get there? What sort of vehicle did they use?”

“Daddy, I can’t remember. I’m sorry…”

Kris’s hand on my arm stops me from grilling her further. “You’ll get nowhere firing questions at the kid,” he mutters. “Just get her over here and we’ll talk to her. Calmly. Give her time to think.”

“Fuck.” He’s right. I was interrogating my twelve-year-old daughter as if she were an employee we’d caught with her hands in the till. All I was short of was thumb screws. “Baby, I’m sorry. I know you’re trying your best. A car will be there soon. Can you put Señora Hernandez back on?”

The housekeeper comes back on the line. “Señor?”

“Look after her,” I instruct. “Give her something to eat, maybe a shower. I’m sending car to pick her up.”

“Very well, señor. Miss Lily will be okay now.”

I hang up, content that my daughter is in safe hands, and rake my fingers through my hair. I may have Lily back, but my wife is still in grave danger.

“A farmhouse. How many farmhouses are there on Tenerife?” I pace the warehouse floor, waiting for the car to arrive, bringing my daughter to me.

“Fucking thousands,” Kris mutters in response to my question. “Henio, do you have any more drones you can deploy? We can probably assume the location is somewhere in the north of the island.”

The tech youth mumbles something incomprehensible by way of an answer and activates more of his technology. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, but we have to try. Maybe Lucy will be able to narrow things down a bit.

The car pulls up outside. I’m at the warehouse door waiting, and simply fold her in my arms when she rushes at me. I allow her to sob against my shirt until she’s finally spent, then I guide her inside, still hiccoughing, and sit her down. “Someone bring her a drink. Some food.”

“No, Daddy, I don’t need anything. I just… I need to sleep.”

“Would you rather have stayed at the hacienda? I could arrange?—”

“No. No, I want to be with you.”

“Okay. Right. We’ll find you somewhere nice and quiet.”

Kris is beside me. He drops to his haunches in front of Lily. “I know you’re exhausted, sweetheart, but do you feel up to answering a few questions first? It would really help us to find your mother.”

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