Page 24 of Hell of a Mess
Linc shrugged. “Partly. But Than’ll have to know soon enough. Hale already knows.”
“All right, so tell me what it is you think you’ve found out about Lace,” I said.
He picked up an iPad on his desk and held it out for me.
“Can’t you just tell me?” I asked, not moving to take it. That required getting up, and it was a bit dramatic on his part.
“I thought you’d see it more clearly if you read the report that Wilder sent over last night.”
“Just read it to me,” I drawled.
Jesus, he had to be so damn difficult.
He sighed and looked down at the iPad. “Dalia AntoinetteHalsten, daughter of Alpheus Halsten. Oil tycoon. Resides in Preston Hollow, Texas.Alpheus hired a private detective to locate his daughter two days ago. The information was to be kept confidential and out of the press. However, the PI he hired works for the family and willingly handed over the information when requested.” He paused and looked up at me. “She is engaged to Arun Al-Bahrani.”
I stilled.
I wanted to say there was no way that Lace was this Dalia bitch, but there were too many links. Starting with Al-Bahrani.
And had I not known she was from Texas? I’d called that one. Her speech was refined and elegant.
“Where was her engagement ring?” I asked, not wanting to believe that she was engaged to the bastard.
“Does that matter?” Linc shot back.
No. Yes. Fuck, I didn’t know. Did it? She checked all the goddamn boxes. A ring was minuscule at this point.
“What does Thaddeus have to do with any of this?” I asked him instead.
He inhaled deeply and let it out. “This is the part you aren’t going to like.”
I straightened and prepared myself for more information I didn’t want to hear.
“Alpheus Halsten is a powerful, influential man who happens to do favors for the family. He and Thaddeus are friends. They have had many business dealings together. We have his daughter, and Thaddeus wants her handed over to her father.”
“No,” I cut him off not wanting to hear any more.
His expression darkened. “It isn’t up for debate, Luther. This is family business. With an ally no one is willing to burn bridges with. He might as well be a goddamn senator with his influential power.”
I shook my head, slamming the cup down on the table besideme, then shot up from my chair. “She was beaten and left behind a goddamn dumpster.”
“Which is wrong and can be addressed, but we don’t believe her father had any part in that. He can handle the situation and deal with whoever did it!” Linc raised his voice.
“We don’t know that she isn’t one of those women in love with an abusive man. You can’t save them. They won’t leave,” Mal said, and I glared at him as if this were his fault.
I wanted to argue with him that she wasn’t like that, but what the fuck did I know! I didn’t know her. She didn’t even know herself.
“So, we just hand her over to who, Thaddeus? And hope for the best?” I asked as my hands clenched at my sides.
“We hand her over to Thaddeus and let him deal with her beaten condition when you found her. He is sure her father will take care of it and protect her.”
“And what about the older bruises? Was he protecting her then?” I challenged. Already hating this motherfucking oil man I’d never met.
“We will tell him about those. He can have her seen by their doctor. She isn’t our responsibility, Luther. You found her. We helped her. That’s it. Now she needs to be returned.”
I wasn’t going to win this. Our connection to the damn oil tycoon was all that mattered. Not the helpless female asleep in my guest bedroom.
“What about her mother?” I asked then, remembering last night. That she’d been crying for her. If she was close to her mother, then wouldn’t she help her?
