Page 10 of Gator

“I wanted to tell you about the baby, but it didn’t seem to matter at the time. I was all packed up, ready to leave. I went back for the last load, and he was there. He’d sent my nanny home, and his nanny had the baby all wrapped and in a car seat. I begged him, begged him. I told him I’d do anything, just don’t hurt Joey. The bodyguards took him, and Hanz gripped my throat, pushing me against the wall. I thought he was going to rape me again, but he just said he was taking my son. When he threw me to the floor, he kicked me.”

“That’s why you were having trouble with the boxes,” said Gator. She nodded.

“Dylan, we need you to back up, honey,” said Piper. “You said your parents died when you were three. What did your father and Hanz do in business together?” Dylan frowned, then looked up at the table, ready to cry again.

“I-I’m not sure. He just always said my father was his business partner, and he was the only one living to care for me. I went to the best schools. I had every opportunity to pursue my interests. When I went to culinary school, he wished me well.”

“What was different when you came home?” asked Cam.

“The way he looked at me,” she frowned. “I felt as if he were undressing me with his eyes. He kept saying I’d changed. That I’d grown up. We were standing on the veranda, and he slid his hand up my arm. I wanted to run. It felt awful. It wasn’t like when I was a kid. This was seductive, or at least I think that was his intent.

“I called my friend Mike and asked if I could come to New Orleans immediately. He was going to help me find a job. I packed my bags and hid them behind the chair in my room. I locked the door and set my alarm to go for early in the morning. Hanz doesn’t like to get up before nine.”

“What happened, honey?” asked Piper.

“I didn’t hear the door unlock. I didn’t hear any of it. I felt someone touch my thigh and pushed back against the bed. H-he gripped my ankle and pulled me toward him.” She swallowed, shaking her head.

“Take your time,” said Gator, flexing and unflexing his fist below the table.

“He said he’d been waiting to see if I turned out as pretty as my mother. He said he’d never married, waiting on me. I never once suspected anything like that. Never. He’d always been kind, but he didn’t do anything untoward.

“I tried to fight him. I kicked and screamed, but he gripped my jaw, squeezing so hard I thought I might pass out. When I realized he liked me kicking and screaming, I stopped. H-he finished and zipped his pants and said this was just the beginning. I couldn’t stand the smell of him on me. I must have showered for an hour. The water was so hot my skin was pink for days.

“I know I shouldn’t have done that, but it was making me sick. I got my bags in the car and just drove. I took as much cash out of my account as I could. I realized he might be able to track my cell phone, so I bought a new one. Then I noticed a device on my car, below the wheel well. It had a blinking red light. I took it off but was paranoid there was another.

“So, I stopped and traded it for another car, then traded that one. When I got to Mike’s, I told him and his partner what happened. They wanted me to call the police, but what good would it have done at that point?” she asked, staring at the others.

“Maybe none, maybe a lot,” said Luke. “He might have been surprised that you reported it. Surprised enough to back off.”

“He wanted a son. He said that. He wanted a baby, and he found out I had one. I just can’t figure out how he knew,” she sniffed.

“Dylan, we think your nanny told him. She made two calls from your apartment to his number. I suspect she’d been approached by someone along the way. We’re looking for her now.” Eric felt for the woman. She was desperate but still hadn’t revealed where they were.

“We appreciate that you didn’t tell him where you were,” said Hex.

“I don’t know where I am!” she said, looking at them. “I was okay with that when I thought my son would be here, protected, and hidden. Now, I don’t know how I feel about it.”

“We’re going to get your son back,” said Cam. Gator looked up at his father, nodding. Cam knew his son was attracted to the young woman, but time would tell whether or not they could love one another. “We are going to need your help in finding out anything we can about your uncle’s business.”

“I don’t know anything,” she said, shaking her head. “I was always away at boarding school or university. I was never around except for that last night when he had those other men there. They were talking about crypto-currency, investments, and transfers of money and things I didn’t understand.”

“How old is your son?” asked Hazel.

“Five months. He’s just a baby,” she sniffed. “He must be so confused. I’m the only adult he’s ever known besides the nanny. Graciella. She told him where I was.” She shook her head in disbelief and wiped her eyes again.

“Does he have any other homes that you’re aware of?” asked Hex.

“No, not that I know of. I mean, he traveled a lot, but he always said he enjoyed being in the suite of a great hotel instead of a big house. He wanted people to serve him.”

“Dylan, we need you to draw out the layout of the mansion in the Hamptons. We’re going to send someone up to do some recon on the mansion, then make a plan to get the baby back.” She breathed a sigh of relief, nodding her head. “I need you to know that once we do that, we’re going after him. He’s not a man we want living.”

“I-I understand,” she said, nodding. “I don’t want him living either. The thought that he could come after me or my son again makes me sick.”

“He won’t touch you again,” said Gator. Cam cleared his throat, smirking at his son.

“If you’re feeling a bit scared, Dylan, we could put Gator in your spare bedroom.” Gator jerked his head up, staring at his father. What was his game?

“Oh, I don’t want to inconvenience anyone. It’s okay.” Gator looked at his father, then back at Dylan.

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