Chapter Chapter Sixty - Nine
"Please call Loney. He said he would be with me. He promised," Danica said amidst her painful contractions. Dr Jeff nodded, instantly putting a call through to Loney. "Danica is in the hospital," he said as soon as the line connected.
Loney pressed the brake instantly and the tyres screeched on the smooth asphalt. He was depressed and agitated when he lost connection with Danica. Probably, her phone must have gone off without her knowledge. Therefore, he had planned on finding Ray and forcing him to call his men to bring Danica to him or verify their location.
He should be excited right? But it felt strange. How did Danica get to the hospital? What if it was Daniella pretending? He couldn't keep his mind from thinking in that direction. However, his suspicions were buried when Dr Jeff continued. "She said you promised that you would be with her." A smile thinned Loney's lips just as a tear fell from his eyes. He knew it was Danica sending him the message. This was the promise he made to her last night. "I will be there soon," he uttered in deep breaths, instantly ending the call.
"Call Herty and tell her to go to the hospital. Danica is there," he hastily said, instantly stepping on the accelerator as he informed Paul about the latest development. Just as Loney felt earlier, Paul couldn't help asking. "I don't mean to scare you but are you sure it's her?"
"Yes, it's her," Loney abruptly said. Paul let out a thin smile, and nodded agreement, instantly calling Herty to pass the information. Then it dawned on him that Loney hadn't changed direction. "Why are you headed in Ray's direction? We should be driving towards the hospital right?"
Loney tightened his fists on the steering wheel, Paul's heart throbbed. He knew Loney was up to something. "I am just a few minutes away from Ray. He will regret ever getting his men to kidnap my woman. This ends today." Loney's expression was malignant, Paul could only hope that Loney wouldn't put him in the position to cover up a homicide.
Loney wasn't at peace. Danica was safe now but he thirsted for revenge. How dare anyone lay their filthy hands on his woman? His rage boiled, unquenchable like a volcano. According to the map, Ray was or the move. He sensed that Ray must be running away from someone or something and was determined to hunt him down.
He got to the hotel just as Ray was about to enter his car. As soon as his men saw Loney, they took off with the speed of lighting. It was a warning from the governor. Loney was untouchable. Ray didn't see any reason to run. He hasn't offended Loney in any way and was amazed when a force so strong hit his lower abdomen without warning, causing him to stagger and fall.
Loney knelt, his thighs pinning Ray's huge frame. A blow landed on his face, followed by another before he could recover from the fall. Despite Loney being tall, his complete height when standing side by side Ray would only reach his shoulder. Aside from that, Ray was chubby therefore, he underestimated Loney. He knew the latter was powerful financially but he never expected such physical strength from someone like him.
Unknown to him, Loney had espied his size from afar and used speed to knock him unexpectedly to the ground. He also made sure to deform his jaw with another punch as he pinned him to the ground with his weight. Another punch was enough to disfigure Ray's nose. The punches were becoming too strong, Ray began tasting his blood. He presumed he would die of internal bleeding if he didn't defend himself therefore, he began blocking the punches with his arm as he yelled in defence,
"What is the fuck is this Loney, what did I do?" His back was on the floor as he gazed at Loney with wonder and turmoil.
"How dare you touch my woman?" Loney screeched, ready to release another punch, which Ray blocked as he tried to pull out his gun. Unfortunately, Paul beat him to it, pointing his revolver in his direction. Ray was taller and bigger. He was also strong and from the effect of drugs, he didn't feel much pain yet, he knew the punches were causing lots of damage to his nerves and tissues, which would be felt when the drug wears out but something poked deeper, as Loney's accusation hammered in his ears.
"Your woman? I haven't touched your woman," he said in retaliation, blocking Loney's punches as much as possible but it wasn't necessary anymore because Loney halted his hand in mid-air, Ray's words sinking deeper. He wasn't one to attack an innocent person. He only bites when attacked therefore, he rose to his feet. Ray seized the opportunity to do the same.
"You touched my pregnant woman Ray and you will die for it." This time, he wasn't aggressive. He seemed to doubt the accusation since Ray had denied it earlier. Loney wanted to confirm his involvement before going further.
However, Ray sprang in remembrance, the accusation settling in. "So it's you. Daniella said she wanted her sister's baby and boyfriend so I could do whatever I wanted with her sister. Most preferably, she wanted her dead but I had other plans."
Loney's mind began to process everything like a web, the bits and pieces coming together. "Daniella?" His voice was precarious. He knew Daniella hated her sister but never guessed it was so deep as to want her dead. He could just imagine how broken Danica would be if she heard that her sister was the brain behind everything.
"Yes," Ray confirmed.
"But she is pregnant," Loney muttered but Ray heard. "Why does she want the baby?" He asked dejectedly. A blend of anticipation, fear and agitation cruising through him, he didn't have the right words to say. Ray shook his head, "She can't be pregnant. Her womb is damaged. She paid me to fake everything. I swear to God Loney, I didn't know that her sister was your woman," Ray expressed. Somehow, he felt stupid. He used to do background checks on his victims so why didn't he do the same thing this time around?
Everything began to make perfect sense to Loney. Even as the truth settled in that his instincts were right, he was still speechless.
He wanted to say something but no word came out. "Loney, we have to go. The Interpol agents are getting closer," Paul bickered, pulling Loney from his deep thoughts. "I don't think you want them to take you for questioning. You still don't know for whatever reason your woman ended up in the hospital," he stated the fact. They didn't have time to ask.
Loney didn't utter a word. He
followed Paul to the car like a robot. This time, he allowed Paul to drive
since he wasn't in his right mind. It was just too much for him. Too
much to chew and swallow. Then et
truth was sweet and bitter. Sweet being that Daniella wasn't carrying his child but the bitterness overwhelmed the sweet in that he couldn't understand the reason a twin would want her sister dead just to take what was hers. It was too much and it overwhelmed him to just think about the whole charade.
The Interpol agents scoured the hotel car park just as Paul drove out, thereby not leaving any time for Ray to escape. He might not be lucky this time. They surrounded Ray, just as Jones stepped out. Ray didn't hide his shock. He hadn't seen his nephew for years.
"Your end has come, uncle," Jones addressed Ray. This was the fifth hotel Ray had checked in just within 24 hours while he waited for the coast to clear for him to leave the country. It wasn't easy but Jones tracked him down because everything he needed to send him to jail for a long time was ready.
Ray was furious. "You traitor. Don't call me your uncle," he yelled. Fury exhumed his anger as he spat on the floor. "I do not want a nephew like you."
James wasn't offended. He took a step towards him. "The better for me. I'm disgusted calling you my uncle but it's just unfortunate that we don't determine or choose who deserves to be in our family. It has taken me years to hold enough evidence to nail you. Now, you won't escape," Jones was calm. A yoke of victory squeezed him tightly.
Something fell from Ray's eyes,
realization pinching him. Jones was making sure he rotted in jail. No, that can't happen. He stared cautiously around. There were too many Interpol agents. He couldn't take them down alone and besides, they were armed. His men had escaped. Cowards. "Think Jones, think. I'm your only family." Ray tried to buy his sympathy. If Jones releases the pieces of evidence against him, he knew he won't escape prison for at least twenty years. Therefore, he could only beg Jones to not release that evidence.
"I don't need a family like you. You destroyed me. You destroyed innocent girls. You killed my father, your brother through your wickedness. You are a beast and you don't deserve to live among humans." "But humans change, Jones, I can change."
Jones' gaze softened. "Yes, that's why you need a confined place like jail for that change to happen."
That said, he beckoned for Interpol
to take him away. He immediately
sat in his car, a victorious smile lining his features. His sacrifices over the years haven't been in vain. Suddenly, he recalled Daniella. He hasn't had time to receive
elmet
information on her. He pulled out his phone to call the spy he had placed incharge of monitoring her movements. He saw lots of calls and text messages from his spy, one of which read; 'She seemed to be in a hurry going somewhere and had an accident. I have sent the location of the hospital to you. I don't have any information about her condition yet.'
The smile and Jones' face froze. He guessed that Daniella must have disobeyed him and wondered if Danica was safe. He had to find out. Pressing the push-start, his direction was the hospital.
When Loney arrived at the hospital, one of the nurses recognized him and led him to the emergency ward without asking, since she knew that he always came with Danica.
However, when he arrived at the emergency ward, he felt his breath cease at the sight in front of him, as he let out a loud yell. Paul was startled. Then he drew closer. Danica was unconscious and it looked like her right leg had been amputated. "When? How?" He muttered. "There must be a mistake," he yelled. Loney couldn't get closer. He felt guilty. Too guilty. He couldn't protect her. He sobbed, punching the wall with all his might to let out some of his frustration.
The nurse was scared. His behaviour could worsen the patient's condition and the nurse feared being at the receiving end of his anger therefore, she veered to Dr Jeff's office.