Worth Dying For

Malakai’s POV ~

I expected it to be Bonita who walked out of the bedroom. I didn’t expect her to not have a mark on her. No signs of the beating she had supposedly suffered.

After Marisol greeted her.. her first response was to screech at her grandfather “You weren’t supposed to tell anyone, you old fool!”

Marisol laughed. She said “He isn’t the fool in this room. And you do not have the mental capacity to do this on your own! Who is your accomplice? Your parents? Hmm..”

Grandpa said “Robert was convincing.. Completely. He was panicked.. he cried. He begged me to do something. He never once suggested I hand you over. What do you think, Kai?”

I looked at him and said “Off the top of my head? I would look into Andrews Publishing.. See how much business has declined.. if they really are in trouble. Then I would look into Robert’s personal life.. especially his relationship with the wife. She seems to run the show, for the most part. Which makes me more inclined to look at her more closely. As for Bimbo Barbie, here.. she’s a pawn. Not even a good one.”

Marisol asks Sol to call Robert.. have him come over to the condo..and bring Anna. “This ends today! I want to know what the fuck they thought they were doing! Faking a kidnapping! Faking torture! Bonita! You seriously need therapy. A rubber room.. Thorazine! Something. Because.. you are batshit crazy!”

When Robert and Anna arrived, he went straight to Bonita. Hugging her and sobbing. Anna stood and glared at her daughter. The entire scenario was like watching a B-grade movie.. Poor quality and bad acting. Although, Robert seemed convincing.

He turned to Sol and said “Where did you find her? Why did you bring her back here? She should be in the hospital. Have you called the police?”

Sol grinned and said “Not yet.. I haven’t decided how I am going to handle this whole thing yet. Sit down, Robert. Anna.. park your ass beside Bonita!”

I reached over and laced my fingers through Marisol’s.. squeezing gently. She looked at me, eyebrow raised and I gently shook my head. I knew what she was going to find out would be shocking. I just want her to know I am here.

Sol said “Robert! Let’s begin this little tale.. ohh.. twenty five years ago. Some speculation.. rumors.. had been brought to my attention. I asked you about it, then. You assured me.. it was only rumors. Anna was pregnant.. remember!? The rumors were you had cheated. Another woman was also carrying your child.. You rushed into marrying Anna.. when I had set the wedding for two years out.. I had every plan of breaking your engagement. Her father extorted you.. in the deal. Thinking to get his hands on my money.”

“But, you jumped the gun.. because she was pregnant. Was she though? I have often wondered. Especially when Bonita played the pregnancy card against Jason and Marisol. The acorn doesn’t fall too far.. after all. This entire kidnapping was staged. Start to finish. Bonita isn’t smart enough to have put this together.. but, again.. neither is the mastermind. That clock… That portrait.. painted by your very own mother, Robert.. show up in every video. The clock always showing the same time.. regardless of the time the live videos were sent.”

“At first, I suspected you. But, now, I believe you were being duped, as well. Tell me, Anna. What did you hope to accomplish? Is it just because of your jealousy.. your resentment.. of my granddaughter? Could it be that simple?”

I spoke up “As we speak, Anna, you are being investigated. By morning, I will know everything there is to know about you.. right down to when you take a shit. You have two choices.. you tell the truth now.. and this all gets out in the open. Or you wait until tomorrow.. and see what happens with the information I will possess.”

She sneers at Marisol “I hate you! I have always hated you. Robert just wouldn’t leave that girl alone! He loves her.. he said.. He can’t live without her.. Bringing you into MY home! Having to act like you’re MY kid! When I had that woman killed, it never occurred to me he would make me claim you! You were supposed to die too!”

Robert jumped up “You killed her? You murdered Helena? Of course, I would bring my daughter home! She nearly died in that accident. Well, it wasn’t really an accident, was it? And you had told everyone for months you were pregnant. Even had me believing it.. until I caught you taking the prosthesis off. So.. we had a baby.. to prove to everyone you aren’t really such a liar!”

I glamced at my beauty.. she was in shock. I lifted her into my lap.. wrapping my arms around her. She sat stiffly for several minutes. Then she laughed. “I am not that horrible woman’s child! I do not share her tainted DNA!”

Sol said “Continue, Anna.. I would like to learn how far your depravity goes.. does it stop at your heart.. or is it rooted deep in your soul? Like Malakai said.. we will know everything by morning. It’s up to you how this is handled. God help your family, if I find they are involved in any way.”

Anna said “There’s nothing to tell. I wanted that girl gone! For the last three years, we were almost a family! I had found a way to be content again.. with her out of the picture. I didn’t have to keep blackmailing Robert, with her not around.”

Marisol said “Blackmailing Robert? With what?” Anna snarled “With telling Sol the truth about you! Robert knew he would be disowned and lose his inheritance.”

Sol laughed “Robert knows there is only one way to lose his inheritance. And that has everything to do with his treatment of Marisol. Your little plan backfired. He went along with your blackmail.. tormenting and abusing MY girl.. because he knew he would be written out of the will. He played you! Oh this is priceless! I am relieved she is not your blood! That makes me so happy!”

Sol stood up and asked “Kai? Would it be possible to have some of your men to collect this trio of misfits and escort them to my house? I will put them under lock and key until the investigation is complete.”

I nodded and texted Kennedy. I leaned over and told Marisol “I am sleeping over tonight. I will not leave my family unprotected with psychos in the house.” She didn’t argue.. just smiled and nodded.

Morning came.. along with a file.. three inches thick. When Kennedy handed it to me, he said “Some toxic shit in there, bro. We need to watch your lady more closely.”

I read through the file and went in search of Sol. He was sipping coffee and throwing berries at Isaiah. It’s hard deciphering who is actually two years old, sometimes.

I sat and said “You’re in for a hell of a shock. Where is Marisol?” He told me she had gone to the office. I looked at Kennedy and he nodded.. walking away.

Robert was lead in, by one of my men.. as he sat, I said “I took the liberty of bringing Robert in on this. Where it takes you from here.. is up to you. Anna’s father, Paul Weston.. fancies himself a gangster. He has teamed up with my brother. Morton is using him.. to what end.. I am not sure of yet.

Now.. Weston arranged the whole kidnapping plot.. to lure you, Sol, into a trap. Killing you, they believed the will would allow Robert access to his inheritance. Then.. they would kill Robert.. before his own will could be registered.

Marisol has been their target.. for years. Anna arranged the accident that killed Marisol’s birth mother.. believing the baby would die, in vitro.

The two of you have a mess on your hands.. with Marisol smack dab in the middle. I will protect my family, gentlemen. No matter who I have to go through to do so!”

Sol slapped his hands on the table “Time to clean up this mess! Eliminate the threat!”