“Calm down, Xavier,” Kendall said. “What is every other person doing here?”
The smile on Sally’s face irritated him. She was here for something. Gritting his teeth, he rose to his feet, told Kendall he’d be right back and pulled Sally out of the clubhouse.
“What do you want?”
“Oh, I’m glad we came out. Your friend wouldn’t have loved what I am about to tell you, considering he is a cop, and his main goal is to keep the city safe.”
“How do you know he is a cop? Have you been stalking me? How long have you been out of that hospital?”
Sally sounded bitter, “It doesn’t matter,” Then she cleared her throat and smiled again, “I have proof that your grandfather is trafficking young girls and turning them into whores.”
Xavier was shocked, “What?!”
The smile on Sally’s face widened, “Of course, I do. If you don’t believe, come meet a man who has evidence. He’ll be waiting for you on Perry Street.”
“You’re lying,” He told her.
As much as he wanted to believe that it was a lie, he couldn’t be so sure. Marcus Cage had secrets that he kept from his family. Xavier was sure of it.
“Oh, did you think he got his wealth from only constructing ships? Marcus Cage is involved in human trafficking, and if you want to save the Cages’ reputation, come to Perry Street. The man wants money, and I believe you’re rich enough to provide that.”
She began to walk away, but Xavier pulled her back. Her eyes glinted with excitement when he touched her. He soon realized his mistake and let go. Sally had clearly not gotten over him.
“How did you find out?”
“I have friends, Xavier. You’re not the only one who does.”
“I still don’t believe you.”
She sneered. “Fine, don’t! Then you’d get to see your grandfather apprehended, and the Cage family shamed.”
***
Thursday night
When he visited Jessica the next day, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her what was on his mind. He couldn’t tell Kendall too. Kendall would have no choice but to investigate the matter, and if it turned out to be true, Marcus Cage was surely going to jail. Fine, he had days he wished his grandfather would just collapse and die, but that was dying without being accused of a crime. Marcus’s involvement in human trafficking would only destroy the family and all they owned.
So he ended up telling her about Sally Mayland and the evil things she did to him in the past.
“She poured acid on her own face?” Jessica asked, finding it hard to believe.
“Oh, yes, she did. Crazy girl. That was when my mother figured out the girl needed to be locked up in a psychiatric hospital. After she left, we found this pink diary of hers where she wrote the evil things she had done and those she wanted to do.”
“That’s sick, Xavier. Really sick.”
Xavier rubbed his temples, bothered. Tonight was the night he was going to meet the man who could prove to the world that Marcus Cage was a criminal.
Jessica was watching him closely, “Are you fine?”
“I’m good,” He replied. Then he glanced at his wristwatch and realized he was getting late, “I need to get going, Jessica. I hope you’ve been taking your medications?”
Jessica nodded, pleased to know he cared about her, “Of course, I am.”
Xavier gave her a charming smile, “Good. You need to get well for me.”
Perry Street was deserted when he got there. It was that part of town where you kept your head low and avoided doing anything that would land you in trouble. The night was cold. Xavier waited patiently, slipping his hands into his pockets to keep himself warm.
A homeless man smoked beside a dumpster not far from him. Xavier hoped he would not recognize him.
“This place isn’t safe for you, rich man,” The homeless guy said, watching him with sheer interest.
Xavier shook his head, “I’m not rich. I’m only waiting for someone.”
“You think those hoodlums would believe so?” The homeless guy asked, pointing to a group of tattooed men in biker clothes coming out of a pub.
Now Xavier got really scared. What if someone recognized him? What was he even doing here anyway? Why had he believed that crazy Sally?
“You’re right. I need to go.”
“I believe you came here for something,” The homeless guy asked as soon as he turned his back to him.
Xavier glanced back at him, “Yes. Are you the man I’m here to meet?”
Just then, a van screeched to a halt beside him with the door already opened. Before Xavier could react, a burly-built man slipped a black bag over his head. He tried to fight him off, but something pricked him in the shoulder, and he suddenly went numb. His abductor pushed him into the back of the van and shut the door.
Before he passed out, Xavier Cage realized too late that he had been fooled.
Chapter Four
Present day
She knew they had both agreed to be friends, but hearing that he had been abducted was enough for Jessica West to leave her home, take a cab to the Cage Mansion, and ask if they had found him.
Jerome was there to welcome her as she limped into the house with the aid of her walking stick. He even introduced her to Xavier’s best friend, Detective Kendall Emerald. Rita was crying. The fact that her brother had been kidnapped scared her. She kept asking who would have done something like that. Jessica wanted to tell her anyone would have loved to abduct Xavier, considering he was a rich guy but thought otherwise.
“The abductors sent us a video,” Jerome explained to Jessica, “They want me to go to a warehouse with 30 million dollars.”
Jessica gasped and gripped her cane tighter, “What?!”
“Come see for yourself,” Kendall said, opening a tablet and scrolling to a video for her to watch.
Jessica liked him. He seemed like a very gentle guy and those green eyes of his? Damnnn! The video showed Xavier chained to a chair. His abductors must have beaten him up because one of his eyes was swollen shut while blood trickled down his nose and dropped on his shirt. A black tape covered his mouth, obstructing him from saying whatever he was trying to tell them. A masked man crouched beside him. Jessica hated the sight of him like this. Where the hell was he?! Where had they taken him to?!
The video was barely for one minute. The masked man finally talked, “If you’d like to see your son alive, Mr. Jerome Cage, come to the Raisin Warehouse, alone and with a bag containing 30 million dollars.”
The screen went black. Jerome sighed loudly as though he was just watching the video for the first time, and it was troubling him. Rita was sitting on the sofa, her face buried in her palms.
“Jessica, you were the last person he visited on Thursday. I’m so sure of it because he told me. Do you remember where he said he might be going to after leaving your place?”
Jessica shook her head, “No, but he sounded angry. Like he needed to get something off his mind.”
“I know my son. He doesn’t get angry easily. What could have been bothering him?” Jerome asked.
Kendall shrugged, “The only person I knew he was angry with was Sally Mayland. She came to the clubhouse on Wednesday night, and after they talked for a while, he sent her out.”