MARRYING MR. RIGHT (The Brides of Hilton Head Island Book 3) (16 page)

              Taylor gave Zeke a curious stare. “Who’s Delbert?”

              Katherine patted Taylor’s shoulder. “Why, he’s the butler, darling.”

              Distaste for Katherine roiled Zeke’s gut. Now call him negative, but Katherine’s overly uplifting demeanor seemed a bit phony to Zeke. Maybe he just felt that way because Katherine had failed to tell him that Taylor had paid him a visit after she’d been rescued. Taylor had asked Katherine for a forwarding address as well, and she’d never bothered to give it to her. In fact, the mean woman had even pretended to call him in front of Taylor.

             
Katherine can’t be trusted.
That being known, Zeke planned on keeping an eye on Katherine’s bourgeois behind.
No, make that two eyes
, Zeke thought, ready to get the wedding pictures over with so he could go upstairs and make wild, burning love to his beautiful wife.  

Chapter Seventeen

             
I
nside the guest house at the Balfours’ estate, Zeke wrapped his arms about Taylor’s shoulders. Squeezing her, he kissed the top of her head. “I’m glad you’re adjusting to being back in Hilton Head.” Zeke caressed the hair covering her back, releasing his strong hold on her. 

              “Returning home is not as bad as I thought it’d be. Living here in the guest house isn’t bad either.” Taylor’s eyes traveled around the spacious guest house at Colton and Katherine’s estate.

              Katherine had great taste when it came to decorating. Golden painted walls. Dark chocolate furniture. Two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. The guest house overlooked a dense, wooded area and a nice, wide lake. Fully equipped kitchen, the guest house had to be at least two thousand square feet, big enough to be a house.

              Zeke rubbed his hands up and down Taylor’s arms. “I knew you’d adjust once you returned.”

              Taylor tilted her head. “How did you know? I didn’t even know that being here would come as easy as it has thus far.”

              “I knew you’d adjust because I know you. You’re a strong woman, Taylor.”

             
I miss Zavier,
Taylor thought,
longing for her son every second of the day now that she’d come back to Hilton Head. “I don’t feel so strong at times, Zeke.”

              “Well, you—”

              “I want to hire a private investigator to find our son,” Taylor blurted out. Nodding, Zeke grabbed her hand and led her over to the couch in front of the window in the family room. As they sat side by side, gazing in each other’s eyes, a whimsical feeling rose inside Taylor, giving her hope. “Zavier is alive, Zeke. I know he is.”

              Zeke cupped Taylor’s hands. “I believe he’s alive, too. That’s why I’m one step ahead of you. I’ve already hired a private investigator to help us find our son. He’s on his way over here as we speak. His name is Donald McQuade. Goes by the name Don. He helped Richmond find out who killed his wife, Salina.”

             
Killed?!
Taylor shivered. “Richmond was married before Kayla?”

              “Yes. He was married to a beautiful woman named Salina. Unfortunately, Richmond’s father murdered Salina. Salina was dying, and she asked Richmond’s father to help her commit suicide. Salina left a letter and video saying she wanted to die. In her letter, Salina pleaded to Richmond to forgive her and his father for killing her.”

              Taylor hated hearing such a sad story. “That’s horrible, Zeke. Well, did Richmond forgive his father?”

              Zeke shrugged. “I don’t think so.”

             
That’s awful.
“I can’t say I blame him.”

              “Me either. But as I was saying, Don is a great private investigator. If anyone can find Zavier, it’s Don. I’ve already briefly spoken with Don via telephone, and he should be here any minute now—” The telephone rang. Zeke rose from the sofa to go answer it. “Hello? Yes. I’m expecting him. Please send him to the guest house. Thanks, Delbert,” Zeke stated, then placed the cordless phone on the receiver. “Don just arrived at the main house.”

              “Thank for taking the initiative to do this.” Ever so grateful Zeke and she were on the same page, Taylor watched Zeke walk back closer to her.

              Zeke towered over Taylor as she remained sitting. “You don’t have to thank me for hiring Don. Zavier is my son, too. As his father, it’s my responsibility to find him. I’ll never stop searching until I do. And when I find out who took my son, who did this to you, to him, to us…I’m going to kill them with my own fucking hands.”  Zeke’s bold, throaty voice held anger.

              Imagining Zeke snapping someone neck’s in half, Taylor cringed. She knew her husband meant every single word he’d just said. If Zeke ever found out who kidnapped their son, Zeke would kill him. 

              The doorbell rang. “That’s Don.” Zeke stalked toward the door and pulled it open. Standing, Taylor observed the private investigator from where she now stood. Round, chubby jaws, double chin, scraggly brown hair, and wearing a pair of black square glasses, Don looked like a detective. Looked very smart, cool, and collective. “Thanks for coming, Don,” Zeke stated.

              “The pleasure’s all mine,” Don said. Pushing his black square glasses up the bridge of his nose and carrying a black briefcase, he stepped over the threshold and entered. 

              After Zeke made the introductions between Don and Taylor, he gestured for Don to sit in the chair opposite the window. Glad to be taking the first step in finding her son since she’d returned home, Taylor steepled her hands in her lap and prayed inwardly.
God, please give Don the wisdom to help find my son.

             
Don reached inside his briefcase, pulled out a notepad and tape recorder
.
“Taylor, I’m going to ask you some questions that may require you to relive your past; more specifically, the day you were kidnapped and everything thereafter. If at any point you get uncomfortable or upset, let me know, and we can stop. Okay?”

              Taylor nodded. “Okay.”

              Don continued. “But keep in mind, in order for me to do my best job, you must tell me everything. Even things you think aren’t important, I need to know about them. From the smallest detail to the biggest, tell me everything you can remember about the day you were kidnapped.” He pressed the button on the recorder. “You can start now.”

              “Where should I start?” Taylor asked.

              Zeke caressed Taylor’s knee. “How about you start from the time you left me, right after seeing the treehouse I’d built for you?” Zeke suggested. 

             
Tension tightened in Taylor’s chest
. I can do this. I can do this. I have to.
“Zeke had taken me in the woods close to this estate to show me the treehouse he’d built for me. While doing so, he’d given me a promise ring. Right when I was getting ready to tell Zeke I was pregnant, I heard Katherine shouting his name. She sounded like she was mad, so I took off running.”

              “Why do you think Katherine was mad?” Don questioned.

              Zeke spoke up. “She was mad because Taylor’s mother had just informed her that Taylor was pregnant.”

              Don asked, “Did she make any suggestions as to what you should do about the pregnancy?”

              Zeke nodded. “Yes. She wanted Taylor to get an abortion.”

              Taylor’s eyes rounded with sadness. “I never knew Katherine wanted me to have an abortion until now. I would’ve never agreed to it.”

              “Me either,” Zeke replied.

              “What happened after you left Zeke, Taylor?” Don prompted.   

              Memories of the day she’d been kidnapped assailed Taylor’s mind. Stabbed her heart. “It was getting dark…” Her words trailed off, then she finally told Don everything.

             
Gazing down at the sparkling promise ring Zeke had given her, Taylor crossed the railroad tracks leading towards her home and smiled. Zeke had said the promise ring was a token of how much he loved her. Placing her hand to the bottom part of her pregnant belly, Taylor had smiled.

              Feeling blissful and hopeful about her future with Zeke, Taylor wondered if Zeke knew she was pregnant by now. Close to her home, darkness fell upon Taylor. Burning wood smelling like a bonfire wafted up her nose. Gazing down at the ground, she kicked at a rock and looked at her promise ring again.

              Suddenly, Taylor felt a shadow towering over her from behind. Just as she whirled around, someone covered her head with a bag. Clawing at the hands squeezing her neck, the locket necklace around her neck snapped and fell to the ground. Losing her breath, she plummeted to her hands and knees.

              Scurrying away with the bag covering her head while on her hands and knees, the crazy man yanked her off the ground. Unable to see, she screamed. She kicked, punched, and jerked harshly in the strong man’s arms. “Let me go! Let me go!”

              “Shut up. You should’ve thought about your consequences beforehand,” the man had said.

              Crying her eyes out, Taylor heard bleeps from a car, as if her abductor were unlocking it. He tossed her, and she landed hard on something. Bam! Sounded like a door had slammed closed.

              Frightened out of her wits, Taylor snatched the bag from her head to find herself trapped inside the trunk of some man’s car. Lying on her back, surrounded in sheer darkness, she felt the car rock and shimmy over the railroad track. Short moments later, a train’s whistle resounded throughout the night air and sailed into the dark trunk of the horrible monster’s car.

              Kicking and banging on the trunk’s roof, Taylor wailed. He’s going to kill me and my baby. Oh God, please help me. “Somebody help meeee!”

              A single tear slid down Taylor’s left cheek as she brought her past nightmare to a close. “I thought he was going to kill me.”

              Don exclaimed, “Your abductor knew you were pregnant, and he was mad about it.”

              “What makes you say that?” Taylor queried.

              Don stated, “Because he said you should’ve thought about your consequences beforehand. He was referring to the pregnancy. Besides your mother, Katherine, and Zeke, who else knew you were pregnant, Taylor?”

              Taylor thought back to who she’d told she was pregnant. Gosh, that’d been so long ago. “A few of my girlfriends from high school knew.”

              “What’s their names?” Don questioned.

              “Amber Peterson and Tiera Langston.”

              Don offered her a different perspective when he said, “How did Amber and Tiera feel about your pregnancy?”

              Taylor shrugged. “From what I could tell at the time—they were happy for me. What does my kidnapping have to do with Amber and Tiera?”

              Don stopped the recorder and gave her a peculiar stare. “Maybe nothing. Then again, it could mean everything.”

              “You don’t think they had anything to do with me being kidnapped, do you?” Taylor wondered.

              “That’s what I’m here to find out. And I will find out. I’ve been an investigator for twenty-something years, and I’ve had success with all my cases, except for one. Zeke and Taylor. I’m going to find your son,” Don adamantly stated. He placed his items back into his briefcase, then stood and walked over to the front door.

              Zeke shook Don’s hand as he stood in front of the opened door. “Thanks for coming, Don.”

              “Yes. Thanks.”

              Don released Zeke’s hand. “No problem. You two have a wonderful day. I’ll be contacting you very soon.” He turned and headed back past the main house.

              Soft hope wandered through Taylor. Something inside her told her Don would do exactly what he promised—find her son.
Just please let Zavier be alive, and doing well.
             

              After Don left, Zeke called up to the main house. He asked Delbert to fix a nice lunch for them, then he sent Taylor up to the main house to get it. Taylor grabbed her coat from the hanger, slid her arms through the sleeves, and walked outside.

              Greenery lined the concrete sidewalk on either side. Huge oaks shielded the path that Taylor walked along as she headed towards the main house thinking about what Don had said about Amber and Tiera.
No
. Her girlfriends from high school couldn’t have had anything to do with her kidnapping. Could they? God no. What if Amber had wanted Zeke for herself? Or what if Tiera had been jealous of her, and she’d never known it? Maybe one of their fathers had arranged for her to be kidnapped. Who wouldn’t want their daughter to marry into a billionaire family? Taylor opened the back door of the mansion and entered the warm family room.

              “How it’d go?” Katherine asked as soon as Taylor entered the rear of the house.

              “How’d what go?” Taylor wondered as she walked further inside the den.

              With her red hair pulled back in a tight bun, the huge diamonds in Katherine’s ears sparkled. Wearing a long, flowery dress, Katherine stood and met Taylor in the center of the room. “How’d it go with the private investigator?”

              “I think it went pretty well,” Taylor responded.

              Katherine’s green eyes gleamed. “Oh, great. Does the investigator have any leads?”

             
I wish
. “No. Not yet.”

              Katherine gave Taylor a soft stare. “For what it’s worth, Taylor, I hope Don finds your son. I’m praying for you and Zeke.”

              “Thanks, Katherine. Zeke and I need all the prayers we can get.”

              Delbert entered the family carrying a tray in his hands. “Oh, you finally got here,” Delbert said, as if the mansion were far away from the guest house. “I was just about to bring your lunch out to you. I didn’t want it to get to cold. Hope you like fresh blackened salmon, herb pasta, and Caesar salad.” Delbert extended the tray topped with two covered dishes to her.