Alessio
It was clear as day.
Jimena wanted nothing to do with him, while he was obsessed with her. I had seen enough guys like him in my line of work, and it was obvious Jimena had taken her daughter and fled.
Naty went back to drawing, but I wasn’t having it and pulled the marker from her hand, forcing her to look up at me. “Hey!” She pouted.
“Answer the question?” I mocked her in the same tone.
“Okay,” Naty sighed deeply before sticking out her little pinky. “But first you have to pinky swear,” she demanded.
“P-P-What?” I couldn’t get those words to leave my mouth, yet I had somehow already connected my pinky with hers. I couldn’t believe I was making deals with a child. Maybe Dad was right about me being unfit to run a business.
“Daddy will pick me up from school next week, during the first break,” Naty spilled the beans so easily.
“For what?”
“So we can go to a fun park with swings and slides. Just the two of us!”
So let me get this straight.
This man, apparently her father, would kidnap her from school, just like that?
“Doesn’t your school have gates, Naty?”
“Gates?” she repeated, looking confused.
“The big things we have around the house,” I explained further. “About this high?” I used my hands.
Naty rolled her eyes, and I was taken aback by her attitude. “I know what gates are. I’m 6, not 2.”
I didn’t have the time or energy to react to her disrespect as only one thing went through my mind. I couldn’t let the child’s father ruin anything.
I needed Jimena who came as a package deal, meaning I also needed Naty, and I needed her safe.
“How would you feel about going to another school? Perhaps one with gates?” I proposed, glancing at her drawing. “Maybe we can even do something with that talent of yours.”
With her talent, she would easily fit into Melody’s private elementary school that focused on art. I would be doing the child a favor, and since we funded the school, I could keep a closer eye on her.
“I do whatever mommy tells me to,” Naty responded with a shrug.
“Then I’ll discuss it with Mommy.”
Naty giggled with her eyes closed, and then she opened them with an ever-bigger smile, and I wondered whether she was mocking me. She couldn’t just giggle after every little thing I said.
Just as I was about to ask her what all that giggling was about, the shower stopped. I took it as my cue to leave, and quickly got up, putting my finger to my lips. “I wasn’t here,” I whispered.
“Whatever,” Naty released another giggle. “You’ll keep my secret, so I’ll keep yours.”
“For a six-year-old, you really are something,” I chuckled, walking off.
~
I strolled around the mansion, my mind set on one thing. Finding Donni.
The situation with the mysterious man in the picture appeared to be more complicated than I had initially thought.
There was only one correct way to handle this. Track him down before things escalate further, and eliminate the guy by wiping him off the earth as if he never existed.
The guy was probably an ass so Jimena would thank me for that.
“Anyone seen Donni?” I asked one of the guys standing outside.
He pointed towards the back of the mansion. “Yeah, saw him around the corning having a smoke I think.”
“Thanks.”
Right around the corner stood Donni, indeed leaning against the wall with a cigarette between his lips. “I already thought I smelled something,” he exhaled with a cloud of smoke.
Over the years, I had mastered the art of ignoring Donni’s jokes. He had no conscience, which was exactly why I liked him. He started as a neighborhood kid doing small jobs for us, but his blunt mouth had even earned him some respect from Dad.
His mouth was worse than Gian’s, at times I wanted him to shut up-but our friendship worked. I’d asked him to do stuff, and he would do it.
“I need you to find someone for me,” I said, cutting straight to the point.
Donni raised an eyebrow. “Do you have a face?”
“I’ll send you a picture.”
“What do you want me to do with him?”
“Just find out his location, report it back to me, and then we’ll take care of the rest,” I instructed.
Donni chuckled. “Good. Who am I looking for?”
“The little kid’s dad,” just saying those words made my skin crawl. It was all too much of a hassle, and if I were aware of that small detail, I would’ve chosen any other random maid.
“The little kid’s dad?” Donni burst into laughter. “Is that the one she went to see when she acted all high and mighty, ordering me to let her out those gates? How do you even cheat on someone in a fake relationship? Crazy.” He shook his head.
I rubbed my nose, wanting to punch him in his face really badly. My pride had already been hurt bad enough. “Yeah, just find him for me.”
“Yes, my lord,” Donni bowed, not being able to last a second without making a sarcastic remark.
I opened my mouth, ready to snap back but let it go. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. “Anything else I can do for you?”
“Have you heard about what happened with Mikael?” I made great use of that offer.
“Yeah, one of the guys told me,” Donni replied, tossing his cigarette on the ground. “Can’t believe you walked away without putting a hold through that fucker.”
“How much time would you need to find a buyer who can cover our losses?” I wondered.
“I was already on it. Knew you were gonna ask,” Donni grew a cocky grin on his lips.
“Thank you.”
“You done for the day?” Donni asked.
“Yeah, but I’ll find something to do. Not gonna sit around with Jimena,” I admitted, thinking about being forced to share a room with her tonight. I brought myself into this position, and now I had to deal with it.
“You know, if you want to make this believable, you should spend some time with her,” Donni suggested. His tone was serious enough to make me want to listen as he was not joking around this time.
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for your concern,” I said sarcastically.
“No problem,” Donni replied, grinning.
I knew he was right, I had to play the part, just like Jimena played hers.
I had to get over myself and make it work.