Page 76 of Forbidden Desires

He nods solemnly, and I turn to walk away. I’m disappointed in Victor and disgusted with my father. I need to find Gisele. Emerson should have come back with her by now. Where are they?

“Brody,” Victor calls back to me.

I turn to face him.

“I can admit when I’m wrong. You’re not like your father at all,” he says, and I know he means it with kindness. Somewhere along the way he lost all respect for my father. He has caused so much pain.

I’m not sure how to deal with Lana and Mason. I knew Mason couldn’t be trusted. Blackmailing his own father, a low move to get noticed. Did he kill him in the end? I glance over the handwritten notes again. I’ve seen this handwriting before. The note Gisele got in her office was so similar, it has to be by the same person. It took her a few weeks to show it to me, but she eventually decided it was best if I knew what was going on. And now I’m really glad she showed me. I loosen my tie and unbutton the top of my shirt, feeling like it’s strangling me. Mason was the one stalking her.

I turn back to Jim. “See that he gets off the premises with no drama.”

Jim nods, and I move quickly through the gardens in search of Gisele, calling her name on repeat. She’s still not answering her cell, and now I’m really starting to worry.

Emerson comes running toward me with Noah by her side. “Gisele’s missing. No one has seen her since she was setting up the reception space. She’s supposed to be running the wedding ceremony on the lawn, but she’s just vanished,” she cries.

I break into a cold sweat immediately.

“Mason was seen talking to her right before she disappeared, but according to the security surveillance, they haven’t left the hotel. My guess is that they’re on the fourth floor, and that’s why the surveillance is out up there,” Noah says. “I checked itout earlier when it all first went down, and there was no sign of anyone, but it’s too much of a coincidence.”

“Em, call Detective McAllister. Get him here now.”

“Okay. What are you guys going to do?” she calls after us, her voice shaky, but we’re already moving toward the main hotel.

I glance at Noah. “You got your gun?”

He nods, and we step into the elevator, ready to do whatever we have to.

When the doors open on the fourth floor, we split up, taking one side of the hallway each, and start checking rooms. My heart races in panic. I need to know she’s okay. She’s been gone too long. How did this even happen? “Wait, stop. Did you hear that?” I whisper.

Noah nods and points in the direction of room seven. Just two farther up the hall. The floor is deadly silent now, but there were definitely voices. Her voice and another. “We need to split up, radio for help,” I tell Noah, knowing there is no point in us both walking into this unknown situation. I don’t bother checking the lock. I already know it will be open. He passes me the gun, and I get a running start and slam my shoulder into the door. The thing goes flying, and when the dust settles, I see Gisele tied to a chair, gun pointed at her back. I’m surprised when I see Lana holding it.

“You took your time.” She smirks sardonically. “Ditch the gun, we won’t need it for this little chat.”

Gisele’s scared eyes meet mine and beg me to do what they say. I place the gun in front of me and shove it forward in a show of compliance. My hands ball into fists, ready for a fight. Mason has one hand covering her mouth and the other wrapped around her throat. I want to rip his arms off his body for even touching her.

“Come in. We’ve been waiting for you. Haven’t we, Gisele.” Lana motions toward a table set up in the room, with a stack of papers. Gisele’s eyes fill with fear, and I want to run over there and pull her out of his grip, but I know right now that’s more dangerous than quietly assessing the situation.

“Let her go. She has nothing to do with any of this,” I say calmly.

Mason grins, all teeth. “That’s where you’re wrong, Brother. Gisele is just another thing you took from me. And I want her back.”

She whimpers as he grips her tighter.

My spine straightens. She was never his. He’s delusional. “I’m still not sure why you didn’t feel you could come to me and talk this all over. I’m a reasonable man, and I’m sure we could have come to a compromise that worked for all of us.”

“That’s a bit cute. Your girlfriend was just saying the same thing about you.” Lana smirks.

I glance at Gisele’s scared face and wonder what exactly has been happening while he’s had her locked up here. “What do you want, Lana?”

“The Alexander signed over to Mason,” she says like it’s all that simple.

“You know I can’t just sign it over. I don’t have the legal right. I don’t even own this place until my twelve-month contract runs out. And even then, Emerson would need to sign off on it too.”

She comes at me, a menacing look in her eyes. “I need you to understand the severity of the situation, Brody. You see, when your father died, leaving Mason nothing, he left me with nothing to lose. He made promises to me, lots of them, and they apparently vanished alongwith him. The Alexander is rightfully ours. We are as much a part of this family as you or Emerson, and I won’t rest until I get what’s owed to us.”

Gisele’s eyes plead with me, silently showing her desperation. I clench my fists, trying to stay composed, knowing it’s the only way I’m going to get us both out of here safely. I turn my attention to Mason, hoping he will be more rational. “Mason, there has to be another way to resolve this. We can find a compromise that doesn’t involve putting Gisele in harm’s way.” I try appealing to his obvious obsession with her, because I can’t tell them what they want to hear. I don’t have the authority to sign this place over.

He runs a hand through his stubble, assessing me. “I agree, Ma. Brody wants to negotiate, no one has to get hurt.” Despite Lana's gun still being aimed at her, he unties the knot on Gisele's wrists. “I’ll get her out of here while you two sort out the negotiations,” Mason says, his voice sounding strained, like he’s on the edge of losing his shit completely. There is no way in hell I’m going to let him walk out of here with my girl.

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