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Danny stood under the shower and let the hot water clear his senses. His body was still hungry for Michelle. It had been so long since it had felt her touch.
Why had she done that? He remembered all of the times before she had disappeared how many times he had awakened to her pleasuring him unselfishly.
He had loved to return the favor and they had usually spent the rest of the hours until morning lost in their own private world. He had loved her uninhibited touches. He was really confused now. Actually, he had been confused since he found her in the kitchen yesterday afternoon.
Today, all that confusion would be laid to rest. Today, he would meet his daughter. He would fight like hell to get to Rosie and noone, not even his supposed back from the dead brother would stand in his way. If he had calculated it right, they should be in their destination by 6 or so this evening. There should be enough daylight left so they could get started.
Michelle would know where Mick's hacienda was. He realized then that he believed her story about Mick being alive. She would not lie to him about something like that. He knew that now, had probably known since she first told him.
Mick was alive and holding his daughter hostage. He didnt even feel any happiness at finding out his brother was still alive. That was the hell of it. His brother was now his enemy. His brother had kidnapped his wife and held her against her will. He had put his daughter in danger and he would not get away with it. He was an idiot if he thought Danny would let this go unanswered. He would investigate Carmen's part in this whole sordid mess too.
What on earth would make Mick fake his own death? It didnt make sense. He had everything he ever wanted, money, privaledge, and the entire town of Springfield was scared to death of him just like he loved it. He wanted people to look at him with real fear in their eyes. What could be so important....
Michelle. That had to be it. He had wanted Michelle and couldnt get her. Danny knew that he had had a thing for her but he had had a thing for lots of women. He had found out about their falling in love and he couldn't stand it. The only way he could have known about him and Michelle was Carmen. He had stolen Michelle from him. Oh man, when he found Mick he was gonna wish he really was dead.
He turned off the shower and towel dried his hair. He put the towel around his hips and went to join her in the bedroom. She was talking to someone on the phone. Probably the Miguel person she had mentioned. He watched her facial expression as she spoke and he could tell the news wasn't good. Her brow was furled and her mouth was drawn into a worried frown.
She lifted her head up and noticed him watching her. He mouthed the word "What' to her and she frowned giving him her answer. Mick still had Rosie.
Damn, Where had he taken her? He knew nothing about Barbados. Who did he know that could help him with this??
The only person he could think of that even knew anything about Barbados was Dietz. He couldnt count on him to help though. He was probably in on it with Carmen and Mick. His family had lived in Barbados at one time. He had spent a lot of time there. He knew the topography. He could be such a great ally but he couldnt trust Dietz, he didnt think. Not with his daughter's life at stake.
Michelle hung up the phone. Her face told the whole story and she went into his arms. She was heartbroken. Mick had their little girl and they didnt know where she was.
"Why dont you go take a shower Michelle. It might make you feel better and then we can get going." he said and she nodded her head the tears falling freely. "It's gonna be okay Michelle I promise. I wont stop until I find her" he vowed. "It's gonna be okay"
She looked up at him with such trust in her eyes and he knew that he would move heaven and earth to make her smile again. He watched her head for the bathroom to shower and silently swore to bring their little girl home no matter what he had to do. But first he had a call of his own to make and he prayed it would be the miracle they needed to bring her home.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Why wont she stop crying?" Mick asked Louisa "She's been doing that all day. Is she sick?"
"She just wants her mama, that's all. Babies can sense things" she explained as she walked around with Rosie trying unsuccessfully to calm her. "She will be fine"
Louisa was worried. Mick had been suspicously calm since he had come back early and found Michelle gone. He had instructed her to pack up her and Rosie's things. They were going on a little trip.
Silently begging Michelle's forgiveness for letting her down, she had done as he said. He had taken her to the other side of the island. She had never been on this side of the island so she didnt know their location.
He had taken her to another hacienda that was every bit as beautiful as the one they had lived in before. It was almost comical the way Mick had had a penchant for beautiful things.
She didnt think he was going to hurt Rosie and he needed her to take care of her so she knew she was safe for the time being but what would happen when Danny came looking for his daughter. Michelle had spoken often of Mick's brother and Rosie's father. If he was half the man Michelle said he was, then they could be expecting him to arrive on the island soon. Louisa had a feeling that is what Mick was afraid of and what had made him flee with them both in the first place.
She would do as she was told and do nothing to anger Mick. She knew Danny would come for Rosie. She just prayed that Mick didnt have some sort of trap planned. He had been so quiet about Michelle's fleeing.She had expected him to totally lose control and she had been deathly afraid he would take it out on Rosie even though somewhere in that evil heart, he had a soft spot for Rosie. It was that soft spot that she depended on to keep Rosie safe. Rosie was his blood after all.
Rosie continued her fussing and Louisa was trying desperately to calm her by whispering soft words in her ear. Rosie started to quiet some but she could tell that Rosie's fussiness was beginning to get to Mick. She had to keep Rosie calm. She didn't want Mick to get agitated. He was so mean when he got like that. She had seen first hand how mean he could be.
When Michelle had gone into labor, she had begged Mick to tell Danny what was happening but he had merely laughed. Michelle had spent 30 hours in agony giving birth to Rosie there in that hot hacienda. Giving birth in August in Barbados made for a miserable situation.She had been calling for Danny the entire time. She had struggled so to give birth and Louisa had been afraid on several occassions that she would lose Michelle or Rosie or both.
Loiusa had been terrified by what Mick would do to Rosie but she had been shocked when he had been taken by her. He had been furious to discover Michelle had been pregnant and thankfully Loiusa had talked Michelle into keeping it a secret until she wasnt able to keep it secret anymore. As Louisa had suspected , Mick had ordered her to perform an abortion. He didnt want Danny's brat to be born and mess things up for him and Michelle. Louisa had told him that Michelle was too far along and aborting the baby would put her life in serious danger. Mick had reluctantly agreed to take back his order but he told Louisa that if the baby got in the way of his having Michelle then he wouldnt hesitate to take care of the problem. She had taken his meaning.
Thankfully, Rosie was a perfect baby. Except for this very moment, she hardly ever cried. She could feel that something was not right in her little world. She hated the bottle that she was having to suckle on. She knew it was not natural and she was voicing her displeasure at having that alien object thrust upon her. Her face was getting red from her cries and Louisa didnt think she was going to be able to calm her.
"Would you please allow me to take her outside so she can hear the noises outside? That might calm her down and make her think of her mother?" Loiusa asked.
"No, you just stay in here. You are not going outside anytime soon. I think I have a solution to this problem. As you know, Loiusa, I usually stay a week in Switzerland but came back early and it was a damn good thing I did too or you and Michelle's little plan might have worked. Anyway, my contact had mentioned to me about his daughter and her husband and their inability to have children. That got me thinking Louisa. There is no record at all of little Rosie's birth you know. No birth certificate signed by a doctor. No hospital records, nothing. Why it would be ashame if she were to just vanish now wouldn't it?" he asked and Louisa knew exactly what he was saying.
"Senor Mick, surely you would not give her to those people. You love little Rosie do you not? She is your blood" she asked hoping to play on his one ounce of decency he had. Every now and then he would resort to empty threats just to frighten her but she couldnt chance this. She couldnt let Rosie become a pawn in his evil game against his brother.
He had threatened on more than one occasion to sell her and her brother and have them transported off the island but so far had not done so nor did she think he ever would. He liked to flex his perverbial muscles once in a while.
He might do this with Rosie though, She was terrified because everything he said was right. There was no record of Rosie's birth. She could simply disappear and they wouldnt even be able to prove that she had even been born. She had to make sure that never happened.
She had entertained the thoughts of killing him herself but she didnt want to risk her immortal soul by taking his worthless life, so he still lived but only because she feared a vengeful God.
She bowed her head and said a prayer for Danny to come and to come quickly. She didnt know how much longer she was going to be able to keep Mick from taking drastic actions concerning Rosie.
Miguel was supposed to be in contact with Michelle while she was away getting Danny in the states. He would be coming back to the hacienda to find them gone. What would he tell them when he met with them. They had never doubted that Danny would come back with Michelle for Rosie. They had had a plan and now it was not going to work. Miguel would assume the worst and that is what he would report to Michelle and Danny.
Her heart broke for the young couple who would be making the trip to try to find them. They were going to find them gone when they reached the hacienda. They would have no leads to find them. She needed to come up with a plan to let them know where they were and she had to do it quickly.
The wheels in her mind began to spin and suddenly she had a way. If Danny and Michelle were coming back by at least tomorrow night, she had a way to make Mick go back to the hacienda. She could finally help to get this family reuninted and Mick would have to answer for his sins. He had much to answer for and knowing she was risking favor with the almighy, delighted in the fact that he was going to finally get what he had coming to him.
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