me because Riccardo is not Mortimer Viggo. Mortimer is guilty of too much and many have suffered and are still suffering because of him.
I really do need to get back my control over the situation. That is what I need to do and that’s why I decide to stay away from Isabella the next day.
While I do some company work, I watch her through the camera on my phone and see that she takes sips of the water we bring her but doesn’t touch the food.
I wondered if she thought it might be poison but then I realize it wasn’t that. She literally doesn’t want to eat. Candace and Dominic alternate taking her food, each to no avail.
I have a meeting with Massimo after breakfast and then I’ll go in and see Isabella again. It’s pissing me off that she’s not eating. She won’t be able to keep it up. The days are passing and the clock’s ticking. We’re nowhere close to where we need to be, and we don’t know where to begin to find Mortimer.
I carry in the laptop we’ll be using for the conference call.
I make my way inside the kitchen and meet Candace’s disapproving glare.
“Good morning to you too,” I say sarcastically.
She rolls her eyes at me and pops a slice of bread in the toaster.
“Tristan, this is getting out of hand,” she states coming over to me.
I set my hands down on the table and regard her. She knows not to question anything yet here she is.
“Please hear me out,” she pleads. “What if she’s telling the truth?”
I glare at her. “Candace, principessa. The only truth Isabella is telling us is that she won’t eat the food.”
“Tristan, I don’t think so. Think about it. What if she really doesn’t know where her father is.”
Candace doesn’t know how these people operate so she’s just thinking logically like any normal person would.
“No. It’s not that and we have to keep trying to find out what she knows.”
She looks disappointed in my answer. “Okay… I guess you know best.”
Dominic comes in and sits down across from me.
“You were missing yesterday,” he says raising his brows.
“I needed a break.” So did my cock.
“I can’t blame you.” Although as he says that he’s eyeing me like he suspects something is amiss.
We have breakfast and Candace leaves us so we can talk with Massimo.
The second he comes online I know he’s not happy, and I also know I don’t have to guess the reason for that. It’s because we’re taking too long.
“Morning guys,” he begins.
“Hey,” we both say.
“I’m afraid things are slowly beginning to unveil themselves,” Massimo states and the unease in his expression intensifies. “Intel has told us Dmitri has a CCTV image of Isabella in her car heading into town. Well before the alert was made that she’d gone missing, Sacha got her car back to the house. But they’re suspicious because of the conflicting information. His word against the image and no footage from the house. It makes him look suspect.”
We had one of our guys wipe the footage at the house, so they had no recording of her leaving. Hard evidence against someone’s word is definitely going to be suspicious. This is all taking too long.
“What have they done to him? Dmitri would have definitely pulled him up on that.”
“Haven’t seen any sighting of him since yesterday,” Massimo answers. “So, he could be dead, or being tortured. It’s what I would do. There are whispers of Mortimer but he hasn’t shown his face. Even if he has, I have no idea what the fucker looks like. I hoped we could move faster than we are. Guys, it’s been a few days since Isabella was taken. What’s happening? Why don’t I have a location for Mortimer Viggo yet?”
“She’s not talking,” I answer.
“Then fucking make her talk, Tristan. She must know where her old man is.”
If he were here, he’d see what I meant.
“She says she doesn’t know. She insists that’s how he keeps himself safe. I don’t believe it.”
“Neither do I. Guys, don’t feel sorry for these people. They will use all sorts of mental acrobatics and chances you give them to manipulate you.”
Mental acrobatics? That’s a good one. I wonder if I could use that to explain my attraction to Isabella and the need to taste her. It’s not manipulation in the least though if I’m the bastard who can’t stop thinking with his dick.
“We’re thinking of ways to make her talk,” Dominic says. “We need ideas