Mikayla [Orchidea: Love on the Bayou 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (26 page)

* * * *

Leon and Franco showed up first. They closed off the hallway leading to and from the restroom and the exit door. The lighting was poor so they had multiple flashlights looking at the rug for any signs of struggle or evidence. Patrol officers and detectives were questioning patrons and people nearest to the outside exit door. About twenty feet away were a few sets of benches. They were casing the neighborhood.

“Look at this. It looks like a piece of jewelry,” Franco stated as he held up a small circular gold piece.

“Let me see that.” Douglas stared at the item.

“This is from Mikayla’s earrings. She was wearing these gold dangling ones, with little gold circles and tiny hoops.”

“Are you sure?” Michael asked.

“Yes, definitely.”

They continued to look around and Douglas felt helpless. They hadn’t a clue as to where she was or who had taken her.

Then Michael and Franco filled him in on the multiple break-ins around the area investigation, and he nearly fell against the wall as his vision blurred. This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t happening to them when they finally found the woman they had waited years for.

Douglas bent over and held his face in his hands.

“This is all my fault. I should have never let her head to the bathroom alone. He’s going to kill her because of me. I told her that I would protect her and look what I’ve done.” He carried on until he felt Michael place his hand on one shoulder and Franco placed his hand on his other shoulder.

“Don’t beat yourself up over this. We had no idea this person was even out there. We still don’t even know if this has anything to do with the suspect conducting the break-ins. It could be coincidental. We don’t know what happened. We need to reorganize and regroup. I need to gather a team and start stepping up the investigation quickly,” Michael stated, and Douglas was shocked by Michael’s composure.

“How can you be so fucking calm at a time like this?” Douglas yelled at him, causing Franco to take a step away.

Douglas stared at Michael, wondering if he even loved Mikayla.

“Because I have to be or she could wind up dead and out of our lives forever.” He placed his phone to his ear and called in his team.

Everyone gathered at the police station to set up a command center. Michael, Franco, and Deputy Leon Rue were searching for Vincent Lukon. They were now in his main office talking with his secretary.

“I haven’t seen him since yesterday evening. He hasn’t returned any of my calls. He didn’t show up for any of his appointments, and his cell phone just keeps going to voice mail. I was really concerned, but he had been acting strange since his nose was broken in a bar fight.”

“That’s what he told you? That he was in a bar fight?” Michael asked.

“Yes. Isn’t that what happened?” she asked, and Michael began to say something, but Franco cut him off.

“He isn’t at his home. Is there another location that Mr. Lukon likes to hang out or stay at? Any girlfriends or secret places for him to go and relax?” Franco asked as he leaned down on the desk and smiled at the pretty young secretary. Michael laughed. Franco was trying to get information from her, and she was falling for his charms.

She lowered her head and blushed as she kept her hands on her lap.

“Come on, sweetie. You said you were worried about him. You can tell me, doll, it could be the difference in saving his life,” Franco whispered, and she quickly looked up.

“You think he’s in danger?” she asked, and this time Franco looked around then whispered to her.

“Sugar, he could be in a heap of trouble an’ ya can make a difference in saving him, a pretty young woman like you. Now come on and tell me where he’s at,” Franco stated, laying on the thick Cajun accent good. Michael had to try really hard to maintain a straight face. Franco was good at questioning this young woman.

“I really shouldn’t tell ya, but since you’re the law and all and since you say Mr. Lukon could be in some sort of bad trouble, I’ll tell ya.”

Michael felt confident as she handed the address over to Franco.

As they were leaving she stood up and touched Franco’s shoulder. He turned and they all stopped walking.

“Um, I’m not sure if this has anything to do with where Mr. Lukon is, but…”

She was acting awfully shy and they were wondering what she was hiding.

“Was there something else, doll?” Franco asked and she turned a shade redder.

“Come on, honey. If ya think it will help us find your boss, share it with me,” Franco pushed.

She took his hand and led him toward Lukon’s office.

“I found something under his desk this morning when I dropped a folder on the floor,” she stated as she led him toward Lukon’s desk.

Franco saw the box and something red hanging out of it. Franco bent down to take a look, using the back of a pen from his shirt pocket.

His eyes widened in surprise.

“What is it? Michael asked

“Some items similar to what was found in Mikayla’s office, including some pictures. Look,” Franco said as he stood up, and Michael looked at the items.

There were photographs of Mikayla with each of her men and then alone at her desk or with a client. He then cut out the faces and had glued them to pictures of naked women. They were similar to the items found on Mikayla’s desk.

“Fuck! He has her. He’s the one that left the stuff in Mikayla’s office,” Michael said and Franco nodded.

“Let’s go and let’s take this with us.”

Franco thanked the young woman, and they all headed out of the office as he told them the address of Lukon’s private getaway spot.

“I know where that is. Follow me and we’ll get there in less than twenty,” Deputy Leon Rue stated.

“I’ll call the sheriff on the way. He’ll want to meet us there,” Michael stated then pulled out his cell to call Sheriff Eloi Lafont.

* * * *

“There’s something bothering me about the way Mikayla disappeared. I mean we’re assuming that Lukon took her, but she’s really tough and she broke Lukon’s nose like nothing. Could she have possibly known the person at the restaurant and went willingly?” Franco asked as they drove.

“I don’t think so. What about her piece of earring and the fact that she was enjoying her lunch with Douglas? Mikayla wouldn’t just get up and leave like that unless she was forced to,” Michael stated.

“They could have used something on her. Perhaps there was more than one person or if we are dealing with an expert, he was prepared to take her in a public location,” Deputy Leon added as they stopped at a red light.

“I thought we ruled out the suspect involved with the other break-ins now that we saw that box in Lukon’s office. If that wasn’t incriminating enough, he’s now missing. It’s our only lead and hopefully that’s where Mikayla is. She only had that one ex-boyfriend, but Ellena told me that he was a jerk and had treated Mikayla badly then left her for another woman. The guy had to be a fucking asshole to do that. Mikayla is gorgeous,” Deputy Leon Rue stated then heard Michael clear his throat.

“I’m sorry, Michael, but she is, and I was just adding my opinion,” Leon added.

“No problem. I didn’t even know about the ex-boyfriend or what he did to her. It explains why she’s kind of distant and hesitant to commit,” Michael said.

“You guys will change her mind. It was just one bad experience. I mean look at Angelique with Eloi, Armand, Marcel, and Remi,” Leon stated.

“And look at Illeanna, with me and my brothers. That took some serious convincing and under intense circumstances,” Franco added.

“I hear what you’re saying. What’s bothering me about the way this went down appears as if the person only half planned it. I understand that another suspect involved with break-ins and one attempted sexual assault is being looked at. But the way this went down it’s like he or she totally worked out their plan to capture her right down to the exact second of abduction, but in such a busy place in the middle of the day and so quietly and discreetly? I just can’t wrap my brain around it and I honestly don’t believe that Lukon could be capable of this,” Michael told them.

“Well, hopefully Lukon will be at his little hiding place, and we can get some concrete answers. Right now it appears that he is our number-one suspect and definitely responsible for the break-in at Mikayla’s office. How else would he have pictures and items like the ones found at her office unless he was the one responsible,” Franco said just as they pulled up onto a long private road leading to Lukon’s getaway location.

* * * *

As they neared they saw Eloi, along with Michael’s team, preparing to infiltrate the house. A quick glance around and Michael could see that Julien and Louis Boudoux were there to assist. Their brothers, Johnny and Gustave, were back in Orchidea keeping Mikayla’s sisters abreast of the situation and under guard. Armand, Marcel, and Remi were there in Orchidea, too. They weren’t taking any chances with the other sisters.

Michael shook Eloi’s hand.

“Thanks for helping out here. What do you know about the residence and the neighbors?” Michael asked as he glanced around at the two other homes about a half an acre away on either side of Lukon’s.

“We had some detectives check them out. The residents haven’t seen or heard anything strange. The one neighbor said he thought that Lukon had left two days ago. That was the last time he saw him,” Eloi informed Michael.

“Okay. So let’s get my team some information on the house and move in slowly. As far as we’re concerned, Lukon is in there, he’s our suspect, and he has Mikayla in there against her will. That means slow and easy,” Michael stated.

He looked around at everyone’s faces. These were friends he had known for years. They were family, and technically if he and his brothers got their way, they would truly be family when they got Mikayla to marry them. He took a deep breath then spoke to his team.

* * * *

The sound of a car speeding up the driveway drew their attention just as the agents and detectives slowly entered the house. Eloi stopped the vehicle.

Eloi’s gun was drawn as Pierre jumped out of the car. “What’s going on? Is she in there?” he asked frantically. Eloi placed his revolver into his holster and walked toward Pierre.

“We’re not sure. You shouldn’t be here right now. We have things under control and we’ll inform you the second we know if she’s in there.”

“I want to help. I need to know if she’s okay, Eloi.”

“I understand. Just stay back and let your brother and his team do their thing.”

Eloi pointed to a large truck and told Pierre he could hear what was going on in there through the mikes that Michael and his men were wearing. They both walked toward it and entered.

“Okay, the front is all clear, perimeter clear. No traps, no wires,” Michael whispered and they could hear him over the speaker.

“What does he mean wires?” Pierre asked.

“They’re secret service guys, used to bombs and traps by the bad guys. They’re being thorough, and I’m sure glad they’re in there because we don’t know what we’re dealing with,” Eloi stated.

“Kitchen, front living room all clear. Heading to the second floor,” Michael told them, and Eloi could just imagine how intense Michael felt. He was headed toward the unexpected. Eloi hoped that Mikayla was safe.

“Three bedrooms. I’ve got the far right. Hallway window, side closet all clear.”

“All clear,” they heard the other agents say about the other rooms.

“Last room to check. Let’s do this,” Michael said and there was silence and the sound of Michael’s voice.

“Oh hell!”

It took several minutes before there was any indication to what was going on. Eloi waited for Michael and his team to clear the house before letting them inside. When he finally heard Michael’s voice, he released a sigh.

“Mikayla’s not here but Lukon is. He’s beaten and unconscious. I don’t know what the fuck is going on,” Michael stated.

Eloi and Pierre rushed inside.

* * * *

“We have her but we can’t leave on the boat yet.”

“You got her? She’s with you right now?” Bennitto asked Enrique Vergos.

“Yes. There’s a situation down by the marina. There are police walking around, and it looks like some sort of warrant arrest or something. I don’t want to take a chance of one of these cops spotting us.”

“I understand. I am certain she is not cooperating,” Bennitto replied.

“I drugged her immediately. She’s out cold and should be for hours. When she wakes up, we’ll be in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.”

“Very good. I will wait to hear from you once you’re closer to Havana.”

“Yes, sir.”

Mikayla could hear the conversation, but her head was so foggy and she felt entirely too tired to move, never mind speak. Something was wrong and she thought of Douglas. He would be so worried about her and where she was and who did that deep Spanish voice belong to? What was going on anyway? She drifted off into sleep.