Independence & Consequences - M J Marlow (manga ebook reader txt) 📗

of a spoiled brat as the maid escorted Ricardo Alvarez, Enrique’s older brother, into the lounge. Alejandra let out a squeal of delight and threw her arms around his neck, babbling in Spanish. Ricardo’s hard expression melted like snow under the sun and he looked at his brother, amused and touched by the girl’s greeting. He reminded Enrique about their meeting in the morning and then left the house with his niece. He enjoyed giving her the things he had never been able to give his lost child. They entered the jewelry store and he told the Manager that Alejandra was to have whatever she wished. The girl spent the next half hour going through the cases while he went to the corner and dialed his brother again. “I want you do something for me, Enrique,” he said as he watched his niece enthusing after one piece or another with a fond smile on his face. “Find out who that girl with Gordon Talbot is!” He thought it over and decided on a figure he thought would have been about what he would have spent on Alejandra over the past 18 years. “If she is my daughter, I want you to open an account for her and transfer 15 million into it from my personal account.” He heard his brother whistle at the amount. “Plus I want her to inherit all my holdings when she marries or reaches the age of 25. Yes, Enrique,” Ricardo nodded, “I know what I’m doing; preparing to make up for 18 years that were stolen from us.” He saw Alejandra beckoning him over. “Your daughter is ready to choose her birthday gift. I’ll expect this done by tomorrow afternoon.” He hung up and went to his niece, smiling at the necklace she had chosen; a simple golden chain. “You have given me so much, Tio,” Alejandra smiled up at him as he paid for it then put it on her. “Thank you for the lovely gift.” “Are you certain it is enough, Ana?” Ricardo asked her, pleased that she showed a certain restraint in her choice. “It is perfect, Tio,” Alejandra replied, running her fingers along the metal. “I can wear it alone, or add pendants to it.” She went up on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. “Do you have time to join me for lunch?” “I have all the time you wish, Ana,” Ricardo smiled at the girl. He escorted her out to the car and froze as he saw Isabel going into the Grand Theater. Alejandra followed his gaze and frowned as she saw the dark-haired girl. So this was her cousin, Isabel, she thought. She had seen pictures of Cassandra and there was no doubt that the girl belonged to that woman. She wondered if Isabel had her mother’s blue eyes or her father’s deep gray ones. She turned to her uncle and he was still watching his daughter, a look of utter regret on his face. She laid her hand on his arm, reminding him that she was here. He looked at her and smiled. “Ah yes,” he nodded and helped her into the car. “Lunch. Do you wish to go to your favorite place or somewhere new?” “It does not matter, Tio,” Alejandra smiled sweetly up at him. “Any place is special when you are with me.” “You are going to have the boys at St Mark’s tripping over the tongues with such speeches, Ana,” Ricardo laughed down at her. He saw her seated and went to get behind the wheel. He glanced back at the theater but Isabel was already out of sight. He would have to see if he could get tickets to the event tonight. He saw Alejandra’s frown. “It is a very good school. You will do quite well there.” “I know I will, Tio,” Alejandra looked at him. “I shall miss our times together.” “As will I, Ana,” Ricardo smiled at her. They drove to her favorite restaurant, an upscale Tex-Mex, and were seated quickly. He smiled at the waiter and ordered in Spanish. Alejandra did likewise and they turned to continue their conversation in their native tongue. Ricardo frowned as he saw her staring at a table in the corner. He turned and saw Lang Tolliver and a pretty blonde. “Something disturbs you, Ana?” “Don’t we know that young man?” Alejandra asked him. “He looks quite familiar.” “That man?” Ricardo asked, puzzled by her statement. “That is Langston Tolliver. He has just been assigned to the Baltimore FBI office.” He saw her flinch and wondered why this would bother the girl. “His father is my old college roommate, Winston Tolliver.” “The same Winston Tolliver who tried to steal Cassandra Talbot from you all those years ago?” Alejandra asked, even though she already knew the answer. “It amazes me that you are still friends.” “If he had truly loved Cassandra I might have hated him,” Ricardo told her. “But, it was obvious he merely wanted to help her. Her brother, Gordon, was being very domineering. He thought he knew what was best for his sister.” He smiled with relief as their food arrived. “Let us not dwell on what is past. It is time to celebrate your future, Ana.” He raised his wine glass and toasted her. “May all you wish for yourself come to you.” Alejandra smiled and clinked her water glass with his wine glass. If only he knew what she wished. He might not be so eager to want her to have what she wanted. Because it meant that the girl they were holding up to him as his long-lost daughter would become Alejandra’s property. After she had been used to disgrace Ricardo in front of the Council. She kissed her uncle on the cheek and took her Jaguar to a hotel in the suburbs. She went to one of the suites and knocked on the door. Rafael opened it smiled at her warmly as she entered. “Our pretty cousin has finally come out of hiding, hermano,” Alejandra said as she went to pour herself a drink. “I think it’s time we introduced ourselves to her.” “I already have, sister,” Rafael said and saw the surprise on her face. “Father has plans for her, Ana. It is not wise to get in his way.” “It is not Father’s plans you need to worry about,” Alejandra smiled back at him. She saw his look and knew she wasn’t fooling him. “Don’t look at me like that, Rafael. I am not planning on hurting her.” “I’d better come with you,” Rafael frowned. He knew his younger sister too well to believe her assurances. If the girl thought it would suit her plans, she would slit their cousin’s throat without a moment’s hesitation. She was far more like their father than he ever would be. “We’ll take your car.” They went down to Alejandra’s car and drove to the theater. Rafael and Alejandra took seats in the very back and watched as the girl went through her solo for the lighting techs. They were both quite impressed. They had not known that the child was gifted. It made her even more valuable. Once Isabel was through, Alejandra made her way to the dressing rooms. She found Olivia and beckoned to her, noting that the woman was not pleased to see her. “You are to take a room in this motel,” Alejandra told her, handing over the registration information. “My father will be joining you there to discuss your future employment with our organization.” She smiled as she saw Isabel walking past them. “The girl is very talented, Olivia. If she were allowed to train, she would be quite exquisite.” “Too many people have other plans for her,” Olivia frowned. “I’d better go say goodbye or she’ll think something is wrong.” She did not miss the avaricious smile on the young woman’s face. Alejandra was planning something, and it was not to Isabel’s benefit. Olivia entered the dressing room and smiled as Isabel came out of the dressing area. “You were almost flawless, Isabel,” she said to the girl. “Are you certain you want to go to your uncle’s penthouse?” “It’s time for me to be on my own,” Isabel insisted as they made their way out of the theater. She saw the worry on Olivia’s face. “Is something else wrong? You seem almost agitated.” “You’re just a child, Isabel,” Olivia explained her unease away. “I’d feel much better if you let me stay with you until Gordon comes back from his trip.” “Separation anxiety, Olivia?” Rafael laughed as he stepped away from the Jaguar and in front of the pair. He smiled at Isabel. “It is good to see you again, cousin.” “Isabel,” Olivia spoke as Isabel turned to her for some explanation. “You remember Rafael Alvarez. His father, Enrique, may be your uncle.” She saw Alejandra standing in the doorway. “This is Rafael’ sister, Alejandra. They wanted to meet you.” “And I am quite glad to meet them,” Isabel smiled. “But I think you’re rushing to judgment, Olivia,” she frowned over at the woman. “The tests aren’t in yet. I don’t know who my mother is or was.” “We insist you join us for dinner, anyway” Rafael told Isabel as he took her by the elbow. His grip told Isabel he was not going to take no for an answer. “A dancer of your caliber should be spoiled and pampered.” “I would rather go home,” Isabel told the young man. “It’s been a long day and I am tired…” “An hour can make no difference,” Rafael broke in smoothly. He guided her to the passenger seat as Alejandra got in the back. He smiled at the young woman for a moment, noting that she did not trust him. She was a very intuitive young woman. He wondered why he had been so relieved to hear that she was might not be his cousin, after all. “We will go to the restaurant near your residence, if that will ease your worry.” “It would be better if we just ordered something in,” Isabel told him firmly. She didn’t know why she did not trust this man, but she went with her instinct. “Please,” she pleaded with the young man when he started to argue. “I have a performance tomorrow night. I really do need to rest.” Rafael nodded and got behind the wheel. They drove into the underground parking garage for the building Isabel was living in and went up to the penthouse. Rafael froze as a rottweiler came towards them, growling. Isabel smiled to herself and went to the phone to order dinner to be delivered. Then she sent the dog to sit in a corner nearby and sank down on the couch. Oscar would protect her, she knew. And this pair of people would not be able to get her out of the penthouse without raising some kind of alarm. She could see by their expressions that she had circumvented someone’s plans for the evening. Two hours later, her cousins left her alone. “I have someone I need to speak with, hermano,” Alejandra told him as they approached her car. “Can you wait for me in the hotel bar?” She saw him hesitate. “Honestly, Rafe! You’d think I was going to do something monstrous. When did you become so distrustful of me?” “When it was obvious you were doing everything you could to ingratiate yourself to our father,” he told her truthfully. He kissed her on the forehead. “Go talk to your ‘someone,’ hermana. I will be waiting for you at the hotel bar.” Alejandra watched him walk to the stairwell, smiling. He was still so easy to manipulate, even as learned as he was. She went back upstairs and got out on the floor below the Talbot’s penthouse. A tall blonde woman opened the door as Alejandra rang the doorbell; and the woman’s eyes widened in delight. She stepped aside