Free Dakota Homecoming by Lisa Mondello Page A

glanced down at her cell phone and as if she could bring Angela back. Georgie had gotten out. But her cousin was still there. Still at Eduardo’s compound. And still in the middle of Eduardo’s rule. And after today’s phone conversation, it looked as though she could be under new scrutiny now that Eduardo had brought home a child for his wife.
    She needed to talk to Julian. This wasn’t just about her cousin staying for the sake of a baby. It was about a baby who may have been kidnapped. And if Angela knew the truth, then she was a target for Eduardo.
    With her phone still in her hand, Georgie opened the bedroom door and headed downstairs in search of Julian. She heard laughter coming up from the kitchen. Loud male chuckles, Joan’s voice, and more.
    Pausing at the bottom of the stairs, she clutched her cell phone and then took three cleansing breaths to steady her nerves. She didn’t want the McKinnons to see her rattled. They were too in tune to each other and they would know immediately that something was wrong. When she was reasonably sure she wouldn’t lose it, she walked into the kitchen, she made her way towards the laughter, hoping Julian would see her quickly. If he wasn’t in the kitchen, she didn’t know what she would do.
     
    * * *
     
    Georgie hadn’t had to say a word when she came into the kitchen. Julian felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket and saw the look on Georgie’s face and he knew instantly that someone had contacted her. She walked into the kitchen without looking at anyone else and stopped behind the chair he was sitting in at the table. Bending down, she wrapped her arms around him and put her mouth to his ear as if she were about to kiss him.
    The move seemed so natural for a couple in love that no one else sitting at the table seemed suspicious.
    Georgie whispered in his ear, “We need to talk.”
    When he glanced up at his mother, he saw she was smiling. It was Georgie’s way of getting his attention without rousing suspicion. But his mother didn’t know that.
    “We’ll be back in a minute,” Julian said, getting up from the chair. “Mom, do you mind pouring two coffees for me and Georgie?”
    “Sure, honey.”
    Julian took Georgie’s hand and led her into the living room, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was paying attention to them. He wrapped her in his arms as if he were about to kiss her passionately. But instead of kissing her the way he’d dreamed of doing many times, he whispered in her ear.
    “You’ve had contact?”
    “Angela. She said Eduardo has brought home a baby girl. She thinks the baby is Cash Montgomery’s child.”
    It made sense. Kelly hadn’t known about a wife until a few days ago.
    “It makes sense. Kelly didn’t know Cash had a wife until just a few days ago. The wife’s family has had ties to the Aztec Corporation and Manuel Turgis.”
    Julian released Georgie and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He pressed the button for the downloads he’d made from the Internet and showed Georgie a picture of Manuel Turgis.
    “Is this the man who was talking with Eduardo when you were there?”
    Georgie looked at the picture on the cell phone. “I think so, but the man I saw was older than this man.”
    “It’s an old stock photo. I think Angela has hit on the reason Cash Montgomery went to Colombia and why Eduardo was so eager to capture him.”
    “He kidnapped Cash’s baby girl?”
    “Perhaps. We need to get in touch with Angela. We need to know for sure if the baby at the compound is really Cash Montgomery’s child. If she is, then we’ll need to get her back.”
    “What about Angela? She told me not to call her. She called me from a pay phone using a calling card today.”
    “It’s too dangerous. She’ll have to sit tight for now. Don’t worry. It may look like nothing is happening but there is a lot going on behind the scenes. It’ll all be over soon.”
    It should have given him a sense of relief. But