Later that evening, the police showed up and asked Leanna to make an appeal in the news. It had been heart-wrenching to watch Leanna give the interview no parent ever wanted to give.
Blue Skull and Carmelita’s pictures were flashed on every news program, and a hotline was set up. Soledad’s phone was impounded, something Sam should have done earlier, so that if Carmelita contacted her, the police would have clues.
Leanna bit her fingernails to the quick, and all Axe could do was be present. He sat with Soledad to reassure her they were doing all they could. At least his daughter believed Carmelita was happy. She had no idea what kind of dastardly things an older man who was a gang member could do to her.
She did, however, hint that Carmelita wanted to have sex, because she took her birth control pills.
Axe took the opportunity to remind Soledad to keep herself pure. “Sex too early can cause a lot of trouble. You’ll want your baby to have a good family, right? Parents who have jobs and can love them. A good home.”
“Yes, Dad.” Soledad rubbed her eyes and yawned. “I know all that, and I don’t want a baby just yet.”
“Babies are blessings from God.” He patted her hand. “But we have to be ready to be parents. I remember staying up all night with you when you were sick, and rocking you until you fell asleep. I missed all that when you were taken away.”
“I missed you, too.” She blinked at him with those attentive eyes he remembered so well. “I used to put your voice onto a face I saw in the magazine or in the movies. Christmas was my favorite holiday because I got to speak to you. I didn’t know why my father was away. No one ever told me the truth. They all had a different story. Some said you were in jail. Others said you were sick, or too old to take care of me.”
He bent over the pillow and kissed the top of her head. “The important thing is we’re together now. We must pray for Carmelita and Leanna. I can’t imagine how she feels.”
“This is the first night since we left Mexico without her,” Soledad said. “I miss her.”
He tucked Soledad in and held her hands, and they both prayed for Carmelita’s safe return.
“I think I hear Leanna yelling at herself downstairs,” Soledad said after they finished praying. “I think you need to calm her down. I’ll be okay.”
He caressed her cheek and nodded. “You are my precious girl. You know I love you.”
“I do know.” She smiled shyly. “I love you, too, Dad.”
Axe’s heart was beaming, and he wished he could keep the moment longer, but Leanna needed him.
“Goodnight, sweetheart.” He shut the door and headed for the stairs.
There were banging noises, and Leanna was cursing herself in Spanish. The television was on a local news channel, and Leanna stared at her computer, searching and searching.
“Sweetie,” Axe said as he approached her, not wanting to startle her. “Are you okay?”
She whirled around, her eyes red and puffy. “No. How can I be okay?”
“Is there any news?” He crossed to her side as she rose from the kitchen table.
“Nothing. I’ve been reading all about these gangs and how they groom girls for human trafficking.” She wiped her eyes furiously. “When I was stuck with Ivan, Juan, and Reuben, they said there was an American collector who’d pay big money for young girls. They said Carmelita was on her way to the collector. What if that’s where Ivan’s taking her?”
“This isn’t good,” Axe said. “What does your father think?”
“My father’s mad at me. He says I screwed everything up by not watching over her. It’s all my fault. Everything’s my fault. All I cared about was this stupid charity competition. I spent all my time thinking about it and the stupid penis and vagina cupcakes for Nick and Carol’s party.” She let him pull her onto the couch and leaned against him. Her chest heaved, and her entire body shuddered.
“It’s not wrong to have fun.” He kissed the top of her head, rocking her gently the way he used to rock Soledad to sleep. “Part of it was Carmelita. She seemed so well adjusted that we didn’t suspect she had problems. With Soledad, we knew she was having nightmares, and we have her in therapy.”
“You’re just a better parent than I am.” Leanna tapped her fists on his chest, lightly, to make a point.
“This isn’t a competition. We both lost out on all the formative years. Ana and Eduardo did a great job with Carmelita.”
“No, I ignored all the signs. The makeup, the fingernail polish, and the birth control pills. What if he’s taking her to be a capo’s girl? What if she’s bought and paid for?”
Axe’s entire body tensed as a horrid thought crossed his mind. “El Bardo told me Ivan was a wannabe smuggler. You might be right.”
One thing was for sure, Ivan could have known about the real Carmelita all along. He just didn’t know about the Soledad swap, or maybe he knew that too. The guy was a snitch and an opportunist. Who knew what he knew or was planning to do?
“I don’t want to be right.” Leanna buried her face into Axe’s chest. “I want my daughter back. Why didn’t I watch over her?”
