Kendall rustled in Thayer's bed. Her brown hair was a mess over her face. She tossed to one side only to toss the other way. Thayer had been sitting in the arm chair in Olivia's room. He'd been watching his baby tossing in her sleep for almost an hour. When Kendall flopped on her back and mutter the word, "Mommy?" Thayer felt his heart pull. He sat up and looked at her. Downstairs he could hear his son throwing his lincoln logs across the living room. He hadn't fully grasped the idea that you built houses with them instead of chucking them at the cat. Even though Thayer only had Kendall for two days, he'd been under strict order to keep her away from her half-brother. "Mommy?" Kendall said again. This time she sat up and pushed the hair off her face. When she saw Thayer her face pinched, "Where's mommy?" She asked. Kendall had developed an adverse reaction to Kendall ever since he'd had her.
Thayer stood up and move to the bed, he brushed her long hair off her face but she moved her head as if to say she didn't want him to touch her, "Hey there princess." He said softly. "Don't worry, you will get to see mommy soon." He said. He swallowed hard, hoping that she would get to see Sutton again soon. "Until then, can you hang out with daddy?"
Kendall shook her head but then looked at her dad, "I'm scared daddy. Why is mommy not here?"
Thayer scooped up his little girl. She wore a pull-up and an old t-shirt of his. He didn't have much in the area of clothing for her, so he had to improve with what he had. At first Kendall stiffened in his arms and every time she recoiled Thayer's heart hardened, this wasn't how he wanted his daughter to feel around him but when he closed his eyes he saw the cold metal of the gun at the back of her head when slept, "Get the money or I will kill her." Thayer cradled the toddler in his arms, she relaxed and rested her head on his chest. "I needed to be with you for a little while, okay baby?" His voice tried to soothe her. Part of him didn't want to let her go. He needed to do whatever he could to protect his daughter, but things were getting worse. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out. Hopefully Sutton hurried with the ransom.
Sutton swallowed, her knee bounced with nerves. Emma reached next to her and grabbed her sisters hand, "It's going to be okay." She said. She gave Sutton a reassuring smile. Sutton tried to smile back but she was afraid that if Alec figures out the truth behind her need for all this money, he'd for sure get the police involved and Thayer would do something to harm her daughter.
Alec waved from across the dining area of the country club. His face glistened with a fresh sheen of sweat. Emma waved back. "I'm sorry girls. I just finished a round of golf with a few of my colleagues." He sat at the table and wiped the sweat from his face, "alright." He said when he was fresh, "You said you wanted to talk?"
Emma looked at Sutton who sat there nervously avoided his gaze and chewing her nail. She gave Sutton a swift kick from under the table. Sutton looked up and smiled at Alec. If there was anything Sutton was good at it was getting her way especially when it came to getting money, "I need help." She said plainly.
Alec nodded, "You need money."
"No!" She protested but then she paused, "Yes. But it's not for me. I mean it is, but it's not for something stupid."
Alec nodded, "What kind of money are we talking about? A thousand? Two thousand?"
Sutton's face pinched, "15?"
Alec nearly spit out his water at her request, "Excuse me?" He wiped his mouth with the linen napkin and placed it back on his lap, "you need 15 thousand dollars? For what? You girls have money. Didn't your dad set up trust funds for you?" Sutton nodded and then suddenly Alec lowered his glare like he'd realized there was something not right about this picture, "Where is Kendall?" He asked.
A breath caught in Sutton's throat at the sound of her name. She felt her heart pound so hard she swore it was going to pop out of her chest. Under the table she gripped Emma's hand tighter. Emma responded by rubbing her thumb on her sister's hand, a reassurance that everything was going to be okay, "She's" She stuttered over her words. There wasn't much of a story she could build in the moment, "She's with my mom." She lied.
Alec's eye's narrowed at her, "I just saw Kristin at yoga. How can she be at yoga and taking care of Kendall?" His eyes flashed to Emma but she just gave him a smile. He looked back at Sutton, "Sutton, where is your daughter? Is that why you need 15 grand? Sutton did someone kidnap her?"
Sutton sat there in absolute silence. She didn't know what exactly to say. She knew if she said something that he'd call the police and she'd risk losing Kendall. She looked around the room making sure no one was around, "You can't call the cops or he will hurt her. I just need 15 thousand to get her back."
Alec couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Wait." He put his hands up in the air and looked at her, "Someone kidnapped Kendall and then asked for a 15 thousand dollar ransom?" Sutton nodded and Alec looked at Emma, "Emma is this true?"
Emma looked at her sister and then back at Alec. As much as she despised Alec for his past actions she really needed his help, "She's telling the truth, but if you get the cops involved, he will kill Kendall."
"Do you know who we are dealing with?" He asked. Suddenly it seemed like they were in the middle of some kind of drug deal. The girls were sitting close to each other and leaning to Alec across the table. When he asked his question both girls looked at each other, neither wanting to say it was Thayer. "Sutton, who are we dealing with?" he asked again.
Sutton swallowed hard, "Thayer." Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper. She didn't even look at her Godfather.
Alec shook his head, "Thayer? Thayer kidnapped his own daughter? Are you joking with me?"
Sutton shot her head up and stared at him, "No! Please, can you help me?"
"Look, Alec. Sutton's not lying, okay? Thayer wasn't the one who kidnapped Kendall but he's involved. He made the ransom call. I was there. Sutton's telling the truth for once."
"Thayer didn't actually take the girl, but he made the call. Who took her?"
Emma looked down, look of defeat on her face, "We don't know."
"Jordan." Sutton said. She looked at Emma, "Jordan took her. He is tall enough and he's practically best friends with Olivia and Thayer. He took her."
Emma leaned into her sister, "How do you know that? If you accuse Jordan of kidnapping Kendall and he didn't do it then it could ruin him." She warned.
Sutton glared at her, "I know it was him." She said sternly. She looked back at Alec, "Are you going to help me or not?"
