A/N: You guys are awesome. Thank you reading my story and taking the time to review. And a special thanks for putting the word out for others to read it. I'm glad you like it enough to do that.
Chapter 54
Glen, Clay and Bruno parked the unmarked black sedan they were riding in, in the alley several garages down from Franklin's garage. Walking to the house, via the alley, they picked the lock, entered and waited for Franklin to come home. They didn't have to wait long. Hearing keys in the lock, the door opened and Franklin stepped through the threshold throwing his keys on the table in the foyer. Walking into the living room Franklin saw Glen and Clay standing in the middle of it.
"What the fuck are you doing in my house? How did you get in?"
"Well, well, well if it isn't the great maestro," Glen snidely remarked.
"We came in the way any normal person would. We picked the lock," Clay snickered. "And don't you mean Spencer's house?"
"This is my house! I bought and paid for it when Spencer sold it. I guess I should have invested in a burglar alarm, which I'll do immediately after you leave. Now get out."
"Aw is that any way to treat your brothers -in-law?"
"Ex-brothers-in-law. Now state your business and then get the hell out."
"Well we got us a feisty bitch here Clay. He must have grown some balls after our sister divorced his ass."
"More like felt up some balls," Clay snickered. Glen and Bruno snickering with him.
Franklin's eyes narrowed. "Get out… now!"
"Okay we're going but you're coming with us."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," he said backing up in the direction of the front door. "Humpt," he spoke when he collided into Bruno.
"Grab him Bruno and take him to the car. Make sure no one sees you and stuff his mouth with something so he doesn't yell for help," Glen ordered. Bruno nodded.
"Hey wait, let go of me? Where the fuck are we going?" Franklin mumbled, his eyes bulging out while his mouth was being stuffed with a dish towel Bruno had found in the kitchen.
"You're going to hell, I hope," Glen snapped.
"I'll get his house and car keys," Clay said.
///
In the car Glen called his father. "Dad we have the package."
"Good, take him to the warehouse and leave him there. I can't get there tonight because I'm out with your mother. Make sure he's secured and get Frick and Frack to sit at the warehouse until morning."
"Will do. By the way, what are you and mom doing?"
"We're at a function to smooz over a few candidates for the conductor position with the orchestra, he said laughing.
"Isn't that Franklin's job?" Glen asked surprised.
"It was until he made a drunken pass at one of the board member's eighteen year old son." They both laughed, then hung up.
///
"Ms. Carlin we will be landing at the Barcelona airport in thirty minutes. There will be a car waiting for you and Ms. Davies at the gate to take you to the mansion. Your father arranged for two bodyguards to be with you while you're there," the flight attendant informed her.
"Who are they Estella?"
"Antonio and Jose Hernandez."
Ashley laughed, "your father hired The Enforcer's to watch over us. Is he expecting trouble?"
"He's just being cautious love."
"Please put your seatbelts on, we'll be landing soon. Ms. Davies do you need help with your seatbelt?" Estella asked as she bent over to assist Ashley but paused to stare at her comely features.
"I'll take care of Ms. Davies, Estella thank you." Ashley smirked.
Reaching over to buckle Ashley's seatbelt, Ashley grabbed Spencer's hand. "Jealous much," Ashley asked as she lovingly rubbed Spencer's hand.
"Yes, I'm very jealous when it comes to someone ogling my lover. You know Estella has always liked you. You should have seen the way she was looking at you… I mean… I'm sorry love. I didn't mean to say it like that."
"It's okay Spencer, please don't change the way you talk to me because I can't see. I would die if you did that."
Placing her hand on the back of Ashley's neck caressing it she pulled her in for a kiss that left Ashley panting. "Te amo, Ashley."
"Yo Tembien te quiero, Spencer," she whispered back."
"Ahem… excuse me Ms. Carlin, we'll be landing in five minutes. Please buckle yourself in for landing."
"Alright Estella."
///
Bruno, Glen and Clay arrived at the warehouse with Arthur after they made sure Spencer and Ashley were safely on the plane to Spain. Walking toward their captive they watched a frazzled Franklin struggling to get loose. "Gee I hope you wasn't doing that all night Franklin."
"Fuck you Glen."
"Untie him and take his blindfold off. I want him to see who he's talking too," Arthur said.
Franklin rubbed his eyes to wipe away the blurriness. "Arthur what's the meaning of this… this atrocity? Why was I brought here and left bound and gagged overnight like a caged animal?"
Arthur glared at Franklin ignoring his tirade. "How you been Franklin?"
"What?"
"I said how have you been lately? Has life been treating you well?"
"Uh, fine, it's been good."
"Been handling the money you were awarded from the divorce well? I mean you haven't been frivolously spending it on silly things have you?"
Franklin gave Arthur a curious look, "silly things no I've been very careful with my spending. Why, what's this all about?"
"Oh I was just curious, hire any good housekeepers, landscapers… demolition men lately?"
Franklin's eyes widened, clearing his throat, "why no I haven't Arthur."
"Hmm, I see well I guess Phillip Sparks must have been mistaken when he said you hired him to place a bomb in Ashley's car," Arthur stated his brow cocked.
"Who?"
Arthur walked up to Franklin and slapped him hard with the glove that was in his hand. Franklin raised his hand to his face surprised by Arthur's action.
"What the hell."
"Let's begin again… Phillip Sparks."
"Okay I know him but I didn't hire him to plant any bomb. I had a one night stand with him, that's all. Not that it's any of your business."
Arthur walked up to Franklin slapping him again several times with the glove. "My patience is wearing thin Franklin. I'm going to ask you one more time and I expect a straight answer from you. Phillip Sparks who hired him to plant a bomb in Ashley's car?"
This time Franklin put his hand to his face and felt blood trickle from his nose. "Okay I'll tell you, just stop hitting me. I'm not a punching bag," he whined while Arthur smirked. "I didn't hire Phillip. I found him, Edward is the one who hired and paid him to rig a bomb in Ashley's car."
"Edward?"
"Yes he didn't want Ashley to have anything Spencer had given her. He had been angry that she didn't want to accept a replacement car from him since she had to give hers up after the reading of Tony's will. So when he found out Spencer had bought Ashley an Aston Martin One he was livid."
"How did he know Spencer had bought Ashley a new car?"
"He was having them watched. He knew when the car was delivered and had yet to be driven. So while Spencer was in the hospital he asked me if I knew someone who could rig a bomb that could destroy the car."
"Didn't Edward realize that Ashley would be getting into that car?"
"He figured he and Ashley would be back in Australia and Spencer would be the one driving the car once Ashley was gone." Arthur slapped Franklin again.
"Hey!"
"That's interesting Franklin, you knew that Edward wanted to kidnap Ashley and take her to Australia and now you're saying he also had a bomb rigged in Ashley's car."
"Yeah that's what I'm saying."
"Well that makes me wonder why Edward would go through such an elaborate plan in the garage of my building to try and kill Spencer when all he had to do was take Ashley and let the bomb in Ashley's car take care of Spencer."
"Who knows Arthur, Edward was crazy and so obsessed with taking Ashley away from Spencer he couldn't think straight."
"And you are stupid because you made no attempt to warn Spencer that she may be in danger?"
"Why the hell should I have warned Spencer or Ashley? When I went to the hospital to see how Spencer was Ashley told me to fuck off. So I did, you think I wanted to help that bitch save the other bitch?"
Arthur who had his back facing Franklin whipped around and glared at him once he finished his ranting.
"I mean… I assume she would have had her people check their surroundings for any signs of tampering after Edward's death so there was no need for me to warn either one of them," Franklin stammered out remembering who he was talking to.
"Dad!" Glen and Clay spoke.
"Quiet!" Arthur walked over to them gesturing for Bruno to join them. "I can't believe that bastard," Glen said.
"What do you want to do with him Mr. Carlin?" Bruno asked.
"I have a couple more questions."
"Franklin after Edward was killed you had your friend give you a remote control for the bomb he planted in Ashley's car didn't you and don't lie to me because he already admitted it."
"Yeah so what?"
"You were there at Spencer and Ashley's loft when the car exploded weren't you?"
Franklin remained silent.
"It wasn't Ashley's remote that blew up her car, it was yours. You waited until she got close enough and then you pressed your remote at the same time Ashley pressed hers, only hers didn't work and yours did."
"You're crazy Arthur."
"Am I… see I think you're lying Franklin. I think Edward initially thought of the plan for the bomb in the car but changed his mind and decided to go all commando in the garage because he wanted to watch Spencer die. You went ahead and executed his plan for the car bomb. Probably thinking if that plan fell through you would still get Spencer and perhaps Ashley later, it was just a matter of timing. That's why you were having them watched. Probably using the same people who were reporting to Edward. When it looked like they may be going somewhere you were told to get over there in a hurry because you wanted to be the one to push that button."
Franklin kept his mouth shut glaring at Arthur. "It doesn't matter if you answer or not your fate has already been determined."
"What… what are you talking about Arthur? If you think I've done something wrong then turn me in to the police, otherwise, let me go."
"So you decided to speak, you going to refute my statement?"
Franklin smirked at Arthur, go to hell. You're no better than me. When something is irritating you, you take care of it. You don't let it fester until it makes you completely sick. You get rid of it and that's what I was trying to do."
"Franklin, Spencer was living her life. She didn't care about you or how you lived your life."
"She divorced me, took me out of my comfort zone. She humiliated me when she started fucking Ashley and she made me constantly fear for my well being if I so much as talked against her precious lover. It was get rid of them or find myself in the nut house."
Arthur turned to Bruno and his sons. "Get rid of him. Put him in that nice shiny Maserati he just bought and take it up to Mulholland Drive and send it careening over the cliff. Get him liquored up first. I want this to look like a case of driving under the influence and if he doesn't drink it, force it down his fucking throat. I want it taken care of it today."
"Yesss! And that's too good for him," Glen said. "I wish I could torture his ass some kind of way."
"Go with the accident boys. In the public's eye Franklin is still connected to this family. I don't want reporters getting nosey. And find Phillip Sparks, he did not tell the whole truth. Bruno get someone you trust on his demolition crew, he's about to meet with an unfortunate accident."
"Yes sir."
Arthur turned back to Franklin and looked at him. "Franklin you are a heartless bastard. You thought you would kill two birds with one stone by not alerting your ex-wife of the potential danger she and her girlfriend were in after Edward's death."
"Me, heartless, you kill people all the time without blinking an eye."
"I kill to protect my family Franklin. You kill because you hate. You could have come to me or her brothers but you didn't. You wanted to see Spencer dead and Ashley apparently since Edward's plan to kidnap her failed. What satisfaction you would have gotten with their deaths makes no sense to me. Goodbye Franklin," Arthur said walking out the door.
"Arthur! Arthur you can't do this. You'll never get away with it. ARTHUR! ARTHUUUUUR!" Franklin screamed.
///
Arriving at the mansion in Barcelona, Spencer and Ashley were greeted at the front entrance by Maria, the mansion administrator.
"Hola, Senorita Carlin and Senorita Davies."
"Hola Maria, Es bueno verte," Spencer said.
"Es bueno ver que tambien. I hope your trip here was comfortable?"
"Si, it was."
"We have everything ready for you and Senorita Davies and so you don't tire yourself out Senorita Carlin, we have assigned a personal maid for Senorita Davies to help her bathe and dress."
"Gracias Maria," Ashley said.
"That won't be necessary Maria, I'll take care of Senorita Davies myself."
"If that is what you wish Senorita Carlin. But she will be here in case you change your mind. Please let us go inside, Antonio and Jose will bring your luggage in and take them up to your suite. The entire household was very excited to hear that you two were coming to spend two weeks here. But they were also saddened to hear about Senorita Davies misfortune. The staff will be at your disposal day and night during your entire stay here."
"Muy bueno Maria," Spencer said walking, her arm looped around Ashley's arm as she guided her through the entrance into the mansion.
"I'm going to take Ashley to our room. It was a long trip for the both of us. I think we could use a nap before dinner. Don't you think so love?"
"Yes that sounds like a good idea. Lead the way." Maria watched them with sad eyes as they walked up the stairs.
///
In their bedroom Spencer and Ashley settled down for a nap. "Opps I forgot to call dad to let him know we've arrived," she said to Ashley.
"He's probably expecting your call so I guess you had better call him before you take that nap." Getting up she walked over to the phone.
Ring, ring… "Hello."
"Hello dad, it's me. We made it."
"Good I was expecting your call. How was your flight?"
"Good and before you ask, everything here is fine. Maria has done an excellent job of getting the place ready for us."
"Great."
"Dad with all the rushing I forgot to tell you when Ashley and I went over to Christine's Kyla was there. She said that Edward had a bomb planted in the car because he didn't want Ashley having a car that was given to her by me."
"I know Spencer, don't worry or think about anything going on here. Everything has been taken care of. You and Ashley rest and have a good time."
"Everything dad?"
"Yes… everything." "Good!"
"Bye sweetheart, you and Ashley get some rest." "Bye dad."
Author's Note: For some who may not know some of the Spanish phases I used in this chapter here they are. And I hope I wrote them correctly if not blame my translator, google. Okay Spanish Lesson One:
Te amo – I love you. Yo Tembien te quiero – I love you too. Hola – Hello
Es bueno verte – It's good to see you. Es bueno ver que tambien – It's good to see you also. Muy bueno – very good.
