Chapter Seventeen

"The truth? What do you mean the truth?" Elizabeth demanded to know.

"How much do you really know about Ric Lansing?" The voice asked coldly.

"What... what do you mean?"

There was a slight chuckle before Elizabeth received an answer. "Your husband is a liar, a cheat, hell he was even in prison. Do you know anything about him?"

"I know who my husband is. He's a good man who's made some mistakes." Elizabeth said firmly. After she had forgiven him they had talked about their past. Well the important stuff anyways. They both glossed over certain times in their lives. Elizabeth knew Ric had done thing he regretted. The fact he was so willing to change for her, for their baby amazed Elizabeth. It just made her love him even more.

"Ric has you so deluded. Why can't you see what a monster he is?" The voice practically snapped. Elizabeth could hear the hatred in his voice. It frightened her what he might do simply because she loved Ric.

"Why are you doing this?" Elizabeth asked softly. All she wanted was for this to be over. She needed to see Ric, to feel his arms wrapped around her body it was the only way she would ever feel safe again.

"To save you. Read the files and then we will talk."

Elizabeth wanted to scream at her capture to let her go but she knew it would be no use. Whoever had her hated Ric a lot. They must since they had done all this work in researching his life.

Picking up the first file Elizabeth noticed it started not long after Ric was born. She smiled at the pictures of her husband as a baby. Even back then, he had dark curly hair. Elizabeth had to wonder whom their child would look like. As she read the file, however Elizabeth could not help but frown.

Ric never liked talking about his past, especially his childhood. Occasionally he would share something. Mostly about his time in boarding school. Elizabeth always accepted his feelings. Her own childhood was something she didn't want to remember either.

Learning how Ric grew up gave her a new understanding however. Elizabeth was better able to see why Ric was so worried about his parenting abilities. Trevor Lansing was not an ideal role model. It appeared as if the man either ignored his only child or sent him away. Elizabeth didn't want to imagine how Ric's stepmother treated him.

The more Elizabeth read the more she learned both about Ric and her captor. Whoever had her had been planning this for sometime. As much as Elizabeth didn't want to admit it, Jason was the only person who would pull something like this off. Elizabeth knew there was something more though. Something Elizabeth knew she should remember. Something important.

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"How she is?" Emily asked as Jason watched Elizabeth on some monitors.

Jason sighed before answering his sister. "You shouldn't be here Emily. I told you to let me handle it."

"I know, Jason. I know. It's just I hate her. I hate them both. That !%+ ruined my life. I just want to make them both suffer."

"I know you do but you should have come to me first. I would have helped you. Knocking Elizabeth out was risky. What would have happened if someone saw you?" Jason asked in frustration. He did not understand what prompted Emily to take this risk. Thankfully, he had this place already set up for another purpose.

"Please. That dump she paints in has no security at all." Emily said brushing off Jason's concerns. She thought he would be happy if not grateful by what she did. Instead, he was acting as if he was angry with her.

"And you better be damn grateful." Jason snapped before taking a deep breath. "Look Emily, all I'm saying is you should have planned this better. If I hadn't already had this place set up what would you have done?"

"I don't know." Emily said looking away. She did not plan to kidnap Elizabeth. The opportunity simply presented itself. Why couldn't Jason understand that?

"I'm not angry. I just wish you had trusted me more."

"I do trust you Jason." Emily whined as Jason stared at her.

"Then go home and let me handle it."

"But..."

"Go home Emily." Jason ordered harshly. It was bad enough that she knew where Elizabeth was being held. He did not want of need any more of Emily's help.

"Fine but I want to know what's going on." Emily pouted as she stormed out.

Jason shook his head at her antics. If it had been, any one but Emily Jason would have killed her. Ric was tearing the town apart looking for Elizabeth. What Emily did was stupid not to mention dangerous. Once he was able to convince Elizabeth to leave town Jason could focus on killing Ric.