Page 139 of The Devil's Heir

"You need to try and remain calm, Lily. You must think of the baby, okay?" he starts, and when I begin to retort, he hurries up and adds, "Getting worked up can be harmful to the baby, is all I mean. This has been stressful enough for the little guy."

"Just tell me what's going on, Joey!"

"Jarek is missing," he blurts out.

"What do you mean missing?" My voice raises just a hair.

"If you don't remain calm, I won't finish telling you," Joey states sternly, and I immediately close my mouth. "Good girl. Now, as I was saying, Jarek is missing. He has been since the day of the explosion. We believe it was all a hoax to get to him. They used you to draw him out."

"Who's they?" I ask.

"Rossi, but he had help…"

I wait for Joey to continue, but when he doesn't, I become annoyed.

"Joey!"

He sighs. "We believe Greco helped."

"What? Carmen's uncle?"

"Yes. He's been eyeing the Falcon fortune for a long time. When your abduction didn't pan out, they went straight for the main source, it seems."

"Oh, my God. You think Jarek is—dead!"

Joey nods once.

Tears threaten to spill, but I hold them back. I need to remain calm, just like Joey said. I rub my tummy and then harden my resolve.

"But I'm carrying his heir. They still can't get their hands on his inheritance."

Joey smiles at me sadly. "They think you didn't survive the explosion."

"What?!"

"You were rushed to the hospital right away, and with Dr. Owens' help, we made the announcement that neither you nor the baby survived," Joey explains, confusing me even more.

"Why would you do that? If Jarek is dead, our child has the right to the Falcon inheritance!" I try sitting up, but I get dizzy immediately, and the beeping picks up pace.

"You need to stay calm, Lily! I will explain it to you if you would just listen."

"Fine," I huff.

"They would have come after you had we not done so. We have you in hiding. The only people who know you're alive are my father and I, the doctor and nurse, and Jackson. That fucker wouldn't leave your side for anything."

I smile slightly at hearing that. I don't know Joey very well, and with Jarek gone, I'm going to need a friend.

"What about Heidi and Fran?"

Joey shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Lily. It was too dangerous for them to know. Besides, the grieving they went through over your death made it look all the more real."

"Oh, God." The heartache they must have gone through. "Where are they now? Are they still at the estate?"

"No. Carmen seized the estate, saying it was now rightfully hers since you were both dead." Joey scowls as he tells me this.

"That fucking bitch! When can we come forward? I don't want to hide forever, and I will not allow that cunt to take what rightfully belongs to Jarek's son!" Something he said replays in my head, and I add, "You saidyou both were dead.Why wouldn't she say all three of us were dead?"

"I don't know," Joey replies, shrugging. "Maybe because she didn't want to give herself away."