Chapter12
They eventually got to the safe house where Melissa and her family were already set up. Nichole got out and wondered where her husband was. “He still isn’t here yet. He’s on a jet headed here from Tennessee,” Terry assured her.
“Nichole, what’s going on?” Melissa asked.
“You can explain everything once you get inside. We’ll grab your bags and get you to your rooms,” Terry announced.
Men were grabbing multiple bags from the SUVs and heading into a small shack. “That doesn’t look right,” Nichole announced, looking confused.
“It wouldn’t be a safe house if it looked like a mansion, would it?” asked one of the guards. They walked into the shack and saw a basement hatch in the floor.
“What is this a bomb shelter?” Melissa huffed.
“Just wait and see, ma’am,” replied Terry.
They made their way down the steps and saw another door. Terry opened the door for them and they walked inside. It looked like a large cabin, but underground. There was a fireplace and it looked extremely fancy. There was a chandelier on the ceiling and the cabin was fully furnished. The whole group “ooh’d” and “aah’d” as they walked through the cabin. Terry showed them all to their rooms and asked them what they wanted from the grocery store.
The parents had separate rooms and the kids all shared a room. “You’ll be here until we can get more information about what’s going on,” Terry announced.
“How did you even find out about the threat?” Nichole asked.
“Our facility has hidden microphones and cameras all over the world that record information and sends it to the database. When we were aware of the court cases and such against him through you and Victor, we kept an eye on him. We knew they were trying to get him out. We didn’t know they would come after you if they failed,” Terry explained.
“Nichole, you never told me what all was going on,” Melissa chimed in.
“What’s happening is Derrick is dead and now his family is coming after me,” Nichole answered.
“Specifically, his older sister and brother,” Terry added. “The rest of the family doesn’t seem to hold any grudges but the Lawson family is pretty wealthy, so they have resources and contacts.”
“I’m afraid they’re going to come for all of us so I told them to bring you guys too,” Nichole finished saying.
“Oh, so we’re all being hunted. Sounds fun,” Melissa said, sounding bummed.
“What are we going to do until then?” Matthew asked. “I have a whole job I need to attend to.”
“You’re still going to get paid,” Terry replied. “You’re on paid leave until further notice. Barbosa understands,” Terry continued, “and all of your jobs are on standby. You all work for the people who are going to be staying here. Your jobs are protected.”
Matthew nodded and walked away. “Vacation? I’m cool with it.” Melissa sat with Nichole on the couch who continued to worry about Victor.
“It’s going to be okay. He’s on the way,” Terry said trying to comfort Nichole.
A few moments later, guards led him into the room. “Here you are Mr. Barbosa,” said one of the guards. Victor walked in and saw Nichole.
“My love! Kids!” He ran over and hugged the kids and Nichole.
“I guess we’re going to have a fun family vacation here,” Matthew announced.
“What is there to do here?” Melissa asked.
“There’s Wi-Fi, a hot tub, a game room, and pool, a basketball court, a go-kart track, and more,” Terry replied.
“We had all of that installed?” Victor asked.
“Yes sir. When you had kids, we put all of that stuff in here for cases like this,” Terry replied. Men entered the room with groceries and carried them to the kitchen.
“How long do you think we’re going to be here?” Melissa asked. She looked over at the kids and they were all playing with toys together.
“Maybe a week or two. Possibly more,” Terry answered.
“Aren’t our families going to be worried about us?” Nichole asked.
“We sent texts from your new phones saying you’re going to be on vacation in the mountains with no signal so you won’t be in touch for a moment,” Terry replied. A guard came in with a box and handed it to Terry. Terry handed everyone except Victor a phone and said, “Our hackers had to make sure they weren’t at risk of being hacked or compromised. You’re all good to go.”
“What about Victor?” Nichole asked.
“He already has one,” Terry answered. “I’m going to leave you all to get settled and comfortable with your surroundings,” he said before walking away. The group had nothing but time. Melissa scrolled through social media, Matthew relaxed in the hot tub, Nichole was in the pool with the kids, and Victor was talking to security guards about what they knew.
“So, what have you heard so far?” Victor asked.
“Nothing much. Just whispers here and there. I think they believe you are still in your house,” Terry replied.
“Who’s at the house?” Victor asked.
“Just Mike, Luke, and Chris,” Terry replied, “the only people allowed to be there.”
“Okay, good.” Victor sighed. “I just hate that my family is going through this,” Victor admitted.
“I know, sir. We hate that you have to go through it too,” Terry replied.
“You guys are also like my family. You put your lives at risk for me and I hate it, but I hate my kids being at risk. You’re all like my guardian angels. You’ve been here through thick and thin and I want to thank you for that,” Victor said as he put his hand on Terry’s shoulder.
Terry smiled. “I got into this job knowing the risks. We’ve lost a few people but they also knew the risks coming into this job,” Terry replied. “I’m happy to be here.” He sighed.
“How many children do you have, Terry?” Victor asked.
“I have three kids. Two boys and a girl,” Terry replied.
“See, I don’t want you to risk your life when you have three children at home, missing their father.” Victor sighed.
“This is putting my kids through school. They’re all in college. I would rather my kids know that I died doing something good rather than your kids losing their father barely knowing their father at all,” Terry replied.
“You’re a good man,” Victor said.
“I do the best I can,” Terry responded. The two men hugged it out and Victor went back to spend time with his family. He put on his swimming trunks and joined Nichole and all of the kids in the pool. Melissa had already joined them.
“This isn’t all bad. I like having these connections to where if any of us are in danger, we get full protection,” Melissa admitted.
“I’m just glad this isn’t happening while our kids are in school.” Nichole laughed.
Victor got into the pool and swam around. “Everything is going to be okay.”
Everyone ate dinner and decided to go to the go-kart track. All of the parents had a child in their go-kart with them and they drove around and around and around. The kids had a blast and the parents were able to get their minds off of the drama from the last twenty-four hours.
They finished up and went back into the living room. Victor’s phone began to ring. Victor answered it and put it on speaker. “Hello?”
“Is this Victor Barbosa?” a woman asked.
“No, you have the wrong number,” Victor replied.
“Yeah, right. I just want you to know, we’re coming for you and your whore!” The woman laughed.
Victor took the phone off speaker. “Who is this?”
“My name is Tracy Lawson. You made the biggest mistake of your lives and you’re going to pay for it!” Tracy screamed. Then she hung up.
Victor looked at his phone then at everyone around him. “Terry!” Victor shouted.
Terry entered the room and Victor handed him his phone. “Destroy it,” Victor demanded. Terry took the phone and stomped on it.
Then Terry handed Victor another phone.
“Who was it?” Nichole asked.
“It was Tracy, Derrick’s sister,” Victor answered.
“They weren’t on the phone long enough to trace this place, were they?” Matthew asked.
“No, she just called to spook you. No one is outside and no one knows the code to get in,” Terry answered. “But I want you all to know, if anything were to happen, there’s an even lower level in that closet that leads to a garage with the SUVs. The only reason we didn’t bring you all in through this way, was because it’s only for emergencies. If anything happens, I’ll give you the keys and you can go. It’s a universal key. The lab set these up to where we can access any of the SUVs you’re near.”
The adults nodded their heads in understanding. “This just gets worse and worse. Why did I have to meet Derrick in the first place?” Nichole wondered.
It was late and all of the kids were asleep. The parents stayed up and talked in Nichole and Victor’s bedroom. “I hope all goes well and we’re able to go home soon,” said Matthew.
“Me too baby,” Melissa replied.
“Everything is going to be fine. It always is,” Nichole added.
“We’re going to be okay. We have top of the line security. They were trained for this,” replied Victor.
“You had to go through this more than once?” Nichole asked.
“Yes. When I first started out, a lot of people wanted to help me, including this one group call the Fifty Plus. They helped me but asked more of me but I didn’t comply. I ended up closing out my contract and paying back all of the money they loaned me but that wasn’t enough. I knew too much and they wanted me dead. I stayed here for about three weeks. That was how I became associated with the security with this organization,” Victor answered.
“Who let you know about these people?” Melissa asked.
“Larry. I owe him my life. I contacted him to see if he could take them to court to catch them but he thought it would be better to put me here and have their team handle it. He knew they had too much money to be caught dead in a courtroom,” Victor responded.
“Larry sure is a resourceful guy.” Melissa chuckled.
“Yeah, that’s why he’s been my best friend for so long. He’s had my back through all of these years. It turns out he’s been through similar cases such as this.” Victor sighed. “You can’t be this rich without making a few enemies.”
“Apparently you can’t be this pretty without making this many enemies either,” Nichole added.
“At least they hate you for your looks and not your money.” Victor laughed.
The four had wine glasses and drank as much as they could that would allow them to be able to get up and function in the morning.
Melissa and Matthew left the room and went to bed.
Nichole and Victor got into their bed and continued to talk. “I love you. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, you will always be in my heart,” said Victor.
“I love you too, baby,” Nichole responded.
They began to kiss and the buzz they had from the wine made them feel a little more comfortable. “I want you to make love to me every night until we’re able to leave. We don’t know when it may be our last,” Nichole said as she moved her hand down Victor’s stomach.
“I want to make love to you every night regardless of the circumstances,” Victor replied. Nichole smiled and continued to move her hand down.
When she was finally between his legs, she put her hand around his member and started to massage it. He moaned and put his hand behind her head. She moved down to his waist and put his penis in her mouth. He started to breath heavily and he rubbed his hand through her hair. She closed her eyes and felt herself. She was ready to feel him inside her. She got on top of him and he flipped her over on her back.
“Are you ready?” he asked. She nodded her head and he put the tip inside of her. She moaned and before she could take a breath, he used full force and buried himself inside of her. She gasped and pulled him closer. He stroked in and out of her, feeling her clench on him. It made him moan but he had to pace himself. He pulled out of her and told her to turn over. She got on her stomach and he lifted her waist, causing her knees to prop herself up.
He grabbed her hair in his hands and pulled her head back, leaned forward, and whispered in her ear, “I love you.”
She looked him in the eyes and said, “I love you too.” He slid back inside of her from the back and continued to stroke inside of her. She put her face into the pillows, attempting to hide her moans. He felt her clench up extremely hard and knew she was about to climax and he began to pump faster and faster.
“Whose is it?” he asked.
“It’s yours. It’s all yours!”
He gave it one final pump and they climaxed together. They fell over onto their pillows. They both huffed and puffed, trying to catch their breaths.
“That was amazing,” Nichole said as she grabbed Victor’s hand.
“I know. You’re the best,” Victor responded. The two of them fell asleep holding hands. Nichole and Victor were both looking forward to this every night. It was only right.
Melissa and Matthew were still awake in their room but they were too far away from Nichole and Victor’s to know what they had done in their own time. Melissa laid in Matthew’s arms. “How much do you love me?” Melissa asked.
“I love you more than words can describe,” Matthew replied.
“Just try,” Melissa pleaded.
“If the sun lost its flame, you would still bring me heat. If I had lost my breath, I know you would continue to breathe for me. I love you so much that if I was blind, I would still know your beauty. I love you so much that even if we had nothing, you would still be my everything. I married you because you’re a flower that never loses its beauty or sweet smell. You’re an everlasting rose and I will never let you go,” he replied.
“I love you more than a sale at Nine West,” Melissa giggled. “I love you more than the breaths I take. I’ve loved you since I first laid eyes on you. Your soul just speaks to me and I knew you were my mate. I saw you at school one day and I instantly began to swoon over you. I knew we were meant to be.
“When you finally asked me on a date, I was so full of excitement that Nichole had to help me with my makeup and my outfit because I couldn’t think and couldn’t keep my hand still long enough to even apply my mascara. After our first date, I practiced writing my signature with your last name,” Melissa replied.
“That’s why you were so good at it after we got married.” Matthew laughed.
Melissa laughed and gave him a kiss. “Without you, there is no Melissa,” she replied. Matthew smiled and gave Melissa a kiss. He began to run his fingers through her hair.
“Everything will be okay,” Matthew assured. Melissa smiled and got comfortable in his arms.
They both fell asleep worrying about the future but they wouldn’t tell each other that. In their minds, the other thought they felt as if everything would be fine and that gave them hope. Even though they were afraid for what was to come, they just had to believe that they would see next week.
Nichole, Victor, Melissa, and Matthew all ended up having nightmares throughout the night but every time they woke up, they were reminded they had their soul mates right next to them. That was all they needed to keep them going. As long as they had each other, they were happy. As long as they had their kids, they knew they had to stay strong.
Everything in the cabin was fine. No one was distraught and it was really quiet. The kids slept peacefully and nothing could disturb them. Tashka and Zap slept with the kids. Tashka and Zap cuddled together and they slept like rocks.
All of the security guards were awake and alert. “Terry, you might want to see this,” said of the security guards.
“What is it?” Terry asked.
“There’s been some activity between Tracy and the prison where Derrick was kept,” the guard responded.
“What? Why?” Terry asked again. They switched the camera over to the prison footage and saw Tracy talking to Derrick.
“What the hell?” Terry responded. “Turn on the speakers,” he commanded.
“You really love her?” Tracy asked.
“Yeah, more than anything,” Derrick responded.
“They think you’re dead. Why am I even sending threats when you could have caught them off guard? You could have gone and gotten them yourself,” Tracy replied.
“I want them to be scared. They thought they could kill me! I own this prison! I have contributed more to this prison than anyone and they thought they were going to kill me!” Derrick laughed.
“When are they letting you go?” Tracy asked.
“They’re going to let me out tomorrow. They’re going to give me a new name, a new identity,” Derrick answered.
“Good, what are we going to do about the kids?” Tracy asked.
“Why should I care? I don’t care about them,” Derrick replied harshly.
Tracy looked at her brother in disgust but she didn’t respond.
“This cannot be good,” Terry replied.
“I know, sir. What are we going to do?” the security guard asked.
“We’re going to have to take care of it,” Terry answered.
“How?” the security guard asked.
“How do we usually take care of it? You know how,” Terry, said annoyed.
“Just him or both of them?” the security guard wondered.
“Both of them. If she wants to make threats then she’ll be treated as a threat,” Terry replied. “I’ll tell them in the morning what we’ve learned,” he said as he pulled out his cell phone and made a phone call.