Chapter 24
Jules
I’m in the bathroom with Bella, for the third time tonight. I love my bestie, but these bathroom trips have started to get on my last nerve. I wonder if it’s like this for all pregnant women, or if it’s just when they are carrying twins. I hope I’m not in the bathroom this much, I might as well live in here if that’s the case. Bella should probably at this rate. She’s only 4 months, and the poor thing is already in here constantly. My little nephews must be sitting right on top of her bladder.
She looks beautiful, though, more beautiful than before, if that’s possible. She has this glow that makes her shine brighter than any star in the sky. I know Gio has something to do with that too, but those babies are helping. Seeing her this happy after all these years and all the things she’s gone through warms my heart. I never thought she would find her way back to him. I hoped and prayed every day since he left us that they would.
I always figured we would be two old ladies living together with cats and Ces. I never had a desire to be with any man, and after my father died, I didn’t have to worry about being forced into anything I didn’t want. Uncle Dominic stepped in as my dad and never forced us, girls, to be with any of the men. He was happy to keep us in the shadows, hidden away.
Until Hunter (Ace) that is. The second his eyes met mine, I knew what I’d been missing all these years and it I feared it immensely.
Knowing how Bella felt for Gio, but unlike her, I was scared shitless to accept my feelings and open my heart up to love. I’m still scared, every day, of losing another person I love, to the point it consumes me sometimes. Losing a loved one in any way hurts, and I’ve lost too many, I can’t lose him too.
Hunter is different from any man I have ever met. He has had a difficult life, and in many ways, he’s like me when it comes to love. It scared him too for a while. Then things just snapped into place for us.
I despise what my best had to go through at the hands of that monster to get Gio back. Unfortunately, that was God’s will. She will be fine, I know she will and live happily ever after with Gio and their growing family.
In the middle of my thoughts, I hear the bathroom door slam open and hit the wall, startling me. Then the door slams shut. I lift my legs off the floor when I look down under the door and see over a dozen men’s dress shoes walking in. I know it’s trouble, major fucking trouble with a capital A. Anton, he’s here with the Cartel men.
Then, I hear that monster's voice and shiver. My heart rate picks up, I panic, and the fear I feel for Bella and my nephews is so intense. My heartbeat sounds so loud in my ears. I hope no one else in this room can hear it.
I don’t need to think too hard about what I need to do, I have to get help for Bella and her babies. They have to be my first priority. She’s my best friend, my sister, and I won’t let that bastard hurt her again. Those are my nephews, and as their aunt, I have a duty to protect them.
I fix myself, being as quiet as a mouse. I look through the slat of the stall to confirm how many are with him. I figure around twenty men in the room surrounding Bella. They are all crowding her personal space and are far enough from my stall. If I’m quite enough, I should be able to get out of the bathroom undetected and get help.
I listen to the music playing in the other room, and the song is coming to an end. This is my chance to make it out of here without them hearing the music when I open the door. I slowly move the lock to the side, unlatching it. I slide down as low as I can go, still able to move fast and unnoticed out of the room. I need to stay low and out of the view of the mirror behind Bella.
I make my way out of the stall and grab the handle of the door to the hallway just as the song ends. I slowly, and as quiet as I can, open the door and slip out of the room into the hall. I close the door, soundlessly, and then take off running to the guys out the back door.
The next song starts to play, and my heart is working with the beat of the song.
I don’t know how much time I’ll have before he drags her out of there or hurts her.
I run straight to Hunter, pushing pass the strong men hanging around, to the end of the table. He’s the closest to me, but I look and talk to Gio. The guys all see my panicked, pale face and the tears sliding down my cheeks. I’m normally not a crier, and the guys, especially Hunter have never seen me cry. They know this is a bad sign, the worst especially since Bella’s not with me.
“Anton! Bella! Bathroom! Hurry, twenty men!” I scream looking at Gio with fear in my eyes.
The second his name flows out of my mouth, so many things happen. Hunter stands and gathers me into his arms, Gio’s face turns red with rage, worried, and all the guys in the bar jump up from their seats knowing who I’m talking about. Gio, Gator, and Maddox have brief the men on him. Gio looks so panicked, and his hands are in fists at his sides. Lorenzo, Val, Romeo, and Bash start to run to their sister, but Gator stops them.
“Freeze,” Gator says, pointing to the four of them. “He doesn’t know you’re here, that’s our only advantage. Stay here and make sure no more of his men enter this building.”
“Babe, you stay with them and don’t move,” Hunter orders and places a quick, soft kiss on my lips before running off with the guys.
“Shotgun, round up the boys outside to surround the building and send some inside. Beast’s ol’ lady doesn’t leave this area without him,” Gator yells to the barkeep over the music. He takes off, and all the men in the bar follow him. There are about 150 or more here and hundreds, if not thousands out front and on the street.
They vanish down the hall. Ces and Sam take me in their arms, and the guys surround us in a protective circle. I’m shaking and scared, and they are all trying to calm me and reassure me Bella will be fine.
I just hope they are right and I made it out here in time before he could hurt her again. Or worse, left the building with her and took her away from us forever.