ONE MONTH LATER

 

I left that night as soon as Wendy and Daniel left for the night and Keiran’s guard was down. Kennedy had chosen him to read her a bedtime story before he disappeared. I had to find out through Willow that Wendy and Daniel had stuck around, getting to know their grandsons and great granddaughter. They also confessed to giving Mitch the money, not knowing he would use it to hire men to kidnap Kennedy. Learning that almost made me go back.

Almost.

I should have been there in case Keiran didn’t take the news well but then I remembered that I couldn’t be his conscious

A few days after I left, I received a phone call from Cassie. She wanted to talk to me about her new friends at school now that Ryan was no longer bullying her. I couldn’t tell but it seemed as if she made have developed a crush on him. I spoke with Laurie who told me she moved the girls back home since Robert was dead. She’d gotten a new job with the local hospital and had even joined the PTO at school to keep a better eye on Cassie’s progress at school. She also told me Keiran had visited the day before and told her about what I did for them. I expected anger—if not or Robert then for Greg but she only said thank you before hanging up.

I hadn’t heard from then since and prepared myself to never again after Greg’s trial.

“Thank you for coming with me. Dash is swamped with catching up since he went back to work, and he doesn’t want me alone since I’m close.” Willow managed to convince me to leave my woes behind in their apartment for a day of baby shopping.

“Are you excited?”

“I like to think what I’m feeling is like an exciting terror, but I am ready to gain back control of my own body again. I think whatever future pain promised will be worth it.” Her pale skin whitened more if possible, and I figured she was thinking about the birth..

I picked up a onesie that read, ‘Mama’s Baby, Daddy’s Hatin’. “What about this?” I showed it to her as a distraction. She turned wide eyes on the tiny blue garment and squealed. After snatching it from my hand to check the size, she then threw it in her cart.

“These clothes don’t have enough color or personality,” she grumbled. “I’m thinking about making all of his clothes myself, but my fingers have gotten so fat, I can’t even stand to look at them.”

I looked down at her fingers, which were a little swollen but not enough to cause her dramatics. I knew telling her at this point that she was still a beautiful curvy delight was a waste of time, so I changed the subject.

“You said Dash is back working. How is he otherwise?” I knew getting shot must have been traumatic for him even though he’d never admit it. Guys liked to bottle their feelings until the emotional overload obliterated who they once were.

“He’s had his days, but he’s still Dasher.” She sighed and got a faraway look in her eyes.

“Dasher, huh?” I teased and bumped her shoulder.

“He insisted I use his name when we…”

“Got it.” I didn’t need any more detail about their sex life. I’ve already had the front seat showing. “Doesn’t it get weird since his mother also calls him Dasher?”

“Not like me.” She winked, and I had a full on laugh—snort and all. “Besides, since he only lets his mother or me call him Dasher, I figured why not.”

“And Santa Claus. How does he feel about being named after a reindeer?”

“Oh, God. Don’t let him hear you say that. You’ll never hear the end of it. Although…” She looked thoughtful as she chewed on her lip, “you did save his life so you might get a free pass.”

“I didn’t save his life.” The regret in my voice caused her to drop her smile. I shook my head when the memory of him being shot assaulted me. “If he hadn’t been trying to protect me, he wouldn’t have gotten shot. It’s my fault. I made him take me out there to find Laurie.”

“And that woman would have died if you hadn’t. Her girls would have been motherless and I know you, of all people, don’t want that for them. Keiran told me about Cassie. I think what you did for her was amazing.”

“I didn’t do anything. She punched the kid in the nose.”

“And I bet she’ll do it again if she has to. Besides, I doubt she’ll have to. That kid got his lights knocked out by a girl. He’ll be licking his wounds until he’s thirty, at least.” I laughed and we shared silence while we looked over baby clothes. “Did you know the bullet hit him half an inch from his heart?”

I felt pain near my own as I said, “No, I didn’t.”

“The doctor said he should have died. The way the bullet entered was clearly a direct path to his heart, but at the very last moment, it was redirected and that alone saved his life. He said he must have tried to get out of the way, or the shooter had a change of heart.”

“Dash would have never done that since I was behind him and that son of a bitch didn’t have a heart to change.”

“Precisely. You and I both know you tried to push him out of the way, so I repeat—you saved his life, Lake Monroe.”

“He weighs a ton. I barely moved him, and he still got shot.”

“Doesn’t matter. It was enough to save his life which was exactly what you did.”

“I don’t understand why he would risk his life for me when he has you and the baby.”

“Because he loves you, too. We all would have done the same thing and so would you. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m hungry and my feet hurt. I’m sure I have everything.”

“Dash bought out like three different baby stores when he found out you were pregnant. Where’s he keeping all that stuff anyway? Spare bedroom’s empty.”

“I wondered the same thing, but whenever I ask, he would say he found the perfect spot. Whatever that means.” Willow rolled her eyes up, but then her eyes brightened with mischief. “I say we look for them.”

“I don’t know. Maybe he’s hiding them for a rea—” I stopped when I noticed a woman appear around a pillar up ahead and head straight for us. I told myself I was being paranoid, but the way she watched Willow wasn’t the casual glance of a harmless stranger. When I started to warn Willow, it was too late. She stood in front of us, blocking any escape.

“Hello, Little Tree. It’s been a while,” the woman greeted. She awakened vibes I hadn’t felt since being kidnapped by Mitch, and when Willow stiffened and retreated, the vibes became a screaming demand to run.

“What are you doing here?” she asked the woman coldly.

“Don’t worry. I’m not here for you.” She then turned her attention to me. “I’m here for her.”

“Me?” I didn’t even know this woman. I didn’t have time to form a response because she pulled out a gun and pulled Willow close.

“I don’t have time for proper introductions. Come with me, or I pump her full of bullets.” To make a point, she pressed the muzzle into Willow’s stomach. “Do you want to be responsible for what happens to this little bundle of joy?”

“I’ll go. Just let her go.”

“Very well.” She lowered the gun, but as soon as she did, she shoved Willow’s head into the stone pillar she had obviously hidden behind to wait for us. Willow fell to the ground unconscious.

“Willow!” Instinct made me fall to my knees to help her, but the feel of the muzzle pressing against my temple kept me from helping her.

“Get up and don’t be so dramatic,” she ordered. “I had to make sure she wouldn’t call for help anytime soon.”

“And you couldn’t just take her phone?”

“I could have. Now let’s go.” She shoved the gun in my side and kept me close with a hand on my arm as we left Willow behind. I prayed she and the baby were okay. The woman had a car parked around the corner on a deserted street. “I don’t have time to tie you up, but if you so much as twitch an eyebrow, I will shoot you in that pretty face.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Esmerelda. I’m sure you’ve heard of me.”

I looked closer and saw what I missed before.

Di was a spitting image of her mother.

“Only that you’re a psychotic bitch.” She chuckled but then her hand whipped out to hit me across the face with a gun. I was left dazed as she acted as if nothing happened and drove away.

“Don’t talk back to me, little girl.”

I bit back another smart retort and fixed my gaze on the road. After we had left the city behind, I threw caution to the wind and broke the silence.

“Where are you taking me?”

“It’s more like where you’re going to take me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“My daughter, girlie. You’re going to take me to her.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because I’ll kill you if you don’t,” she answered matter-of-factly. I didn’t react. Maybe I was too used to having my life threatened to be scared.

“Your daughter is twenty-five years old. Why now?”

“The last memory I have of my daughter was Mario taking her from me after she was born, saying it was too dangerous to keep her.”

“But wouldn’t Arthur have questioned why you were no longer pregnant and there was no baby?”

“My husband was away on business when I had her. When he returned, I told him I miscarried and had her cremated.” She shrugged and lit a cigarette then turned to blow the fresh smoke in my face.

“Seems farfetched.”

“Men are stupid and gullible, sweetie. Haven’t you ever had to lie to your man?” I didn’t answer her. I turned to look out the window, reflecting on all the lies presently standing between Keiran and me. “No, of course you haven’t,” she laughed. “You have meek written all over you. It’s why he picked you.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about me.”

“I don’t have to. You look just like her, you know.”

“Who?”

“The pitiful, blonde girl he threw everything away for. I remember her well. Keiran was top stock before she ruined him. He was the best we had, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were her all grown up.” Using my peripheral vision, I watched her take another pull on her cigarette and then glance at me with an evil smile curling her red painted lips. “Kind of makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”

“Wonder about what?”

“If he’s really in love with you or a dead girl.”

“I guess it doesn’t matter now, does it? You’re going to kill me as soon as you have what you want anyway.”

“I guess we’ll just have to see, won’t we?” I ignored her question because there was no way I was letting her get anywhere near Di. All I needed was one opportunity.

That opportunity came when we were halfway to California when my hip pinged, and I realized I still had my phone. I cast a nervous glance at Esmerelda whose gaze remained fixed on the road. Maybe she hadn’t heard.

“What does it say?” she smirked.

I slowly pulled my phone from my pocket. It was a text from Keiran—Waiting for you.

I frowned at his cryptic message. Why would he be waiting for me? I hadn’t heard from him since I left that night. I had expected him to hunt me down and drag me back and demand my submission, but he did none of that. He simply left me alone like I thought I wanted. When one day stretched into one month, I became hurt and angry. He was the one to fuck up this time, and I was still the one left with regrets.

“So what does it say?” she repeated.

I quickly deleted the message. “It was just an email from my school,” I lied.

After missing the exam and classes for two weeks, I had to pull out of the summer term, delaying my graduation. I was lucky they weren’t kicking me out altogether considering the circumstances. My arrest on campus had made the local news.

That was a joy.

I hated even the thought of showing my face on campus.

“You’re not lying to me are you?”

“Why would I do that? You have a gun.”

“That’s right, I do, so don’t try anything. Your boyfriend isn’t waiting around the corner to save you, damsel.”

Waiting for you.

But maybe he was… because that’s what the text meant.

He was waiting for me.

I knew Keiran wouldn’t have gone back to California without me. He couldn’t stand the distance. That much was proven so I had no idea how he could have made it to California so quickly, but I began to breathe a lot easier and my heart didn’t pound so hard.

A few hours later, we entered Los Angeles just as the sun was setting. I gave her directions and prayed I had deciphered the message correctly. Esmerelda had taken and thrown my phone from the car after she warned me not to try anything, which left me completely alone.

Maybe Di wouldn’t be home, and it would buy me some time to figure out how to stop Esmerelda.

“What do you want from your daughter?”

“What makes you think I want anything from her?

“You’re after something. What is it?”

She glanced at me with a grin and shrugged. “All right, I’ll tell you. After Mario was sent to prison, he got a message to me—told me he had some money stashed for me to get away and start a new life… and wait for him.” She snorted and said, “Can you believe that?”

“So if he told you where it is, why do you need her?”

“Because it’s in a safe that only she has the combination to.”

“And if she doesn’t give it to you?”

“My daughter will obey her mother.” It was my turn to snort. I rolled my eyes and turned my head toward the passenger window. I was now looking forward to when she finally met her daughter. She was in for one rude awakening.

I directed her to Di’s apartment, and when the building came into sight, I stealthily looked around for any sign of Keiran.

“He said there was a house. Why are we here?”

“Di doesn’t live in her father’s house. If you need her, this is where you’ll find her.”

“Very well. Now the apartment number?”

I assumed she would take me with her and tried not to look defeated. “Apt 305.”

“Remember, I will kill you if you try anything.” The last thing I needed was to be reminded, but I nodded anyway. “Good. I want you to stay here, but unfortunately, I will have to tie your hands. Would you be a dear and grab the tape inside the glove compartment?” She flicked the gun back and forth when I didn’t move to obey, so I snatched open the compartment and slammed it shut again. She then took the tape and secured my hands before leaving the car without a word.

My gaze searched the car for a knife or something sharp enough to free me and came up short. Any minute now, I expected to hear the sound of gunshots or screaming, but none came. Since my hands were tied in front of me, I tried the door only to realize the child lock had been engaged. I slammed my restrained fist against the window in an attempt to shatter the glass when a knock on the driver’s window surprised me. I turned and found Di looking through the window.

“Di?”

“In the flesh,” she shouted so I could hear her, and I wondered how she found me. She tugged on the locked door, and I shook my head to tell her not to bother, but then she disappeared. A couple of minutes later, the driver window shattered as Di sent a tire iron through it. The car alarm sounded, and I started to panic knowing Esmerelda would be down any minute when she found Di missing.

But where was Keiran?

She hit the locks and yanked open the door, then produced a knife to cut open the tape binding my wrists.

“We need to get Keiran and get out of here. I just hope Keiran doesn’t kill her.”

“Why?”

“Because I called the cops.”

“Why would you call the cops? You know he will kill her.” As soon as I said it, a shot rang out, disturbing the quiet of the darkened garage.