I wish Brax were still in the guest house. Clara is in her room after we’ve just finished dinner and I’m completely bored out of my brain already. There’s nothing much to do so I figure I’ll get changed into my pyjamas and get ready to read a book in bed when I hear the iPad ringing with a Skype call. I rush toward the kitchen bench hoping it’s Mason. Opening the cover, I see the call from him and my lips turn up in a smile.

“Thank God!” Swiping the screen, I answer the call and his face comes into view with a smile.

“Hey, sweet pea.”

“Has she gone to bed already?” I don’t even say hello in my abruptness to find out if I’m going to see Charli tonight.

He chuckles. “Yes, she’s asleep. I’ll take you in to see her. Missing her already?”

I exhale and walk into the lounge room. “You have no idea. This house isn’t the same without her.” And it truly isn’t. She’s only been gone for four hours, and I already feel like I might be going stark raving mad.

My feet are cold on the marble floor as they walk from the kitchen to the lounge. I plonk myself down on the lounge suite and sink back into the suede softness making myself comfortable.

“Well, don’t worry she’s doing great. I’m having a ball with her. It’s nice to have some father-daughter bonding time. I don’t remember the last time it was just me and my baby girl hanging out. So thank you.” The vision on the screen of him is blurring slightly as he walks through his condo. I see the pictures of us lining the hallway as he passes them, and it makes me smile that he still has them. I hear the handle to the door click and then he turns the iPad around into the dimly lit room. Her carrousel night light is on shining a pink hue through the room and projecting horses onto the walls. Smiling, I sit forward slightly as he focuses the camera into the cot showing me Charli sleeping with her ladybug tucked up in tightly under her arm. Her bottle empty next to her and her little chest rising and falling so gently it makes my stomach flutter.

“Aww, she’s beautiful,” I whisper.

“See nothing to worry about.” He leaves the camera there for another couple of seconds before returning it to face him. I nod and smile as he walks out of her room, closing her door softly and then moving back down his hall to his bedroom.

“I know…I know you’ll look after her. I just miss her that’s all,” I admit honestly.

He frowns and nods. “I know, but she’ll be home soon. Take the time alone to channel, write some new hit songs for us.”

I laugh and lean back into the lounge suite. “That’s actually not a bad idea. We do need some new material. Hunter was talking about trying to get us some air time on a local radio station, so I need to come up with some new fresher sounds.”

He smiles as he slumps down onto his bed. “Well, Amber, you’re the one who’s written all our best stuff. So if anyone can come up with our first hit song, it will be you.”

“Thanks. Hey, make sure you give Charli her bottle in the morning she loves it, and—”

“I know, I know. Amber, I got this. Stop worrying, okay?” he interrupts exacerbated.

I sigh and nod. “Sorry. Yeah, I know.” I screw up my nose in frustration at myself. Poor guy knows how to handle our daughter.

“What’s your plans for tonight then?”

I smirk and decide to tease him. “I’m thinking wild sex orgy and getting arrested might be fun.”

He furrows his brows and shakes his head. “I’m sorry, I was a dick. I know that now. But you shouldn’t have leant on me for support because you miss Brax. You should call him,” Mase says shocking me.

I open my eyes wide and swallow the lump in my throat and nod. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push you like that. I just miss him. Shit! I shouldn’t say that to you, I’m sorry—”

“No, it’s okay. I know you like him. I know I’m only ever going to be the ‘friend’ and it sucks, it really sucks. But being arrested and realising that my actions have reactions like possibly losing Charli has put things into perspective. You don’t want me like that, and that’s fine. I still love you, and if you ever change your mind, I will always be here. But I want you to be happy and if that’s with Brax, I don’t like it, but I’ll accept it.”

My chest tightens and my stomach knots. My mouth drops open and my eyes begin to burn from utter surprise and awe. He’s being the bigger man. Mason is finally growing up and not acting like a brat.

“Th…thank you,” I stutter out. My words failing me as I’m lost in the complete one-eighty in his attitude. I’m glad his fuck up has made him see straight. I’m also glad he realises that I don’t want him in my life as my partner. I just need him as my friend. I’m so happy he sees that now.

“You’re welcome. Well, I’m going to have a shower and go to bed. I’ll just leave you with the thought of me wet and naked,” he teases.

I scoff and roll my eyes. “Okay, good night imbecile.”

“Night, sweet pea.” He smirks blowing me a kiss and then hangs up.

Shaking my head, I chuckle and place the iPad on charge. I don’t want it to be flat when he calls tomorrow.

Feeling lighter for seeing my girl, I walk down to my bedroom and get changed into my leopard print pyjamas. The fresh sheets on my bed peel back inviting me in, filling me with the excitement of being home. I slide into my bed and close my eyes relishing the homely feel for the first time in months. I love it! I grab a book from the side table and prop myself up along the headboard of my bed and open it peeling back the crisp pages. The crinkling sounds remind me of when I was young and Mum would read to me. That old book smell fills my lungs, and as I relive a memory of Mum reading to me about dancing penguins, I smile for the first time instead of crying. The memories of Mum generally only bring pain and heartache, but this one fills me with joy, and for the first time since I can remember I feel a calmness. Recalling the feeling of love she held for Hunter and me, and I feel it wrap around and envelop me in the depths of its endless caress. Mum is with me, and right now, it doesn’t sadden me. It fills me with a new hope. A hope that I can make it through this life without being on edge. A hope I can make it through, with a strong man by my side, and a hope that I can help him fight his demons like I’m fighting mine.

I smile and lean over picking up my phone to message Brax.

 

***

 

Brax’s tongue is dancing with mine frantically. His arms holding onto me so tightly I can barely breathe as our bodies move together passionately. My back’s against the wall as he holds me against him. My legs wrapped around his waist as we rock together, our bodies joined as one striving for our climax. I moan into his mouth as a faint but incessant knocking at the door starts to seep into my consciousness.

I moan as Brax thrusts into me harder working me up quickly. I’m almost at my peak when I hear yelling. It’s distracting and I feel like a fog is starting to invade my head. I don’t understand what’s happening when the knocking gets louder and Brax’s body begins to evaporate from around me.

“Brax?”

The yelling is frantic and my head is heavy as everything starts to fade to black. Brax thrusts again and I moan as he disappears completely and the knocking becomes so loud that I clench my eyes tight. I feel like I’m falling, and it’s only now that I realise I was dreaming.

“Amber, where the fuck are you?” Mason yells. My skin prickles and goose bumps run all over my body. My eyes open wide now fully awake as I realise I’m covered in sweat and still a little dazed from my dream. But now, that’s completely replaced by the fact that Mase is here. Something must be wrong with Charli.

I race out of bed and my feet hardly have time to register the harsh bitterness of the cold marble floor as I speed to the front door. Mason thrashes on the front door and I puff as I reach it and drag it open vigorously.

“What the fuck, Mason?” I call out as I open the door to see him without Charli looking at me furrowing his brows, flaring his nostrils, and his face turning beetroot red.

“You should trust me, Amber! How dare you come and take Charli from me in the middle of the night.”

My chest tightens and I feel physically sick to my stomach.

Why would Mason think I’ve taken Charli?

I shake my head as hot tears start to well in my eyes.

“I can’t believe you would do something so low Amber. I knew you couldn’t leave well enough alone. I will never forgive you for this—”

“What are you on about? Where the hell is Charli?” I scream at him.

He stops hurling abuse at me and his demeanour changes instantly. His face goes pale white, and he looks like he’s going to vomit. The sight unsettles me even more.

“No, no, you must have her.”

I tense up and my bottom lip trembles as my knees begin to shake. I move my head from side to side slowly.

“What have you done, Mason? Where’s our baby?” I yell, tears forming in my eyes as I look at his frantic face.

“I…I woke up this morning and she was gone. I thought you must have come and got her. If you don’t have her then where the fuck is she?” he asks his voice a higher octave than normal.

My heart bursts out of my chest and explodes all over the floor. “What the fuck do you mean, she’s gone? Where has she gone?”

He runs his fingers through his hair and tears well in his eyes as he shakes his head. “There was no sign of forced entry. I don’t know. Someone must have taken her during the night.”

The world starts spinning and I can’t control the motion. I’m rotating out of control and my balance is off. I stumble on the spot as my body flames red hot and tears fall from my eyes so fast I can’t actually see.

“Where is she?” I yell so loud Mason winces.

“I…I don’t know. I don’t fucking know,” he answers and hunches over placing his hands on his knees. His breathing so fast, he’s hyperventilating just like me.

“Mason, has someone stolen our baby?” I’m trying to wrap my head around this hell.

He winces and nods. “I think so.”

“Oh my God,” I murmur through a sob and collapse to the floor as my knees give way.

I scream at the top of my lungs as pain rips through my chest so painfully I don’t know if I can ever be repaired from this agony.

Mason pulls out his phone as he sits on the floor next to me and wraps his arm around me. It doesn’t comfort me at all as I rock back and forth. I vaguely hear him talking to someone, but I can’t make out words through my incessant sobbing.

My baby has been taken.

She’s missing, and God knows where she is.

I have no idea what to do, where to turn.

So I stay on the floor in a mess as Mason comforts me. I have no idea how long I’m on the floor in the hallway at my front door for, but the voice of Hunter soon catches my attention. I remove my hands from my face and look up through my wet lashes to see Hunter rushing to me. He sits down next to me and wraps his arms around me tightly.

“Jesus Christ Amber, don’t worry. I’m going to have everyone I know out searching for our girl. We will find her. I promise.”

I look into his eyes and they’re watering. It only makes me feel worse. “Hunt, what if whoever took her is hurting her? I couldn’t stand if they—”

“Hey, don’t think about that. We’ll get her back, won’t we Mase?”

I look up at Mase, who’s pale and sweating. He looks like he wants to be sick, and he’s continually pacing the floor.

“Yeah. We need to call the police right, Hunt?” he asks and I nod.

Hunter pulls out his phone just as a message comes through on Mason’s phone. Hunter dials the emergency number as Mason looks at his phone and he gasps.

“What? What is it?” Hunter asks stopping what he’s doing to see what Mason is reacting to.

Mason turns an even paler shade of white and his knees buckle. The crunch of his knee bones hitting the marble makes me cringe as he falls to the floor and starts sobbing into his hands. My chest tightens and I feel like I want to heave as Hunter takes the phone from Mason and brings it over for us to look at. It’s a message from Mason’s father with a picture of Charli. My heart thrashes in my chest.

“Oh God, Charli.”

Hunter scrolls down and it says:

 

Dad: We have your daughter.

 

A sense of relief washes over me. She’s with Mason’s family. That’s okay. Sure they’re not the best people, but at least she wasn’t taken by someone we don’t know.

“Mason, why did your family take Charli?” I ask wiping my tear soaked cheeks.

“I have no idea, but it can’t be good. Give me my phone. I’ll call Dad.”

Hunter hands Mase his phone, he still looks terrified. I think he knows more about the story, but he isn’t letting on. It scares me.

He dials the number and I want to know what’s happening. “Put it on speaker.”

He nods and presses the speaker button. The ringing sound echoes through the hall of my house as my heart thrashes and I feel it in my throat. I just want to know why they felt the need to take my baby.

“Mason.” A raspy male voice answers, it sends a chill down my spine straight away at his tone.

“Dad, why do you have my daughter?” Mason asks.

“The family took Charlotte because she can’t be involved in the rock star life. We saw in the paper that you were arrested for drugs, and we assume the mother was there slutting herself around. Who knows who was looking after my grandbaby. We only want what’s best for Charlotte, and being in that environment is not what’s best.”

I tense up and curl my lip in disgust. “I wasn’t even at the party. Charli was asleep in a different hotel room with me, you prick. Don’t go judging what you don’t know—”

“Amber,” Mason berates looking at me opening his eyes wide and pursing his lips like he’s telling me to shut the fuck up.

“Even so, Charlotte is far too important to be around that lifestyle. She’s a Hughes. She will need to carry on the family name, and tradition is our legacy seeing as our son won’t. Son, you forfeited your role in the family business. Therefore, your daughter takes your place.”

My stomach twists on itself and I gasp as my heart lurches into my throat. “Charli will never be a mob boss’s lackey. You have to give her back right now or we will call the police,” I scream. Hunter caresses my shoulder as I look at Mase who slumps and looks down at the floor with drooping eyes and a frown so big it may very well fall off his face.

“Who do you think is in their pockets? Who do you think they’re going to take the side of…hmm? Some drug-fucked rock stars or the well-groomed business family?”

“Everyone knows you’re so far into crime it’s not funny. So the police will definitely give Charli back to us.”

Mason’s dad’s bitter laugh echoes down through the phone prickling the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up. I look at Mase and he’s visibly shaking.

“The police are on our payroll, sweetie. They do what we tell them. We can make you disappear—”

“Dad you’re being ridiculous, and if you ever want to see me again, you’re going about it the wrong way.”

I glance at Mase and nod letting him know I’m glad he’s finally talking.

“Charlotte is ours, and the only way to get her back is for you to come and join the family again Mason.”

My body goes rigid as I look at Mase, any colour he has gotten back now leaves his body again, and he’s as white as a sheet. His body slumps against the wall.

“You have three hours to decide.” The beeping sound of the hang-up tone seers through my ears making me want to puke. My bottom lip trembles at the thought of losing Mason, but I can’t see a way out of this to get my Charli back.

“I have to do it,” Mase says.

Hunter shakes his head and scoffs. “This is crazy,” he says running his hands through his hair.

“Well, maybe you can say you’re going to, and then we get Charli back you leave again?”

Mase shakes his head standing up and starts to pace the hall. “It’s not that simple. And even if I do go back, they’re probably going to make Charli stay anyway. The only thing we can do is go in with the pretence of me going back, and for Amber to sneak in and take Charli from right under their grasp. Charli can’t make a sound, so it has to be someone she recognises. It’s dangerous and I probably won’t make it out alive, but we need to get Charli out. She can’t grow up in that lifestyle. It’s why I got out.”

My entire body jolts with the force of the shock of his words. I hunch over and start to cry at the thought of losing Mase and Charli. Hunter rubs my back, but it’s not soothing at all.

“It’s too risky for Amber to go in to get Charli alone,” Hunter says.

“What if Brax comes as well?” I ask and my chest tightens at the thought of Brax. I haven’t seen him in so long and I need him right now. I need his support, and I need him to help me get my daughter back.

“No.” Hunter glares at me.

“Yes!” Mason quips excitedly. “I need someone there who will watch out for Amber and Charli, and get them the hell out of there, Hunter. Brax could do that, he would protect them both with his life. You know that,” Mase says and even I know he’s making sense.

“Godammit! Fine.”

I grab Mase’s phone and quickly dial Brax’s number.