Chapter Eighteen
Turner
Watching the two most important people in my life sleeping so peacefully is an indescribable feeling. An overwhelming urge to protect them both from the malicious, despicable people of the world surges straight to my gut.
My arm is securely around Clove and Journey is sleeping on my chest. This is my family. I’m complete and happy. I have my wife back and a daughter I didn’t even know I had until a few days ago.
The rage inside of me for the horrendous things they have endured over the past year overpowers this happiness, though, and that pisses me the fuck off. Not being able to tell Clove I know everything that they did to her thanks to Zack killed me tonight, especially sitting there listening to her tell me how she tried to take her life after she thought I was dead.
If I truly was a killer, and had those same fucked up genes coursing through me that my father and brother, they would both be dead by now. I wish I’d had the guts to be able to do it, to stand in front of them and tell them exactly how I felt, mocking and torturing them until they had me begging to kill them, to place my hands roughly around their throats and suck the life out of them slowly. But I’m not like them. My family means more to me than that, and that is where the difference between us lies.
Shifting my head carefully, my vision blurred from lack of sleep, I gaze upon my child’s sleeping form on my chest. Her mouth hangs open slightly, lost in her own little world; no cares, no worries, and sheltered securely right where she was meant to be.
My body demands sleep, but every time I close my eyes, all I can see is the two of them locked up in a goddamn room with nothing, no way out, no one to talk to, to tell them how much they are loved. Who the hell does that kind of shit?
Thank God that Caleb Hollis was so full of guilt and shame for his part in this warped plan that he spilled his guts, because Tina still won’t say a damn thing. Fucking bitch. She has demanded a trial and is now turning all the blame onto Trent. She has her head shoved so far up her own ass she doesn’t even realize she has dug her own grave.
I pray like fuck her lawyer is smart enough to tell her to plead guilty tomorrow and save Clove and the rest of us from having to go through a court battle. I’m not sure if my wife could survive that. If I could survive sitting there and listening to any of it. The fucking irony of her being arraigned on our anniversary has me stifling a laugh. The next best gift besides these two would be for that piece of trash to be shipped off to the most gruesome federal prison in this country.
My phone buzzes with a text and for some reason I know it’s Zack. I reach over to the nightstand where I sat it earlier and glance at the screen, maneuvering myself just a fraction so I don’t wake the two sleeping beauties I have surrounding me.
I swipe the screen to read his text.
Trent just got assigned a lawyer. Bastard is in with him now, they just told me.
A second text comes through right below the first one.
They’re making special arrangements for his arraignment since he’s still in the hospital.
“Is that Zack?” Clove’s sleepy voice startles me causing me to flinch, which then causes the baby to stir, opening her cute little eyes and scoping out the scenery around her.
“Yeah. Sorry to wake you.”
“It’s fine. What did he say?”
I really don’t want to bring this up. My first instinct is to make up some story in order to protect Clove’s feelings and not speak my brother’s name between us, especially after our special night, but I want to be open and honest with my wife.
“Zack just got news about Trent. He and Tina are being arraigned tomorrow.”
“What?” she nearly shouts. “Trent? I…I thought he was dead!”
“He would have been, if Zack and Martinez hadn’t gotten the information on where you were that day. The FBI team raided the place shortly after Tina got you and Journey out of there, and they found him. For all I care, Trent can die after he gives us all the evidence we need to put Tina away for life, but until then, no. He is very much alive.”
Clove sits up in bed, still with a stunned expression on her face.
“Oh, my God. I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe this. I saw her... I saw her shoot him! All that blood...” she trails off, covering her face with her hands and hanging her head. Even though I hate seeing her cry, I let her get it out.
“What’s going to happen to him?” Clove finally asks as her tears slow, then stop.
“The man has nothing to lose anymore by lying, but he had better cooperate and tell the truth if he knows what’s good for him,” I say. “He really has no choice in the matter. He is just as guilty as your mother is and they are both going away for a very long time.”
Death and prison are both too good for that motherfucker. Blood or not, I really couldn’t care less if Trent dies after this. He will never be anything to me except the man who tried to destroy my family. Sick fucking bastard. If there’s anything I know for damn sure, it’s that his feelings for my wife haven’t just disappeared overnight. He claims he’s in love with her; he told me so himself as he had me tied up, beating the shit out of me. But he’s not in love. He’s fucking obsessed.
“Hey, where did you go just now?” Clove asks, bringing me out of my thoughts of hatred. “Didn’t you hear what I said?”
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
Her hand comes up to lightly stroke my cheek.
“Happy anniversary,” she says softly, those eyes of hers that were shedding tears just moments ago now shining brighter than the stars I have watched so many nights in the dark sky.
“Happy anniversary to you, too, my love.”
I watch in silence as Clove breastfeeds Journey. This time she’s not embarrassed or ashamed and trying cover herself up, hiding this natural bond between the two of them. Am I wrong to admit to myself this is a turn-on for me? As a father it should be; as a husband, hell no. Clove’s breasts have always been a huge orgasmic key to my sexual appetite. Jesus Christ, I need to be inside her so damn bad. I wish the doctor would hurry his ass up any time now with the birth certificate for us to sign, along with the discharge papers so I can take my family home.
This morning has been a whirlwind of accomplishments. I’m impressed to say the least at how fast and efficient they have been with every single test they have performed. Journey is healthy, in spite of all the drugs Clove was given during the course of her pregnancy. That’s one thing we can thank that shit for brains doctor for. At least he was smart enough not to use anything that would cause permanent damage while she was pregnant.
“Zack!”
Clove calls out happily as he strolls in with a small pink teddy bear in his arms, followed by Krista and an unsteadily walking Nolan.
Clove covers herself up when Zack gets closer and bends to give her a kiss on her cheek.
“It’s about damn time I saw you. Oh my. Look at you, Nolan.”
She directs her attention to the little guy who runs up to me, stretching his arms wide.
“Hey buddy,” I say as I pick him up.
“He’s so big! I’m sorry to tell you this, big brother, but he looks just like Krista.”
We all laugh at that one because it’s true.
“Yeah, yeah. I hear that shit every day,” he says, his sarcasm causing us all to erupt into laughter.
“Krista, you look so good! I love your hair like that.”
Clove seems so happy as she sits there and reconnects with her brother and Krista. She looks like my Clove. Her face lights up when Nolan goes over to her, inspecting the baby who now sits in her lap. Her eyes follow him everywhere he goes.
“What happens after today?” Clove blurts out. “I mean, with Tina and Trent. Will they get out?”
“Hell, no. As soon as Trent recovers, he’s off to jail. As a matter of fact, the arraignments are taking place right now.”
“Really? This early?” Clove asks with surprise.
“Yup, they sure are. Actually, our lovely mother should be done by now and back to her cell. Trent is being seen through a video technique since he’s in the hospital.”
Clove quickly tries to hide her agitation, but Zack sees it right away.
“Kidnapping is a federal crime, Clove. Those in charge will make sure neither one of them sees daylight for the rest of their lives. Besides, they each have so many charges against them from several different states. Let’s just say they are royally screwed, and not in a good way. The worst part is over for you. You will have to come down to the station and tell the FBI everything you know, though.”
“You mean, I have to tell them everything, as in, I have to re-live this whole entire nightmare?” she asks in a panicked voice.
I know this was the last thing she was expecting to hear this morning. We only talked about her having to do this briefly.
“I’m sorry, but yes, you do,” says Zack solemnly. “Without your testimony, we have nothing. I promise you won’t have to see either of them and I will be right there beside you the whole time.”
Zack extends his arm out for her hand. She casts her eyes my way, shame written all over her. I know what that look means. There are things she is going to tell them that she doesn’t want me to hear. I silently plead with her, telling her we will get through this together. She smiles back faintly before turning her attention to Krista, changing the subject and talking about how desperately she wants to get her hair done.
The doctor walks in with a stack of papers in his hand.
“Are the three of you ready to get out of here?”
“We are. Can I ask you a question first?” Clove asks.
“Of course.”
“Are you positive she is all right?” she points at Journey, who is now being coddled by Zack.
“She’s a healthy three and a half month old baby girl, Mrs. Calloway. As I stated earlier, if I suspected anything negative at all, she wouldn’t be leaving here so quickly with you. Now remember those vaccination shots she received this morning may make her a little cranky and irritable, so don’t panic and think something is wrong. And please, take advantage of Dr. Jollup’s expertise and go talk to her. That goes for the both of you,” he says sternly, rotating his stance to look at me.
“We will,” I assure him. “Now shall we sign this little gem and make this official?”
I hold up a piece of paper with Journey’s little footprints on the bottom. I feel a tightness squeeze my chest, in a good way this time, knowing I am about to put my name on her birth certificate.
For one fleeting moment, all the bullshit that surrounds us and that we have yet waiting for us disappears, as I scratch my name next to Clove’s on that piece of paper. It’s the only God-given right that those monsters didn’t take away from the two of us. I don’t miss the flash of Zack’s phone out of my peripheral vision.
“Make sure you get that developed for me, yeah?” I say as I scribble my name on the discharge papers.
“Planning on it. Along with all the others I took of her.”
“You’re the best brother ever,” Clove says, wrapping her arms around her brother.
He kisses the top of her head.
“Here, take Nolan,” Krista pipes up. “Let’s take a picture of the four of you.”
This is what it’s all about, as we stand and exchange kids, snapping pictures with our phones. I can finally take my family to our new home, where we can start making new memories together. I just wish the old memoires were much more distant. To be honest, I wish they didn’t exist at all.
************
“My God, I almost forgot how hot it is here.”
Clove fans herself as we step out into the Georgia heat, shielding Journey’s face from the sun as she is pushed out of the sliding doors at the rear of the hospital, where the car has been parked for the past few days. It’s still a fucking media circus all around the front. Even though it has died down some since the chief gave his statement, there are still a shit ton of those assholes just hoping to be able to catch one of us.
“Thank you. I can take them from here,” I say to the man pushing her in the wheelchair.
“Good luck to all of you,” he replies, lifting the flaps at the bottom of the chair and then guiding Clove out.
I place my hand on her back and walk her out to our car.
“Let me get the car seat out of my truck,” Zack says and jogs up ahead of us.
“Oh,” says Clove, taken aback momentarily. “We kind of forgot about all of that, didn’t we?”
“Maybe you did, but I didn’t,” I joke.
“Ha! Did you remember diapers, and baby wipes, and-”
I silence her with a swat on her ass.
“I promise you, I have it all covered.”
“You liar! My wife covered your ass!” Zack hollers while pulling the car seat from the back of his truck.
Clove stops and places a gentle kiss on my cheek.
“I knew it all along. Nice try, though.”
Krista takes hold of the seat, passing Nolan over to Zack and saunters over to the car.
“Here, let me strap this in.”
“This is your mom’s car. Where’s ours?” Clove asks, looking somewhat bothered.
“Um.” I scratch my head. “It’s in storage.”
“Oh. Along with everything else, right?” she asks, her temper getting riled up.
“I guess you could say that,” I soothe, wiping beads of sweat off my forehead. “Listen, do we have to stand out here and talk about this right now? Can’t we talk about it on the way home?”
“Sure, Turner. And where is home, exactly?”
Her put out expression does nothing to still the thud in my chest from the humiliated look she gives me before spinning on her feet and storming over to help Krista. Zack places his hand on my shoulder, giving me a kind squeeze.
“Give her time, man. She’ll come around. Just take her to the new place and try and enjoy your anniversary.”
“Fifteen minutes ago she was fine. I just want my life back, goddamn it. Is that too much to ask for? Fuck!”
“No, it’s not, but she’s been gone for a year. She has no clue what to expect.”
“And you think I do? I don’t expect everything to be back to normal with a snap of my fingers, or for us to just jump right back into the perfect little life we had before. It’s just that every time I feel like we take a step forward, I do or say something that sends us twelve steps back.”
“I know man, and I get that, I truly do, but it really is simply a matter of giving her time, time to get to know herself again, to heal and forgive herself. Just let your heart guide you, Turner. Don’t try and push it. Let Clove be the one to take the lead. She loves you, and she’s not going anywhere. You get me?”
“I get you.”
“Good, now take your family and show them that kick ass new house, and when you feel up to it, give me a call.”
Zack bellows out to Krista.
“You ready, babe?”
“Call me later, yeah?” Krista calls out to Clove as she heads back to her and Zack’s car.
“I will.”
She climbs out of the backseat, sweat soaked to the back of her t-shirt, and gets into the passenger seat, buckling herself in. I climb into the driver’s seat and crank up the air, scanning the area for reporters to make sure we aren’t spotted. Not a word is spoken between Clove and me as I pull out of the hospital parking lot and drive in the direction of our new home.
“The silence is killing me here, Clove.”
She shifts in her seat, turning my way with her head laid back.
“Me, too. I’m sorry for overreacting once again. It’s just… I feel like I’m on this rollercoaster, slowly scaling up to the top, the anticipation and the excitement building up, and then, BOOM! All of a sudden the damn thing stops a hair before reaching the top and shoots backwards. Does that make sense?”
“That’s exactly how I feel, too. But as long as you promise me we will get through this together and face all these hurdles side by side, we will make it. We’re both going to say and do things to piss the other off, walk around on our tiptoes in fear of tipping the scale and sending the other one of us flying. Eventually we will reach the other side and take the ride of our lives with each other.”
“Turner, no matter what, I’m not going anywhere. One of the things I love about how we are together is that we have always been able to communicate with each other, so from now on, let’s vow to tell each other whatever is on our minds.”
I lift my hand from the gearshift and clasp hold of hers, bringing it to my lips and gently brushing them over it.
“I can do that.”
“Good,” she says with a smile. “Now, the more I think about it, the more excited I become about this new house. Where is it?”
“It’s right up here.”
I slow down and turn onto James Street, which is two blocks over from my mother’s house. Clove looks toward the new one-story brick ranch house at the end of the small cul-de-sac with excited eyes.
“This is ours?” she gasps.
“Well, technically it’s my mother’s. She had to make the purchase because as you know, I was in hiding from… well, you know...”
Her eyes fix on me with tears of joy beginning to pool inside of them.
“Hey. It’s okay. I don’t want to talk about it either; not today, anyway. I want to spend my wedding anniversary in my new house with my husband and our child.”
“Well, come on. Let’s see what our sneaky family has done to the place.”
Yesterday after Clove had her attack, her dad, my mother, and Krista spent all of last night setting up the necessary things we would need to get us by until we felt comfortable enough to venture out on our own. Just as I hit the button to the garage door opener, my phone rings.
“It’s Zack, want me to answer it?” Clove asks when she picks it up from the cup holder
“Sure,” I shrug.
Clove picks up, then suddenly lets out a terror-inducing scream.
“Noooooo!”
I slam on the brakes and Journey wakes up with a startled cry.
“Clove! What is it?”
She drops the phone in her lap and buries her face in her hands. I snatch it up, hearing Zack screaming Clove’s name.
“What the fuck is going on?” I yell back. I’m silenced in outrage as I hear his announcement.
“Tina got out on bail.”