by E. L. Todd
“I didn’t tell Ward the truth because I thought he hated me. He wasn’t happy with the way things ended and I was scared he would turn me away if I told him the truth. So I lied to him and everyone else. Ward didn’t know the truth until a few days ago.”
Dad didn’t seem as mad but he was still on his guard. “Finished yet?”
“No,” I said. “Ward bought me a house because he knew I was having money problems. He offered to help me raise the baby and take care of it. He did all of this before he even knew the baby was his.”
“It’s true,” Cayson said.
Dad turned to Cayson then back to me.
“So I told him the truth,” I said.
“And I’m very happy we’re having this baby together.” Ward put his arm over the back of my chair.
“As friends?” Dad asked incredulously. “You didn’t offer to marry her?”
“I did offer to marry her,” Ward said. “She said no.”
“Just because we’re having a baby together doesn’t mean we need to get married. We’re perfectly capable of doing this as friends,” I said.
“Until he meets someone else and gets married,” Dad said. “Then he’ll leave you.”
“Cortland.” Mom tried to control him.
“I would never abandon my family,” Ward said seriously. “Just because we aren’t married or romantically involved doesn’t make us less committed to raising this child. I will always make sure Clementine has what she needs.”
Dad seemed to calm down.
“Ward and I are very excited and we’ll make a great team,” I said. “I’m sorry it’s not under the conditions you want. But this is what’s happening. You can support it or…” I didn’t finish the sentence.
“Of course we’re supportive,” Mom said. “You just gave us a lot of information. I had no idea you were even seeing Ward.”
I understood that.
“But we’re very happy,” she said. “Your father has always said how much he loves Ward. He’ll be a great father.”
“Thank you,” Ward said politely.
Dad finally came around. “Sorry I snapped, Ward. I’m very protective of my daughter.”
“I understand, sir,” Ward said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Finally, it didn’t seem so tense.
“How are you guys going to do this?” Mom asked.
“Well, the baby is going to live with me and Ward can come over whenever he wants,” I said.
“But he’s in London half the time,” Dad argued.
“I asked Sean to transfer me to a different position,” Ward said. “He did.”
Dad nodded in approval.
“Clementine doesn’t have to work if she doesn’t want to,” Ward said. “If she’d rather stay home and raise the baby while concentrating on her music, she has that option. I will provide for her.”
“Is that what you want?” Dad asked me.
“No,” I said. “I want to work. I want to carry my own weight.”
“That works for me,” Mom said. “I get to babysit.”
I smiled at her, glad she was being supportive.
“But would it be best if you stayed home?” Dad asked. “At least until the baby starts school?”
“We have some time to think about it.” Ward came to my rescue. “We’ll talk about it and figure it out.”
“I’m so glad you guys are having a baby together,” Skye said. “You guys can’t get away from each other.”
She didn’t realize just how true that statement was.
We fell into a pleasant conversation about the baby and what it might look like. I really hoped the baby had Ward’s eyes. They were so beautiful and blue. I would love to look at them every day.
When dinner was finished, Dad said, “Can we see the house?”
“Sure,” I said. “You guys will love it.”
***
We stopped outside the front door and Mom and Dad looked at it. Even in the dark, it was magical.
“Wow, this place is beautiful, Clemy.”
Dad looked at the different flowers. “Do you have a gardener?”
“Yes,” I said. “Me.”
We walked inside and they looked around.
Mom felt the granite countertops and looked outside to the backyard. “This place is a hidden gem.”
“It was built in the 1800’s but was restored about fifty years ago,” Ward explained. “Everything is fairly new but it has the Victorian architecture. I understand why Clementine loves it so much.” He opened the French doors so they could peek into the backyard. Mom and Dad walked outside and looked at the bed of flowers.
Skye came to Ward’s side. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you. You have no idea how lucky I feel.”
I listened to their interaction without trying to make it obvious.
“Well, it’s safe to say they both like you,” she said.
He nodded. “Thank god I bought her this house. That helped a lot.”
She chuckled. “They would have liked you anyway. You’re going to be a great father.”
“I hope so.”
“You will,” she said encouragingly. “So, are you guys…?”
“No.” His voice sounded sad. “But hopefully that will change. There’s nothing I want more than to be a proper family, and not just because it’s my duty, but because I love her.”
“Give her time,” she whispered. “She’ll come around.”
“I hope you’re right, Skye. Otherwise, I’m doomed.”
Cayson joined their conversation and patted Ward’s shoulder. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thanks, man.” He dropped the sadness from his voice.
“It’s a shame we got off on the wrong foot,” Cayson said. “You are a good guy.”
“Thanks,” Ward said.
“Maybe we should hang out and do stuff together.”
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Ward said sincerely. “You play ball?”
“Of course.”
“Let’s go after work tomorrow,” he said. “Skye can be a cheerleader.”
“Or I can play, you sexist pig,” Skye said.
Ward chuckled. “Let the men be men, dear.” He stepped away from them and came toward me.
I tried to act like I wasn’t listening and just watching my parents. “They really like the place.”
“They should.” He stood beside me and his shoulder touched mine. “It’s easy to fall in love with.”
“I’m so happy,” I said. “It was my dream to raise our baby in this house.”
“I’m glad I could make that dream happen. If it was in my power I’d make all your dreams come true.” His lips were near my ear. Then he turned away and faced my parents.
I believed that was true.
His hand moved to my stomach. “I hope you don’t mind me touching you here. It’s going to happen a lot.”
“I don’t.”
His hand moved over my stomach, blocking out the entire thing. “I just found out I’m having a baby and I’m already impatient for it to get here.” He chuckled. “I don’t think I can wait six months.”
“He’ll be here before you know it.”
He pulled his hand away and sighed. “I hope so. I haven’t just been waiting a few days for this baby to get here. I’ve been waiting my whole life.”
Chapter Eight
Scarlet
I decided to make cookies. I didn’t make sweets as often as I used to. Even though I exercised often in our personal gym and was always on my feet, if I wanted to be thin and curvy in the right places I couldn’t afford to eat anything delicious. But Sean had been stressed out like crazy and I wanted to do something, no matter how small, to cheer him up.
The oven beeped and I pulled the pan out. They were slightly golden brown, crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside, just the way he liked them. I took off my mitts and stared at the pan, trying to restrain myself from eating
them all by myself.
Then I heard a sound. It wasn’t the usual noise the house made every time the AC came on. And it wasn’t a noise I recognized. My skin prickled and something didn’t feel right. The air suddenly became dense, like someone else was taking up space and making the air more saturated.
I couldn’t explain how I knew something was off. I just did. The alarm was set so there was no reason to be scared. Yet, I was. Trying not to make a sound, I opened the drawer and grabbed the pistol I carried with me around the house. I was wearing an apron covered with parrots and I dropped it inside the pocket. The apron was baggy on me so the gun couldn’t be distinguished.
Then I kept listening.
A man whistled. “Man, you’re pretty.”
A shiver moved down my spine and my heart kicked into overdrive. Adrenaline coursed through me in powerful waves. I could move a mountain with this amount of energy. I slowly turned on the spot and faced my perpetrator. I’d been held at gunpoint before. I’d been beaten before. I knew what it was like to be scared.
But I refused to be scared now.
He pointed a caliber at me and he was covered in all black. He wore a mask that covered most of his face.
That was a good sign. If he let me see his face that meant he intended to kill me so I could never report him to the police. If his face was covered, I knew I wasn’t about to be buried in a ditch somewhere. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
He flinched, like that was the last thing he expected me to say.
“But he’s not here. You wasted your time.” I glanced out the window, wondering where the guards were. They were nowhere in sight. Were they dead? I hoped not.
“I’m not looking for him.” He came closer to me, still pointing the gun at me. “Actually, I came for you.”
“And how can I help you?” I was surprised I was being so calm. When people had a gun pointed at their head, they couldn’t think straight. I should be in tears. But I refused to show any fear. If I were going to die, I would go with dignity.
He tilted his head to the side. “You should be scared of me.”
“Who said I wasn’t?”
“You should be shaking and begging for your life.”
“I refuse to believe that a man would hurt an innocent woman who hasn’t done anything wrong.” Maybe manipulation would work. “Are you that kind of man?”
The gun shook slightly. “Take a seat.”
I backed up then sat down on the couch. The gun was still in my apron but I couldn’t use it now. The second he looked away, scratched his nose, or coughed, I would blow his brains out.
He moved to the other couch, his gun still trained on me. “Do as I say and I won’t hurt you.”
“That depends on what you want me to do.”
“Actually, that’s in your husband’s hands. He’ll determine your fate.”
“Then it looks like I’m walking out of here alive,” I said. “Because he would never let anything happen to me.”
“For your sake, I hope that’s true.”
Chapter Nine
Sean
Today was a busy day. Mike took care of a meeting with the investors, and he had Conrad run the show. My nephew was proving to be a promising asset to this company. He had the strength and confidence to gain the respect of his workers and peers. And he had the intelligence to make good decisions. He and Skye balanced each other. While my daughter was exceptionally bright, smarter than Scarlet and I put together, she wasn’t perfect. Conrad wasn’t perfect either. But together, they were a force to reckon with.
I was thinking about calling Scarlet. I just got off the phone with her an hour ago, but my paranoia never went away. She was always in my thoughts, either in a loving or sexual way. My obsession stemmed from years and years of friendship. And it stemmed from years and years of loving her completely and utterly.
I was a very lucky man to call her my other half.
I was just about to pick up the phone when I heard Clementine outside my door. “Do you have an appointment?”
“No.”
I froze because his voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t think of where I heard it before.
Clementine spoke again. “You can’t—” She stopped in midsentence and didn’t speak again.
Then my door burst open and a gun was pointed right at my head. “Don’t move.” He kept his voice calm as he shut the door behind him. The gun didn’t shake as he aimed at the area between my eyes.
My heart stopped beating.
I was looking into the face of a man I knew, a man I underestimated.
Zack.
My daughter’s ex-boyfriend was clearly here for revenge.
I should have killed him when I had the chance.
My hands were under the desk so I immediately moved to my watch.
“You think I’m stupid?” He came around the desk and yanked me from the chair. He threw me across the ground then kicked me as hard as he could. Then he gripped me by the throat and forced me on my knees. Meanwhile, the gun was pressed to me the entire time. I breathed hard but didn’t react in any other way.
Then Zack moved in front of me, keeping his aim.
I let my arms rest by my sides while I looked at him. I refused to show fear, especially to a punk like this. If he thought he was going to get any emotion out of me, he was wrong.
“Remember me, asshole?”
“How could I forget such a pathetic excuse for a man?”
His eyes narrowed in hatred and he hit me hard in the face with the gun. My nose started to bleed and so did my lip.
I took the hit. Even though it hurt like a bitch, I didn’t react. I turned back to him, my face expressionless.
“You think you can beat the shit out of me in front of my school and not pay the consequences?” He shook the gun in my face like he might hit me again.
“You think you can fuck with my daughter and not pay the consequences?”
“I did nothing to her!”
“I beg to differ,” I said calmly.
“You ruined my life! I can’t get a job. I can’t run for office. I can’t do anything because everyone knows I crossed a Preston.”
“That wasn’t my doing,” I said. “If word spread, it wasn’t because I instigated it. Believe me, I have more important things to do than torture a man I never think about.”
He hit me in the face again. “There’s no one coming to help you. I’m not sure where you cockiness comes from.”
“I’m not cocky. I’m just not scared.”
“Well, you really should be.” He stared me down with dark eyes, like he wanted to blow my brains out right then and there.
“Do it already,” I said. “You have me. What are you waiting for?”
“I haven’t told you why I’m here, idiot.”
Wasn’t it to kill me? What else did he want?
He stepped closer to me. “Skye Preston. Where is she?”
My heart fell into my stomach. He was after my daughter. It wasn’t me he wanted. He wanted her.
My world shattered into pieces.
“I don’t keep tabs on her.”
“You fucking liar! I know she works here but her name and office number isn’t listed on the building. Where the fuck is she?” His eyes were the size of melons.
If he thought I would give up my daughter, he was stupid. “I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.” He moved the gun closer. “You’re prepared to die for her?”
I looked him in the eye and didn’t blink. “A million times.”
He smirked.
Why the fuck was he smiling?
“I thought that might be your answer.” He took out his phone and made a call on speakerphone.
“You got him?” a guy asked.
“Yeah,” Zack said. “You got her?”
Her? No. No. No.
“Yep. I’m looking at her right now. She knows how to rock an apron.”
No. No. No.
Not my wife.
Not my wife. Fuck, not my wife.
“Leave my family out of this.” Desperation and emotion oozed out me. Now I didn’t hide it. I was terrified. I could die in peace but I couldn’t let anything happen to the people who made my world worth living. “Not my family. Not my wife.”
“You just became a lot more cooperative,” he said with a smile.
“Let her go,” I said. “I’ll give you whatever you want. You want money? You can have it all. Just let her go.” I tried to keep my emotions in check. I was about to break down in tears. I’d never been so scared in my fucking life.
“I told you I want Skye. And that’s all I want.”
Fuck.
“Now, I’m going to let you choose.” His grin was stretched wide as he kept the gun pointed at me. “Will it be your wife? Or your daughter?”
I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. Why the fuck was this happening to me? I breathed hard and started to sweat.
“Tell me where Skye is or I’ll kill your wife.”
Tears sprang into my eyes. “Please…don’t.”
“Tell me where she is,” he repeated. “Otherwise, you can listen to him kill her.” He held the phone out in front of my face.
Fuck. What did I do? I couldn’t live without my wife. But I couldn’t live without my daughter either. They were both innocent and didn’t deserve this. I failed as a parent and as a husband. I should have protected them both.
I knew what I had to do even if I didn’t like it. I knew what Scarlet would want. But I still couldn’t bring myself to say it.
“I’m going to give you a few seconds to make your decision. I’m going to find Skye eventually so you may as well spare your wife.”
“You’re better than this, Zack.” I decided to plead to his humanity. “You aren’t a killer. Don’t do this.”
He continued to smile at me. “You think your speech means anything to me? You think I care about how you feel? You think I care if your wife dies? I don’t give a damn about any of them. Seeing you suffer gives me the greatest satisfaction.”
I knew he was going to kill Scarlet anyway.
And there was nothing I could fucking do to stop it.
Zack sighed. “Kill her.”
“NO! WAIT!”
“Hold on.” Zack turned to me. “Yes?”
A gunshot sounded over the phone.