by Krista Lakes
“You know, that's not necessarily a bad thing,” she replied.
“Don't get me wrong, I like kids. Grayson, Alexander, and Lily are amazing,” he said.
“But?”
“But I'm not cut out to be a parent.” He set his empty glass down on the table and sighed. “Have you seen my hours? It's not fair to anyone for me to have kids. Plus, I have death threats. I couldn't risk what happened to Laura’s family.”
Mia nodded, staying quiet. She already knew he didn't want kids, but hearing him actually say the words made her sad. It was a moot point though.
I can't have kids anyway, she thought to herself. I guess that makes us the perfect couple.
Carter's phone chirped loudly, making her jump.
“Sorry, I have it on extra loud since I was in the garage,” Carter apologized. He read the message and smiled. “Brian thinks he has a lead on my security issues.”
“That's great!” Mia told him. “I can't believe he's evaded the police this long. I thought you said the threats died down after the fundraiser?”
“They did,” he replied, tucking the phone back in his pocket. “But, he thinks he has a new lead. I'm going to go see what he's got.”
“Okay.” Mia smiled and looked at her cup of hot chocolate. All she wanted was a nap.
“You still up for dinner tonight?” he asked, heading back to the door.
She smiled and nodded. “Dinner sounds great.”
He smiled at her and headed out with a blast of cold air, waving at her as he passed the window. She chuckled, feeling lucky for a moment, but once he was gone from her sight, the gray melancholy of the day came back over her.
“Why am I feeling so down?” she asked herself. She tried to go through reasons in her head. No one else in the office was sick. It could be the weather. She'd been eating better recently, so it wasn't that. Maybe it was her time of the month? She pulled out her phone and checked her calendar. She was technically a week late at this point, but she'd never been “regular” in her life, so it wasn't that strange.
She frowned and then shrugged. She probably was just going to start her period soon. That would explain the tiredness. That or she was simply catching the flu. She really hoped it was just her period.
One of the security guards walked past the window. She knew this one's name since he usually greeted the kids on their way in. His name was Ben. He seemed nice enough, but there was something sad to him that Mia couldn't put her finger on. He seemed always to be working. She did know that he genuinely seemed protective of the kids, which she appreciated.
He nodded to her as he passed the window and she raised her hand in greeting. It felt like it would take too much energy to do a full wave. He kept going, his face serious as he patrolled the ranch. She watched him for a moment, glad that there were people keeping Carter safe. She hoped Brian's lead was solid. She wanted Carter to be free of these threats.
Chapter 27
Mia
Mia drove while the kids rested from their long day in court. Grayson was snoring softly in his booster seat while Lily and Alexander stared out their window at the passing cars. Everyone was quiet and pensive.
After the hearing, Mia took the kids so that Margie could stay in the city and do some shopping. It was an easy thing to do since she was supposed to take the kids to the ranch that afternoon anyway. They just had to head to their foster house and change before heading out. Mia was looking forward to seeing Carter. Seeing him would brighten her day, and she needed it.
The afternoon spent in court was a standard six-month hearing, but it still took a lot of energy. The hearing had been uneventful. Nothing was changing, although the judge wasn't happy with the fact that Margie the foster mom had been “retired” out of the system for so long. While there wasn't a problem currently, it made Mia uneasy about the kids' future with her. If anything happened, it would be the kids that would suffer.
Mia sighed as she turned off the highway. There was nothing she could do to make this situation better. Margie was their best option right now, especially given the kids' turbulent history. She was so glad that working at the ranch was making their behavior better, but it was still a tenuous existence. If anything happened, the three siblings would be split up and sent to different foster homes.
Mia glanced around at the kids. They needed one another. They were a family and splitting them up, no matter how much sense it made on paper, would be the wrong thing for all of them. There was so much potential in them that she wished there was something more she could do, but she'd already gone above and beyond.
She wished that she could just adopt all three of them. She would if she could, but she knew she couldn't afford three kids on her social worker salary. Not that they'd even give them to her. She shook her head and tried not to think about it. She was getting too attached to this little family, and she knew it, but she didn't care. These kids were special to her.
Mia pulled into the subdivision where the kids lived and up to Margie's house. A cloud passed over the quiet neighborhood, and the hairs on Mia's arms stood on end. Something was wrong. She knew it the moment she pulled onto the street.
“Stay in the car,” she told the kids, putting the car in park along the sidewalk and opening her door. She stayed in the doorway of the car where she knew it was safe, staring at the house.
The front window into the living room was smashed open. The curtains billowed out of the house in the fall wind. The white curtains were almost pretty against the dark brick, if not for the broken glass and graffiti. Spray-painted across the white garage door in blood red paint were the words, “DON'T LET HIM KILL THEM TOO.”
Mia's hands shook as she grabbed her cell phone and quickly dialed 911.
“There's been a break-in,” she told the operator. She was surprised that her voice wasn't shaking. She wasn't used to calling 911, and it felt strange. “I'm going to need an officer.”
“Are you in immediate danger?” asked the operator.
Mia shook her head as she replied even though she was on the phone. “No, I don't think so.”
“Stay in your car, and we'll send an officer as soon as possible,” the operator assured her. The calm voice on the other end then asked her some questions and took her information. With nothing left to talk about until the police officer showed up, Mia hung up the phone and sat in the driver's seat.
Mia took a deep breath and re-read the words on the door. The “he” had to mean Carter. She knew it in her bones. Everyone liked Margie, and there was no way Alexander or Grayson had killed anyone. But, if someone wanted to get to Carter, this was as good a way as any. Whoever was after him had upgraded their harassment to include her and the kids simply because they spent time with him.
“Mia?” Lily's voice was low and afraid. “What does that mean?”
Mia let out a shaky breath and tried to put on her most confident smile. She patted Lily's hand. “Don't let it scare you. It's not meant for you.”
“Okay,” Lily replied, but it was obvious she didn't really believe Mia. In the backseat, Alexander was hunkered down in his seat and frowning. At least Grayson was still asleep and oblivious to what was going on.
Mia picked up her cell phone again. She dialed the number she now knew by heart.
“This is Carter,” he answered, sounding professional and a little bit busy.
“Carter, it's Mia.” She felt stupid, but she wasn't quite sure how to start this conversation.
“How are you?” His voice was instantly warmer, and she could hear the smile in his voice.
“I already called the cops, but I thought you should know. The person sending you those threats sent one to the kids' house,” she blurted out. She grimaced slightly, knowing there was probably a better way to put it.
“What did they do?” The warmness was gone. His voice was cold and with a hum of anger to it.
“They broke a window and spray painted 'don't let him kill them too' on the garage,” she explained
. “I can't see any other damage from out here.”
“I'm sending over a security team. Don't go in the house. Stay in your car until they get there.” Mia had never heard him speak so forcibly before. He was kind of scary.
“Okay,” she promised. “That's what we were planning on doing anyway.”
“Good. Heads will roll for this.” He slammed something down on a table wherever he was. “Someone will be there in five minutes. Stay safe.”
“We will,” she told him. He hung up on her to call his security team and she carefully pocketed her phone. She checked her watch to see only a couple of minutes had passed. Hopefully, the police would be here soon.
“What's going on Mia?” Lily asked, more insistent this time.
Mia chewed on the inside of her cheek for a moment before turning to face the three of them. Grayson had woken up and was looking around confused at why they were still in the car.
“I'm sure it's just some kind of prank, but I'm just being careful,” Mia explained.
“Why'd you call Carter? And what do you mean he's been getting threats?” Lily asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. Alexander crossed his arms and waited for an answer.
“I called Carter because he has resources to help us,” Mia said. “As for the threats, Carter owns a very successful business. People get angry with him, and they threaten him. That's why he has so much security around his house. It happens a lot to important people.”
“Kind of like the president and the secret service?” Grayson asked, tilting his head.
“Exactly like the president,” Mia agreed with a smile.
“Is that Ben?” Lily asked, pointing to a man walking toward them. “He's one of the security guards at the ranch. He's always nice.”
Mia had been so busy talking to the children that she hadn't seen the black truck pull up on the opposite side of the street. She checked her watch, amazed that Ben had beaten the cops.
Ben walked confidently over to Mia's window. He wore jeans and a W motors t-shirt, rather than the usual dark security uniform. She could see that he was carrying a weapon in the waistband of his pants, and she wondered just how serious this was. Mia rolled down her window to talk to him.
“Are you four okay?” he asked, looking into the car with a frown.
“Yeah, we're just waiting on the police,” Mia replied. “How did you get here so quickly? There's no way you came from the ranch.”
“I was just driving in for the night-shift. Cards called me since he knew this is on my way into work,” Ben explained. “He's on his way as well, but he wanted someone here to make sure you and the kids were taken care of.”
His story made complete sense to Mia, and she smiled at him. She still felt on edge and off-centered, but she was glad he was there. Besides, she liked Ben. He was always good with the kids.
“Thank you, Ben,” Mia told him. “We're doing okay. Just creeped out.”
“I'll stay with you until the police arrive,” Ben told her. “Then we'll get to the bottom of this.”
“We didn't find any sign of the intruder, ma'am,” the police officer told her. She stood on the front porch of Margie's house with police lights flashing everywhere. She was fairly sure the neighbors were going to accidentally rip the blinds off their windows if they kept peeking out like they were.
Mia nodded. She could see Brian and Ben talking with two other police officers by the garage. A crime scene camera flashed for what felt like the millionth time at the garage. She turned back to what the head officer was telling her.
“The window was broken in with a rock from the yard. We've cleared the house and made sure that no one is inside or anywhere on the property. We made sure they didn't leave any surprises behind in the house,” the officer was saying. “Whoever did this isn't here anymore.”
“Thank you, officer,” Mia replied, nodding along. She still felt weirded out by it all though and wasn't looking forward to going to her own empty apartment. Maybe she could get Brian to check it out before he went into work. It would certainly make her feel better.
“If you have any other trouble, be sure to let us know.” The officer put his pen and pad back into his pocket. “We'll finish up and get out of your hair, ma'am.”
“Thank you again, Officer.”
The police officer turned and went down the stairs of the porch as Brian Cards came up them. Even compared to the police officer, the man was huge. She felt safer with him around and was glad Carter had sent him. He'd arrived just shortly after the police.
“I'm going to have a man patrolling outside the house tonight,” Brian told her. “Tomorrow, Mr. Williamson is having a security system installed here and at your apartment with twenty-four-hour monitoring. This isn't happening again.”
He definitely reminded her of a bear protecting its cubs. She was glad she was one of those cubs because the man was fierce. She nodded and took a deep breath in, trying to calm herself. She could see Margie in the car with the kids. The overhead light was on, and she suspected Margie had them working on homework. Their trip to the ranch was obviously not happening now.
Brian put his big hand on her shoulder. She could feel the strength in it and was glad he was on her side. Ben came up the stairs with a large piece of plywood and a hammer, and Brian gave her a gentle squeeze before going to help him with it. Together, the two men started boarding up the broken window as Mia watched.
“I'd say that looks familiar, but the joke feels a little dark,” Carter said from behind her. His voice was exactly what she wanted to hear.
“Maybe it was just two boys trying to show off for their friends?” she joked, as she turned and smiled at him. “I'm pretty sure Margie's bowling trophies are pretty valuable.”
As soon as he was up the short walkway, he put his arms around her and kissed her temple. She relaxed into him, feeling her anxiety lessen as soon as he touched her.
“I'm sorry I put you in this situation,” he said softly, still holding her close. She pushed him away gently so she could look up at him. His blue eyes were full of concern, and his brow was dark.
“You didn't put me in this situation,” she told him. She motioned to the nearly boarded up window. “Whoever did this is a horrible person. Scaring kids to get revenge? They suck. Not you.”
He smiled and hugged her again. “I'm just glad you and the kids are safe.”
“Me too,” she agreed. She looked over at the now ugly window and frowned. “I get why you were so mad about your window now.”
Carter chuckled, and she was glad to see his face relax slightly. “Plus, the heating bill increases are insane.”
She smiled and leaned against him. The hammer against the plywood echoed through the neighborhood, and she shivered. The sun had gone down and now the night air was chilly.
“I'm just glad no one was home,” Mia said softly.
“I don’t want you or the kids staying here tonight,” he told her. “Or at your apartment.”
“They sent officers over to check it out,” Mia informed him. “They didn't find anything there.”
“I don't care,” he replied. “You, the kids, and even Margie aren't staying here.”
“So where are we staying?” she asked, already knowing the answer. The man had a big beautiful ranch with no one but him living on it.
“With me.”
Mia loved the way he said it. There was warmth and protection in his voice, and his embrace around her shoulders tightened. There was no way he was going to let anything happen to any of them.
“The kids would love a slumber party,” she told him. “They still talk about being able to sleep in the barn.”
Carter chuckled. “I have someplace better than the barn for them. I had some rooms made up for them.”
Mia smiled up at him. He grinned and pulled her away from the broken window and over to where the kids sat in the car. Despite his fame and fortune, he really was a big sweetheart. She suspected he liked the kids far more than he let on.
The kids piled out of the SUV with their overnight bags and giggled as they raced across the dead lawn to the ranch house. Behind them, Carter helped Mia carry her bag as well as the excess kid stuff as they followed behind. Margie had opted to spend the night at a friend's house, which Carter said was fine.
Once inside the house, Carter took the lead.
“Follow me,” he told the kids, leading them down the hallway and toward the basement door. Mia frowned but followed along. She remembered the basement as finished, but full of old computers and random equipment. Carter hadn't done anything to it yet since he was only here until the threats ended. She had assumed they would sleep on the couches in the living room for the night.
Carter grinned at her, his eyes twinkling with the light of a secret as he opened the basement door. The kids rushed down in front of him with Mia trailing behind. She gasped as she came down the steps and saw the transformation that Carter had made to the basement.
Instead of a regular basement, it looked like a house. There was a common area with three distinct bedrooms coming off of it. From just the open doorways, Mia could see that each room was fully decorated and furnished.
“When you said you had rooms made up for them, I assumed you bought some air mattresses and extra sheets,” Mia told him, standing in the common room and looking around.
“Right. Because billionaires buy air mattresses,” he replied. She looked up at him, and he winked at her.
She shook her head and went to see what each room contained. It was far more than just a mattress in each room. Each room was clearly designed for one of her kids.
The pale yellow room with turquoise accents was made for Lily. There were books about horses and other animals on the beautiful white wood nightstand. It was pretty and feminine, yet strong and elegant enough to suit a teenager. Lily already had her nose in a book about equine anatomy as she lounged on the bed.