The Chauffeur

by A. P. Hallmark

  As they reach the top of the stairs, April turns around and looks down at me. I’m standing there with my hands in my front pockets, watching her, wishing with everything in me that I could go into that room with her.

  “Well, Ms. Grace, I don’t think I want to be out of Jason’s sight again.”

  I finally let out that last breath I think I’ve been holding since this whole thing started.

  ~.~

  At six o’clock sharp, Mr. and Mrs. Sanders rush into the house through the grand foyer, bypassing everyone to reach April.

  “Oh, baby girl. Are you all right? Are you hurt? Oh, god, look at your eye,” April’s Mom cries, touching her daughter everywhere to confirm that she’s in one piece.

  “Hey, Daddy,” April says falling into her father’s embrace.

  “Hey, little girl. How are you?” Mr. Sanders asks. “And no sugar coating it either.”

  “I’m good. Really,” she answers honestly.

  “Um, Daddy, Mom, I want to introduce you to the Rowes.” She walks around the room introducing everyone.

  “How about a drink, Tom?” my father asks, guiding him to the bar.

  “Sounds good,” he says, looking back at April. Once everyone has drinks, I nervously approach him.

  “Um, Mr. Sanders, may I speak to you, privately, for a moment?”

  “Yes, sure.”

  I guide him inside my father’s office and motion for him to take one of the wingback chairs. I take the other.

  “What is it?” he asks.

  “Well, sir, I need to talk to you about April.” I take a drink of my Chivas. “I’m going to cut to the chase here, Mr. Sanders —”

  “Tom,” he says correcting me again.

  “Right. Tom. I need to tell you that I’m in love with your daughter. I’ve asked her to marry me, and she said yes.” I quickly finish off my drink in one gulp.

  “You’re kidding me, right?” Tom narrows his eyes at me while shaking his head.

  “No, sir. I am not kidding. In fact, I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life.” I walk across the room to the window. “I love her. It took a lot of effort, but I was able to gain her love and trust. When she was taken, my world shattered. I have done nothing but work day and night to find her, and when we did, I knew I had to ensure that she was mine, so I asked her to marry me. I’m asking for your blessing. I can’t have her hurt knowing you disapprove. She’s been through enough these past few months. It’s my goal to make her completely happy and having your approval is part of that. Sir.”

  “You think you might marry her to make amends?” he asks, attempting to shame me.

  “I would never humiliate your daughter in that regard.”

  “Listen, Jason, I don’t know you. You told me you were her employer, and suddenly, my baby girl is the love of your life, and you two are getting married. The jury’s out, Son. Let me have a chance to speak to my daughter, and get to know you a bit first, would you?”

  “Of course. Are you ready for dinner? They’re probably waiting for us.”

  I’m disappointed that I didn’t accomplish what I set out to, but he’s right, he needs to speak with April first.

  When Tom and I exit my father’s office, everyone’s eyes are on us. My dad knows I was asking for Tom’s approval, so my shrug tells him I didn’t get it … yet.

  “April?” Emily shrieks as she runs into the room. “Oh, April.” We all get caught up in the excitement all over again as the two best friends hold one another. “I was so worried about you. I’m so sorry I had to tell him,” Emily confesses, her tears falling even harder now.

  “Shh, don’t worry. It’s okay, let’s not talk about that right now. I still need to speak to my parents about it,” April whispers and Emily nods in understanding.

  “Hey, little girl,” Adam says, taking April into a hug. “Glad you made it back to us safe and sound.”

  “Thanks, Adam. Me too.” April stops to explain how we all mesh together.

  “Mom … Dad, this is my best friend, Emily. You’ve heard me talk about her, remember? And this is Adam, her brother. Emily is Kyle’s girlfriend, and Adam is Nicole’s boyfriend.”

  “Quite the little family circle, huh?” her father says bordering sarcasm. I can sense April’s discomfort at the remark.

  “Well, yes, actually it is,” I say smiling down at my girl.

  “Let’s go into the dining room, shall we?” my mother suggests, leading the way.

  Rita has outdone herself with dinner and Dad and I go around the table serving the wine. I take the seat next to April, making sure she has what she needs.

  “Jason, I can serve myself, you know,” she whispers, placing her hand on my thigh.

  “I know you can. But this is our first meal together since you’ve returned. Humor me,” I reply, kissing her brow. I can feel the heat of her blush on my lips, and when I release her, I glance at her father. He and his wife are both watching us carefully.

  “Maria,” my mother says, “I thought you and Tom would be more comfortable staying at April’s apartment during your visit. We also have a car for your use if you would like to venture out on your own.”

  “And where will April be staying?” Tom asks, looking at me. I instantly feel April tense up beside me.

  “April will be staying with me, Mr. Sanders.” I sit up straight in my chair.

  “Mom, Daddy, I have something to tell you,” she begins.

  “April, you don’t have to do this now—here.” It’s her first day home, and I don’t want her to be overburdened with any stress.

  “Yes, I do. Mom, Dad, Jason has asked me to marry him, and I’ve said yes,” I smile when we hear Emily squeal with delight. “I also need to tell you that I’m pregnant.”

  “Oh, for god’s sake.” Tom sighs and leans back in his chair. “Is this why you want to marry her? Out of obligation?”

  “Mr. Sanders, we haven’t done anything wrong. We’ve fallen in love, created a child, and I plan on loving them both for the rest of my life. I will not tolerate you, or anyone else breaking April’s heart on her first day back home.”

  It’s clear April is trying hard not to cry, so I place my arm around her shoulder and whisper in her ear, “Don’t cry, baby. They’ll come around. They just need to see you’re happy.” I look down at her, and she nods then looks up at her parents.

  “I love you both, but I won’t have you shaming what I have here. I love this man, and he’s asked me to marry him. He didn’t ask me because I’m pregnant, although it may have moved the asking up a bit. I’ve been assured that it was going to happen and I believe that. If you can’t be happy for me, then that will be your loss.”

  I touch my brow to hers and smile. “That’s my girl.”

  “Of course, we’re happy for you, aren’t we, Thomas?” Maria says, admonishing her husband by smacking his chest with the back of her hand.

  Tom looks at April then back to me, not saying a word.

  “It’s clear you have reservations,” my father interjects. “And it’s understandable since you haven’t witnessed the growth of their relationship, but any concerns you may have about whether my son loves your daughter are unfounded. Jason doesn’t give his heart away easily, and neither does April. My family has watched this love between our children bloom, and trust me, you don’t need to worry about whether your daughter and grandchild will be taken care of. We’re a family here, and we take care of our own.”

  I watch as Tom nods in response to Dad’s words, and looks around the table at everyone. Adam and Nicole have joined hands and placed them on the table, then Kyle and Emily follow suit. I smile when my father and mother do the same, and then I take April’s and place our joined hands on the table as well.

  Tom and Maria look at each other, and when Tom takes Maria’s hand and places it on the table, he and I have a silent agreement. He’s given his approval.

  While April makes plans to spend tomorrow with her parents, I eagerly plan
to go with mine to Sector One to get face to face with James.

  ~.~

  “Jason, we picked up the dogs and brought them to Sector last night. They’ll make perfect guard dogs for the facility, but what are you going to do about that poodle?” my father asks.

  “That’s Sherry, Kate’s ‘baby’ if you recall. I think April would love to have her, but only if she’s trained. Let’s go see them,” I say, following my mother to where the dogs are kenneled. I’m totally surprised to see that two Rottweiler’s and a small poodle are sharing the same room.

  When we cautiously open the door, we’re attacked by all of the dogs with slobbery kisses and wagging tails. Who would have thought these two large dogs would be such pussycats?

  Some guard dogs they are.

  When I pick up Sherry, she immediately begins licking my chin then nuzzles into my neck. Oh, yeah, April’s going to love her.

  After we return the dogs to the kennel, Dad and I pay our prisoners a visit.

  “Hello, Kate. Sorry, we’ve been absent for a few days, but we ran into James and Robin. They send their regards, by the way,” I say, leaning against the door.

  “You found April, then?” she asks, taking deep breaths. “Did you find my Sherry?”

  “Yes. We have her in the other room along with James and Robin,” Dad says.

  “Bring her to me. I want to see her,” Kate demands.

  “Come on, Dad, let’s go visit James. I’ve been waiting for this.”

  “I want Sherry! Bring her to me!”

  As we leave Kate shouting her demands, I glance at her over my shoulder giving her a smirk. We don’t need Kathryn and Helen any longer, so I’ll leave that up to my father, but I’m itching to get my hands on James.

  “Hello, asshole,” I say as soon as I enter the room. James is standing with his arms tied behind his back. After I hear my father shut the door behind us, my hands curve into fists, and with fluid motion, I walk toward him with one purpose in mind. Raising my arm high in the air, my fist comes down on his ugly face.

  “What the fuck was that for?” he shouts, spitting blood at me. That’s when I pull my arm back and come up under his chin. “What the fuck!” he spits teeth this time.

  “That was for me. This is for April.” I take a step back, and with as much force as I can, I kick him in the balls. “You will never threaten to fuck my fiancée again.”

  I pace in front of the motherfucker while he writhes in pain. I, on the other hand, attempt to get my breathing under control.

  “Tell me, James, how does it feel to be restrained and vulnerable to someone’s anger? This …” I say, kicking him in the balls again, “is for threatening to kill my child.”

  He silently screams, writhing in pain. That’s when I take the opportunity to kick him soundly in the chest, pitching him back against the floor where he slides hard enough to hit his head on the wall.

  “Okay, I get it,” he groans through a mouth full of loose teeth and blood. He curls his body into the fetal position so that I can’t kick his balls again. Like that would stop me.

  “You kidnap my girl, threaten her life and the life of my child, and you think this is enough?” I hiss through my teeth. I pull my foot back ready to kick his face before my father stops me.

  “That’s enough, Son. You’ve had your revenge. Now go down to the gym and take it out on the bag. I’ll see you in a little bit, all right?” I nod, out of breath from either my exertion or from adrenaline, I don’t know which, but I take my father’s advice and head down the hall.

  After spending thirty minutes punching a bag that I so want to be James’ face, I sit on the floor to cool off when my dad comes into the room. “Are you calm enough to talk to James and Robin now?” Waiting to get my heart rate back to normal and my emotions in check, I glance at my father and nod.

  “Yeah, let’s go.”

  James has been cleaned up a little bit, but his mouth still bleeds where his teeth have been knocked out. My mother has also brought Helen and Kathryn into the room, and between the four of them yelling at each other, I can’t tell who’s winning the argument.

  “Enough!” my father yells at them. Stunned, they stop and jump backward.

  “So, are you going to remove all of our body parts, Rowe?” Helen spits at my father.

  “Well, gee, I don’t know, Helen. Were you thinking about that when you kidnapped April? Were you thinking about her well-being when she was given to this sad, perverted fuck?”

  “Did you see what that bitch did to my ear, James?” Helen screams.

  I clench my eyes closed because I know my mother wouldn’t let that comment slide. My thoughts were confirmed when I heard the thud of Helen’s body hitting the ground.

  “Shut up,” my mother yells. “You’re not listening, so I guess you don’t need your other ear.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!” Helen challenges. This only causes my mother to laugh.

  “Carl, darling, would you go get the first aid kit?” Mother says, with a sickeningly sweet tone.

  “Of course, love. I’ll be right back,” my father says, leaving a sweet kiss on her lips.

  “No!” Helen screams. “No, I’ll be quiet, I promise.”

  My mother says smugly, “That’s better.”

  “Now, James, as you can see, my wife is a talented woman. If you don’t want the same special treatment, I think you should cooperate and answer our questions,” my father suggests, ready to get to the bottom of this fiasco.

  After James glances at the bandage on the side of Helen’s head, he notices the butchered condition of her hair and thinks cooperation may be the way to go.

  “Yes, all right. I’ll answer anything,” he says, broken and defeated.

  “Let’s start at the beginning. First, whose idea was it to kidnap April?” I ask before anyone else gets a chance to ask their questions.

  “It was Robin’s,” James says quickly.

  “You fucking rat, James,” Robin hisses from across the room.

  “What do you know about the cartel?” I ask, hoping to get more information regarding them. I can see the fear in his eyes.

  “What about them?” he asks apprehensively. “You don’t want to fuck with them. You think this mess was bad? If you get them involved, your life as you know it is over. Trust me. That bitch got me involved, and now I’ll never be free of them.”

  “How is Kathryn involved with them?” my father demands.

  I can’t decide if James doesn’t want to give up the information or if he simply doesn’t know.

  “All I know is that they fronted her a shitload of money to buy that building and they want their money back.”

  “Keep your trap shut, James,” Kathryn yells from across the room.

  “Do you want to get us all killed?” Helen adds.

  “The only problem is, Helen spent it. She believed the ransom for April would cover the debt and ruin you Rowes at the same time.”

  “Who told you that? Robin, did you tell him that?” Hellen barks, turning to her daughter and then to Robin. Everyone ignores her, and I continue.

  “But you got greedy and cut Kathryn out?” I ask, sneering at him.

  “Hey, she would’ve done the same to me. I just fucked her before she fucked me, that’s all.” My stomach turns when he laughs.

  “You think putting April through this is fucking funny?” I’m so angry, I backhand him, shutting up that trap of his. “Risking the life of my unborn child is funny?” I yell into his face. He shuts his mouth after that.

  “I want to cut a deal with you,” James offers like we’re in the business of negotiation.

  “Talk,” my father says, folding his arms across his chest.

  “Two members of the cartel are in town right now. I know how to contact them. Does that help?” I look at my father, and he nods slightly.

  The sad part is James thinks this information will somehow help his situation, the delusional fucker that he is.

  “What�
��s the number?” I take James’ cell phone from my father and locate the number in James’ contact list. “James, who in their right mind has a number in their address book under Cartel? I bet the CIA has been watching you all along,” I admonish, shaking my head at him—dumbass.

  “The cartel wants those two, not me,” he says, looking over his shoulder at Helen and Kathryn.

  I motion for my mom and dad to follow me across the room and out of James’ earshot.

  “Let’s look at all the scenarios,” my father begins. “What do you think will happen if we turn the women loose?” I look at him like he’s lost his mind.

  “Well, after a lengthy healing process, most likely they’ll regroup and come at us a second time. Or, perhaps this has taught them never to fuck with us again,” I answer. Now it’s my father’s turn to look at me like I’ve lost my mind.

  “Do you believe that, Jason, or do you think next time they won’t be so stupid as to get caught? That the next time, they’ll make sure April and your child are so well hidden that we never find them again?” My heart skips beats at hearing him say that. It’s a definite possibility.

  “Or, we could turn them over to the police. What do you think would happen then?”

  “To save their asses, they would rat us and the Sector out,” I answer, knowing this is not even on the possibilities list.

  “There are only two options, and the other one is to hand them over to the cartel.”

  “Once the cartel gets their hands on Helen and Kate, they might be satisfied. What do you say I send them a text?”

  “Excellent idea,” Mom says. “Tell them to meet at the Super 8 outside of town, where we can slip Helen and Kate into the room undetected.”

  “Hey, what about Joe?” Jason yells from across the room.

  “Joe?” I ask, entering the text into the phone.

  “Joe who?” Dad asks blithely.

  “Joe Smith? Why isn’t he on your shit list? He was involved in all of this too.”

  “I don’t know who you’re talking about,” I snap, “but I do know about a man that saved April’s life along with my child, so quit whining and shut up, you tattletale.”