The Men of CCD: Help Wanted

by Marie Rochelle

  “I want my mommy,” the little boy cried pushing the bag away from him. “I want to see my daddy!”

  “Listen, you aren’t going to see either one of them again if you don’t stop crying. Now tell me your name.”

  “NO!”

  Dalton resisted the urge to shake the little boy until he told him what he wanted to know. “You will tell me your name or I’ll go back to your house and hurt your brother. Do you want me to that?”

  “Don’t bother Evan!” he screamed. “Or My’kael or Kyle…leave them alone!”

  True had four brats running around. Hell! He never knew she was able to pop out babies like that. Well…at least she was good for something because she was a horrible girlfriend.

  Bending down, he got right in the boy’s face surprised by how dark blue the little kid’s eyes were. He did look more like Hayward than True. He had read an old article in prison about how Hayward Campbell’s first family died, so this must be killing him wondering if he was going to see this little pain in the ass again. “Are you going to tell me your name?” Dalton asked again.

  “Kevan,” the boy mumbled then wiped his nose on his sleeve.

  “Good…now eat your food while it’s hot.” He didn’t rob two different women to feed this damn brat for him not to eat. “I can’t let your mommy and daddy think I didn’t feed their precious baby.”

  “I’m not a baby,” Kevan hollered. “I’m five years old.”

  “If you want to see six you better eat those chicken nuggets and shut up!” Dalton picked up the disposable phone he got while he was out. “Tell me your phone number.”

  Kevan looked at him and shook his head.

  “Do you want to talk to your mommy?”

  “Yes, let me talk to my mommy.” Fresh tears started to fall down his fat cheeks as he reached for the phone Dalton was holding in his hands.

  “Give me your phone number and I’ll let you speak to her.”

  Kevan gave him the number. Dalton quickly dialed and waited while it rang. He was about to hang up when he heard True’s soft voice come on the other end.

  “Hello…?”

  “True, how are you doing? You have a cute little boy. Would you like to speak to him?” Dalton taunted.

  “You bastard!” True screamed. “Bring my son back to me. You have a problem with me not my little boy.”

  “I guess you know who this is?”

  “Dalton, I could never forget your voice. It haunted my dreams for months. Where are you? Give me back my son, you son of a bitch!” True screamed.

  “Mommy!” Kevan cried in the background.

  “Shut up!” Dalton shouted as Kevan tried to take the phone out of his hand.

  “Kevan, can you hear me? I love you! Dalton let me talk to him. Put him on the phone! Please don’t hurt him.”

  Dalton loved hearing the panic in True’s voice. This was what he had been waiting for all those years he had been sitting in that damn prison cell. True was begging him to help her out just like she used to beg him when they were dating all those years ago.

  “I’ll let you talk to him, but on one condition.”

  “Anything,” True agreed without even hearing his conditions.

  Yes, he had her right where he wanted her.

  “I need you to meet me, so you can trade places with your little boy. I never wanted him in the first place. I took him to get to you. Do you love your little boy enough to give your life for his?”

  “Yes.”

  Dalton handed the crying child next to him the cell phone. “Here, talk to your mommy and tell her how much your crying has been getting on my nerves.”

  Kevan took the phone from him and held it up to his ear. Bending down, Dalton listened in on the conversation to make sure True wouldn’t try to find out any information from him. It wasn’t like a five year old could tell her that much since he was knocked out when Dalton carried him into the building.

  “Mommy, I’m sorry that I went to the car. Please come get me. I’m scared,” he whimpered.

  “Kevan, sweetheart, I love you,” True cried. “I’m not mad at you. Can you tell me where you are? Is the man who took you still there?”

  “I don’t know…”

  Dalton took the phone back before Kevan could say anything else. “There, you got to talk to him. I’ll call back later to tell you where I want to make the trade.” He snapped the phone closed as True pleaded with him to let Kevan go.

  “I want my mommy and daddy,” Kevan cried then kicked him in the leg.

  “You little brat!” He raised his hand to hit Kevan then thought again and dropped it. “You better eat those chicken nuggets because you aren’t going to get anything else for a while.” Storming out of the room, Dalton closed the door locking it behind him drowning out Kevan’s crying.

  * * * *

  “True, who was that on your phone?” Hayward asked coming into their bedroom. “I heard you talking to someone when I was coming up the stairs. The police want us to tell them as soon as that bastard Dalton Blake makes contact. I still can’t believe they didn’t let us know he had escaped from prison. What in the fuck is wrong with them allowing him to work on a work release program? I don’t care if he got convicted of a white collar crime. He’s still a criminal and now he has my son because he wanted to take revenge out on you.”

  True jumped up from the chair as soon as the words left Hayward’s mouth. “You do blame me for Kevan getting kidnapped, don’t you? If I hadn’t testified against Dalton and got him sent to prison none of this would be happening.”

  “Baby, no. I don’t blame you at all.” Hayward reached for True, but she slapped his hand away. “It didn’t come out right.”

  “No, you do blame me. I can see it all over your face. I need some air. I can’t take this.” Turning away from Hayward, True left the room, went downstairs and out of the front door.

  Outside she held the phone to her chest hoping Dalton would call her back. She knew him and he didn’t wait long to demand that she trade places with Kevan. She couldn’t let Hayward or the police find out what she was planning to do. Kevan was her oldest child and as his mother it was her job to protect him no matter the cost.

  True lost track of time as she paced back and forth in the driveway waiting for Dalton to call back. She had to stay away from Hayward, because he wouldn’t let her go to Dalton in order to get Kevan back. She wasn’t going to let anyone stand in her way of doing this.

  “True, someone spotted Dalton,” Hayward yelled as he ran out of Clinton’s house over to her.

  “What! Where?” she asked running up to him. Lord, please let it really be him.

  “He was at restaurant drive-thru buying chicken nuggets and the girl who gave him the money recognized him. She told her manager. They called the police and gave a description of the car. Luckily, a police officer was a couple blocks away and was able to follow him. He’s hiding out at an old abandoned factory about twenty minutes out of town. The police have the building surrounded and are about to go in.”

  “Have they seen Kevan?”

  “Yes, one of the officers spotted him through a window towards the back of the building. They’re trying to get him out before Dalton knows they’re there.”

  “We have to go there. Kevan has to see us as soon as they get him out. He’s going to be scared,” True said as she ran for the car with Hayward behind her.

  “I swear I’m going to beat Dalton to within an inch of his life when I see him. He’s going to pay for doing this to my family,” Hayward swore.

  Stopping, True spun around and looked at her husband. As much as she was dying to do the same thing Hayward did they couldn’t. “Don’t do a thing to him. I can’t have you in jail with that bastard. Kevan is going to need both of us. If you lose your temper Dalton will get what he wanted. We just need to get Kevan back safe and sound. He’s our main and only priority.”

  “Baby, you’re right. Let’s go get our son back.” Hayward kissed True b
efore the got into the car and drove off.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  “Dante, are you positive that Jim is gone? I don’t want to run into him at all. He’s been calling and bothering me nonstop since we broke up. I have no need to see him or hear anything he has to tell me,” Keira said. God, she hoped that Dante believed her lies.

  Dante had come by her house to tell how about how the police had found and arrested Dalton which meant Kevan was safe and sound with his parents. She had wanted to be there for the small welcome back party everyone had thrown for True and Hayward, but she had a final meeting with Dr. Gearan and then the airlines about her getting her old job back. She was going to go and see True tomorrow before Hayward took her and the kids back to Montana.

  “Yes, the grand opening happened hours ago. Jim locked up and left about twenty minutes ago after waiting two hours for you to come home. He was devastated that you weren’t here to see the big reveal.”

  “I had no reason to be there. The grand opening was for Jim’s friends and family and I’m not either.”

  “Keira, you have to know that Jim is still in love with you. Hell, I don’t think there was a time when he wasn’t,” Dante told her. “He searched the place all night hoping you would make an appearance.”

  “Can see stop talking about Jim? I thought you were going to show me Choppers.”

  “I can’t. I have to get back to the bar, but you can go in there and see for yourself. After you’re done you can lock up and leave the key in the mailbox.” Grabbing her hand, Dante placed the key in the palm of her hand closing her fingers over it and then walked over to his motorcycle.

  “I’m not going in there by myself. It’s no longer my property,” Keira said.

  “Don’t be scared. Nothing is going to happen to you.” Dave waved and drove off leaving her alone in the middle of the sidewalk.

  Keira twisted the key around in her hand debating if she should go inside or not. “Hell, I need to see the completed look for my father.” Unlocking the door, she went inside shutting the door behind her and then turned on the light.

  She stared, speechless at the sight before her. She had been in here days ago with Jim, but it hadn’t been totally finished, but now it was and it brought tears to her eyes. All of her father’s prized motorcycles were on display around the room.

  The variety of clothing Jim had shown her designs for were on racks at the right side of the room. Tools and other motorcycle supplies were organized on racks hung on the walls. Choppers looked like the high-class business her father spent years trying to achieve, but never quite did.

  “Do you like it?” a deep voice asked behind her. “I want to make it as much of me as possible with a hint of your father added in.”

  “I thought you weren’t going to be here,” Keira said spinning around to find Jim standing about ten feet behind her. Her mouth watered at how good he looked in the black slacks and crisp white shirt with his long dark hair brushing his wide shoulders.

  “Dante lied to me. I need to go. I don’t have time for this or you.” She brushed past Jim and went for the door as fast as her legs would carry her.

  “You made me feel love again. I thought Kathy had killed that emotion in me, but you proved me wrong.”

  Keira stood still a few seconds then glanced at Jim over her shoulder. He was still standing in the same spot where she had left him.

  “Why are you telling me this? We aren’t together anymore. From what you told me we were never truly a couple because you went out with me out of pity. I don’t need your pity. I was fine without you and I’ll be even better once I leave you standing there.”

  Turning around, she moved towards the door again only to be stopped by Jim’s voice once more. “How about you have some pity on me and take me back? Baby, I love you so damn much. I shouldn’t have ever said those things to you. I was upset and I let words come out of my mouth that I shouldn’t, but I honestly do love you. Hell, I think I fell for you the first time I saw you. I was a little jealous that Dave knew such a gorgeous woman and never introduced me to her.”

  Keira hadn’t realized Jim had moved closer to her until she felt his hands on her shoulders. “Keira, I can’t think about spending another moment without you in my life. Let me show you how much I care about you.” Jim slowly turned her back around so she was facing him.

  “Jim, you aren’t going to win me over with sex.”

  “Sweetheart, I don’t want to have sex. Well, at least not right now.” He smiled. “I need to show you something. I was hoping you would be here tonight for the grand opening and would see it when I showed it off to everyone else, but you weren’t so you will get your own private showing.”

  Taking her by the hand, Jim led her over the far wall he was going to have a design painted on. Keira stopped in her tracks when she laid eyes on what Jim had done. It was a drawing of Jim on his motorcycle with her standing next to him wearing a form fitting outfit with the word “Choppers” air brushed in silver and gold above the heads.

  “How in the world did you do this?” she asked staring at the picture with tears forming at the back of her eyes.

  “Do you like it?”

  “It’s beautiful, but why did you add me to the picture?” Keira asked.

  “I want my wife to be apart of this place as much as I am,” Jim answered as he let go of her hand.

  Wife?

  Twirling around, Keira looked down and found Jim down on one knee with a ring box in his hand. “Keira, I have so much love in my heart for you that I think it might burst from it. I used to think my dream was all about owning this shop, but I was wrong. My real dream is for you to forgive me and take me out of this misery I’ve been living in and become my wife.

  “I know we had a rocky start and a lot of obstacles thrown in our way, but none of that ever stopped me from loving you. If you still feel half of the love you used to for me, will do me the greatest honor and marry me?

  “You don’t want to get married. You just feel remorse for the way you treated me and want to fix it,” she whispered.

  “Yes, I do,” Jim said, standing up. “I never knew how much I wanted to get married until you walked out of my life and I couldn’t get you to come back.” The look in his eyes was so tender and filled with so much love that Keira couldn’t move as he came closer to her.

  “I thought I could bury what I felt for you, but I couldn’t. Each and every day I resisted coming over to your house and knocking the door down begging you to take me back,” Jim confessed as he rested his forehead against her. “Keira, I have never felt so alone in my life.

  “I’m getting too old to fight off advances from waitresses in bars who I don’t want. I thought I was content on raising Trevor and losing myself in work, but I see I need—no crave—more than that now.”

  Lifting his eyes, Jim stared at her until Keira was positive that she could see a part of his soul through his eyes. “I’ve said this several times to you, but I’ve never meant it as much as I do now. Baby, I love you and would love for you to marry me.”

  “Hmmm…I don’t know,” Keira said as she leaned back from Jim. “I love you, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to marry you.”

  “Why in the hell not?”

  “You fell in love with the Keira who Dave told you to help. I’m not quite sure if you’ll be able to handle the strong, sassy Keira Winters that I truly am.”

  “Oh, I think I’ll be able to handle her.” Picking her up, Jim laid her down on the floor and covered her with his warm body.

  “You sound very sure of yourself. How do you know that you can?” Keira asked as she started working on the buttons on Jim’s shirt. She already knew she was going to marry him and so did he, but she couldn’t wait to hear what his answer was going to be.

  “It doesn’t matter if you are weak or strong because you are still the same woman who makes my heart skip a beat every time I look into your beautiful eyes.

  “Besides what real man doe
sn’t want a feisty woman to fight with and of course love? It only makes the sex better and I’m all about having mind-blowing sex with a good-looking woman especially when she’s going to be my wife,” Jim whispered into Keira’s mouth a second before he kissed her.

  Epilogue

  One year later

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you. How does it feel?” The question was tossed at Jim as he joined the other men at the table in Dave’s backyard.

  “How does what feel?” Jim asked, clearly confused by the question.

  “Leaving bachelorhood behind and joining us in the old married men club,” Hayward joked. “I know you were determined to stay single for the rest of your life.”

  “I only said that because I hadn’t found the love of my life yet, but when I did I wasn’t going to let her get away.”

  “Just think, none of us would be married to the women of our dreams if we didn’t open our hearts and minds to their love,” Clinton said looking at Jenisha who was playing with Jim’s newest addition to his family. “How does Trevor like being a big brother?”

  “He loves Drew so much. Trevor is like a different little boy now since I got sole custody of him. I thought Kathy was never going to give up with the custody battle.”

  “Yeah, she only gave up after you signed over a huge check to her, the judge never found out about,” Clinton said. “I still can’t believe she would give up custody of Trevor like that and then move out of the state. How are Trevor and Keira doing now?”

  “For the first couple of months of our marriage Keira wouldn’t be alone with Trevor for anything in the world. However, I made the two of them have a long talk while I was in the room and they are so much better now. I’m thrilled about it. Trevor wanted to be close to Keira again and now he is.”

  “Everything is going good with me too,” Hayward said. “True and the boys are doing amazing. I was surprised by how fast Kevan bounced back after the kidnapping.”