Can't Walk Away (The Thomas Family Chronicles #1)

by Ashlee Taylor

  “Sorry, just…I know her.”

  “Know who? The girl in the blue dress?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How?”

  “I’ll explain later. Just take me to where she is.”

  We pulled away from the hotel and it all came back to me again. This time it wasn’t something I had anticipated. I was lying in bed with her, something I never did with anyone, when I was overpowered by two people, a rag was placed over my mouth while I struggled, and then everything went black.

  “She fucking set me up.”

  “What?” Bobby and Luke both said in unison.

  “Someone’s going to die tonight.” And I left it like that.

  Chapter Three

  Christianna

  After the run-in with the blonde lady and her fiancé, I was ready to get the hell out of there. I’d never been so infuriated by anyone in my life, and on my dad’s night, especially when I received good news. I was flustered and pissed off. I wanted to go home, change into my pajamas, and hug my baby girl.

  “There you are, I thought you got lost,” Ethan said.

  “Oh, I went and bid on some books and used the ladies’ room. I’m tired and I miss Layla.”

  “Well, I think you’ve been here long enough. Let’s go tell Mom and Dad bye and I’ll take you home.”

  Throwing my arms around Ethan’s neck, I kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Ethan.”

  Mom and Dad understood completely, even my sisters got it. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. As soon as I slid into the leather seat, I kicked off my shoes and sent a text to Daniella. I was excited to be on my way home.

  Ethan pulled into my driveway twenty minutes later and out walked Daniella to greet us both. She smelled faintly of beer. I was saddened by this. I looked at Ethan and mouthed “drinking.” He nodded and then offered her a ride home. She accepted, not even going back to get her things. She just climbed into the seat I vacated and was out like a light in an instant.

  “I guess coming home early was a good thing.”

  “I’m sorry about this, Chris. She’s going through something.”

  “I know,” I said, because I did. She hadn’t been the same in years and none of us knew why. “I’ll get her stuff.” I went inside, placing my purse down on the table and gathered her things. I walked back outside and handed them to Ethan. With a hug and a kiss and a promise of seeing me soon, he was off.

  I stood there on the porch watching the tail lights getting smaller in the distance. I turned to go back into the house when I noticed a car idling on the top of the hill. It wasn’t odd to me; although there weren’t any houses up there people often got lost in the neighborhood. One way in, one way out, but a maze of roads in between that led in circles.

  Back inside, I locked up the doors then set the alarm before heading upstairs to change my clothes. I stopped in to check on Layla, who was sleeping peacefully hugging her bunny, I leaned in and gave her a kiss before I went in to get out of this dress.

  I unzipped my dress and hung it up in the closet and pulled on a tank and a pair of sleep shorts when my stomach started to rumble. I took another look at Layla before heading back downstairs to get a snack. I popped a bag of popcorn and grabbed a soda before heading into my office. I flicked on the television monitor I had on my desk to watch Layla sleeping.

  Something about seeing her comforted me while I wrote, especially at night. I booted up the computer while I took a handful of popcorn and shoveled it in. I clicked the button for the stereo, just letting the current playlist run.

  Clicking open the Word doc, I started to write. I focused on the whole night, from the moment I was run into by the harpy to seeing her on her knees before him in the hallway. I let this fuel my writing, every feeling, every emotion. I poured it into each and every word. I filled page after page with what I hoped didn’t turn out to be gibberish.

  I took a few minutes to read over the chapter and a half I had written—it was probably the best work I’d done to date. I started in on the newest romance scene. I pictured that man again. The man with the silvery gray eyes that had me wanting something so much more than just this fantasy that he lived on my pages.

  The man from months ago began to morph into the man from tonight. I began to write with more passion than I had ever been able to invoke in my life. I found myself writing things that were even making me giggle.

  I kept writing until my fingers hurt but then I pushed myself. When the screen became too blurry to see, I hit save and stretched before shutting down my computer.

  Gathering up my forgotten popcorn package and empty soda can, I stopped in the kitchen, depositing them in the trash can before washing my hands. I turned the light off in the kitchen and made my way through the living room toward the stairs.

  I didn’t get there though; before me stood three men. Two of them I’d seen at the event, the other was becoming the bane of my existence. I couldn’t run, I wouldn’t be able to get up the stairs fast enough. I eyed the keypad, but then I saw the flash of something metallic; the man had a gun. It was pointing toward the floor, his hand kept twitching.

  They were here to kill me. I’d never been more afraid.

  “Please don’t kill me,” I pleaded.

  “I won’t touch you as long as you’re truthful with me.”

  “I will, I promise.” I wiped away a falling tear.

  One of the guys walked behind me and came back with one of the dining room chairs, placing it behind me.

  “Sit.”

  I did, he didn’t have to ask me twice.

  “Do you know who I am?” the man asked.

  “No.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” I didn’t know him, plus he had a gun. I wasn’t about to lie.

  He raised his gun toward me and I couldn’t control my tears anymore.

  “Are you sure you don’t know who I am?” he asked again, this time with force behind his words.

  A thud sounded upstairs, and now three guns were pointed at me.

  “Someone’s here.” One of them said, turning toward the stairs but before I could explain Layla started to cry.

  “It’s my daughter, I’ll do anything you ask. I’ll answer all of your questions. Please don’t hurt her.”

  “Stand up.” he said, waving his hand. “Go get your daughter. I won’t hurt either of you.”

  I walked up the stairs, closely followed by the man. I pushed Layla’s door open, she had pulled herself up the railing and was standing there crying.

  “Oh sweet girl, look at you.” I leaned in, scooping her up in my arms. “You’re soaked, what did Aunt Dani do to you?”

  Taking her over to the changing table, I started to take off her clothes and tossed them in a hamper.

  I looked over my shoulder to see the man looking at me intently. “Do you mind if I bathe her? I don’t want her to have to smell like this.”

  “That’s fine.”

  Scooping Layla up, I carried her into the bathroom. She was already falling back asleep. I turned the water on low and warm, laying her gently in the water. I used a wash cloth to clean her up. Once I was satisfied, I took out the plug, swaddling her up in a towel.

  I set about getting her dressed, she was passed out again. I couldn’t lay her in her crib—everything in it was soaked.

  “Do you mind if I take her downstairs? Her bedding is soaked through. I want to lay her down and her pack and play is in my office.”

  “Of course.”

  I walked down the stairs carefully. I wasn’t used to going downstairs with a sleeping Layla so it made the downward momentum difficult to maneuver. Passing the other two men who were standing at the bottom of the stairs, I walked past them and they all followed. I went into my office and laid Layla down.

  I turned back to them, knowing that I had to protect Layla.

  “I know that you’re here for a reason, I’ll try and help you the best way I can. All I ask is that you please put
your guns away. Not for me, but for my daughter.”

  I was shocked to see all three of them putting their guns away. I took the chair closest to Layla, the chair Alex usually sits in when she’s here.

  “For almost two years now, I’ve been dreaming about this woman. Long brown hair, blue eyes, among other things. And then today I saw you, something about you drew me to you. I didn’t know what it was but I need to know. I apologize for Anise. She isn’t my fiancé or anything for that matter. It wasn’t until I heard your name that something clicked. Then I saw you…I saw you as vividly as I if had seen you in person but it was a flashback.”

  He pulled a chair from in front of my desk and pulled it to face me. “I know you, we know each other. I’ve seen you…” Leaning in he spoke again, “intimately,” meaning only for me to hear. “But there is a huge part missing. I saw someone attacking me, putting something over my mouth, but I don’t remember anything else.”

  “What the fuck?” the two other guys said, causing me to jump.

  “I’m sorry, they’re hearing this for the first time. They’ve very protective.”

  Layla started to stir and cry out. I stood up and picked Layla up to comfort her. I was bent over when I heard a gasp.

  “Angel?”

  Standing up, I turned. I held Layla close to me. I didn’t know what to say.

  “You have a tattoo of angel wings on your back. I was with you.”

  “It can’t be,” I whispered, hugging Layla tighter to me.

  “His name wasn’t Nico, was it?” I questioned.

  “Who wasn’t Nico?” Luke asked.

  “He said his name was Mason,” I clarified.

  “Shit,” one of the guys said before catching himself. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to curse in front of your little girl.”

  I sat down on the chair again, silently praying that this was just a dream.

  “When I meet women, I didn’t want them to know who I was. Ladies always want my wallet. My name is Nicholas Mason Prescotti.”

  “No. This can’t be.”

  “What can’t be?”

  “You broke into my house, you pulled a gun on me, this isn’t right.”

  “Christianna, I’m sorry. I’m just trying to figure out what happened. Right now, I think you know something more about that night than you’re letting on.”

  I took a couple more breaths before speaking again. I needed to get all of this out.

  All of it.

  “That night, I remember meeting Mason in a bar. I have flashbacks of dancing and drinks. I remember we had sex. The next morning, I woke up in a strange hotel alone. I don’t know anything after that.”

  “Are you positive?”

  I looked him straight in the eyes, using all the strength I could muster to hold my tears at bay.

  “Yes!” I hesitated before shaking my head. “No.”

  “No?”

  I shook my head. “After that, I knew that something happened. I felt it. I thought it was one of those one-night stands, I felt used afterwards. Almost two months later, I ended up at the doctor’s.”

  Mason/Nicholas jumped up, shaking his head and pacing the floor of my office.

  “How old is she?”

  “Seven months.”

  It took him a few seconds for it to register, then his eyes were the size of fifty cent pieces.

  “Yes, she is,” I answered for him.

  “Are you saying that the little girl sleeping in your arms right now is my daughter?” he asked, taking a step forward.

  “If you’re Mason, then yes, she’s your daughter. I kindly advise you to keep your voice down. If she wakes up again, you’ll be staying up all night with her.

  He snapped his mouth shut and his friends chuckled quietly behind him.

  “I don’t believe you, I’ve never fucked up. I’ve always been protected.

  I laughed. “Is that the stance you’re going to take? Neither one of us can remember that night clearly enough to know if we had protection. So how about this. I answered your questions truthfully. I want you all to leave. Schedule a DNA test and I’ll take her in, then we’ll see who fucked up.”

  “You’re asking me to leave?”

  “I sure am. Now leave. Get out of my house. You’re lucky I’m not calling the police on you three.”

  “We’ll leave.” The one I met earlier stepped forward. “I’m Luke. Sorry about all of this.” He grabbed Mason/Nicholas’ arm and dragged him from the room. I carried Layla after them and made sure the door was locked and chained up.

  I reset the obviously useless alarm system and went upstairs. Still scared out of my wits, I laid Layla on my bed, lying down next to her.

  I had always wanted Layla to know her father. I wanted this. Not this way, not with a man who pulls a gun and breaks into women’s houses. I wanted someone she could count on like I had. If this was him, if he really was Layla’s father, I would have a hundred questions.

  I just don’t see how I’ll be able to get the answers I deserved.

  Within minutes I was sleeping and then the dreams started coming. They weren’t dreams, they were memories. They were memories of him and me and the things we did that night. It was all of the material I had been using since the night we created Layla.

  I had no doubt in my mind that this man was the same “Mason” I had met in that bar, that I left with, that I had sex with.

  And then the scariest thing happened. I saw a flash of that bleached blonde bimbo standing at the foot of the bed with an angry scowl on her face. It frightened me to the point I woke with a start.

  The sun was out and Layla was lying next to me, wide awake, sucking on her fist.

  I hugged her closely to my chest, so thankful that it was a dream. I wondered why this woman was coming into my dreams. I’d worry about that later. Now my focus was completely on my little girl, and the man that was her father.

  I wonder if he’s thinking about her.

  ***

  Nico

  I reluctantly left the home that held the little girl that could possibly be my daughter. I needed more answers before I would know how to handle this. Unfortunately, having pulled a gun on her, along with us breaking into her house, didn’t make Christianna feel safe with me. Not that I really blamed her.

  “Make sure that there’s someone watching over them and the house.”

  “Already taken care of,” Bobby said.

  “Nic?”

  “Yeah, Luke?”

  “Do you think she’s yours?”

  “I don’t know. I’m determined to find out what happened that night, no matter what.”

  By the time we got to my house, I went upstairs and lay on my bed. I didn’t even take the time to get undressed. I just kicked my shoes off.

  In all the scenarios that ran though my head about who Christianna was, I couldn’t believe that it led me back to this: a woman who had given birth to and loves a child who could be mine. Why hadn’t she come to look for me? Then I remembered, she didn’t look for me because she had as much of a memory of me as I had of her.

  I couldn’t fault her; if this was my daughter, I would applaud her. I didn’t know what it’s like to be a single parent, but she seemed to be handling everything very well. What was I going to do? I didn’t know how my dad was going to react, although I think my mom is going to be thrilled.

  Thinking back to the moment when I met her, even seeing her tonight I was enamored by how beautiful she was. More pieces started coming back to me. I could almost see the replay when I closed my eyes.

  Rolling onto my side, I resigned myself to falling asleep. I began to dream, sweet dreams of me running through a field with several dark haired children and that beautiful brunette standing off in the distance smiling at us. She began to wave. I raised my hand to wave back when two men dressed all in black were behind her. I started running toward them with everything I had in me. I was screaming when suddenly she was gone and so were the children. I was standing in th
e middle of a dark room with no exit.

  The shrill ringing woke me up from my nightmare. I rolled over, grabbing my phone from the nightstand, and looked at the screen. I smiled.

  “Morning, Mom.”

  “Good morning, sweetheart. I just wanted to let you know that you won the bid on the box last night. Your dad covered you. I didn’t know you were a fan of the classics, son. But they’re a good investment. Dad looked up the one book and it last sold at Christie’s for twenty-five thousand and you got three books for less than that.”

  “Please tell Dad thank you for me, Mom. I’ll wire the money to his account this morning.”

  “Oh, he’s in no hurry, dear. I was just hoping there was something you wanted to tell me.”

  “I don’t know what you mean, Mom.”

  “Well, darling, men don’t usually buy Jane Austen books for themselves, and well, I know that Anise wouldn’t know who she was, even if she met her face to face.”

  “Mom, can we not talk about this right now?”

  “Okay, son, but remember I’m here if you ever want to talk about it.”

  “I will, Mom, thank you.”

  We said our “I love yous” and hung up soon after that. I loved my Mom, she always had an intuition when it came to me and things that weren’t normal for me. I didn’t want to jump the gun and tell her something that I wasn’t a hundred percent sure of at the moment, so I just let it go for now.

  I needed to take a shower and get myself dressed for the day. I would forgo my morning workout because I had calls I needed to make. I had a doctor on staff that did everything and was discreet. I would call him and ask him to meet me at Christianna’s house to get started with the DNA testing.

  Rushing through my morning routine, I shaved, showered, and dressed in casual clothes. I went downstairs to find Bobby and Luke having breakfast. I sat down and started to make my plate.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, no movement at the house. I guess it’s either too early for her or they’re staying in.”

  “Good, I’m going to call Dr. Keller and ask him if he can meet us there. I’d like this DNA test done fast.”