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

by Ashlee Taylor

  Everything was going to be okay.

  Dr. Morgan handed me prescriptions for prenatal vitamins and iron pills. After I told him I’d been more tired than normal, he said I was probably having an iron deficiency. I didn’t even dare go into the things that had been happening lately. He even had a pamphlet to give me for Nicholas, explaining what he would learn when he came to my appointments. I couldn’t wait for him to experience this with me.

  I grabbed everything and made a new appointment—I was so happy and elated. I pulled out my phone and dialed Jeffery. He didn’t pick up so I just assumed he was waiting for me.

  Hitting the down button on the elevator, I stepped inside. My body was vibrating with excitement as the numbers ticked by and then the door to the lobby opened up. Stepping out, I pulled out my phone and dialed Nicholas.

  It rang four times before his voicemail picked up. Smiling at his message, I couldn’t wait for the beep.

  I heard the famous beep just as I stepped out on the sidewalk.

  “Hi honey, I was hoping you would pick up. I just got done at the doctor’s office. I have some good news, I can’t wait to tell you. I can’t wait to see you. I’m on my way to the car so I can go home to our daughter. I don’t see the car or Jeffery, I’m going to try him again. I love y—” I said before being cut off by an arm clasping around my bicep. I looked up to see a familiar face. “Oh hey Bobby, I didn’t know you were picking me up.” It was all I could get out before the phone was yanked from my hand and thrown against the cement.

  “Why the fuck did you have to come back into his life?”

  Looking up at him, confused, I could tell this wasn’t going to be good. Especially when his hand came crashing against my face with force and everything went black.

  ***

  Nicholas

  Something tugged at my heart. I felt uneasy as I watched my girls drive off. It should be me taking them to appointments and dropping them off at Christianna’s parents. I stood there watching nothing, fixated on the spot they had last been seen until a car pulled up in the driveway.

  Luke was here to pick me up so we could go to the meeting at my dad’s. He climbed out of the car, deep in conversation with someone on the phone. I hooked my thumb toward the house and walked inside as he followed.

  I straightened my tie in the mirror that hung on the foyer wall as he walked in with a smile on his face, phone long since forgotten.

  “Good news?” I questioned.

  “Yeah, Alex and I have plans out of town tonight. I was just securing the details with the little bed and breakfast.”

  “Nice, I should have thought of something like that. I just want to have a nice quiet night home with Christianna.”

  “Feels good, doesn’t it?”

  “Yeah, I never thought I would ever have a life with one woman, much less with a kid. Now I can’t even imagine life without either of them in it; I want more of this. I’ve been thinking, after all of this, I’m done. I want to hand the reins over to someone who wants to keep the families going. I just want to be legit for her, for them. I don’t need any more bullshit.”

  “You know, in all the time I’ve known you and you’ve discussed the whole taking over for the families” situation, it’s the first time you’ve ever spoken from your heart and not from duty.”

  “It was never a duty, it was a requirement. My requirement now is to be a dad and eventually a husband.”

  “So it’s husband?”

  “Hell yeah, it’s husband. I’m going to make an honest woman out of her. I’m going to make it known that she not only holds me by the balls, she owns my fucking heart. I’d be worthless without her.”

  Luke’s phone chimed. Pulling out his phone, he looked at it.

  “Bobby’s having car trouble, he’ll meet us there.”

  I nodded before we headed to the cars. We’d just message the others and tell them to meet us at Dad’s. As if he read my mind, Luke started rapidly texting on his phone before we climbed into the car and took off. It didn’t take long for us to make it to our destination. There were many cars there already, some of them were out of state. This was a big deal.

  When we walked in we were greeted like royalty. After all, I was supposed to be the one to take over the family when it was all said and done. I knew they would be disappointed when they found out that I wouldn’t be doing it, they might or might not understand, but at this point I couldn’t care less.

  Dad would understand. He would understand that all the things that have transpired have been a derivative of being part of the family dynamic.

  My dreams of one day being powerful, having full and total control over many people ceased the day I saw my baby girl in the arms of the woman I had fallen in love with.

  The mood in the house was off, something seemed different. I looked at Antony. When he looked up and saw me, a smirk spread across his face. He walked over and shook my hand before asking us to follow him.

  We were out the back door and down the walkway toward the back house, it was surrounded by several of my dad’s guards. I was intrigued as to what was going on in the building.

  Stepping through, the smell was ammonia based with a metallic tinge to it. I knew the smells all too well, blood and piss. Whoever was here had pissed their pants and were bleeding for the disrespect. Luke turned the corner before I did. He hissed and stopped. Luckily for me, I saw this happen and I stepped around him.

  Surrounded by my dad and his closest friends, Anderson Michelino sat tied to a wooden chair. Antony Balducci had his gun drawn and pointed at Anderson’s head and the motherfucker smirked when he looked up in time to see me approach.

  “The prodigal son. How nice of you to finally make your appearance at my death.” Anderson spit out a wad of blood onto the concrete floor. “I guess you couldn’t get your dick out of that bitch long enough to care,” he sneered before rolling his eyes.

  “I’ll advise you to watch your tone before you experience severe pain for several hours before dying.”

  “Like I give a fuck. What I have to say is going to keep me living for a long time.”

  “Nothing you can say will stop your death, nothing you can do will stop what’s going to happen. It’s a means to an end, your death.”

  “Oh yeah.” He chuckled before locking eyes with me and smiling. “Nico where’s that whore you passed up my daughter for? I can guarantee you she isn’t where you think she is.”

  I was taken back and quite possibly stopped breathing. “Did you fucking threaten my wife?”

  “Your wife? I don’t think so, but that bitch…you’ll probably never find her again.” He laughed before Antony took the butt of his gun and brought it down across his face, knocking him out cold.

  Scurrying through my pockets, I pulled out my phone immediately, calling Christianna’s number, only to have it go straight to voicemail. I called again and got the same response. Dad noticed my panic and made a call. I kept hitting the recall button, hoping beyond hope that she’d pick up the phone.

  Dad’s hand clasped on my shoulder, I stopped and focused on him.

  “Okay, Evelyn, I’ll call you back.” Dad looked at the black screen of his phone before turning to me. “Nico, Christianna dropped off Layla and went to the doctor. She said she was supposed to be back a half hour ago.”

  As if something triggered in me, I took off running like a shot. When I was out the doors, running up toward the back of the house, I was flanked by security, who were looking at me in a panic. I got to the closest car and jumped in. Before I could turn the key, a hand clasped on my shoulder. Looking up, I noticed Luke standing with his hand in the open window.

  “Let me drive. You’re in no condition to drive without the risk of hurting yourself and someone else.”

  I knew he was right. I got out of the car and ran around to the passenger side and Luke and I were off.

  Giving Luke directions to the medical plaza where the doctor’s office was located, I glanced around. I
scanned all the faces in the cars we passed, along with the people walking the streets, hoping to see someone familiar that would give me clues to what was going on.

  Luke pulled up out front and I jumped from the car and started to run. I ran up the stairs to the third floor and quickly found Dr. Morgan’s door. I barreled in, followed by several others, causing a bit of a commotion and managing to scare a few patients. Luke quickly calmed them as I stepped up to the desk, trying to calm myself.

  “Ca-can I help you, sir?” the girl behind the desk asked.

  “I’m sorry if we frightened you. I’m looking for my…Christianna. Christianna Thomas. Is she here?”

  “I’m sorry sir, we’re unable to give out that information.”

  “Unable?” I yelled out. “You’re unable to tell me if she’s here or not? Do you understand this is a matter of importance?”

  She jumped back at the sound of my voice and then another woman walked over.

  “Sir!” the new woman yelled back. “You either calm down or we will call the police, do I make myself clear?”

  “Police are already en route,” Luke threw out.

  “What’s all the commotion?”

  We all turned to see a man in a white coat, the doctor, I presumed.

  “Are you Dr. Morgan?”

  “Yes, I am. What is all this about?”

  “Is there anywhere we can speak privately?” I pleaded.

  Dr. Morgan looked at the group of us, slowly nodded his head, and then turned. “Follow me, please.”

  I motioned for Luke to follow and for the others to stay. When we stepped into the office, Dr. Morgan took a seat behind his desk and waved his hand to the seats before him.

  Sitting down on the edge of the chair, I placed my hand on the edge of the desk. I looked at him, trying to keep as calm as I possibly could.

  “What can I do for you gentlemen?” he asked, looking at the both of us.

  “Sir, Christianna Thomas is my fiancé. I just need to know if she’s been here today. Before you say anything, we have a daughter, and well, sir, she’s missing. The last known whereabouts were her dropping our daughter off at her parents’ house. I just need to know if she’s here, was here…I need something, please,” I pleaded.

  “Mr…”

  “Prescotti. But please, call me Nicholas.”

  With a polite smile and a nod, he spoke. “Yes, Nicholas, she was here this morning for her appointment. She was doing fine when she left here.

  I sat back in the chair and rubbed my hands over my face. Now I knew she’d been here and she didn’t make it back home.

  “Thank you…now we…” I couldn’t finish because I had been cut off by a commotion and yelling and the door to Dr. Morgan’s office flew open and in stepped Christianna’s father, my father, and the local chief of police.

  “Any news?” Jonathan asked, looking around the room and then back to me.

  “She was here, so something happened after she left,” I said before I introduced the doctor to Christianna’s father.

  Dr. Morgan perked up at the mention of her father. I could see his eyes darting back and forth between him and me.

  “Mr. Thomas, may I speak to you privately?”

  Huh? I wondered, knowing that my expression must have dropped to a level of confusion. I could feel my eyebrows touching my hairline.

  “I’m sorry, Dr. Morgan. If there’s something you need to say to me that involves Christianna and her well-being, Nicholas is her family. It can be said to him.”

  Dr. Morgan looked around the room at all the faces. He didn’t give him a chance to back down as Jonathan asked them to leave. Luke said he was on hold to get the tracking information for the car that she arrived in with Jeffery. I nodded, anxious myself for that information.

  When the door was shut and the three of us were alone, I turned back and focused on the doctor.

  “I wouldn’t normally reveal this information, seeing as how I could be sued under the HIPAA Act. However, due to the circumstances, I feel it’s important that I tell you what happened while she was here.”

  “Is she okay? She isn’t sick, is she?” I asked, thinking the worst. This man wasn’t easing my mind at all.

  “Actually quite the contrary, Mr. Prescotti. Christianna came in and she left with good news, some she was excited about. She’s pregnant.”

  Pregnant?

  My girl was pregnant and she was out there God knows where. Knowing her, she went through elation to sheer terror in mere minutes. I fell back into the chair. Jonathan’s hand clasped my shoulder, I was at a loss. I didn’t know whether to scream or cry, I just knew that I wanted her back.

  “Thank you,” was all I could say. I jumped up, shook Dr. Morgan’s hand, and left the room.

  I needed to find Luke. I needed to find the car. I needed some information.

  I needed to find my girl.

  There was no one in the waiting room, there was no one in the hallway. I ran down the stairs to get outside to get a breath of fresh air when I noticed the police cars lining the streets, officers were running in the opposite direction of the complex.

  I took off running, passing the cops that were yelling at me as I ran through them. I came to an abrupt halt right there in the crowd that had gathered, being taller than most, I saw it.

  The familiar black sedan that had been sitting in my driveway this morning.

  My legs wavered as I pushed through to get closer. Luke was standing before me. His hands fisted my shirt, trying to push me backwards all while he screamed at me. My eyes were still focused on the car, the car and the red—there was blood there.

  Looking to Luke, I shook my head.

  “No…”

  “No, Nico…it’s not her.”

  I let him push me away from the fray, away from the commotion. I lost it then, I turned and doubled over with my hands on my knees and lost the contents of my stomach, knowing that something horrible had happened to someone, and that someone had the love of my life.

  “I need to call Jeffery’s family?”

  Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I turned around to face Luke.

  “Jeffery?”

  “Yeah, two in the head. I came upon the car, Nico. Her stuff was inside but she isn’t in the car. I checked.”

  I nodded again, the words just didn’t come.

  Reaching into my pocket on instinct, I pulled my phone. I just needed to see my girls. I needed to think something positive. I needed this to be one bad fucking dream.

  The little tape symbol that sat on the top left hand corner of the phone showed that I had a message. However, I didn’t have a missed call. I held down the one key and let it dial in. After punching in my code there was a pause and then my world was rocked again.

  “Hi honey, I was hoping you would pick up. I just got done at the doctor’s office. I have some good news, I can’t wait to tell you. I can’t wait to see you. I’m on my way to the car so I can go home to our daughter. I don’t see the car or Jeffery, I’m going to try him again. I love y—oh hey, Bobby, I didn’t know you were picking me up.”

  There was silence and then some sort of muffling of the phone along with a scream, her scream.

  “Why the fuck did you have to come back into his life?” Was the last thing said before the call disconnected.

  “Motherfucker!” I screamed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Bobby took her, he hurt her.”

  “What? Are you sure?”

  So I replayed the voicemail for Luke, who went rigid. Jonathan and Alex were standing behind us with hurt and shocked expressions on their faces.

  Bobby was a dead man walking, he was going to be tortured every way imaginable.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Christianna

  I had read books where kidnappings played huge roles in them, and I’d taken self-defense classes with my sisters when we were younger. They did say that there was a higher probability of being kidnapped by someon
e you knew and trusted.

  Never did I ever suspect sweet Bobby, who cooed at my baby girl on more than one occasion and whom Nicholas trusted as one of his right hand men for years. He had even thought about telling his dad to promote him to something higher in the family because he deserved it.

  This man struck me several times, taking out whatever hatred he had for me. Somehow, I had wronged him and he took it out on me with his fists, as if I was a grown man.

  Bobby’s hitting didn’t last long. Another man came along and punched Bobby straight in the jaw, speaking something in a language I didn’t understand. I was mistaken thinking my torture was over. He tied both my arms above my head and left me dangling from a pipe.

  I didn’t know how long I’d been here. I couldn’t see any windows or hear any noises. There were no indications of light that I could see, I just knew as the day went on I was getting exhausted.

  My mind focused on the good things: Layla, Nicholas, and our new baby. A baby—I hope our baby is okay. I hope that Layla is okay, and Nicholas is holding it together for her. I hope my parents aren’t going too crazy and I hope they aren’t blaming Nicholas for this.

  I was so far in my hopes and dreams I didn’t realize I wasn’t alone anymore, that was until the cold smack of a hand going across my face brought me out of my reverie. My eyes had been swelling for a while, so when I was able to get my bearings I opened them slowly, only to be met with a sight I hadn’t even thought of.

  The blonde.

  The anorexic looking bleached blonde bimbo that Nicholas was supposed to marry to merge their families.

  Anise.

  I kept my eyes on her as she paced in front of me, looking at me and smirking.

  “You know, I’ve been asking myself for months now what exactly it was he saw in you. You’re not pretty, your body is pathetic, and my God—your house.” She fake shivered.

  “You lived like a hobo while your parents are worth billions. I’ll never understand that. Then, you pawn off your bastard daughter on my future husband,” she screamed, rattling me completely. “He believes you, I have no idea why. Well, it won’t be our concern any longer, seeing as how once you’re out of the way, I’ll be back in and that pitiful excuse for a child will be elsewhere.” She cackled and waved her hand.