by Ivy Wonders
“Promise?” I asked, my eyelids starting to feel extremely heavy.
His blue eyes sparkled as he looked into my drooping ones. “I promise. Close those gorgeous green eyes of yours and go to sleep.”
“Stay.” I took his hand. “Please.”
“I think it’s best I leave tonight. We’ll make decisions tomorrow.” I felt his lips press against the top of my head.
“This is nice.” I snuggled down as I felt a blanket fall over me. “Night, babe.”
“Night, my little sparrow.”
Ah, it’s good to be back.
Chapter 17
Arslan
As I cleaned the kitchen, I found peace in my heart for the first time in a very long time. Reagan’s drunken state wouldn’t last, but I knew she’d stick to her word. All the bullshit was behind us, and she’d let me help decide what was best for our son.
Now all I had to do was figure out what that might be. It did seem a little too forward to tell him the news just yet. We’d just met. What kind of psychological repercussions would there be if we shocked him with the news?
But I also had to think about how he’d be affected if we waited too long to let him in on the truth. As I wiped down the countertops, I got an inkling of what Reagan had gone through.
This shit ain’t easy.
When you hold a child’s life in the palm of your hand, it doesn’t feel unlike having a patient on the operating table. One wrong move and his life is over—or he’s left brain damaged or paralyzed, or both.
Never having been a father, I had a lot to learn. But I felt up for it—even though there was a lot to do. I had to find a house, for starters. No son of mine would be growing up in a little apartment; not when I could provide so much more.
As unhappy as I was with my mother just now, she needed the chance to get to know her only grandchild—her only grandchild for now.
I wanted to have another child with Reagan as soon as possible. The one thing I did know about kids was that sometimes, if there were too many years between siblings, it made it hard for them to bond. So having another baby had to be at the top of our list.
Of course, I would have to talk to Reagan about that and make sure she was on board. But I didn’t think she’d balk at the idea. I could tell Skye’s happiness meant more to her than anything else. Since she and I were both only children and had discussed that when we were in med school, we knew we wanted any children of ours to have siblings.
Having the basics out of the way made things a lot easier. And it would mean we could get right back to growing our relationship. I knew our history would mean we could move faster than people who didn’t know each other well. And I couldn’t help but notice that Skye and I had an immediate ease with each other. It had been just like that between me and his mother, too. Instinct told me things would be fine and it wouldn’t take much time at all to get my family going strong.
Leaning on the counter, I thought about how life was going to be so different for me from now on. So different for all of us.
With the kitchen cleaned up, I went into the living room to check on Reagan. She snored softly on the sofa, a slight smile on her pink lips. I thought I might go check in on Skye before leaving.
I walked quietly down the hall, and then opened the door to his bedroom. There was a little Cars nightlight in the outlet right next to his bed, lighting him up with a soft pink glow.
I couldn’t help myself and eased into the room with ninja-like stealth. His dark waves splayed out on the pillow in every direction, just like mine when I slept. The stray hairs beckoned me to smooth them out. “You’re such an angle, Skye. I’m so lucky.” Leaning over, I left a kiss on top of his head before leaving the room.
My heart had never felt like this. So full and yet so light at the same time. Somehow I knew that feeling would only grow more and more as I got to know my son and fell in love with him.
I didn’t know him well yet, but I already felt such a connection and could swear I felt love in my heart for him too. Although it made no sense, I didn’t care. Allowing myself to fall head over heels for my kid couldn’t be wrong.
There were so many things to do with him. Toss the ball back and forth in our backyard. Teach him to drive one day. I couldn’t possibly leave that up to his mother. She drove like demons were chasing her.
No, I’d teach my son how to drive, how to swim—things I was pretty sure he didn’t know how to do yet. And I’d give him everything he would possibly need to make his dreams come true, just like my dad had done for me.
As I closed his door, I couldn’t stop smiling as I thought about taking him on my yacht. He could play pirate as we cruised the Atlantic Ocean. What a life the kid was about to have. Even with his wild imagination, I was sure he couldn’t have guessed he’d ever get the opportunities he now had.
With so much to do—like getting a will drawn up that included Skye and Reagan—I had to make sure I took time to sit down and call my lawyer as soon as I could the next day. And I wanted to give my son my last name, too. Skye Dawson. Yeah, it sounded good. But I hadn’t even asked Reagan what Skye’s middle name was. I hoped it would flow well with my last name.
I stopped and looked at the closed door to what I bet was Reagan’s room. “Maybe I should put her in her bed.”
The alcohol most likely had her out cold. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t make her more comfortable?
I could even undress her to get her ready for bed … but I knew what that would do to me. “No, I’ll let her deal with that on her own. For tonight, anyway.”
I needed it to be Reagan’s choice when I got to see her naked again, not mine. And by the way she’d acted and the things she’d said—even under the influence of the wine—I had a pretty good idea that she’d be stripping for me very soon.
I quickly carried Reagan to her bedroom—leaving her clothes on—and tucked her into bed. Before leaving, I put the vase of flowers on her bedside table so she would see them when she woke up, then kissed her on top of her head. “Night night, baby.”
I grabbed the spare key that was hanging next to the door and made sure to lock the door behind me, then slid the key back under the door. Then I headed out into the cold dark night. I didn’t want to leave her porch light on all night, so I used my cell to help me navigate down the sidewalk to where I’d parked my car.
A light caught my eye, and I looked over to see a car parked on the other side of the parking lot. It was past midnight, and I wondered who would be sitting in a car—with the interior lights on but with no engine running—on such a cold night.
As I neared the end of the sidewalk, the person rolled the window down and looked at me. A man with short hair, most likely dark hair, stared at me as I made my way to the parking area.
Since he wouldn’t stop staring, I walked up to the black four-door Ford Taurus. “Hi.”
He nodded. “You came out of that apartment there, did ya?”
Looking back over my shoulder, I asked, “You mean number eight?”
“Funny how she lives in apartment number eight—that’s how old my daughter was when she killed her.” He blew a puff of smoke out the window, and I could smell the harsh scent.
“Someone killed your little girl?” I looked at him and asked.
Nodding, he jerked his head toward the apartment I’d just come from. “That slut in there did. That bitch didn’t look for a heart for my little girl. No, that slut was too busy taking her bastard son to his stupid ball games instead of finding my daughter the heart she needed. This was my first Thanksgiving without my little girl. Do you know how it feels to have to spend the holidays without the kid you loved more than life itself?”
It was clear this guy was talking about Reagan—and I didn’t like it one bit. “I’m deeply sorry for your loss, sir. But your anger is misplaced. I suggest you seek out a therapist. If your daughter was indeed a patient of Dr. Storey’s, then you can contact her office and they’ll give you a referral to so
meone who can help you deal with your loss. But for now, I think you should be going.”
“Who are you to her, anyway?” His eyes narrowed. “I’ve never seen you here before.”
“So, you’re telling me you’ve been stalking Dr. Storey for a while now?” I took my phone out to take his picture. “Well, that’s going to end right now.”
“What the fuck are you doing, mister?” The man rolled up his window quickly. The dark tint made it impossible to get a clear picture of him.
But there was still the license plate, and I stepped back as he turned his car so I could at least get a picture of that. He seemed to have that covered too, as the light by the license plate wasn’t on.
I had had enough, though. Reagan would most definitely know who the guy was. And I’d make sure she knew this man had been hanging out at night, watching her apartment and her comings and goings.
We could call the police in the morning. I knew they’d be more likely to take us seriously if we had all the facts about this creeper straight. In the meantime, if need be, I’d hire bodyguards for her and Skye. No one would be screwing with my family.
After getting into my rental car, I decided to wait for a bit to make sure the stalker didn’t come back. I wished I could’ve gotten more than just the make and model of his car.
I stayed for an hour before I started getting sleepy. I’d locked Reagan’s door, so I knew they were safe. And the man had apparently been stalking her for some time without doing anything rash. Feeling they were safe, I headed back to my hotel.
As I made the drive, I decided I would stay at the apartment with them from now on—or at least until that guy got dealt with. I would’ve stayed tonight, had I not locked myself out already. And the last thing I wanted to do was wake Reagan up, upsetting her with the news she had a disturbed man watching her.
Praying the poor man would seek help as I’d advised him, I drove away, feeling more and more uneasy the further I drove. If anything happened to the family I’d just been reunited with, I didn’t know what I’d do.
Seeing the hotel just in front of me, I decided to go in, pack some of my things, then head back to Reagan’s. If she didn’t answer her door and I had to sleep in the car, then so be it.
Once in my room, I grabbed the essentials—a toothbrush, a change of clothes, and then I thought I’d bring along a pillow and blanket, just in case I had to sleep in the car. Just before I left the room, my cell rang.
Reagan’s name appeared on the screen, and I answered the call, “Hey, baby. I’m glad you’re awake. I want to come back over. I want to tell you about something.”
“Oh, Arrie, I just woke up feeling awful.” She made a gagging sound. “I shouldn’t have fallen asleep without eating. I’m puking like crazy. But I’ll get up and unlock the door if you want to come sleep with me.”
“No.” I didn’t want her leaving the door unlocked. “You lock your windows, right?”
“Yeah.” She cleared her throat. “Ugh. I hate puking.”
“I shouldn’t have let you fall asleep without eating. That’s my bad.” Feeling torn about what to do, I kept going back to the fact that they were locked securely in their home, and the man had never done anything crazier than keep tabs on them. Knowing that Reagan felt sick, I didn’t want to further disturb her sleep. “I’ll come over bright and early to take care of things for you, baby. You sleep. I’ll call before I come over.”
“Thanks, babe.” She sighed loudly. “I love this Arrie, I really do. Being back to our old selves—it feels so wonderful. I know things with Skye will fall into place too. I can’t wait to see you in the morning. Love you, babe.”
“I love you too, Reagan.” One more thought went through my head. “And don’t open the door if you hear someone knocking. K?”
By her muffled voice, I could tell she’d already pulled the blankets up and was heading back to dreamland. “K. Good night, Arrie.”
I was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be a good night for me. Now to see if I can get some sleep before heading back over there.
Chapter 18
Reagan
I woke up with my stomach twisting again at around three in the morning. Throwing off the blankets, I whined, “Not again.” As I ran to the bathroom, I vowed never to drink on an empty stomach for the rest of my life.
My stomach was empty, but the spasms just kept on coming as I crouched in front of the toilet dry heaving. Knowing nothing else would come up, I decided drinking some water might help. Throwing up something was better than throwing up nothing.
I’d thrown on a pair of jersey shorts and a tank top to sleep in and trod out of my room in bare feet. Just as I opened my door, I heard a strange noise coming from Skye’s room. Pushing open his door, I felt the cold wind blowing across my skin. His blue curtains fluttered in the breeze.
Not fully understanding why he’d gotten up and opened his window, I looked at the bed. My knees went weak. “Skye?” I looked around the dark room, lit only by his nightlight. A pink glow near the head of his bed showed me the empty space where he should have been. “Skye!”
Running to the window, I found it wasn’t only open, but the screen was gone too. Leaning out of it, I saw the screen lying on the ground. The sound of tires squealing drew my attention. A black car sped out of the parking area, and I knew my son had to be in that car.
In a flash, I climbed out the window screaming and ran as fast as I could to catch the car before it got away. “Stop! Skye! Someone help me! Please!”
I couldn’t see the license plate, and before I knew it, I couldn’t even see the taillights anymore as I ran down the desolate street. Stopping, I looked around and found no one I could flag down to chase the vehicle.
I had to go back inside and get my phone. Running as fast as I could, I climbed back in through Skye’s window, and then ran to get my cell out of my bedroom. Calling 911, I tried not to panic. “911, what’s your emergency?”
“This is Dr. Reagan Storey. I live in the Orchard Apartments two blocks from the hospital. My son’s been kidnapped. A black car, four-door, I think, drove off with him. I couldn’t see the license plate but it went north on First Avenue. I need help right now!” Panting, I felt like I might pass out and sat on the bed, putting my head between my legs.
“Have you given your home a thorough search, Doctor?” she asked me.
I hadn’t done that, so I got up to look everywhere. “I’m checking it out now. But listen to me—the screen on my five-year-old son’s window was off. His window was unlocked and opened. I saw the car taking off just as I leaned out the window. I will check the house, but please send police to look for that car and someone to come here too, to get prints and stuff.”
“I’ve got officers on the way.” I heard her typing and then giving directions. “Anyone in the First Avenue area, I need you to be on the lookout for a black four-door.” She asked me, “Is it a sedan or an SUV?”
“It’s a car—a sedan,” I answered as I went from room to room, finding no sign of my son. “Hurry, please.”
A knock came to my door, and I ran to answer it as the dispatcher told me, “Officers have arrived at your home. Please let them in.”
Throwing the door open, I cried, “Help me, please. My son’s been kidnapped!” And then I promptly burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
The two officers came in, immediately trying to calm me down—an impossible task. One took me by the arm, leading me to take a seat on the sofa. He took the cell phone out of my hand. “Thanks, we’ll take it from here,” he told the dispatcher.
“I need to call his father,” I gasped out somehow. “I need him here with me.” I held out my hand for my phone.
“Hold on a minute,” one of the officers said. “Can you get us a picture of the missing child? We need to get this information out right away.”
Knowing I couldn’t do a thing to help find my son if I kept crying, I shook my head to clear it, then focused on what I needed to do. “Ye
s.” I got up and ran to my room to get the pictures out of the top of my closet where I’d stashed them. Taking the latest one, I ran to give it to them. “Here. His name is Skye Allen Storey. He’s five. What else do you need to know about him, other than someone in a black car took him?” I wiped my eyes with the backs of my hands to clear what remained of the tears I’d managed to get under control.
“How do you know for sure he was kidnapped?” one of the men asked me. “I mean, was the boy angry with you? Did he have a reason to run away? And you said you need to call his father. Is it possible he called his father because he was mad at you and his father came to pick him up without informing you?”
“No.” I shook my head as I held my hand out, needing my phone. “I’ll call him, and he’ll tell you everything. I just need him here with me, and I need you to find my son.”
Finally, the one holding my phone gave it back to me. “Get the father over here as fast as you can. Most times it’s the other parent who’s taken the child.”
“Not this time. Just find that black car.” I finally got my fingers to work and called Arrie.
“Reagan?” a groggy voice answered. “Everything okay? It’s like three in the morning.”
“Get over here, Arrie. Someone’s taken Skye.” I ended the call before he could ask anything else. “He’s coming.”
“Can you show me to his room now?” one of them asked while the other searched the rest of the apartment.
I led the man to Skye’s room, then pointed at the window. “See, I told you. That window stays locked, so you need to see how it got unlocked. I would look from the outside, as I know my son wouldn’t unlock it for anyone.”
Shaking his head, he acted like he didn’t believe me. “You’d be surprised what kids will do. I’ve seen all kinds of things. Has your son ever sleepwalked?”
“No.” I finally noticed my skimpy attire and went to put on a robe and some house shoes. When I came back, I saw the cop fiddling with the locking mechanism. “Hey, you don’t even have gloves on.”