by ChaShiree M.
First one is from Rec telling me to send the guys in. Hopefully he will be back soon. Second text is from Laser. He is concerned about the fact that Damien and Lucifer are here at the same time. Something seems fishy to him. I agree. Sending back a message and telling him to have Barclay, a detective we sometimes get information from, look into it.
Speaking of Barclay, the last message is from him letting me know Fiero made bail. What the fuck! How the hell did he even get bail? Fuck! I call Drake needing to know who is on Cole today.
“Drake, who is on Cole today?”
“No one that I know of. We are still only on Kea. Should someone be on Cole?”
“YES! THAT BOY IS MY SON!! He is to be protected at all times. Call Ren and see who he can send over.” I grab my keys and get in my car. Until someone gets to the school, I will sit outside of it and watch over my kid.
Chapter 29
KEA
I’ve checked my rear-view mirror more times than I can count this morning, as I drive Cole to school. Hearing Colton so worried last night has me on edge. I know logically that between him, my brothers, and Ren we are well protected. But it hasn’t stopped the hairs on the back of my neck from standing straight up since I left the house.
“Cole sweetie, you have your lunchbox and your toy for show and tell?”
“Yes. They are in my backpack.”
“Awesome. Alright sweet boy, I will be here to pick you up at 2:20. I love you Cole. I know it is going to take time for you to believe it, but I couldn’t love you any more than if I was your real mom.” I don’t want to push him. I just want him to know this.
“I know Kea. That’s why I prayed every night in the kid’s home for you to come get me. He listened and you came.” It isn’t as if he didn’t just rip my heart out, wrap it in a bow, turn, and walk into the school leaving me with a face raining mess on the sidewalk.
‘Pull yourself together Kea.’ I get back in the car and drive to Fae’s. Noting that the car behind me is a new one. One I haven’t seen before. I can’t make out the driver in my mirror, but I am assuming everything is still ok. Using my Bluetooth, I call Quetzal. I haven’t heard from her in a while.
“Hey there, baby sis. How’s it going?” I hate it when she calls me that.
“Q.” She chuckles. She knows how much I hate that.
“I’m sorry. Hello Kea. How may I be of service?”
“You are such an ass sometimes. I was calling because I haven’t heard from you since the trip. How are you?”
“I’m good. I have been working, traveling, and in between I have been checking on Lucca. Insufferable asshole.” She is mumbling the last part. I don’t know why she fights it so much. Everyone can see how they feel about one another.
“How is he doing?”
“He is getting better. He needs to be resting, but refuses to let anyone guard Ren, Fae, and Tony. I mean, I get it. They are his family. Ren literally. But there are other capable men who can do it. Why are men so fucking stubborn?” Well hell. If anyone has the answer to that, we might actually have a solution to a lot of failed marriages.
“I don’t know but keep on him. He loves you. And whether you want to admit it or not, you love him too.” She is quiet for a moment letting me know I hit a nerve. She clears her throat and then brushes me off. Typical Q when she is cornered.
“Whatever. Listen, I have a meeting in five minutes. I will call you when I am done. Do me a favor, check on Phoenix. I called the ranch the other day and she wouldn’t take my call. She has always been closer to you. Maybe she will talk to you.”
“I was afraid of this when she decided she was going to stay there. I will call her after my doctor’s appointment.”
“Is everything ok? The PCOS getting better?”
“Everything is fine. I haven’t had a checkup in a while. Need to get my birth control renewed to help regulate my periods. No need to worry.”
“If you’re sure. Alright, I have to go. Love you.”
“Love you too Quetzal. Talk to you later.”
I have been sitting in front of Fae’s house for the past ten minutes. I get out and make my way inside. Walking in, I can tell something is not right.
“What’s wrong?” I don’t bother with pleasantries.
“Your sister is being stubborn. Her contractions are every eight minutes. She is refusing to go to the doctor.” His face is filled with concern and panic. I rub his back trying to calm him down.
“Let me talk to her. Calm down. Technically, she doesn’t have to go in until they are three to four minutes apart lasting 45-60 seconds each. We will get her to the hospital. I promise.”
“Thank you, sis. You know your sister.” He’s rubbing his hands down his face, more than a little frustrated. I walk in the living room, and Fae is sitting on the couch with feet up and holding her belly.
“Fae. What is going on? Why won’t you let Ren take you to the hospital?”
“My husband is more than a little paranoid. For all we know these could be Braxton Hicks. I don’t want to leave now, anyway. Tony is still in school. I won't have him come home and I’m gone.” I get that. The unconditional love of a mom to her child. The need to make sure that the child is happy and never hurt. I feel it with every fiber of my being.
“Do you think it's Braxton Hicks?”
“I don’t. But I am not ready to go. I’m scared. It’s two weeks early. What if something goes wrong. I mean it makes sense, doesn’t it? Everything has been good, since Phoenix was taken with the exception of Lucca getting shot. It seems like too good to be true. You know.” I do know. More than she can imagine. I have been having the same feelings.
“I know, Fae. Ren loves you and he is just as scared. Just promise me you will go as soon as Tony comes home. I don’t want anything happening to my niece.” I rub her tummy as the baby moves.
“I promise.” I hear her, but I am more enamored with the baby moving in her tummy. Feelings I thought I had gotten rid of when I got Cole, I can feel them resurfacing. Not jealousy. But something akin to yearning.
“What’s it like? Having a human being inside of you? One you and the love of your life created?”
“Oh Kea. Are you sure you don’t want to try fertility help? A lot of women get pregnant that way.”
“No. It’s less than a 30% chance and the money alone is too much. No. I’m ok.” I tell her trying to hide the sniffle. “Well, I love you. Call me as soon as you get to the hospital.” After extracting the promise from her, I leave and head to the doctor’s office.
As I am getting in the car, I note Drake is in the car across the street. I wave to him and drive away. The drive to the doctor’s office is quick. Not quick enough, because my mind once again is racing with everything I have been through this past year.
“Good afternoon Ms. Ryan. You are Dr. Hanna’s last patient. Here you go. You know the routine.” She hands me everything I need before seeing the doctor. Urine cup, gown, takes my blood. You know, the usual. I have been through this so much since I was diagnosed I could do it in my sleep.
I am making lists in my head of everything I need to get at the grocery store, after Cole and I go to sign him up for karate. The doctor then comes into the room.
“Ms. Ryan. I understand you came here to get your birth control renewed.”
“Yep. My period has been a bit irregular and you know when that happens, the pain is not so far behind.”
“Indeed Ms. Ryan. The difference being, this time your periods are irregular because you are pregnant.” I had no clue my doctor had a sense of humor. Except this time, it's not funny, because I am a bit raw at the moment.
“Dr. Hanna, we both know that is impossible. I have….”
“PCOS. Yes, I know Ms. Ryan. I diagnosed you when you were sixteen. I know all about it. And it doesn’t change the facts. You, my dear girl are pregnant.” Am I having an out of body experience? I swear I am in some sort of dream sequence. Stuff like this don’t happen to women li
ke me. Does it?
“Are you sure? I mean...how...is it...ok for me to be pregnant?”
“Of course, it is. Women with this condition have healthy babies all the time. Some with help. Others the natural way. Like you. Want to see?”
Holy shit!!! I am pregnant. I’m going to have a baby. There is a baby in my stomach, right now as we speak. Oh my gosh. I am in such shock almost missed the question.
“Yes. Yes please. I want to see.” She gives me a nod and walks out.
I am on autopilot right now. Nothing seems real at the moment. Not as I am laying on the table, or even when she comes back in and sticks the wand like camera inside me. NOTHING seems real.
Until I hear the underwater sound and she says, “That’s your baby’s heartbeat. Look!” She turns the monitor towards me and points to a little blob on the screen.
“There is your baby. According to….” it’s about right at this time that I totally blank out.
I don’t hear or see anything but the miracle inside of my body. A miracle I know would never have happened if it weren’t for Colton. He did this. Gave me something I thought I would never have. The tears are rolling, and I don’t bother trying to stop them. There is no use. They will keep coming until this all hits me.
“Did you hear me Ms. Ryan?” Oh shit!
“I’m sorry. Could you repeat that?”
“According to my measurements and calculations you are just shy of six weeks.” I laugh. Only Colton can do the impossible the first time we have sex.
The rest of the visit goes by quickly. She tells me, that due to my condition she wants to see me every three weeks for the first trimester. Then every six weeks after. She gives me a script for my prenatal vitamins and a picture of our baby.
I leave floating on cloud nine. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about my drive to pick up Cole. I force myself to come back to the present. I don’t want him feeling anything.
“Hey sweetie. How was school?”
“It was good. Are we going to the Karate school now?”
“Yes, we are.” I laugh at his obvious enthusiasm. I am about to ask him why Karate, when I see Drake’s car run off the road by a bigger vehicle. My instincts kick in.
“Cole is your seatbelt on?” I ask him, as my foot pushes on the gas faster.
“Yes.”
“Good. Hold on.”
I hit the gas as hard as I can and swerve in and out of traffic. I am about to hit the speed dial for Colton when another car hits us from the side, sending us crashing into a tree. I yell for Cole to brace and can hear him yelling my name, asking me what is happening. Every nerve ending in my body is focused on the two lives I need to protect now. My head hits the steering wheel as I hear the windows shatter.
“COLE! COLE ANSWER ME.”
“Kea.” Thank god.
“Hold on baby. I am going to get us out of here.” I am running on instinct now. I unbuckle myself and turn to grab him when my door is wrenched open.
“I got the bitch. You grab the kid.” I pull against him to no avail. When his hand goes over my mouth, I bite him as hard as I can.
“Get your hands off my son.” The guy I bite, punches me in the face rendering me dazed. I can hear Cole yelling for me. Screaming for me to help him.
“COLE!!! COLE!!! I’M HERE BABY!!! I'’’M….” And everything goes black.
Chapter 30
KEA
I have been awake for about an hour and trying not to let them know. I have been trying to listen for voices, noises, or anything that would tell me where I am. My brothers made sure once they got my sisters and I, that they trained us as best they could. The rest I owe to Rizzoli and Isles, NCIS:LA, and Investigation Discovery Channel. What I want more than anything is for them to remove the bag over my head, so I can see. I haven’t heard Cole’s voice since they drugged me, and it is scaring me. What have they done with my boy? Is he ok? Are they hurting him?
My sweet boy. My mind is conjuring up all sorts of things. I want to cry, wail, and demand they bring my son back to me. I want to hurt whoever is hurting him. A mother is not meant to sit idly by as her children are hurt. But my hands and legs are bound to whatever I’m sitting on. The longer I sit here, the more nauseated I become. Reminding me I have two children to protect. I am about to call out when I hear footsteps entering the room.
“My. What do we have here?” A voice I don’t recognize says, and a different voice answers.
“The one you wanted is no longer reachable. But I believe this one is more important to him now.”
The bag is pulled from my head. At first everything is blurred, and I can’t make out much. But as my vision starts to return, I begin to look around, not wanting to look at the men in my presence. I need to see if Cole is here with me.
The first thing I notice is the room. We are in some sort of room with no windows or furniture. I immediately notice that there are other chairs in the room. Some of them are lifted off the floor and others are sitting about my height. Lying beside my chair there are instruments. Oh God. These are the kind of tools used to inflict the worst kind of pain. My body comes to full alert. These men obviously plan to hurt me. What about my son?
I finally look up, and instantly wish I hadn’t. The first man looks like a younger version of Johnny Depp from Donnie Brasco. His hair is slicked back, tan skin, and a sinister sneer that makes every hair on my body stand on end. The cigar he is purposely blowing in my face makes me cough and gag. I try to catch my breath after the coughing stops. I need to get them talking.
“Where is my son?” I am trying to act tough to make them think I am strong and can’t be broken. It is all I have right now.
“Your...son. Bitch, do I look stupid to you? You think this is something we woke up this morning and decided to do? I know he is not YOURS. In fact, I know who he really belongs too.” Oh God. Please no.
“He is mine. Where is he? What have you done with him?”
“Shut the fuck up, bitch. I would be more worried about yourself.”
I can’t even think about me right now. Cole is the only thing on my mind. I look around trying to find something, anything I can use to get free and hurt either of them, when they leave me alone down here. I can’t stay in this damn chair while Cole is out there by himself.
“I mean, I guess we could get something for her through the market. She is a bit fat for my liking, but who knows. Her pussy might make up for it. Why don’t I test it out while you go and see about the boy?” Cole!
“I want to see him. Bring me my son right now.” They both laugh as if I just told the joke of the century. The other one, who looks vaguely like Leonardo DiCaprio with darker hair grabs my face and makes me look at him.
“You’d do best to make us like you. As it stands, your life as you know it is over. The only question is…...how bad it is going to hurt.” My stomach churns.
I begin to feel faint thinking about what they have planned. The tools beside my chair are like those a doctor would use. I can feel sweat forming on my forehead. My mind is trying to shut down to remove it from being present during this ordeal. But the mom in me refuses to run.
“Where is he? Where is Cole? WHERE THE FUCK IS….”
SMACK.
The impact on the side of my face is a blinding pain. The pulsing in my head is brutal, not to mention my cheek. I move my tongue around my mouth and can taste the metallic of blood.
‘Leo’ gets back in my face. “Next time, I won’t be so gentle.”
“Why are you doing this? What do you want?”
“Ah. now we are getting to it. Your boyfriend has been a pain in my ass for years. I had it good when he was away in the service. The minute he came back after I took his whiny ass little sister from home, he has been all up in my shit. Ruining my fucking business. That little bitch sister of his was going to get me a mint, selling her to the Russians. Since I can’t get to her, I will take the second best. YOU.”
I am stunned. Now, I reme
mber Colton telling me something about his sister and a man. My mind is racing as I try to figure out how to handle this. Believe it or not, I am wishing it was my father at this moment. Him, I can handle. I finally realize that I might not get out of this. But I can’t give up without seeing Cole.
“Please, just let me see him. I want to see Cole.” I chant his name over and over. Ignoring anything else they say. I want them to know, Cole is my only priority. Finally, ‘Johnny’ gives in.
“Let the bitch see him. As a matter of fact, it might make a man out of him to see this.”
I put the last statement out of mind and focus on the knowledge they are going to let me see Cole. It is only a matter of seconds, but it feels like forever. Some other man I don’t know walks into the room, holding Cole by the collar of his shirt. An attack instinct I didn’t know I had rises to the surface.
“Get your hands off him! You bastards.” I need to get out of this fucking chair. Looking at Cole and the terrified expression on his face, with his eyes, red and puffy pleading with me to save him.
“Cole look at me. Look at me baby. Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?”
“No. Who are they? I want to go home.” Help me. Please. Is the swan song I play over and over in my mind.
“I know baby. I know. I promise we are going to be ok.” God, I hope so.
“Take him back.”
“NO!!! DON’T TOUCH HIM.” I use my body weight to try and bounce the chair off the floor, noticing it is wood. Maybe it will break if I ram it into the floor hard enough.
“COLE!!! COLE!!! LET HIM GO!!! IF YOU HURT ONE HAIR ON HIS….”
BAM. In one swift action, ‘Leo’ punches me in the face and my chair falls back against the floor. Everything is spinning as I try to regain my bearings. I can hear Cole screaming for me.
“Mommy! Mommy help!” Oh, my love.
“Cole. Cole.” I can barely call out. I try to squirm. Scoot something. When one of them, I don’t know which, kicks me in the stomach. I scream, the pain a shock. He kicks me again. I cry. Feeling the fight leave me as the pain radiates throughout my abdomen and into my chest. Oh god. I can’t breathe. With my hands and legs tied up, I can’t curl up and protect my baby. Oh God. Again. And again, I am kicked as I lie on the floor helpless, gasping for breath to try to stay awake.