Just then, I’m interrupted from my thoughts by my building’s security calling up to announce I had a guest. “Mr. Stone, there’s a Molly Stone here to see you.”
“Tell her I’m not home.” It’s the same reply I’ve given the last two times Molly stopped by.
I listen to the guard relay the message to Molly, and as I’m about to hang up, I hear Molly’s voice loud and clear, “Do you think I’m some kind of idiot?! I just heard you talking to him! I know he’s home! You tell that asshole that I’m on my fucking way up whether he likes it or not!”
“Sir, she’s upset and insists on coming up.” The hesitant and somewhat nervous sound of the guard’s voice almost makes me want to laugh. Almost. Fuck. Molly can be a force to be reckoned with when she’s determined to get her way.
“Send her up,” I instruct the guard. I go to my bedroom and put some fresh clothes on to make it seem like I haven’t been sitting here for weeks, obsessing over the search for Alani, Cade, and Jackson around the clock. Molly gave birth a few months ago to my new nephews, but I haven’t seen them yet. I wanted that day to be a happy occasion for them and I didn’t want to depress them with my presence. I open up the front door to find Molly with a double stroller. I stare at her speechless because she looks like shit. I know she’s been crying.
“What’s wrong, Molly?” I ask, letting her in. As we move into the living room, I get my first look at my newest nephews. Another set of handsome Stones.
“I wanted to bring the twins over to meet their Uncle Evan, since he refuses to come visit them. Landon misses you. He wants to know why you don’t come see him anymore, and I don’t know what to say,” she replies, as tears start to fall down her face. I don’t know if she’s still hormonal or trying to guilt trip me.
“Tell Landon his uncle loves him. But Molly, I need you to just go. I’m not coming back from this. Ever. And I’ll be damned if I drag your boys down with me.” She rushes over to me and throws herself into my arms.
“We all love you, Evan. It’s killing us not having you around—Noah, Maddox, and our boys. It’s been hard on all of us, but what makes it harder is the thought of you, suffering here alone.” I pull her in, trying to soothe her, but I’m long past any emotion.
“It’s better this way, so just go,” I tell her. She pulls out of my arms, and I know she’s about to smack me, but I don’t do a thing to stop her. It’s what she needs to do, so I let her. After her hand makes contact with my cheek, I just say, “Now, please go.”
“So that’s it? You’re just going to walk out on everyone who loves you?” she angrily asks.
“Just please do as I ask, Molly,” I request with a sigh.
“Yeah, I’m leaving, you fucking jerk!” she spits out.
“Molly, there’s one thing I need from you.”
“What?” she asks, irritated that I’m asking for a favor after basically kicking her out of my home.
“Just try one more time,” I reply.
“Try what?” she inquires as I walk over to the stroller, bending down to look at Logan and Lucas. Like their older brothers, they too look just like their dad.
“Try one more time. Noah wants a girl.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. That’s what you want?! For me to have another kid?” she asks incredulously.
“I want my brother to get what he wants. I want him to be happy.” If I can’t get what I want, then Noah should get my share of a shot at happiness.
“Yeah, well it’s not going to happen. Four kids is plenty—not that you would know,” she throws back at me as she walks out the door. Even though I never had any intention of having kids, her offhand remark surprisingly stings.
Lani
I’ve been cramping the last couple weeks, and I think I’m close to going into labor. The thought of it terrifies me. The couple keeping us captive have already told me that I won’t be going to the hospital when I deliver the baby. Other than the pain, I have no idea what to expect. I never planned on getting pregnant, so I hadn’t exactly looked inside one of those pregnancy books or done any online research. I’m basically relying on what I learned in those high school health classes we took, and I never paid close attention to those. All I know is that birthing a baby is gross and messy.
Not having anyone to rely on now, I hope there are no complications during the birth. As much as I don’t or didn’t want this baby, I feel compelled to protect it. The thought of dying during childbirth is almost welcome at this point, but the thought of leaving Cade alone by himself breaks my heart. If it weren’t for Cade, I don’t think I’d have survived this long. The only good thing that’s happened so far is that the videos of me showering has stopped. I guess Jackson no longer found me attractive once my pregnancy began to show and for that, I’m thankful. Having given up hope for a rescue, Cade is the only one keeping me going these days.
Suddenly, a contraction hits me out of nowhere and it forces me to drop down onto my knees, screaming out in pain. Remembering Cade, I try to bite my lip against the pain so I won’t scare him.
“Lani, are you alright?” Cade asks worriedly, rushing to my side. I try to focus on his face as the pain goes through me. It amazes me how mature he’s gotten since we’d been abducted, and I hate myself for being glad to have him with me through this ordeal. I can’t stop the tear that falls down my face as I look at him.
“I think this is it, Cade—the baby is coming. Go bang on the door and let them know,” I instruct him, the words rushing out of my mouth before the next wave of pain hits. As much as I hate asking these people for help, I know I can’t do this by myself and worry about a helpless young boy witnessing the traumatic ordeal. I hear Cade banging on the door, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. I see Cade come down the steps with both the man and woman behind him. The couple takes one look at me and then nod towards each other.
“We’re moving you to the attic. You make one move and I’m throwing you down the stairs. You understand?” the fat, hairy bastard tells me. I slowly nod my head in agreement and gingerly follow him up the stairs. When it appears that they’re about to leave Cade behind, I stop.
“Cade is coming with me,” I state. The man nods his head at the lady, and I watch as she roughly grabs Cade’s arm. I know it hurts him by the way he flinches, but he bravely accepts the pain. It makes me want to cry how this ten year old boy is trying to be so tough.
When we get up the stairs, I notice that we’re in a nice house. It’s old and outdated, but I can tell it was once a nice family home. The moment we enter the kitchen, I have to stop again as another contraction hits.
“You better not be playing us,” warns the nasty, balding lady. Stupid bitch. I ignore her as I worry over the contractions that are coming closer together—I doubt two minutes has passed. After the pain subsides, the man continues to lead us up more stairs to another hallway. When I see the door to where they are putting us, I feel another round of disappointment as I look at the wooden beams and deadbolts that line it. Behind the door is another staircase, and I feel a sense of relief once we finally reach the top. There’s a big bed with real covers and not just some cot with throw blankets like we had in the basement.
“Knock on the door when it’s about to come out,” the lady coldly instructs as they go back down the stairs. Once I hear the locks latch into place, I rush to the window and look out. Oh. My. God. We can do this. Cade can get out and get help. The thrill of hope revives me as I plan our escape in my mind. We can’t do it right now, but soon. It’ll be a bit of a jump, but it’s possible. I see trees all around us, but I get excited when I spot some smoke coming from over the top of some trees. That has to be someone’s chimney—I hope. It’s June now, so maybe I’m wrong. Maybe a campfire. I’m not sure, but something or someone is out there.
“Cade, listen to me,” I say, turning back to him. Just then, another contraction hits. Cade runs over and gives me his hand. It gives me the strength to bear the pain and continue saying, “
We’re getting out of here.”
“When? Now?” he asks excitedly once the contraction is over.
“No, not yet. I need to have this baby first and gain a little strength back before we can do it, but it’s going to happen. We can do this.”
“I can go now and get you help,” he suggests helpfully.
“No, we need to learn their schedule before we try anything. We need them to be comfortable with us being up here. But I promise, Cade, we’ll get out of here soon. Can you hold on for a few more days?”
“Yeah, I can. Maybe you should lay down on the bed.” He looks at me with concern as another contraction hits. Damn it, that had to be less than a minute. I refuse to lay on the bed, not wanting to ruin the sheets. With the amount of care we’re given, I doubt they’ll replace the bedding when I make a mess of them, so I lay on the floor instead. As soon as my butt touches the floor, I feel a wetness between my legs. Remembering the health class video, I assume it means that my water broke.
“Cade, go knock on the door...the baby is coming,” I inform him as the need to push comes over me. Once he leaves, I hike up the skirt of the oversized dress they’d given me to wear once I’d outgrown my own clothes. The dress probably belonged to that fat bitch that was holding us—it’s as ugly as she is. I quickly remove my panties and pull the dress back down before Cade comes back. As I cover myself up, I’m surprised by the feel of the baby’s head at my opening and I freeze. Holy shit. I’m going to be a mom. I haven’t let myself feel one way or another about this pregnancy because I didn’t know how it would end. But now that the baby is almost here, I feel panicked. I’m not ready for this.
“Already?” I hear the man ask, sounding annoyed as he’s coming up the stairs.
“Yes,” I grunt out as I start to push. The lady appears down on the floor in front of me.
“Stop pushing. Give me a minute,” the stupid cow demands, opening my legs wider. I ignore her because quite honestly, I can’t stop pushing. I can’t prevent the screams from coming out of my mouth as I feel like I’m being split in half.
“Lani, what should I do?” Cade asks worriedly from somewhere behind me.
“It’s...ok...Cade. This happens...normally...when women...have babies,” I pant out an explanation in between contractions and through the pain. Just as I get those words out, I scream, bearing down once again. I feel the baby slipping out of me.
“Get the suction thingy,” the woman commands the man.
“Is the baby ok?” I inquire groggily, worn out from the strain of pushing the baby out.
“I’m checking. Hold your horses,” she replies nastily. As exhausted as I am, I want to muster enough strength to kick her in the teeth.
“Lani, you have a baby girl!” Cade happily announces with a smile on his face. A girl? I have a daughter? Tears start to stream down my face as I’m overwhelmed by the fact that I’m now a mother. I have no idea what I’m going to do with her—I don’t know how to be someone’s mom. The woman unceremoniously hands the baby over to me, then leaves. I stare down at my tiny baby girl, listening to her soft cries, and I instantly fall in love with her. She has dark black hair, just like her father, Evan. He and I have a beautiful daughter. Suddenly, my heart breaks at the thought of Evan and how upset he’ll be to find out he has a daughter.
One week later, I find myself even more scared than the night I had Harper. I keep trying to nurse her, but I can’t get her to eat. I don’t know if she’s having trouble latching on or if I’m not producing enough milk. Whatever it is, I’m watching my baby starve. I’ve asked the couple for some formula and a bottle, but the refuse to buy some. I’ve told Cade that today is the day we’re going to try to escape. I can hear the locks being undone, so I rush to the bed with Harper.
“Cade, sit down,” I instruct him. The couple seem to be more agitated than usual lately, and I don’t want them taking it out on Cade.
“Here’s your lunch. We’ll be back in about an hour to come get you. The boy can watch the baby while you shower. The people coming to buy the baby will be flying in tomorrow, but your visitor is arriving today,” the man informs me.
“What visitor?” I ask.
“You’ll see when he gets here. You’ll finally be out of our hair,” he replies, sounding pleased. It’s now or never. I wait for them to lock the door, then turn to Cade.
“We’re doing this now. Are you ready?”
“Yes, but how am I getting out?” he questions.
“You’re going to have to be brave and slide down the sheets that I’m tying together. When you get to the bottom, you’re going to have to jump. Can you do that for me?”
“I’m scared, Lani.” I give him a hug, not knowing how this will end. This may be the last time I get to see him, and I’m glad that he, at least, will make it out alive.
“Me too, Cade, but you can do this,” I encourage him. I rush over to the dresser and find the crayons I’d seen stashed with some art supplies. I write down Kerrigan’s number because after eight months, it’s the only one I remember by heart. Evan was the one to put his numbers into my phone and I never bothered to memorize them. I hand the paper to Cade with instructions to find someone and get them to call that number. I start to tie the sheets together as tight as I can, then struggle to get the window open. Once it finally opens, there’s barely enough room for me to throw the sheets down and have Cade climb through the opening.
“Lani, I’m afraid. I don’t know if I can do this,” Cade confesses, sounding scared.
“Look at me, Cade.” I gently demand. He turns to face me, barely holding back his tears. “I know that you can do this. You’ve been very brave all these months, and now we’re finally going home today. You just have to be brave one more time and rescue us. Ok?”
“Ok, I’ll do it,” he answers, giving me a final hug before he climbs out the window and starts to slide down the sheets. It feels like he’s taking forever to get to the bottom, but I won’t rush him—he’s facing his fears and doing it. After a few minutes, I feel his weight ease off the sheets as he lets go, and I see him running into the woods a few seconds later. I breathe a sigh of relief and kneel down to pray that he makes it to safety.
Chapter 13
Evan
To get any rest these days, I’ve had to take Ambien. But even in my chemically induced sleep, she haunts my dreams and I can’t get a break from her. Not that there’s ever a time that I wouldn’t want her to be with me in some way, but I’d rather have dreams of her being happy and smiling at me, than the nightmares I have of her being tortured or in various stages of dying. I start to head back towards Alani’s room, which has become part of my ritual before trying to lay down to sleep. It almost settles me down to be surrounded by her belongings, smelling her perfume and seeing the gum she always had still sitting on her nightstand. I lay on her bed, imagining her next to me and how her mouth would taste of peppermint if I kissed her. The wave of longing hits me hard once again. God! What I wouldn’t do just to be able to hold her in my arms again. I miss her so much that it’s become a physical pain in my chest.
It’s two in the afternoon, and I’m going on forty-eight hours without any sleep. I’ll just lay here a few more minutes before I get up and head to my room to take my pill, hoping for at least a few hours of sleep. I close my eyes and breathe in Alani’s scent once again. I’m startled when my phone suddenly starts vibrating in my pocket. My eyes fly open to look and see who’s calling. Kerrigan? Wondering why she’d be calling me, and concerned it was about Maddox, I answer. With Maddox’s line of work, Noah and I always worried that we’d one day get the call telling us Maddox had been hurt while on duty. I’m not a complete asshole, nor will I ever be so far gone that I wouldn’t go to my brother’s side as he lay dying or worse.
“Hello,” I say emotionlessly into the phone.
“Cade is alive. I’m on my way to get him,” Kerrigan announces, her excitement apparent in her voice.
Did I hear her right? �
��What?” I ask, shooting straight up into a sitting position and wondering if the lack of sleep has my mind playing tricks on me. I sit for a moment, waiting and listening to her repeat what she said. My mind quickly becomes alert and processes that what I’m hearing from Kerrigan is real. The hope I’d lost a few months ago returns in a rush. I jump up from the bed and bolt out of Alani’s room to get ready. “Give me the address, I’m going. Is Alani with him?”
“No,” Kerrigan responds, sounding disappointed.
“If Cade’s alive and he got away, it’s because Alani helped him.” I know Alani’s alive. I don’t know why they didn’t escape together, but I know she helped him get out. That’s just like my girl to at least get the boy out if the opportunity arises. I rush around the penthouse, quickly grabbing my shit, including the unregistered guns I bought on the black market for the sole purpose of hunting down the assholes who took Alani from me. Hurrying to my car, I quickly drive out of the city, taking care not to get pulled over. The last thing I need is to be delayed even longer from being with Alani, and getting thrown into jail for getting caught with unregistered guns would definitely cause a delay.
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