Three nights and four days later, nothing had changed. Molly was still fighting, and Raven was still missing. Dad and Fear where calling everyone and anyone they thought might help. I had heard Fear and Tate talking about a man named Shutter who was supposedly involved in the darker side of life. What he was going to do, I had no clue, and I didn’t care. If he was helping, he could be the devil himself, and I would be forever grateful.
The news had been running different versions of the same story for days.
“Four days ago, around mid-afternoon, a single mother to a newborn daughter was viciously attacked on the front porch of her home. Not only has the incident left the victim in a coma, unsure of whether she will succumb to her injuries, the perpetrator apparently took the victim’s baby when fleeing the scene. As of yet, no one has come forward with any information, but lead detective, Pierce Polpa, is still requesting anyone in the area at the time of the attack to please come forward. They may have information they are unaware of. The number is on the screen now along with a picture of baby Raven. The family of both mother and baby has offered a reward for any help that leads to the safe return of Raven or in the event of an arrest.”
I had managed to put up the front of being strong; Tristan and Dad needed me. I wasn’t going to be a burden and slip when there was enough stress, pain, and worry happening without me adding to it. The whole family was falling apart privately, but when we were all sitting in the visiting room or taking our turn with Molly, we were nothing but a pillar of strength. I loved that these people, these amazing people, were my family. Sadly, Hayley and John hadn’t even attempted to make contact with anyone. Fear refused to talk about her. I think he saw the way she was acting as not only wrong, but also as a personal betrayal against him. Recent events should have canceled out the petty bullshit that had been going on or, at the very least, paused it. It made my heart hurt knowing that if Hayley didn’t get her head out of her ass, she would lose an amazing brother in Fear and everyone else, too. No one bad-mouthed Hayley, preferring not to bring her up at all. But it was clear that we were all disappointed with how she was acting.
Molly’s condition hadn’t changed, and we were stuck in a sort of limbo of happy one minute then fear and dread the next. The bleeding in her brain had stopped, but the swelling wasn’t reducing as quickly as the doctors would’ve like. The breaks on her arm and the cracked ribs didn’t require surgery, but the doctor had sat us all down and explained that there was a real possibility she could have irreparable damage to her brain. It was apparently a waiting game, a game that felt lopsided. He was going to give us a little shred of hope and then take it away, adding a ton of shit in the negative pile.
I was tired, tired of feeling helpless, tired of having nothing but questions with only ifs and maybes as answers. We all were all running on fumes.
A commotion at the nurses’ station brought me out of my depressing thoughts. I didn’t bother to go and see what all the fuss was all about. I really didn’t care. Or at least I didn’t until I heard my little brother’s voice shouting.
“Get out, you’re not welcome here!” Tristan shouted.
Was this woman for real?
“I have every right to be here. I am her mother,” Emily answered quietly. Almost shyly.
“You’re no mother to her. She hates you. She wouldn’t want you here. Get out!” Tristan screamed even louder this time.
“I am just here to check on my daughter. I know I have not been the best mother. I am not going to claim any different. I won’t cause any trouble. I won’t even talk to anyone. But she is my little girl. All I want is to know is that I am as close to her as I can get.” Emily paused, shaking her head. “I just need to be close. She is my little girl.” She finished with a lone tear slipping down her cheek.
I knew that woman had not a single kind or caring bone in her body. I knew that had it been me in that room fighting for my life, she would more than likely be off celebrating somewhere. But Molly was never her target unless she jumped in front of me to take the hit. So maybe this was enough of a shock that she really did just want to be there for her daughter.
The situation was settled when a nurse came out and offered Emily a room to wait in.
“I hate her,” Tristan said as we watched Emily being led away.
Tate, who had stood by my side holding my hand, hadn’t said a word, he hadn’t needed to. Just the fact he was there was enough to prevent me from slipping in her presence.
“Let her wait in the other room; it can’t hurt. We have enough to worry about. Just forget she is even here. I’m going to.” Tate spoke to Tristan. Tristan, who was still very angry, didn’t argue and followed Tate and me back into a waiting area. I just hoped when Fear and Dad came out from sitting with Hayley that the shit didn’t hit the fan. It would not be good for all of us to get banned from the hospital.
19
Tate
A week and nothing. No change for Molly and no news of Raven. The police had been in constant contact, relaying any information they received, which unfortunately was almost nothing. Days consisted of each of us taking turns with Molly, the shop, or the nuggets. Everyone was barely existing, floating from place to place.
Fear, Dane, Talon, and Tristan were simply broken. The likelihood of Molly having zero brain damage was lessening. The police gave us all the devastating chat that the chances of finding Raven alive were also dwindling. It was all just too much for us.
Emily, surprising us all, spent as much time at the hospital as we did. Never making a fuss and keeping out of everybody’s way.
I tried to call Hayley; Fear really needed her. Sadly, she didn’t seem to care. Whatever had taken root in her was still firmly in place. It was as if she was a completely different person. Whoever this person was, she was a bitch and not someone I wanted to know. What I did know, though, was that I didn’t think I’d be able to forgive her.
It was around 2:00 in the morning when the phone started ringing. Fear and dread sunk in my stomach. I quickly ran to the phone in the hall, not wanting it to wake up the rest of the guys. We are all staying at Dane’s house now that the police had finished with it and everything had been cleaned and returned to normal, at least appearance wise. Dane and Talon were at the hospital with Molly. Alfie was with the nuggets. Fear and I were attempting to get some sleep since it was our turn to sit with Molly in the morning. Tristan was here, too. He had refused to return to school, but he had to go in the morning to get some schoolwork he could do while he was out. The rest of the guys would be around and be wherever they were needed. They were pretty much running the shop for Fear, or bringing food to the hospital, or staying with Tristan or the nuggets.
“Hello,” I answered in a rush, worried it was about Molly.
“If you want the baby back, I want $250,000 cash,” a mechanical voice devoid of emotion said.
“Who is this? Is Raven okay?” I shouted, panicking. I was so focused on whoever was on the phone that I hadn’t heard Fear and Tristan coming out of their rooms. I jumped when Fear’s arm came from behind and hit the speaker button.
“$250,000 cash. I will call again with where to take the money,” the voice said, ignoring my questions.
“Proof of life,” Fear demanded.
“Log in to email account [email protected] password baby250000 and you’ll have your proof. I will be in touch; you have five hours to get the money.” The voice disconnected. All three men walked as if in a trance to the computer in Tristan’s room. Tristan didn’t have to be told what to do. He fired up his computer and logged into the email site. The inbox had one email unopened in it. Tristan clicked the email and a picture of Raven filled the screen. She was still in the clothes she had been wearing the day she was taken. Her face was screwed up clearly in mid-cry. The good news was that she didn’t look hurt. No visible bruises or cuts.
“I’m calling the police,” I said, and not waiting for a response, I called and told the police everything that
had happened.
Within minutes, the house was full of police officers and God knew who else. They told us they were doing everything possible. Trying to trace email this and IP that. I was so confused and inundated with information. Tristan had called his dad to let him know the latest developments, and the news had started to filter its way around the family. Many had started to show up regardless of the time.
Alfie arrived first with the nuggets half asleep. He carried them through to the bed in Tristan’s room and quickly joined the three of us in the den.
“Mum is on her way,” Alfie said as he sat down next to his other half.
It wasn’t ten minutes later that Sheridan came in with Ben not far behind, carrying a large brown bag.
“I got it,” Sheridan announced.
“Got what?” Fear asked.
“The money. Alfie said they asked for $250,000; it’s in there,” Sheridan said, pointing at the bag Ben was holding.
“Where the fuck did you get that kind of money at this time of the morning?” I asked. I’d always thought the woman was a miracle worker, but this seemed crazy.
“You never know when you are going to need money in an emergency. Let’s not concentrate on why or how I have it; let’s just be glad I do,” Sheridan avoided the question. “What have the police said is going to happen next? And Dane, has anyone spoken to him?”
“The cops keep talking us in circles, and Dane and Talon are on their way back. Drake and James are on their way to the hospital to stay with Molly so she won’t be alone.”
“I’ll pay you back,” Fear said, facing Sheridan.
“Don’t be silly. Just be grateful we have it when we need it. The rest we can deal with after we have Raven home and Molly is on the mend.” Her optimism was something I admired but couldn’t quite achieve for myself. I was scared. Scared we weren’t going to get our happily ever after. Scared that Molly wasn’t going to get better. Scared we wouldn’t find Raven. Scared what this would do to Fear and the happiness he’d finally found. And scared what this was doing to an already fragile Talon. I spent all my time afraid. Not outwardly, of course; to all I was the rock. Inside, I was drowning. Sadly, I thought the same could be said for all of us. The difference was that we were all struggling to keep up the façade now.
Talon and Dane arrived and the police explained yet again, throwing out a bunch of cop speak I was sure was designed to confuse people. It didn’t give any real answers and left us in limbo. Thinking about it, the doctors and the boys in blue had a lot in common.
It was now ten minutes before the deadline, and everyone was sitting in silence, unsure of what to do. Almost as if moving would break something. Talon, ever since he had come back from the hospital, was glued to my side. Dane was a wreck; you could see the smallest breeze was going to smash him to pieces.
“They sent an email,” one of the officers monitoring the computer shouted, and en masse, the room became a hive of activity. All of us just sat and watched, waiting to be told what was sent.
“Mr. Parker?” the lead detective called to Dane, who was so lost in his thoughts that Tristan had to nudge him with his shoulder to get his attention.
“Yes, sorry,” Dane answered.
“We need to discuss the latest developments. We received an email to the same address. Demands have been made. A request has been made for your son to deliver the money,” Polpa revealed. What the fuck was up with people being so detached about everything?
“My son?” Dane asked, shocked.
“Yes, sir. Talon. He, and he alone, is to deliver the money. If Talon does not agree, the deal is off.”
“You want me to send my son to the people who put my daughter in the hospital, where she is fighting for her life, and stole my granddaughter from her family? What if they hurt him? It is as if you are making me choose between my son and daughter!” Dane finished on a shout.
“Sir, I understand...” the detective started.
“You do? You have a daughter who may never wake up? And that’s just one of the devastating options that could happen. My son, who was tortured for half his life, is facing his fear daily to be strong for his sister. My granddaughter is missing, and I cannot even bring myself to think about those possibilities. You understand that?” Dane asked, his voice cracking.
“No, sir, I am simply stating facts. This is part of their demands. They want Talon to deliver the money. If he consents, he will be monitored the whole time. We will have a tracker and wire embedded in the bag. We will make him as safe as is humanly possible. Ultimately, the decision is Talon’s.”
I knew what Talon would do and so did everyone else in the room.
“He can’t scream for help. What if something happens and you lose sight of him? He can’t scream for help. I don’t want my brother to get hurt. I’ll go with him,” Tristan said into the silence of the room.
“No, you’re not. I can’t believe this is happening. Why is this happening?” Dane said mostly to himself.
I stopped watching Dane and turned to Talon who had yet to move since the detective had started speaking.
“You okay?” I whispered so that only he could hear me. The only confirmation I got was the small nod of his head.
“I’m not going to waste my time asking if you’re going to do it. Everyone here knows you are. There is nothing you wouldn’t do for Molly. I just want you to know that if you want me to, I will go with you,” I told him.
I watched as Talon pulled out his note pad and started writing.
* * *
You’re right. I am going to do it, and if it were my choice, I would like nothing more than to have you there by my side. But knowing that you are here with Dad and Tristan helps more than you know. I need to know they are safe. I trust you to make sure they are.
Love you xx
* * *
It took every second of time they had before Talon had to leave to convince Dane to allow him to go. Tristan, Fear, and I were hiding our worries a little more successfully, not wanting to make Talon more nervous than he already was. Fuck, I was scared. He was my heart, and I was watching him get ready to walk out the door and head into an unsafe situation.
“Please be safe and come back home to me. I need you to come home to me, okay?” I whispered just for him. Nodding, he hugged me tight, turned, and walked out the door, followed closely by the detectives.
“Please come home to me,” I murmured to myself.
“He fucking better,” Fear said, obviously having heard me.
The time seemed to crawl by. I was not sure that in this instance, the saying “No news was good news” was a true sentiment. But the longer we went without even a scrape of news, the more the unease settled in. My stomach was in knots. Fear was pacing the room so much I’m pretty sure he was going to leave groove marks. Alfie and the nuggets were coloring at the little table by the sofa. Sheridan and Ben were talking quietly between themselves, but at the same time keeping an eye on all of us around the room. Dane sat in the corner of the room, elbows to his knees, almost folded in half. The only time he’d moved since Talon had left was when he called to check in on Molly.
How long did it take to drop off a fucking bag? They never gave us an estimated time, but surely we should have had some sort of news by now.
My phone beeping made me jump. Fuck, this was making me lose my mind.
Talon: I need help.
“Fear,” I shouted at seeing the message Talon had just sent.
Tate: Where are you? Are you safe?
Talon: Please, just get here. Bring Fear.
Fear and I ran from the room. Neither of us spoke to anyone; we just left. Our main concern was getting to Talon as fast as we could. All the worst scenarios were running through my head, and I needed to get to him.
We reached the address Talon had sent and were shocked to see it was a fairly nice looking neighborhood.
I was just about to check to see if I’d read the address correct when the door to the house
in front us opened and a bloody and bruised Talon was standing in the doorway.
20
Talon
I was not going to let my family down. I was not going to let this fucking asshole beat me. I knew things had turned to shit the moment I turned onto the street where I was meant to drop the bag. It could also have been when I was wacked in the back of the head and chucked into a van that tipped me off. So much for all the bullshit the cops spouted about "you will be in our sights the whole time; we will be close enough to you that if anything does develop, we can pull you out." I’m thinking this was a new development. Where the fuck were they?
A pillowcase had been thrown over my head the moment I was in the van and my hands tied together with what felt like duct tape. I knew I had to get free. One thing was certain, though; I couldn’t hear Raven, and with the way this guy was driving, I was sure she would have made herself known.
I had lost all track of time and direction, and my head was aching from where I had been struck. I had no idea how long we had traveled before we came to a stop, and I was dragged out of the van and inside.
When the pillowcase was pulled off my head, I couldn’t believe who I was looking at.
Sharpening His Broken Talon (Living Art Book 2) Page 16