Helios Renewed

by Tawa M. Witko

  “This is Amy Shea reporting live from Bakersfield, California where the controversial Senator Bowers resides. Information was released just moments ago, indicating that Senator Bowers was indeed one of the victims in the car fire. The other victim was identified as Joel Adamson, his driver. What has been pieced together is that Bowers left his attorney’s office at approximately 9:00 p.m. Friday evening and eighteen minutes later a 911 call was placed from his cellular phone. The call did connect with the operator but was then disconnected. After numerous attempts to call back the number, the operator dispatched an officer to the scene. No one was there and at that time there was no cause for concern. What we have now learned is that Senator Bowers and his driver were taken to an area known locally as ‘make out point’. Reports indicate that the driver was shot prior to the car being set ablaze but there is no word on whether the senator was shot as well. The coroner has yet to release his report.”

  “Do they believe this was related to the current case against him?”

  “Right now, no one is confirming or denying that.”

  “Has anyone indicated what this means for the senator’s STES Program and the hearing he was to attend next week?”

  “The attorneys have refused to answer questions but rumor is the Senate chair called an emergency meeting last night to discuss the situation. No word yet as to whether a decision was made on this case.”

  “Thank you, Amy.”

  Madison’s hand clasped over her mouth and she was shaking her head as the people on screen continued to talk. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She looked toward the door, wishing Andrew was there, but it was too late, he was on his Harley so he wouldn’t be listening to a radio to know what had happened. The phone rang and Madison jumped, startled. She scrambled to get it and answered quickly.

  “Hello?”

  “Madison, is Andrew there?” Jayden asked quickly.

  “No, he went to the store for me. Oh my God, Jay, Bowers is dead.”

  “I know, I just saw it.”

  “I can’t believe this.”

  “Me either. This is insane.”

  “It’s finally over.”

  “Unless he comes back from the dead,” Jayden stated under his breath.

  “Don’t even joke about that, Jay.”

  “Sorry, I know. Hey, can you have Andrew call me when he gets in?”

  “Sure.”

  “Thanks, Madison.”

  Madison hung up and flipped the television to another channel and they were also talking about Senator Bowers. She stared at the television, listening to everything the commentators had to say. She was so entranced that she barely heard Andrew’s Harley pull into the driveway, something that was hard not to notice, and she didn’t pay attention to the door opening either.

  “Sorry, that took a little longer than I expected. I wasn’t exactly sure how to pick a mango,” he said with a chuckle. When she didn’t respond, he cocked his head, curious, and walked over to her. He glanced at the television and saw a picture of Bowers on the screen. “What happened?”

  Madison breathed out deeply and turned to him. “He’s dead. He was burned in a car fire.”

  “Are you kidding me?” he questioned, stunned. He set the grocery bag on the coffee table and sat next to her.

  “I know this is going to sound really bad but,” she bit her lip and looked over at him. “Part of me wants to have a celebration that that crazy bastard is dead and can’t hurt us anymore.”

  Andrew touched her face lightly. “He was a bad person and probably wouldn’t have stopped. I’ve seen how people act when they have nothing to lose. He would have hurt someone, maybe you and the baby or Jay or Ellie or Callie or any of them, so I won’t feel bad that he’s dead. Karma finally caught up to him.”

  Madison nodded. “Karma is a bitch!”

  He chuckled. “That it is.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot. Jay called. He wants you to call him.”

  “Alright,” he kissed her softly and then stood up, bringing the bag into the kitchen and picking up the phone on the wall. “What’s up?” he asked when Jayden picked up.

  “You heard about Bowers, right?”

  “Yeah, Madison just told me.”

  “I think we should go check on Connor. After what he said a few days ago, he’ll probably be stressing out. What do you think?”

  “I think you’re right,” he said as Madison walked into the kitchen and started pulling out items from the refrigerator. “Madison and I are about to make breakfast so we can go after that, okay?”

  “Call me before you leave.”

  “Yep,” Andrew replied before hanging up.

  “What’s up?” Madison asked as she started whisking eggs with southern potatoes.

  “Jay wants to check on Connor.”

  “Why?” she asked, looking up from the bowl.

  “A couple of days ago he was kind of stressing about Bowers. Jay’s worried about how he’s going to react to Bowers’ death.”

  “And you’re not?”

  His brow furrowed. “I am,” he blew out a breath, not wanting to go into details about what Connor had said about his cousin saying someone should just kill the guy and be done with it. He held up one of the mangoes. “How exactly do I cut this?”

  Madison smiled. “Nice change of subject, Helios. You’re getting pretty good at that.”

  Andrew smirked as she took the mango from him. He watched her peel it and then took it from her, frowning at the texture of the fruit. It was a reaction that led Madison into a fit of laughter as she turned back to her bowl and continued to whisk away. Whatever was going on with Connor, she knew that Andrew would eventually tell her. When the phone rang again, Andrew showed her his sticky palms which caused Madison to laugh even more. She looked at the caller ID and saw it was her mother so she tapped the speaker button and continued whisking.

  “Hey, Mom, you’re on speaker,” Madison answered.

  “Madison, are you alright?” Before Madison could answer, her mom was speaking again. “I saw on the news that James was dead and I had to check to make sure you were okay.”

  “Yes, I’m okay. That man deserved to die.”

  Jacqueline didn’t offer an opinion. He was one topic she and Madison never talked about. Instead, she changed the subject. “Did you get those supplements I sent you?”

  Madison rolled her eyes. “Yes, I got them. I took them to Dr. Johnson and he said they were good for me.”

  Jaqueline scoffed. “Of course, they are. Why would I send you something that could hurt you or my grandchild?”

  Madison laughed and caught Andrew smirking again. She knew he got a kick out of the way they all talked to one another. He had once told her that all three of them sounded the same at times. Before, she would have been angry at the comparison to her mom, but now, not so much. Madison had been scared to tell her she was pregnant, purposefully waiting to do so until her Grans had made her call. To her surprise, Jacqueline was happy and told her that she and Andrew would make great parents. Although, she did add that she thought they should have waited a few more years. She has since come around to the idea of it all and calls more frequently, to make sure Madison and the baby are doing fine.

  “Ya know, you are starting to sound an awful lot like Grans. Is it too soon to start calling you grandma?” Madison asked and smirked when Andrew raised his brow at her. Madison held three fingers up and began counting down. 3...2... 1.

  “Madison Nicole Ellis!” Jacqueline stated firmly. Andrew just shook his head and began peeling the skin off another mango as Jacqueline began talking quickly and loudly. “I have seven months before I have to take on that moniker and will not be taking it on any sooner. I am...”

  “Okay, okay, calm down, don’t blow a gasket,” Madison laughed.

  “I swear, you just love riling me up,” Jacqueline said flustered.

  “I do,” Madison grinned as she poured the eggs into the heated pan.

  �
��Just for that, you are going to have a daughter just like you so she can rile you up nonstop,” Jacqueline said with a laugh.

  “I’m not sure Andrew could handle two of me.”

  Both women laughed as Andrew moved to the freezer to get Madison’s waffles out. He listened to Madison talk to her mother for a little longer and then she hung up and immediately started sprinkling half the bag of shredded cheese all over the eggs. She glanced at Andrew, who was eyeing her, so she purposely dumped the rest of the bag in the pan and winked. He shook his head.

  “They will definitely be cheesy,” he mumbled with a smile.

  One Week Later

  Everyone was gathered at Elias and Liam’s for a Saturday barbecue and swim. Andrew and his friends were all in the pool, where they had been horsing around for hours, while Aaron and Olivia sat in the gazebo with Grans, chatting and drinking fresh squeezed lemonade. Elias and Liam were playing the perfect hosts, cooking and making sure everyone was well taken care of. Everyone was in good spirits. It wasn’t just that they were together that brought levity and happiness to the day, but also because things seemed to be settling down on the Bowers front.

  The days following Bowers’ death were very interesting. Since the fire was not put out right away all evidence was burned away. No fingerprints were salvageable. There were some shoe indentations near the scene of the crime and tire tracks exiting the location but even those were not reliable since the sheriffs had not preserved the scene. Connor had initially been worried because he suspected his cousin had done it and was afraid that they would somehow link Bowers’ death to him. The police did come and question them, they said it was routine because of the ongoing conflict they had with the senator. But it didn’t appear that the police felt the boys were suspects at all. The real interesting news came when Senator Bowers’ estate was settled. It was then that they found a lock box hidden in a safe, the contents of which sealed the fate of Nolan Crawford. Unbeknownst to Nolan, Senator Bowers recorded all of the conversations between them. One tape in particular included Nolan outlining how he planned to kill Grayson, including the phone call afterwards stating it was done. Madison had been particularly happy when murder charges were brought against Nolan. Andrew distinctly remembered her jumping off the couch and pointing at the television, yelling a few choice words at the not-so-cocky-anymore Mr. Crawford.

  “Come and get it,” Liam said in his best Texas accent.

  Elias rolled his eyes. “Babe, you’re never gonna sound like you’re from Texas.”

  “Alright, well, fine,” Liam mocked anger.

  Elias grinned before running up to him and grabbing his waist. He planted a sweet kiss on his cheek. “Are you pouting?” he asked playfully as his lips lingered near his ear.

  Liam tried not to smile but he did. “Behave, we have guests.”

  Elias whispered in his ear, “later.”

  Liam’s smile widened as he nodded and continued to arrange the food on the serving table. Meanwhile, Andrew leaned against the pool wall, holding Madison close to him. His hand gently went over her stomach, feeling the small bump that was starting to grow. Madison complained that she was going to be the size of a house when she was full term. In fact, they had the discussion that morning because she didn’t think she should wear her bikini. She finally relented and Andrew was thankful for it. He loved every curve of her body, especially now, knowing that she was carrying his child inside of her. Andrew heard Liam announce food and sighed, not wanting to move from his current position.

  “We better get out,” he hummed softly against her neck.

  “Okay,” she replied but didn’t move.

  “Come on, you guys, the food is ready,” Connor announced, splashing passed them.

  “I don’t know where you put all the food you eat,” Jayden said, shaking his head.

  “He has the fastest metabolism of anyone I know,” Jewel grinned as he handed her a towel.

  Andrew helped Madison out of the pool and wrapped a towel around her, as did Jayden to Callie. They all quickly dried off and then the boys slipped on their t-shirts while the girls threw on their sundresses. Madison watched as Aaron helped her Grans down the few steps of the gazebo. Andrew took her hand and soon they were all walking toward the food area.

  “How do you think everyone will respond to the news?” Callie asked curious.

  Madison glanced at Liam and grinned. “I think Liam will be the one least happy.”

  “Oh my God, I know right. He’s gonna arch his brow at me in that disapproving way,” the girls giggled.

  “Hey, he will not be angry,” Jayden interrupted.

  “Who won’t be angry?” Elias asked, carrying a pan of steaks to the table.

  “You need to turn down your bionic hearing, Dad.” Jayden laughed.

  Elias saluted and then chuckled at the expression on Jayden’s face. There was absolutely nothing that could damper his mood today. He had found out this morning that Nolan had taken a plea. The prospect of death will make a guilty man do that. Instead, he will serve the rest of his life in prison and all his assets will be liquidated. Elias’s mother always told him to leave things to God, but Elias found that difficult. Especially when he tried to understand why his father was killed, or why Liam almost died, or why he had to witness his son severely injured. But perhaps his mother had been right, because right now, all those that had harmed his family, God or karma or whatever you wanted to call it had gratefully taken care of.

  “Everyone grab a plate,” Liam advised.

  Grans got her plate first and then, of course, Connor was next in line. Once everyone had received their food, Grans was asked to pray. The food was delicious and the company was even better. At one point, they were sure their laughter could be heard two blocks away. Midway through the meal, Callie and Madison looked at one another and nodded a miniscule amount. Both ladies then looked toward their men, who nodded as well.

  “We’d like to make an announcement,” Callie stated boldly. Everyone turned to her and she turned to Madison. “We’ve been talking and have decided that we are going to have the wedding next month.”

  “Wait! Wait! Wait! Next month?” Liam questioned with panic before gathering his composure and adding, “That’s hardly enough time to plan a proper wedding.”

  “You planned yours in that amount of time,” Callie shot back with a smile, but before Liam could retort, Madison started talking.

  “I know it’s short notice, but I want to get married before I give birth and I want to wear an actual dress before I’m out to here,” she moved her hands far in front of her, “and can’t wear anything but a frock.”

  “Madison,” Callie interrupted. “I would never allow you to wear frock.”

  “Connor and Jewel will serve as Best Man and Maid of Honor for both of us,” Andrew stated and smiled when he saw Connor sit a little taller in his chair.

  “And we want to have it here, Dad, with just family and close friends. I know it’s not enough time to get all the family here but if we could get Mom and,” he turned to Elias, “Nana and Uncle Bobby that would be perfect because I really want them at my wedding.”

  “We’ll make sure everyone that can be here, will be here.”

  “What about your mother?” Grans asked.

  “She’ll be here. I kind of told her a few days ago. I knew she needed to take time off and wanted to make sure she had time to check her schedule.”

  Grans smiled. She was thrilled that Madison had taken the initiative to make sure her mother would be there. That was definitely progress. They spent the next several hours going over plans. Liam had even gone inside to bring out a notepad to jot down everyone’s ideas, including the preliminary guest list. By the end of the night, Olivia and Liam already had a sizeable 'To Do' list going. Madison smiled as she leaned a little closer to Andrew. She didn’t care how the wedding happened, as long as it happened.

  37 Overjoyed

  Callie and Madison spent the night at Elias and
Liam’s home, following the ‘groom should not see the bride before the wedding’ tradition. The boys didn’t like it and thought it was ridiculous since they lived with each other but the girls were insistent. They were now sitting at the breakfast nook, eating the spectacular breakfast that Liam had prepared for them. Madison could be seen devouring her plate of poached eggs atop avocado, smoked salmon and fresh spinach, set on a slice of Pane di Casa bread with cubed fresh mangos on the side. He set two glasses of the fresh squeezed orange juice he had made that morning in front of each of them.

  “Liam, my God! This is so fu... freaking good,” Madison stated before shoving another forkful in her mouth.

  “I’m glad you like it,” he smiled.

  There was a knock at the door and both women looked toward it.

  “Don’t worry. Jayden and Andrew know they can’t come over until I call them.”

  Both women nodded and went back to their breakfast. Since Madison was now past her first trimester, the morning sickness had dwindled and she found herself eating nonstop. At this point, she was certain that she would gain at least a hundred pounds if she didn’t slow down. She simply had no desire to. She moaned as she took another bite and then stopped for a moment when she heard her mother’s voice saying hello to Liam.

  “Mom,” Madison quickly swallowed and turned toward the door again. “You’re early.”

  “I’m still on New York time. I couldn’t sleep any longer so I thought I would come over and help,” she said walking up to her. “Good morning, Callie.”

  “Morning, Mrs. Ellis,” Callie replied around a mouthful of food.

  “Can I make you some breakfast?” Liam asked.

  “No, thank you. I grabbed a muffin on the way out of the hotel.”

  Liam’s brows furrowed. “That won’t do. Sit down. It will only take a few minutes.”

  Jacqueline nodded and took a seat next to Madison. She glanced at the food on Madison’s plate, or at least what was left of it and smiled. It did look very good. Madison had told her once before that Liam was an excellent chef. Good enough that he could actually run a restaurant if he wanted to. Jacqueline could see that. Once Liam had the eggs going, he brought a cup to Jacqueline and placed it in front of her.