Redemption (The Bet)

by Phal, Francette

  "Well, I don't know if this will help; but the files I've been ordered to leak, did pertain the names of our top five investors."

  "Very good, thank you, Steven and I hope to see you and your family sometime in the near future. I'll leave you in Samantha's capable hands." He made his exit, and Samantha was tempted to throw something at his retreating back. Instead she settled to aim her scowl at the moron grinning from ear to ear at her.

  "Count your blessings, Hawthorne."

  ~*~*~*~

  "I'm going out with a few friends from work, sweetheart, try not to wait up. Brandon's sleeping over at Corey's house." She pressed her violent red lips to his cheek, smiled becomingly and walked out.

  "Try not to wait up," Dom angrily mimicked. "Try not coming home smelling like some other man's spunk, for a change!" He yelled at the door, at the four walls of the room, at the wedding photograph sitting on the mantle, mocking him. Dom just yelled at nothing in particular because the person he wanted to yell at had just walked out the door, on another journey to open her legs to the entire world.

  She was like a rash, or better yet, a flesh eating disease that nibbled away at your core until there was nothing left except a shell of what was. That's what Dominick Kingston has come to think of his wife after so many years of marriage, a marriage that was as fake as the woman who slept next to him each night.

  There were times when he wondered if this was all life had to offer? Was this it for him? His life, done at the dull age of twenty eight? Stuck in a sham marriage with the only thing keeping him from running mad was the little boy who didn't even share his DNA? Was this all life had to offer to the once upon a time promising star athlete of John Edgar High? He'd once been in the same league as the Nicholas Graysons' of the world.

  His future had been ripe with opportunities, but now where was he? Working some low level shit job that couldn't even garner him respect? Married to a woman who was leeching life away from him each passing day? Well, Dom was coming to the end of his ropes. His adulterous wife, his failed marriage and even his stupid, unthankful job as an accountant, they were all hanging on by a very thin thread. A thread that could, at any given moment snap. He brought the green bottle of Heineken to his lips and chugged it down in one go. The bitter salty liquid dribbled on the side of his mouth and he used the back of his hand as a napkin. He grabbed another bottle from the fridge and administered the same treatment as the first.

  He hadn't had the need to drink this much since the night he found out about all the men in Evey's life and it'd almost killed him. To love a woman to such an extent and have her trample on his heart, it'd been too fucking much. iIt was still too fucking much. For ten years, ten years of hoping that she'd finally see the errors of her way and commit herself to only him. He'd known in high school that she'd been a slut. Dom had known, but he'd still loved her. When she'd told him she was pregnant, he'd been thrilled, coming from a well-rounded background, Dom knew that it was only fitting to man up and do the right thing. So he'd proposed, naively thinking that if he married her, she'd stop. God, how hard he'd wished for her to stop.

  His entire family thought he was a moron for sticking around, even after the shocking discovery of Brandon's paternity. They all despised her, right down to his little sister, who thought Evey was a succubus in disguise, who had his heart in a jar and loved playing with it whenever the need struck her. Dom wholeheartedly agreed with Lucy. God! He'd been so stupid! He’d thrown away a good life, his hopes and dreams, his aspirations, everything! He'd thrown everything away for her.

  Dom had wanted what his father had been to him and the rest of his siblings. He'd wanted to be their rock. He’d wanted to be the one who kept them all together. Brandon hadn't been his by blood, but there was no other father who could love him more. It hurt. It'd hurt ten years ago and it hurt now, only now, Dom was so close to leaving. The only thing keeping here was his son.

  "God." He downed another beer, grabbed his keys and he walked out. If he stayed in that house, he knew the walls would close in on him and squeeze him to an early grave.

  ~*~*~*~

  Seven hours later found Samantha in the evening traffic, on her way home, eager to snuggle up with a bottle of aspirin, a down pillow and one of her rousing fantasies of Nicholas and herself, alone, naked and deserted on a remote island. She was a loser and had absolutely no life whatsoever and again, she was very aware of the fact, but she simply didn't care. Her life was her job. She was content. So she drove and coincidentally enough one of her favorite song was playing, Cheap Trick's ‘I want you to want me' no other song, could possibly describe how Samantha felt.

  She dialed the volume up and opened her mouth to belt out the song, the lilt of her voice rising and falling with every lyric. Escaping from the fishbowl that was downtown traffic, she signaled right, stopped at a light and continued on. The arch that signaled the entrance to St James Bridge was less than a fifteen minute ride from home.

  Driving across the bridge, one could always see the plethora of twinkling golden lights that illuminated the city, their reflections mirrored back over the dark beauty of the river below. It was truly magnificent sight, except Samantha never remembered seeing a man ready to jump to his death as a part of its beauty. Not giving a thought to what she was really doing, she pulled over, turned off the engine and pressed the emergency lights. Once she was out of her car, she pocketed her keys, looked both ways for oncoming traffic before running across.

  Dom loved coming to this bridge, looking out, he was given the slightest bit of hope. His life may have been complete shit, but he was a man who could understand signs and right now, someone above was sending him a sign. Everything was going to be ok. There was a warm breeze that tempted him to close his eyes, so he did so, and spread out his arms. He was seated on the rail, the river beneath him, his legs dangling, it almost felt like he was flying...like he was free.

  "Don't jump!"

  Dom opened his eyes and turned to look behind him. Coming at him, faster than he'd ever seen a girl run, was a crazy woman, screaming, "Sir, don't jump! Just don't do it!" she approached him, winded, eyes wide and concerned she stared at him as though he was the one who needed saving. "I...I, whew, excuse me," she held up her hand and took a moment to catch her breath before speaking. "Look, whatever it is, it's not that bad! I know it may seem like it is right now, but this is not the answer. I have the number of a really good therapist. I mean, she works wonders, and if you'll get down I can give it to you and we can…"

  "I'm not suicidal." Dom murmured bemusedly, still shocked that this woman, with her blond hair in disarray and her wrinkled business suit assumed something so ridiculous. For God sakes he was Catholic! Suicide wasn't even an option to anything!

  "What?" she blinked as though she hadn't expected that answer.

  Dom couldn't help himself, he began to laugh. This entire scenario he found was just too funny for words. "I wasn't going to jump, I'm not suicidal."

  "So then why…"

  "I like this view. I guess I couldn't help getting a closer look." He shrugged a shoulder and smiled down at her. "Want to join me?"

  Samantha stepped away, suddenly realizing what the hell she was doing. She didn't know what had driven to be so hasty and impulsive, but something had pulled her here, something had---"I'm not a fan of heights." She took another step back and warily looked at the red haired man she'd been prompted to 'save'. "Maybe you should get off that. I mean like, come towards me…it doesn't look safe."

  Dom's grin widened. "It's completely safe, now if I did this however," he leaned forward, she screamed and he laughed.

  "Fine, whatever; do whatever you want. Jump if you want. Have a nice afterlife." She fumed.

  "I thought guardian Angels weren't supposed to abandon their charges."

  Samantha turned around, halfway down the sidewalk. "I'm not your guardian Angel and I'm only leaving because you're an ass!"

  Dom jumped onto the sidewalk and ran after her. "Hey! He
y wait up! I'm sorry." he grabbed her arm and gently turned her around.

  Samantha stared at his apologetic face and reluctantly sighed. "You're forgiven." She placed her hand inside his offered one and immediately pulled back. "Ouch you shocked me!" she accused and nursed her hand to her chest.

  There was something about her. The way she acted, the way she looked, the way she stared at him, that had Dom smiling. It was an odd feeling. A good sort of odd that had him offering to buy her a drink.

  Samantha readied her apologetic smile, opening her mouth to let him down."I---I'd loved to." Wait a damn minute! Her brain screamed. That wasn't a rejection, you moron!

  "Great. I'm Dom by the way."

  Samantha looked at him and their gazes locked, she broke eye contact immediately and looked down to conceal her blooming cheeks. "Samantha." This was so out of character for her, she hadn't the slightest idea of what the hell she was doing. But-maybe that could be a good thing? There was something about this guy, Dom that seemed almost familiar---almost right.

  Or maybe he can end up being a rapist who will ravish you, tie a rope around your neck and ditch your body in a sewer! Samantha's mind nastily bit out. Samantha chose to ignore it. For a little while, she wanted life not to suck so hard.

  ~*~*~*~

  Bella skipped rope, Sophie played catch with a friend and Dylan ran around with Grayson. This was their momentary reprieve from a long day at school before they had to go in to do homework. So the kids enjoyed the warm evening, still light enough to play, but not too dark to go inside yet.

  "Hey, I'm going to go see if I can talk to Jake before Mom calls us in, I'll be right back." Jake lived three houses down from them, he was a good friend and Dylan needed to borrow a game.

  "Dylan you know you're not allowed to go anywhere by yourself. Mom said…”

  "Then just come with me and shut up!" He picked up Grayson's leash and walked away, leaving his sister to run after him.

  "Hurry back. No crossing the street." Sophie advised her two siblings, keeping a close eye on them as they disappeared down the sidewalk.

  "Dylan, stop walking so fast!"

  Dylan didn't say anything, but he did slow down for Bella to catch up with him and Grayson. "Why do you always have to follow me?" he asked minutes later into their walk.

  "Because I'm your big sister and it's my job to look after you." She said with her matter-of-fact voice and Dylan frowned.

  "You're only older by a little bit." Grayson's leash slipped from his hands as the little dog raced down the sidewalk in hot pursuit of something. "Grayson! Grayson, stop!" Dylan ran after him, Bella not too far behind him.

  "Grayson!"

  "Grayson!" the dog took a sharp left at the end of the street and Bella and Dylan automatically followed.

  "Grayson…." Dylan stopped short and Bella slammed into his back. She stepped back, ready to yell at him, but shut her mouth when she saw the man staring down at them.

  "Hey there kids." Bella instinctively grabbed Dylan's arm and pulled him towards her.

  He was tall, but then to anyone their height, he would look tall. He wore dark clothes, as dark as his hair. His eyes zeroed in on them and Bella found that she didn't like him at all. She pulled on Dylan's arm again. "Dylan, let's go." She whispered.

  "Don't be scared kids."

  "We're not allowed to talk to strangers." Bella, always friendly and ready to share her smiles with the world, did not smile for this man. In fact she glared as hard as she could.

  "That's a very smart rule, bet your Mommy taught you that. I know your, Mommy, she and I were very good friends in high school. I was just coming to pay her a visit actually," he scrunched up his pants before falling to his haunches in front of them. "Hi, my name is Anthony, but you're Mommy calls me Tony, and you are, let me guess, Dylan and Isabella?"

  Bella skeptically appraised him and her unease spiked, she really didn't like this man. "Just because you know our names doesn't make you any less of a stranger. Dylan lets go."

  Tony's gaze ran over the scowling child and he was sorely tempted to wrap his hands around her golden throat. "You are a very smart little girl. Tell you what. If I tell you where your dog ran off to will you believe me then?"

  "Where?" Dylan finally opened his mouth to speak.

  "He almost got hit by a car, so I had my friend hold him for you. See that van over there?" he turned slightly and pointed to the Gray van up a few feet away. "My friend's in there with your dog, come on, I'll take you to him."

  "Dylan no lets go home."

  Dylan turned to his sister and grabbed her shoulders. "You stay here and watch me. I'll just run over and grab Grayson."

  Bella shook her head. Her watery eyes were huge with fright. "No Dylan, please, I'm scared, let's go home."

  Dylan sighed. "Bella I have to get the dog. It's my fault he ran away, if I don't get him, Sophie and Mom will be mad."

  "Dylan…"

  Dylan hugged his sister to him. "I'll be fine, if something happens to me, scream really loud and run, Ok?" he whispered against her ear.

  Bella reluctantly nodded.

  "Ok, let's go."

  "We'll be right back sweetheart, don't cry." He made to touch her cheek, but Bella recoiled away and scowled. Tony's smile did not reach his eyes when he looked at her. "Nice eyes." He brought his arm around Dylan's shoulder and led him away.

  It wasn't that far, Bella tried to convince herself. She could see them now, nothing was going to happen. Dylan was a fast runner. Nothing was going to happen, Dylan was a fast runner. Bella played the mantra in her head as she worried her bottom lip, anxiously staring at her brother's retreating back. But the mantra came to an abrupt stop and her heart slammed against her chest when the stranger forcefully grabbed Dylan around his waist and threw him in the backseat of the van.

  "BELLA RUN!" Dylan yelled seconds before he was thrown in the truck.

  She opened her mouth to scream, but a big bear-like hand halted her attempt. She struggled, flailed her arms and legs, scratching and biting in the efforts to escape her capturer. But her efforts proved futile as the van pulled up next to them and she too was thrown into the back seat.

  Sophie ran faster than she ever had in her life, adrenaline and fear pumping through her veins, he lengthened strides propelled her down the sidewalk. She saw the van and in the rear window she watched in horrified shock as her sister and brother looked back at her, their faces painted with terror.

  Sophie didn't think, only reacted and her reaction brought her in front of the van. The impact wasn't as bad as she'd expected, but her skull thudding against the pavement was. Seconds before losing consciousness she heard, "What should we do?"

  "Hurry th'fuck up! Just grab her and let's go!"

  Sophie wanted nothing more in that moment than her Mom and Nicholas.

  Chapter 19

  The hours passed by. The seconds zipped through. Each lapse of time was another painful reminder that her children were still missing. Amber alerts had been put out. Squad cars were parked outside her home, while others combed the quiet streets of the small suburban town, in search of the kidnappers. Ellie was beyond frantic.

  There were people around her, their faces reflecting their concerns and woes, but Ellie was blind to them all. The words they spoke were white noise in her ears. She felt like someone had buried her deep beneath the cold earth, with cotton in her ears and burlap between her teeth. Unable to speak. Incapable of hearing. Her mind was in turmoil, thoughts mercilessly bombarded her skull until the veins at her temples began to throb.

  It hurt to think, but it couldn't be helped. What was a parent's main objective if not to think of the welfare of her children? Children she'd carelessly allowed to be kidnapped! They were gone. Bella, Dylan, and Sophie...they were all gone. The guilt was a physical ache, a lump lodged deep within Ellie’s throat. It was a reminder of her failure every time she swallowed. Gripping the edge of the sink until her knuckles blanched Ellie tried to keep her tears of
frustrations at bay. She opened her mouth and took long even breaths.

  Now wasn't the time to breakdown. She had children out there who were counting on her; they needed her to find them. Nothing would happen to them, thinking otherwise was not an option at this point. She had to believe that they would find her children and it had to be soon, otherwise there wasn't telling what she might do. She'd harangued the town police hours ago until she'd rendered herself sick. The results hadn't changed, her children were still missing and even with the one witness they had, it seemed that the search was going nowhere. They were in the same position they've been in for the last two hours and it was becoming clear to Ellie that the local PD were all grossly incompetent.

  "Ms. Holbrook, Shay is ready." Ellie spun around from her position at the kitchen sink and faced the uniformed man. Like all officials of the law, Officer Black seemed far too sure of himself. With an austere mien that made him look as though he'd bitten into a lemon he stared at Ellie across the expanse of his aquiline nose. "He's finally willing to speak, but he won't say anything unless you're there to hear him."

  The Morris' were neighbors, who lived only two houses away from them. Their daughter, the youngest of four children, was a school friend of Sophie, who often came over to play or do homework and was a frequent guest at Ellie's dinner table.

  Shay had been the one to bang on her door a forty-five minutes later, terrified and babbling incoherently of the events that had transpired. After sitting her down and calming her enough to call both her parents and the police, Ellie had tried not to panic. Shay hadn't said much, the information she'd provided so far hadn't helped any and after seeing the sort of stress their daughter was under, the Morris' had asked to take her home. But the kid had refused, saying that she wanted to help find Sophie. And now it seemed she'd remembered something that could help them, Ellie prayed it wasn't a dead end.

  Ellie walked past the pinched faced police officer and hurried to the dining room, where she'd left everyone. Gabe and Ronnie had arrived about an hour ago with their brood in tow. They'd settled the children in the next room and popped in a children's movie to distract them from the events unfolding around them, while the adults congregated in dining room. Martha and Herbert Morris, Gabe, and Maddie, all sat or stood around, occupied with their own thoughts, unable to do much. Upon entering the room, Ellie saw that their positions hadn't changed from when she'd left the room, except for Martha who'd taken a seat next to Shay and was coddling her to the point of annoyance.