Never Giving Up (Never #3)

by Anie Michaels

  “Oh trust me, Ella. If what we just did is the kind of reminder you need, I’ll be more than willing to give you a refresher.”

  “Ok,” I said shyly. He smiled at me and landed a loud smack on my naked ass. “Ow!” I exclaimed, caught off guard by his attack.

  “Come on, let’s take a shower and go to sleep.”

  I followed him to the bathroom and started to unwind under the hot water spraying down on us. I let Porter wash me, loving the gentle feeling of his hands on me, spreading silky soap over my skin, getting sleepier and more tired as he used his hands to knead out the tense muscles in my back.

  I was hardly conscious when he pulled me from the shower, dried and dressed me, and put me in the king-sized bed. The last thing I remembered was feeling the comforter being pulled over me and his lips on my temple, telling me he loved me before I drifted into darkness.

  Living with a pregnant woman was more challenging than I could have ever anticipated. Not only was I trying to deal with running, essentially, two businesses, I was constantly worried about Ella and the baby. When we were together, my focus was making sure she had anything and everything she needed. Most days she was happily content, if not stubbornly independent. Did I want her walking up the two flights of stairs to get her giant pillow from the bedroom? No. Did she want to get it herself because she was, as she so eloquently stated, “Pregnant, not immobile?” Yes. So, I found myself compromising a lot—picking my battles. I let her make her way up the stairs all she wanted, but I made sure to carry in all of the groceries, do all the laundry, and generally make life easier for her. Of course, I had to be sneaky about all of it so she didn’t catch on. I figured eventually she’d tire of walking up stairs.

  Today she was six months pregnant and her bulge from a few months ago blossomed into the most beautiful bump I’d ever seen. She was perfectly round in all the right places. My newest favorite activity was just sitting on the couch with my hands on her stomach, coaxing our baby into kicking so I could feel the most incredible thing in the world: my baby moving in her belly. The baby would kick, Ella would laugh, and I rode the wave of bliss that came over me every time.

  Each day she grew more beautiful, more precious to me, and more impressive. Motherhood was something she was inherently good at. Our baby wasn’t even born and yet, she already was a great mother. The fear in the beginning of pregnancy of the actual birth, transformed into a need to be educated and prepared. She took Lamaze classes, prenatal yoga classes, and read every book she could about childbirth. I did not envy the task and tried to hide the fear that slowly grew inside of me. The bigger her belly grew, the more I grasped the idea that she would, in fact, have to birth a baby. So, if I had to run to the grocery store for mint ice cream at three in the morning, so be it.

  I stood next to Patrick, watching my gorgeous wife walk down the aisle, wearing a flowing dress that took my breath away. She eyed me as she walked towards the altar, smiling like she had a secret. I almost didn’t notice when Megan started her walk down the aisle, I was so caught up in Ella. Then everyone stood and looked at Megan and my eyes were drawn to the bride making her way towards her groom.

  Megan became one of my favorite people in the last year. She was still young and sometimes acted her age, but she was a great sister and simply fun to be around. She and Patrick were a phenomenal couple and I admired him for loving Megan as she was, never trying to reign her in. Her hand was threaded through her father’s elbow as he walked her down the aisle, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, looking at Patrick with clear and obvious love.

  The ceremony wasn’t long, but filled with love and commitment. Traditional vows were made by both bride and groom and were spoken with such conviction I had no doubt they were making a conscious decision, not going into the marriage lightly. I was proud of both of them. I looked over at my own bride as she watched her little sister kiss her husband for the first time, wiping tears from her eyes. She looked over at me briefly and I winked at her, wanting to wipe the tears from her eyes myself.

  I kissed her temple as she met me to walk back down the aisle, and felt my heart beat faster when she leaned into me, taking the comfort I was offering. She could be stubborn about a lot of things, but taking the love I offered her was never one of them.

  Our duties in the wedding were over with the ceremony and I was very much looking forward to spending some time with my wife; she’d been noticeably absent the last couple of days, making sure everything with Megan’s wedding was on track. Both Poppy and Dahlia were closed today so that all the girls could be here to celebrate, and that was a big deal in and of itself. The only time a store was closed in the past was just shortly after the shooting at Poppy. Megan was moved when Ella told her the stores would both be closed.

  “You look beautiful,” I whispered into Ella’s ear as we danced. My hand was on the small of her back, pulling her close to me.

  “Thank you. I paid someone a lot of money to make me look this way,” she said with a laugh.

  “You know that’s not what I’m talking about.”

  She smiled at me, her blue eyes sparkling. “Thank you.” Her voice was soft and light. We swayed back and forth to the music and we both had to laugh when a big thump was felt against my stomach, coming from hers. “Baby wants to dance too,” she said as her hand came to the spot she’d just been kicked in.

  “I still can’t believe the two of you won’t find out what you’re having,” Megan said as her and Patrick danced up next to us. We, all four, stopped dancing while Megan laid her hand on Ella’s stomach, hoping to feel the baby move.

  “We know what we’re having, Megan—a baby.”

  “You know what I mean,” Megan responded with a sigh.

  “I’m really looking forward to the surprise,” I said as I took my wife back into my arms, wanting her belly and baby kicks to be saved for me alone.

  Megan looked over at her new groom. “Don’t get any ideas. When we get pregnant, we’re finding out if it’s a boy or a girl.”

  Patrick held his hands up in surrender. “I wouldn’t even dare to suggest otherwise.”

  Megan gave him a dreamy smile. “You’re so perfect for me.”

  The two of them floated away on their newlywed cloud and I returned my attention to my wife. “Are you still ok with not knowing if it’s a boy or girl?”

  She shrugged. “I like not knowing.” That was enough for me. If Ella was happy, I was happy.

  The reception continued and we watched Robert give a heartfelt speech, singing Megan’s praises and warning Patrick about what would happen to him if he ever hurt her. The cake was cut, the garter removed, and Megan tossed her bouquet. Kalli caught Megan’s bouquet, but for some reason didn’t look too happy about it. When I gave Ella a questioning look, worried about her friend, Ella waved it away and had her own sad look on her face. Something was going on there and later I would try to remember to ask her about it. For now, though, I wanted to spend some more time with my wife’s belly pressed up against me as we danced.

  “Honey,” Ella said softly, her cheek resting gently against my shoulder. “Your pocket’s vibrating.”

  “Huh?”

  “Your phone in your pocket is vibrating,” she laughed. I stepped away from her and reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I didn’t recognize the number, but that wasn’t really out of the ordinary—a lot of people called me for quotes on work and to make consultation appointments. I went to put it away but Ella stopped me. “Just answer it. You’ll be thinking about it all night if you don’t.”

  “Nope,” I said, dropping the phone in my pocket. “They’ll leave a message. It’s a Saturday. I’ll call them back on Monday.” She rolled her eyes at me sweetly, trying to look annoyed but really not pulling it off.

  We danced for a little while longer, but eventually I could tell Ella was losing steam.

  “I think it’s time we head home. These shoes were a big mistake.” We both looked down at her feet and I co
uldn’t believe how swollen they were.

  “It’s a good thing I have power tools. We’ll need something heavy duty to cut you out of those shoes. Come on,” I said as I placed a kiss on her forehead. “Let’s tell everyone goodbye and head home.”

  After what seemed like an hour of goodbyes, we finally made it out to Ella’s Toyota. She handed me the keys and I was glad we were in agreement over who should drive. Her feet were in no condition to be operating a vehicle.

  “That was a really great wedding. Megan did a fantastic job,” Ella said as she dug through her purse, pulling out her phone. “Huh. That’s weird.”

  “What?”

  “I got a phone call from a number I don’t recognize.” She stared at her phone, as if it would announce who had called her, answering all her questions. I pulled out my phone and pulled up my missed call log. I turned the screen towards her.

  “Is this the same number as the one that called you?” She looked at my screen and then back to hers.

  “Yeah. Weird. I wonder who it is.”

  “One way to find out.” I pushed a button activating the Bluetooth and dialed the number from my phone. When the phone on the other end of the line picked up, it was a man’s rough voice they heard.

  “Dillard here,” the voice said in the way of a greeting.

  “Uh, hello. I missed a call from this number earlier this evening.”

  “And who am I speaking with?” The man asked, almost as if I were wasting his time.

  “Porter Masters. Who am I speaking with?”

  “My name is Detective Henry Dillard. I am investigating a crime and looking for a Ms. Ella Sinclair. This number was listed as a contact for her. Are you able to get ahold of her?”

  “It’s Ella Masters now, and yes, I can get ahold of her. She’s my wife.”

  “Great. Is she available?”

  “I’m here, Detective,” Ella said, placing her hand on my thigh as we drove down the highway.

  “Good evening, Mrs. Masters. Sorry for bothering you on a Saturday evening, but I was wondering if you could come down to the Portland police station. It’s a matter involving your open case.” My stomach tightened at the detective’s words. The shooting. Ella’s wide and worried eyes found mine and I knew I had to keep it together for her. She would feed off any panic I showed, so I took steady and calm breaths.

  “Well, Detective Dillard, my husband and I were headed back to Salem for the evening. Can we make arrangements to meet tomorrow or even Monday perhaps?”

  “I don’t want to alarm you, Ma’am, but it’s a matter of urgency for you to make it to the station as soon as possible.” Ella looked at me, waiting for me to make the decision.

  “We’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” I stated flatly.

  “See you then.” I heard his line go dead over our speakers and gave Ella’s hand a squeeze. Neither one of us said a word as we made our way to the station.

  Twenty minutes later, Ella and I were seated in a stale room that looked like it came straight out of a cop drama: large mirror (one way, I was sure), aluminum table, three chairs. Nothing else. It was cold and I felt goose bumps as I rubbed my hand up and down Ella’s arm. The door opened and a tall, imposing man stepped in, looking us both over. Once the door was closed behind him, he reached his hand out to both Ella and me. We shook his hand and all three of us sat down.

  “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice. As I alluded to over the phone, there have been some developments in your case.”

  “What does that mean?” Ella’s voice shook as she asked the detective her question.

  “Yesterday the Portland Swat Team took down a drug ring in the inner city. We took in a young man who is facing drug and weapon charges that are scaring him shitless. Pardon the language,” he said quickly, looking at Ella. She didn’t even blink at him so he continued on. “He’s young and it’s his first offense. Luckily for everyone involved, he’s scared and looking for a way out. He offered up some information that could possibly lead us to an arrest in your case.”

  “What?” Ella said, disbelief and excitement evident in her voice.

  “Yes. In exchange for information on a few cases we’re working on, he will be getting a lesser charge and stay out of jail. He claims to know of a man who was involved in a shooting about a year ago, in the area of your store, and the suspect matches the description of the man who shot you.”

  “Oh my God,” she whispered.

  “So you have the bastard in custody?” My blood boiled at the thought of the person who shot Ella being in the same building as I was. I would rip him apart.

  “Well, it’s not that simple. We have a name and a general area he was last seen. But he could be anywhere. We’ve put out an APB, and we’ve got our eyes out for him, but it might be a while before we find him.”

  “So, what? You brought us here to tell us you kind of, sort of, have news about our case, maybe?” I was beginning to feel my rage take over. What were they playing at?

  “Mr. Masters, listen, I’m trying to solve this case too. I want nothing more than to lock this guy up, but it’s going to take some time. I brought you in here to bring you up to speed and give you information. It’s very possible that this kid, and he is just a kid—nineteen-year-old boy—who shot you is long gone. He could be on the other side of the country by now. Or he could have gotten word of the arrests made today, that our suspect ratted him out, and he could be waiting outside to finish the job he messed up last year.”

  I stood up and the chair I sat in scratched across the floor behind me with force. I leaned over the table and pointed my finger in the detective’s face. “You don’t bring my wife in here to tell her some half-assed news about the man who shot her and then try to scare the daylights out of her. Cop or not, I will kick your ass if you talk to her like that again.” Ella pulled on my arm, urging me to sit back down.

  “Listen,” Dillard said, raising his hands in the air, “we’re all on the same page here. I want to catch this asshole just as much as you do. But if you threaten me again, you’ll be locked up faster than you can blink and you won’t do your wife any good behind bars.” He kept his hands up and looked at me until I finally exhaled loudly and righted my chair, sitting again. Dillard turned to Ella. “Again, I’m not trying to scare you, I’m trying to help you.”

  “What’s going to happen now?” She asked quietly.

  “Well, like I said, we have no real idea of where this kid is. He could be in town or he could be in another state. But I wanted to give you a heads up and offer what help we could.”

  “What kind of help are you talking about?” I was still pissed and even I heard it in my voice.

  “Well, we can put more patrols past the sight of the crime.”

  “It’s a store. It’s called Poppy,” Ella said quietly.

  “Right, we could have more cars making passes by the store, if you live inside the city limits we can have cars patrol by your house.”

  “You think he knows where we live?” Ella asked, sounding scared all over again.

  “Chances are, no. Most likely, this kid doesn’t even know your name. He was probably hired to show up at a spot and shoot a gun. He doesn’t know who you are, but he does know where you were. So, the store really is a place of interest.”

  “We’ll hire private security again,” I said immediately. Ella looked at me with relief, no doubt worried about her sister and the girls who work there. “We live in Salem right now.”

  Dillard nodded. “We’ll partner with the Salem PD and ask them to watch your house, just leave me your address.”

  “Will that start immediately? We’re headed there tonight.”

  “Shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll call their captain myself.”

  “So, we’re just supposed to sit here like ducks, waiting to be picked off?” I could hear the panic coming over her and it tore my heart open. I wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. I took her hand in mine and held on tight, trying
to remind her that I was here to protect her.

  “No. You’ve got the police looking out for you, but you need to be careful. Don’t go anywhere alone, report anything suspicious, and be smart. Trust your instincts. And call me whenever you think you have something to offer, anything at all. No piece of information is too small. And I’ll be doing my best to catch this kid before anything can happen. Expect the best, prepare for the worst.”

  Ella’s hand floated her belly and I saw the moment she really fell into the abyss of irrational thought. I turned to her, not a care in the world that the detective was with us, or who might be watching through the mirror, and pulled her forehead to meet mine.

  “Breathe with me Ella, in and out, slowly.” I took a few over-exaggerated breaths to get her to sync up with me. She shook, trembled, and I knew she was slipping away from me. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you or the baby. Do not give up on me now, Ella. Stay with me here, breathe.” We sat there, breathing in each other’s breaths for a few minutes until I felt like she wasn’t going to hyperventilate or go into some sort of shock. When I finally looked over at Dillard, I saw sympathy in his eyes and that went a long way to make up for some of the shitty things he’d said since we got there. He was a hard ass, that was clear, but in that moment, when he looked at my wife like he wanted to help fix her, I felt confident that he would keep his word and protect her as best he could.

  “Let’s get your address to the Salem PD and get you home,” Dillard said, handing me a pad of paper and a pen. He left to make the phone call and Ella’s head found my shoulder. She was calm and quiet, both hands resting on her belly. Her silence was equally comforting as it was alarming. In the quiet, she found the terror. I put my hand over hers and tried to remind her that I was there.

  “I don’t want you to worry about this, Ella. I’m going to take care of everything.” She didn’t say anything in response. I would have preferred to hear her crying or yelling. The silence was killing me. “Babe, talk to me. Please.”

  “This is a hopeless situation.” Her voice is calm, cold, and still—like stone.