by Eden Fortae
With the best smile she could muster, Eden placed her hand over his fist and caressed it. Almost immediately, he relaxed his hand and turned it to clasp hers. The anger never wore off. His protectiveness joined the mix as they made it to her apartment, and he informed her he’d be outside for the night. He accepted her invitation to stay without a fight, making calls and tapping his phone rapidly.
By the time she showered and returned to the living room, Donny knew everything regarding Madison Jones. She was indeed a real girl. As of January, fifteen-years-old, the oldest of four, and the only daughter of a banker and a pediatric nurse. Judging by her social media accounts, she didn’t have many friends and seemed lonely. What few pictures were available used filters preventing them from seeing her entire face. However, Donny was satisfied once she agreed to meet at his office.
Before Eden fell asleep on the sofa beside him, he was still typing away on his phone. When she awakened after midnight, she was in her bed alone. After she relieved herself, she ducked her head around the wall separating the hall from the living room. His legs were stretched out in front of him, his head back with one arm along the softback. Thoughts of waking him and offering the other side of her bed came and went. Donny’s decisions were rarely without consideration. For whatever reason, not sleeping beside her was for the best.
Eden grabbed a spare blanket, but before she could get close enough, the floorboards creaked.
“Why are you up?”
“I had to pee. I was going to cover you.”
“You wanted to feel on me. Be honest.”
His head was still back, his eyes closed. He couldn’t see her biting back a smile or the hand on her hip.
“I could just do that if I wanted.”
“I dare you.”
“Do you want it or not?”
He raised his head slowly. The only light in the room came from the TV casting shadows. It was enough to see his eyes trailing from her head to her bare toes. On the way back up, they lingered around her thighs and her stomach.
“Yes.”
When reaching for the blanket, he intentionally touched her hand, or so she thought. There was no eye contact as he unfolded the soft fleece blanket, draping it across his shoulders. On her way back to her room, he mumbled, stopping her in her tracks.
“You’re bold to wear a shirt with no panties around me.”
“How do you know I’m not wearing panties?”
“That ass moves differently when it’s free. Also, my son has that shirt stretched so far in the front there’s a damn good view in the back.”
Thank God for the darkness of the hall. It hid the reddening of her cheeks at the thought of him watching her walk away, but it couldn’t hide the confusion in her response.
“You’re watching my ass but choose not to join me?”
“Yes.”
“Explain.”
The wood framing groaned under his weight. Donny proceeded to make himself at home by removing his shoes and stretching out more. Only then did he reply matter of factly. “This is your fresh start. The decisions are all yours. If you want me in your bed, you’ll have to invite me and so on.”
“What if I decide I don’t want you to look?”
“I’ll be more discreet when I do.”
“But you won’t stop?”
“Never.”
The flirtation was laughable. Hours ago, he was breathing fire. Since that fire turned into something more significant, creating goosebumps along her arms. His voice always turned her on, but it was easy to get lost when he said things like that. He wasn’t suggesting sex. However, the way her hormones were set up, there wasn’t much difference.
“You’re welcome to the other side of my bed, Donovan.”
“Thanks for the offer.” The only move he made was to relax more.
“You’re not interested?” She laughed around the question to mask the sting.
“You presented an option. Not an invitation.”
Eden laughed again, dropping her arms. He wanted her to want it. Him. From the start, the first move was his. A true testament of his heart was his effort. Such had created the security she needed to open her heart. After everything, she knew what was in his, but he’d yet to see hers completely.
“I’d sleep better knowing you’re comfortable in my bed. If that’s not good enough, have fun in the fetal position on my little loveseat.”
He rose promptly, giving the blanket a quick fold. Eden left him to turn off the TV, and when he made it to the room. His shirt was in his hand, tucked in the corner of his palm while undoing his belt. At the last second, she rolled onto her side. Flashbacks birthed the images entering her mind the moment the bed dipped behind her. She waited for him to move closer. Hoped he would. His chest to her back with a hand on her stomach was an experience she didn’t know she wanted until it was a possibility.
“Are you going to sleep on the edge all night, Donovan?”
His laughter shook the bed. “Let me hear it.”
“Try not to hit the floor. Good night.”
Laughter intensified. The distance closing between them slightly. “Smart mouth. Soft ass. Say it.” He gave her several seconds to comply before he rolled over, laying behind her like he used to. Instead of his hand cupping her belly, it rested on her hip above the blanket. “I’m trying to show you how to make your new life about what you want. You’re tempting me to take control.”
“What if that’s what I want because it secures me?”
“You still have to say it. I don’t want to be another name on the list of people who’ve taken choices from you or forced things.”
“You regret chasing me, now?” She snickered until his answer sobered her.
“Never. You became one of my best friends, and you’re giving me a son. The chase was worth it.”
Eden shifted, hoping to slow the butterflies. “You were breathing fire earlier. I’m glad you’re back.”
“You provide a hell of a distraction.” Playfully he tapped her butt over the blanket. Although Eden laughed, she reached back for his hand and brought it to her stomach.
“Are we only going to be best friends who flirt?”
“That’s up to you and not a decision that has to be made tonight.” A kiss to her ear was supposed to signal the end of the conversation. In the dark silence of her bedroom, she thought and thought some more until his warmth made sleep possible, and the hand on her belly made it peaceful.
There were very few differences and far more similarities. Looking at Madison was like looking at teenage Eden. Pretty. Troubled. Untrusting. The way she sat with her legs curled in the seat was a reminder of her age—the things she revealed, indicative of lost innocence.
Concern for Eden grew with the progression of the conversation. At one point, she was fighting tears. Too often, she blinked long and hard, touching her stomach. Every time she breathed through an emotional moment, Donny’s fist tightened. Antonio, Christian, and Jermaine gathered around the desk, watching the monitor with calm expressions while he was struggling to remain seated. His biggest mistake was not preparing them for what they might hear. Then again, he wasn’t prepared either.
To comfort Madison, Eden shared her dark past. When answering questions about her actions and the blog, she stood firmly on her truth, encouraging the girl to open up completely. In the end, Eden was standing with Madison in her arms. Whatever she was saying to the girl became lost behind wails.
Chris shook his head, still glued to the screen. “That motherfucker has to die.”
“Slowly and painfully,” Jermaine sat back, shaking his head. “So what’s the plan?”
“This isn’t cake,” Donny answered, staring at Eden before massaging his temples. Pride didn’t begin to express what he felt for her. She cried and tearfully told her story but exhibited strength for the girl. Meanwhile, his head was pounding. He hated that part of her past. He hated how powerless he felt. He hated the fact that his brothers now knew the f
ucked up details. “The bastard has a family and following who’ll ask questions.”
“We can take them out, too. He’s married to the abusive sister, correct? She and the poor excuse of a mother can get it, too.” Antonio shrugged as Donny glared at him, “I didn’t forget.”
“Of course you didn’t, Tonito. Javier is itching to get out of you, and it shows. I’m sure you already have a plan as well.”
“I do. I say we take the motherfucker to his church, hang him by his balls, and beat him like a piñata with jagged pipes and icepicks. I figure we could do this on a Monday and leave his ass there for the pedo sympathizing followers to find him decomposing bright and early Sunday morning.”
“I like that idea.”
“Don’t encourage him, Jay. Donny’s right. This isn’t like Art or his son. His disappearance wouldn’t just go away with speculation of some home overseas. Not only would we have the police investigating, but we’d also have the media, too. He needs to go, but we have to be smart about it.”
“Ok. There’s a pig farm upstate—”
Eden lightly wrapped at the door before she let herself in. She stilled, taking in all four men. Christian and Jermaine typically greeted her with smiles or smirks. Their frowns were a dead giveaway. “You were watching, weren’t you?”
“Safety precaution.”
“For a kid, Donovan? A background check and going through the metal detector wasn’t enough, so you called upon the Avengers to supervise?”
“Yes,” he replied flatly.
Sensing the quick rise in tension, Christian interjected, approaching Eden for a hug. “What he means is that you can never be too careful. She passed everything but still could’ve been playing for the other side. We’re here to help develop a solution for this...problem.”
“Well, she’s not playing for the other side. She’s a little girl, pregnant, scared, and shunned by her parents, who refused to let her get an abortion. They think the baby’s father is a boy her age. She didn’t come to me with a hidden agenda or on Kenneth’s behalf. She needs my help.”
Donny shook his head. Before he could say something, undoubtedly starting a war between them, Chris guided Eden to his seat. “What do you have in mind?” He found his smile and the gentleness that was naturally a part of his personality while the other three stood and sat around like angry parents in the principal’s office.
“After I told her what he did, she shyly asked if my baby was Kenneth’s. When I was pregnant before, he fed me shit to make me think he wanted it but stressed the importance of keeping it a secret. He’s doing that with her and took the extra step of planting a bug in her parent’s ear just in case. He doesn’t know I’m pregnant. If he sees me—”
“No,” Donny cut in with that single response, and she kept going.
“If I let him think this baby is his—”
“You’re not going anywhere near him, Eden.”
“I’m sorry, Donovan, you can’t stop me.”
“Oh no?” He sat forward, his face and tone deadly serious. “You honestly think I can’t and won’t lock you in my bedroom or follow you closer than a shadow?”
“This is bigger than me, Donovan. This is stopping a predator who keeps getting away with stealing innocence. It’s helping Madison get justice and putting him in prison so he can’t hurt another young girl.”
The guys shared a look—all but Donny, who was still staring at Eden with finality setting his face and posture. The guys agreed with Eden’s approach. He couldn’t. As brave as she was for wanting to use herself as bait, he could hear the underlying fear in her voice. She wanted to slay this demon herself, but she wasn’t sure of her strength. Deep down, he wasn’t either, and his fear was just as real as hers.
FORTY
Five minutes. Braxton Hicks are supposed to be infrequent and eventually go away. The squeezing and cramping that started after her doctor’s appointment came every five minutes. In denial and suddenly afraid, Eden hid the fact by making a fist in her pockets to ride them out. Waiting alone in the dark park, she gripped the wooden seat at the onset of a contraction and had to unclench her teeth by the end.
“No,” she whispered into the chilled air. Her body warmed. Sweat pearled on her nose and around her hairline. Not only were they becoming more frequent, but the pain was also more noticeable.
“Well, this is a surprise.”
Eden’s head snapped to her left, eyes flying open. Coming down from the last contraction and trying to prevent a panic attack, she missed his footsteps. Her placement on the bench was purposeful. She wanted to see when he arrived and when he was approaching to steel herself. Eden fought hard to withhold her emotions, knowing the light behind him was shining directly on her face.
“I’m sure. You were expecting someone who looks like me, but younger.”
Even with Donny’s oversized hoodie on, his laughter made the fine hairs on her arms stand on end. His single step allowed her the quickest glimpse of his smile. “You’ve met Maidson. I’m curious how that came to be. More so, why you’re still in New York.”
“This is my home, Kenneth. My friends and my future are here. As for Madison, she found me. I guess everyone didn’t think I was lying after all.”
He laughed hysterically, shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “A sheltered fifteen-year-old has nothing else to do but believe internet stories.”
“Is that why you chose her?—because her home life made her easy to mold and manipulate like me?”
His smile fell, and he took another step. The contraction spreading across Eden’s abdomen was more intense than the others. She felt it in her back with a strong urge to keel over.
“You keep saying I manipulated you as if your love for me wasn’t real.”
“It wasn’t,” she damn near shouted from the pain slowly subsiding. “You played on the fact that all I had was you. You said what I wanted to hear so you could ease your way into my panties, and when you got there, you fed me lies about marriage and family because you knew I wanted nothing more than to be loved. Then when I got pregnant, you proposed to my sister. My love for you was built on lies and just as fake.”
Between active labor and speaking her truth, Eden began to cry. She’d forgiven herself for her own mistakes and was working hard to move forward, but she’d never truly get over it. That girl would always be a part of her.
“I married Egypt because you weren’t legal, and your father wanted me as his heir. What’s so fucking hard to understand about that? My career was taking off. I couldn’t let the stigma of our age difference get in the way of that, but I would fix it. Once my place was established, I was going to end the engagement and marry you.”
“You’re a liar!” She tried to laugh around her contraction. “Next you’re going to say you raped me last year because you love me, and this isn’t real,” Careful, and as quickly as possible, Eden stood and unzipped the hoodie. Kenneth’s shoulders tensed. The shadows on his face did nothing to mask the shock. As he took a step toward her, she took one back.
“Look at God. Eden, baby, don’t you see? This is our second chance. We’re supposed to be together.”
She shook her head. Fear and protectiveness had her wrapping the open hoodie around her stomach. Before her eyes, Kenneth was becoming unhinged. The thought of what he might do made her worry. The drive to help Madison kept her standing upright.
“If we’re meant to be together, what happens to Madison and her baby? How could I trust you? You raped me, threatened me.”
“That’s in the past, baby. You said your future’s here. It is. I’m right here. You don’t have to worry about Madison. I can pay her to go away. I have the means. I can make Egypt go away, too.”
“I don’t want you to make them go away, Kenneth.” Softly, she replied, “I want you to rot in hell.” As she pulled her phone from her pocket, she turned the screen toward him, revealing the active voice recorder. Once he realized what it was, she stopped it and placed
the phone back in her pocket. “Here’s the deal, you’re going to turn yourself into the police and confess to raping me, Madison, and every other girl you’ve preyed on. You won’t contact them or me ever again. If you choose not to confess, I’ll send this to the police, myself, and make sure it’s heard by so many news, radio stations, and bloggers that you won’t be able to live a normal life without the help of a plastic surgeon. Oh, by the way, my baby isn’t yours. Look at God.”
Eden expected her brother-in-law to resist and revert to the arrogant asshole and yet his smile still threw her off guard. Seemingly unbothered, he held his watch toward the light and glanced at it with a yawn.
“It’s getting late. I’m sure my wife and daughter are missing me.”
He turned to leave, stopped by two masked men, clad in black. To his left and right, two more men appeared. Facing Eden, his eyes went over her shoulder at the man behind her. The latest contraction rippled down her legs. All she could do not to show it was to breathe through her nose and shake her head.
“There’s still time to change your mind.”
He looked bewildered, going between the men and looking for a way out. There wasn’t one. Long before the call was made to Madison to lure him there, Donny and the guys mapped out a fool-proof plan. Even if Kenneth managed to get away from them, a couple of young guys were waiting on each side of the park.
They gave him little time to decide before one of them put him in a sleeper hold. The hand on the small of her back was the cue. Zipping the hoodie, Eden covered her head and headed for the other side of the park. The entire way, she kept her head down, stopping only when there was a contraction. Two blocks over, she caught a cab. The whole way home, she fought through her labor pains with deep breaths and biting her lips. By the time she made it to her apartment, there was barely time to breathe through the seizing and squeezing, weakening her knees.
She made it as far as the sofa, her fingers digging into the soft fabric of the arm. With no one around, she groaned, clutching her stomach. Reality hit with the release of her muscles. The little feet kicking around and kicking back to calm her belonged to a baby. Her baby. She was about to have a baby and didn’t know the first thing about caring for one. The room began to blur and spin. The sound of her breathing became muted and labored. Involuntary tears slipped over her lashes. Pain surged across her stomach.