by DL Gallie
“Hope you like puzzles,” she tells me.
“Not so much, but I will give this puzzle my all. If only to clear Charli’s name.”
“Speaking of, how is she?”
“I don’t know. She won’t talk to me.”
“She’s fine.” Cox says, and I swear I hear him silently add, “not that you deserve to know.” He walks toward the elevator with his messenger bag on his shoulder, not offering any further information.
“Give her time, this must me hard on her,” Amanda tells me, as she squeezes my shoulder and makes her way back to her office. Grabbing my phone, I dial Charli again. And again, it rings out. It doesn’t even go to voicemail this time. I’m starting to get worried but what can I do?
21
Charli
It’s been three days since shit hit the fan. I’m still hiding out at Bay and Corey’s place. Dominic is relentless with trying to reach me, but I keep playing what I heard over and over in my mind.
“I don’t give a flying fuck that you’re pregnant. I will not be a part of this kid’s life. It’s all yours. Not my responsibility.”
How could I have been so wrong about him? I never thought he would be so heartless. I guess it's good that I knew before I told him, if he’d said that to my face I would have been more gutted than I am right now. Sitting on the floor in Bay’s guest bathroom, I lean back against the tub after vomiting, again. Closing my eyes, I take deep a breath and find the sickness disappearing…probably ‘cause there’s nothing left in my body to throw up.
“Stronger” by Britney Spears starts playing from the living room and as I sit here and listen to the words, they hit me hard. I am strong and I will be fine. I don’t need him by my side to raise munchkin because I’m kick-ass and strong, just like lil’ munchkin who’s growing in my stomach.
Standing up, I rinse my mouth and then stare at my reflection. I may look like shit right now—thanks, morning sickness—but I’m tough. I will get through this. I’ll put my big girl panties on and tell Nic that he’s going to be a father. I would never hide something like that from him but before I tell him, I need to look after me. A few more days won’t hurt, I’m just not there mentally yet, but I will get there because I’m Charli fucking Davis, kick-ass agent…and soon-to-be mom. I need to be strong for this baby since I will be all he or she has. At least I have Momma and Daddy on my team. That conversation went much better than I thought it would have…
…My head is in the toilet again, whoever dubbed it morning sickness is a lying asshole. It hits at any time of the day and can last for a few minutes or a few hours. I was worried with how much I was throwing up, but Dr. Clark assures me that it’s normal to which I replied, “Well, normal sucks.”
My phone rings and I reach up to grab it off the counter. I smile when I see it’s Mom. “Hey, Momma,” I say as I answer.
“How’s my baby girl?” Hearing her cheery voice sets me off and I begin to cry.
“It’s all turned to poo, Momma.”
“Frank, get in here,” she yells, “Charli Bear needs us.”
“I’m fine, Momma.”
“We all know what fine means.”
This causes me to laugh. “Daddy is here, we are switching to FaceTime.” It rings and I answer the call.
“Ohh, baby, what’s wrong?”
“Everything,” I cry. Momma and Daddy let me cry, they offer sweet nothings but I don’t hear them because I’m too busy crying like a baby.
“Charli Bear,” Daddy says, “what’s going on?”
“I’m suspended and…and…I’m pregnant.”
“We’re gonna be grandparents?” Momma asks.
“Yes, but he doesn’t want me, or the baby.”
“Say that again, Charli Bear? Because I’m sure I heard that he has abandoned you.”
“I overheard Nic telling a woman who’s also pregnant that it's not his problem.”
“Who was this woman? How many women has he knocked up? I’m not sure I want him to be a part of yours or this baby’s life.”
“I don’t know, I ran away.”
“Charli,” Mom says in the mom tone, “does he know?” I shake my head. “Charli, you need to tell him. Maybe it will be different with you.”
“But what if he doesn’t want me? I don’t think I can do this on my own.”
“You won’t be alone. Daddy and I will be there for you, you know that.”
“I know but my life is in the toilet right now, much like my head.”
“Is the morning sickness bad?”
“Bad is an understatement.”
“When Mom was pregnant with you, she too had horrible sickness at any time of the day. She also ate Brussels sprouts by the ton.”
“No wonder I hate those green slimly suckers.”
We all laugh.
“Now, what’s this suspension all about?” Daddy asks.
“It’s to do with the Dean fiasco from our last case.”
“Maybe I need to pay this Dean guy a visit. No one messes with my Charli Bear and while I’m there, I can kick baby daddy’s ass too.”
“Or you could just come and visit me and hug me.”
“Or we can do that.” He looks to Momma. “What do you say, June, we go to the big city and visit our baby girl?”
“Big city? You guys live outside of Houston, that’s a big city too.”
“We live outside the city, therefore not IN the city,” Daddy says.
“Potato. Vodka,” I tell them.
“Ohh, I just read that book,” Momma says. “That Alley girl really knows how to write dirty and I cannot wait to read the Dirty one, I really hope Maddey ends up with the brother but then again, the SEAL man is pretty swoony too.”
“You’ve always had a thing for a man in uniform,” Daddy says.
“Ahh, hello, your daughter is still on the line.”
“Down, Frank,” Momma says.
“Uggh, shoot me now,” I groan but I also tear up. I thought Nic and I had a love like Momma and Daddy, but clearly I was wrong.
“Frank, book the tickets, our baby needs us.”
“Thanks, Momma,” I blubber.
“You never need to thank me. I will always be there for you, baby. Always.”
…Momma and Daddy will be here next week and I’m excited for their visit. I could really do with a Momma hug right now. Don’t get me wrong, Bay hugs are good but they’re nothing like a Momma hug. If I’m half the momma that my momma is, then this baby is going to be fine.
Walking out of my room, I find Bay in the living room. Stuffing her face with purple taffy. “Morning, sexy momma.”
“Morning,” I say, taking a seat next to her. I reach over and grab a taffy. She slaps my hand.
“Mine,” she growls, Bay is very protective of her taffy.
“Did you just beat up a pregnant lady?”
“Yep, and I’ll do it again if she tries to steal my taffy.”
“I’m hungry,” I tell her, as I pop the candy I just stole into my mouth.
“Let’s go out for brunch then. You’ve wallowed enough. It's time to get back into the real world.”
“Can I borrow some clothes?”
“Nope, you are going to go home to get your own, and I also think it's time for you to get back on the horse, as they say.”
Looking over at her, I scrunch my face up but I know she’s right. I can’t hide out here forever. “Fine,” I relent.
“Like you had a choice. Let me go change and then we can go.”
Twenty minutes later, she’s in a black maxi dress and purple sandals. We climb into her mini and head over to my place. Bay takes a seat in my living room and I head into my bedroom to change. Ten minutes later I emerge in a navy shift dress and my ballet flats.
Bay looks up and smiles. “That’s a nice dress.”
“Thanks, it has pockets.” I tell her, as slip my hands into said pockets, stretching my fingers to indicate them.
“I’ve always wanted a dr
ess with pockets.”
“Maybe we can go shopping and find you a pocket dress and me some maternity clothes after brunch?”
“You had me at shopping, let’s go,” she says, as we link arms and exit my apartment.
We head back down to her car and as we pull away, I see Dominic pull up on his bike. My breath hitches when I see him. He looks so freakin’ hot on that bike, but then I remember the words I overheard and any hotness evaporates.
Baylor scores a parking spot right out front of our favorite café, Sassafras. This place has the most amazing French toast, which is fantabulous because I’m starving. Food is all I seem to think about these days but food is a good comfort right now. It can’t hurt me, well unless I get diabetes it could, but life surely couldn’t be that cruel to kick a woman when she’s already down.
With our bellies full, Baylor and I walk down the street and enter Nordstrom’s. We head to the women’s department and begin looking. Bay finds a stunning purple—no surprises there—dress that has no pockets but it looks amazing on her, so she grabs it.
I have a pile of clothes and I’m happy with my haul. I’ve just pulled my dress back on when a stabbing pain rips through my abdomen, I double over and grunt in pain. “You okay, Charli?” Baylor sings out.
Opening the cubicle door, I look up at her and shake my head. “Bay, something’s wrong.”
22
Dominic
It’s still radio silence from Charli and I’m starting to get worried. It's not like her to ignore me and not return my calls or texts. No one in the office has heard from her, and Corey is being a right royal cocksucker to me at the moment.
The mail guy knocks on my door and hands me an envelope. I stare at the orange rectangle in my hands. My name is scrawled on the front; no other postmarks or details give me any clue as to whom it’s from. Sliding my finger under the flap, I open it and pull out a single card, it falls from my fingers to my desk. Picking it up, confusion once again mars my face and I scrunch it up as I read the card.
“If the wind changes, your face will stay like that,” Elena says from the doorway.
“Har har, very funny,” I say. “What are you doing here?”
“Thought I’d stop by before my ER shift and see how you’re doing. It's been a few days and I thought you would have called me with an update.”
“I have no news, I haven’t spoken to Charli.”
“Why not?” she sasses, as she takes the seat across from me.
“She’s not answering my calls.”
“Have you been to her place?” I nod. “Have you made a grand gesture so she knows you’re thinking of her?”
“I punched the dick that’s making her life hell right now and broke his nose.”
“And they say chivalry is dead. But seriously, Big Bro, I think you need to up your game in the romance department. FYI, punches aren’t really all that sexy to a woman.”
“I think I have a lead to clear her name…but it means I have to go to New York.”
“Then you better book a flight to The Big Apple. I wanna meet the lucky lady who has your balls in a twist.”
“Please never refer to my balls, or them being in a twist ever again.”
“But it's ohh so fun teasing you, Brother.”
“Lucky I love you.”
“You have no choice.”
“That’s debatable.”
“Got time for a coffee?”
“Always for my pain in the ass little sister.”
Placing the card back in the envelope, I slip it into my drawer and grab my wallet. Slinging my arm around her shoulder, we exit my office. We run into Corey on the way to the elevators and the look he gives me is murderous.
“Corey, this is—”
“Don’t care,” he snarls, “How many do you have on the go?” Then he quietly mumbles, “She’s fuckin’ better off without you.”
Before I can ask him for clarification, he storms away. Leaving me even more confused.
“He seems nice,” Elena says, as we enter the metal car.
“He normally is but his fiancée is a bit of a loose cannon from what I’ve heard around the office.”
“That’s no reason to be a dick monkey.”
“Dick monkey? You been speaking with Abi?”
“Yeah, I think she’s lonely now that we’re both no longer in town.”
“Maybe she can visit over spring break.”
“I think she’d like that. You think Mom and Dad will let her?”
“So they can have alone time? Hell yes.”
She laughs as we reach the ground floor. We walk through the foyer and across the street to the coffee shop. She grabs a table and I go order. While waiting I grab my phone and try Charli but like usual, she sends me to voicemail. “Hey, Angel. It's me. Again. Please let me know you're okay. Love you.”
I’m starting to get worried. I really need to get this accusation quashed so Charli can come back to work and I can see her again. I miss her like crazy.
My name is called, snapping me back to the present. I grab our coffees and join Elena at the table she snagged.
After our catch-up, I head back to the office and grab the envelope. Pulling out the card, I read it again. Waking my computer, I pull up Google and search Manhattan Vaults. Dialing the number it rings a few times, “Manhattan Vaults, this is Lana, how may I help you?”
“I’m chasing information on box 154?” I’ll start with the first number and go from there.
“Certainly, let me look that up.” I can hear keys tapping in the background. “Okay, Mr. Davis, how can I assist you today?”
“I’m sorry, did you just say Davis?”
“Are you not Dean Davis?” she questions, her voice pitches high but not in that ‘I just fucked up way.’ I can’t put my finger on it but she seems almost happy that she was discovered. Disconnecting the call, I grab the card, stand up, and exit my office. I make my way to the boss’s office and knock. “You got a minute, Boss Lady?” I ask her.
She glares at me and points to the seat across from her. “Of course.”
Entering, I take a seat and hand the card to her. “This was delivered to me earlier today. It's to do with Charli’s predicament.”
“That’s a big leap.”
“Well, when I called them, the lady who answered called me Mr. Davis when I gave the first box number, and when I questioned my name she called me Dean Davis.”
Her eyes widen. “So much for security but that is quite the coincidence, no wonder IA think she’s involved.”
“I know, right? Is this enough to get a warrant to get access to the vault and their records?”
“No, but I would like you to head to New York and see what you can garner in person. This could be what we need to clear Charli and nail Dean further to the wall.”
Nodding, I stand up. “I’ll be on the next flight.”
“Keep me posted and, Dominic,” I look back to her, “don’t tell anyone about this.”
“You got it.”
Exiting her office, I head back to mine and I book an American Airlines flight leaving O’Hare at four thirty this afternoon. Shutting down, I grab my laptop and things and head home to pack for my flight.
After checking in, I make my way to the departure lounge. A loved-up couple sits across from me and my mind drifts to Charli. I wish she was coming with me. This time of year is always magical in New York, maybe once all this shit is over, she and I can go on a trip somewhere together. But in order for that to happen, I need to clear her name, and I’ll stop at nothing to do that.
Charli is worth going to hell and back for. I’ve fallen hard for her and I’m not letting her go.
23
Charli
Bay races me to Western General, I’m pretty sure she broke several laws on the way here, but I’m fine with that because I’m really worried right now. She parks her car in the emergency lot and when we enter the ER, she goes all Bitchy Baylor and makes a scene. She yell’
s that she’s Dr. Flynn Kelly’s sister-in-law and that I need to be seen straightaway because it’s life or death. I wouldn’t go that far but as soon as she says I’m pregnant, they sure change their tune.
I’m escorted back to a cubicle where they take my vitals. A doctor pulls back the curtain, she looks to me and smiles. Her eyes look familiar but I haven’t seen her before. “I’m Elena, what seems to be the issue?”
“I—”
But Bay interrupts me, “We were shopping and Charli made a sound like a pig dying and when I opened the door she was huddled over and looked like shit.” She looks to me. “Sorry, but you did.” She turns back to the doctor. “I hauled ass here. Now please tell me that this lil’ bubba is okay, my girl here doesn’t need any more shit to happen. I know they say things come in threes, but we don’t need a third shit thing to happen.”
“Would you mind getting a lemonade?” the doctor asks Bay.
“Yep, sure, no worries.” She turns to me. “Be right back.”
She exits the room leaving me with the doctor. “She’s kinda full-on,” she says to me.
“She’s Baylor. She marches to the beat of her own drum.”
She laughs and nods. “Well, now that it's just us. You want to tell me what happened?”
“She pretty much said it all. We had brunch. Then went shopping. I was changing back into my dress when a stabbing pain ripped through me. I’ve never felt anything like it before.”
“And how far along are you?”
“Almost ten weeks.”
She nods. “Let me grab the Doppler and I’ll check the baby’s heartbeat and then we can get you a scan. If you can, change into the gown and then hop up on the bed. I’ll be back in a sec.”
Nodding my head, I take a deep breath and take the gown from her. I change into the gown and climb onto the bed. Lying back, I stare up at the ceiling and close my eyes. They pop wide open when I hear someone say, “Dr. Cruz, where did you want the ultrasound machine?”