Derek’s on the ground, his hand clutching at his gut and blood pouring out of the wound. Nate has kicked the gun out of Charlie’s hand. I ready the shot, especially since he’s not looking my way. How fucking ironic. He instilled fear and panic into me. He burned me, beat me, and took the essence of who I am. So now, I’m going to take him away.
Nate drops to the ground, giving me the perfect shot. I pull the trigger. The baby screams. I scream. And so does everyone else.
49
DEREK
My eyes fly open, but it’s not the cafeteria ceiling I’m looking at. I turn my head and find Aria sitting next to my bed, nursing the baby. Her eyelids are heavy and purple bags have taken residence under her eyes. Her dark hair is tied into a messy bun and her skin is the color of Elmer’s glue.
“Ace.” My voice comes out raspy, reminding me I need to quit smoking.
“Hey,” she greets sadly, those beautiful hazel eyes filling up with tears. “God, I was so afraid I lost you.” She leans over, wincing, and kissing me on the cheek.
“I thought I lost you.”
She weakly smiles.
“I’m sorry, Derek. For everything. I was trying to spare Zoey—”
“Where is she?” I demand.
“She’s in the cafeteria with Tanner and Joey. Your friend, Agent Delgado arrived about an hour ago with her. Emily’s been arrested. So…I think it’s safe to say you have full custody. Logan’s talking with CPS now…”
My lungs expand for the first time in months. My bitch of an ex-wife finally got what was coming to her.
“Aria,” I rasp. With one arm, she strokes my cheek. “I love you, do you know that?”
“I know,” she murmurs. “I meant it when I said it. I love you too, Derek. Truly.”
“What happened to Dodge?”
“I shot him.”
I vaguely remember. I remember her reaching for the gun and aiming, but I passed out before I could see what happened.
“Is he dead?”
She nods, her eyes filling up with tears. “Yeah. He’s dead. The FBI has already came and collected the body. Nate was seeing to it personally that he’s going to the right people.” For the first time ever, a genuine smile spreads across her lips and peace sets in her eyes, her face, her posture. “You’re going to be okay,” she assures me. “They said a bullet grazed you. This is just a flesh wound—burn. But it’ll heal. Otherwise, there’s nothing else wrong with you.”
My gaze shifts to the bundle in her arms. I delivered our son. I held him in my arms for barely a minute and he’s okay. Zoey’s okay. Aria’s okay. I take a deep, shaky breath.
“What did you name him?”
She shrugs. “I haven’t named him anything yet. I honestly didn’t think of names while I was pregnant. I didn’t think I’d get this far.” Her melancholy smile breaks my heart. She truly thought she wouldn’t get to live her life. “Do you want to hold him?”
I nod eagerly and she gingerly places him in my arms.
She puts her boob away and reaches for her phone, snapping a picture of the two of us.
“I’m proud of you, Ace. You birthed him like a champ.”
Her cheeks flush and she avoids my gaze. I study the little man in my arms. His nose is pert like Aria’s. It’s too early to see whose eyes he’ll get, though I’m hoping he gets Aria’s. Her eyes are magnetic and kind. He snoozes in my arms, suckling on a pacifier. It’s been years since I’ve held a baby in my arms. I’ve missed this.
“I was thinking about Troy,” she says softly.
“Troy, huh?”
She nods and grins. “Troy Alexander Hawthorn.”
My eyes snap to hers. And she said she wasn’t thinking about names!
“Seriously?”
“I mean…unless you aren’t comfortable with it. I could—”
“I’m honored you want to name him after me.”
She stills, tears flooding her eyes. “I know what we said back when I was pregnant. If you don’t want to be his father, I understand. Especially after all the shit I put you and Zoey through…”
“Aria. I love you so much. I was hoping you’d want to share this baby with me. If yesterday taught me anything, it’s that I can’t imagine my life without you, nor do I want to. I love you. I love Troy. We’re all going to be a happy family. As soon as I make it out of here, I’ll make it official. I promise.”
Delgado and Logan enter the room with a timid Zoey in tow. She looks around helplessly, and when she bravely lays her eyes on me, she bursts into tears and rushes over to me.
“Hi, babe,” I whisper into her hair, kissing the crown of her head. She sobs into my chest.
“I’m so sorry, Zoey,” Aria whimpers, joining in our hug.
“Why are you sorry? Mom kidnapped me, not you.”
“How are you doing, Bubba?” Logan asks, approaching us slowly.
“I’m fine. When can I break out of here?”
“They’re keeping you for observation. You might be able to go home tomorrow, but we’ll see.” He playfully nudges Zoey with his elbow and grins. “But there’s something we need to talk about. All of us.”
Henry and Logan grab a seat while Zoey stays cuddled up under my arm.
“What’s going on?” I ask hesitantly. Am I losing Zoey?
“So, Em’s going away for a while. She’s facing charges for abduction which is up to five years since she crossed state lines. She also harbored, aided, and abetted a known felon. That’s another five plus years,” Logan explains.
“What does that mean?” I ask.
“It means you have full custody of Zoey for good. Even if she gets out on good behavior, there won’t be a judge around who would grant that arrangement. Being that she housed Charlie for the entirety of his time here in Sage Creek, they might be talking more than ten years.” He grins widely as Zoey bursts into happy tears.
“How did they even meet?” Aria asks.
“He created a profile on a dating site. He claimed he lived in California. The rest is history,” Logan replies.
“Nate and I will escort you to her house so you can get the rest of your stuff, Zo,” Henry adds. “We’ll make your room pretty fit for a princesa like you. I promise I’ll make the bookshelves myself.”
Zoey’s megawatt grin has everybody’s spirits up.
“Zo, you want to meet your brother?” I ask, propping Troy up so she can get a good look at him. Her wonder-filled eyes brim with more unshed tears. I glance over to Aria who watches on with anxiety. I kiss her forehead. “We’re a family now.”
50
ARIA
Since I got into this room last night, doctors, nurses, FBI agents have been filing in and out. I’ve given my statement at least eight times. My arms have been pricked with needles, my boobs have been milked, and my parents have been a permanent fixture in my room. I’ve been promised Derek will get moved into this room, but at this rate, he’ll probably be released before I do.
When visiting hours are over, Momma and Daddy leave with longing glances towards Troy. It’s a weird shift in the dynamic. Charlie is officially out of my life. At some point, I’ll have to face off with his father, which I’m not looking forward to whatsoever.
“How are you doing?” Nate’s voice filters in from the door.
“Oh, I’m fine. What are you still doing here? You should head home and get some rest.”
He grins sleepily and occupies the chair next to my bed.
“You shot and killed him, Aria. Are you sure you’re okay?”
It’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? I was the one with the upper hand and I won. I’m stronger than I ever gave myself credit for. Charlie’s gone. My son is healthy, though they’re worried about his hearing.
“For the last year and a half, I made myself into whatever he wanted me to be. I lost myself to him, Nate. For too long, I’ve let him be the monster who haunts and tortures me.” I meet his steely gaze and smile. “I took back what I lost. It
’s not all pristine and fixed. He still broke me. But I also ended the horrors he bestowed on this Earth. I did that. So yeah. I’m okay.”
“I’m proud of you.”
My heart pangs. I’m going to miss him. He’s become a big brother to me, a confidant who keeps my secrets.
“Anyway, the case isn’t over. We’re going to indict all of his associates. Senior isn’t getting out of jail, ever. You can count on that. But you can live your life now.” He glances over to Troy and a melancholy smile replaces his good mood. “You’re going to be so happy, Aria. With Derek. With Zoey. With Troy. You’re our sister now, whether you like it or not.”
I giggle and lean back on the bed.
“Can I give you my two cents since we’re family now?”
He nods warily.
“Go back to Eve. Say you’re sorry. Pour your heart out to her and be happy. You deserve happiness, Nate. I’m forever grateful what you did for me. You’re a hero.”
He drops his gaze.
“This job you do is important. It’s honorable and you’ve saved so many lives. But she makes you happy. Do something for you.”
EPILOGUE
Six months later…
With the shelter opening and me working full time with Troy on my hip, I’m exhausted. But the good kind of exhausted. My bouncing baby boy is full of positive energy. He has the sweetest smile and flirts with all the women around him. He’s a cuddle bug of the highest caliber, and his hearing is fine.
We moved into my house. It’s better suited for a family and mine felt more like a home. It’s weird not having all the guys here, but we stay in touch. Tanner especially. He gives me new ideas to annoy the hell out of Derek.
It’s something that’s ours now. When Derek comes home from work, we cook together. Zoey’s room is bigger than the one she had at Emily’s house, but Henry made good on his word and built a wall length bookcase to house all of her new books.
We’ve fallen into a nice routine. One that ends with me and Derek naked every night.
It’s Saturday, my day to lounge on the couch while I nap when Troy does. Annie was sweet enough to take him out to run errands with her while Zoey and I do a spa day, just the two of us.
“Mom?” she asks softly.
That’s right. I’ve been Mom since I got out of the hospital. When she figured out what Emily was doing, she turned off any loyalty she had toward her. She ran away from Emily at a gas station and into a police station which was ironically across the street. That’s how Delgado found her.
I love the new title she gave me. I love the girl time we get to spend together. Most weekends, we lounge around or make trips to the bookstore in town and load up on whatever new releases they have. And she loves Troy. She’s the greatest helper and he adores her right back.
“Yeah, babe?”
“I was thinking about going to dinner tonight.”
I arch my eyebrow in surprise. Being out in public has been a challenge. The whispers have been a constant nuisance in our new life together. Derek’s even taken some time off to be with us and let Sam run the clinic so he doesn’t have to constantly be bombarded by questions and snide comments about leaving me.
“Oh? Where to?”
“Alyssa Aldridge was talking about that new fancy place in town. It’s French and they have macrons.”
Sold.
“We’d have to get dressed up with makeup and everything, but I thought it would be a fun thing to do since Auntie Annie has Troy and Daddy’s visiting Uncle Joey for the weekend.”
“You know I can never say no to a date with you.”
She giggles.
“Good. Can we go after we take off our masks?”
“Sure thing, Sweet Pea. I’m starving.”
My post baby body is weird. None of my dresses fit me anymore and I’ve been too lazy to work out and slim down. I birthed a baby, damn it! I survived my ex-boyfriend. I deserve a little leeway. But my new boyfriend is sweet and had a better fitting dress delivered when he heard we were going out tonight.
“FaceTime me. I want to see how beautiful you look in it,” he says on speakerphone while I finish up my lipstick.
“Later. I’m exhausted. This is the first time I’m putting makeup on in a while. I forgot how tedious this was.”
“I assure you, you’re sexy without the makeup.”
I stop in my tracks and smirk in the mirror.
“I thought you said ‘sexy’ was a word you used to build a barrier to women.”
“It was. But you’re everything, Ace. Beautiful. Stunning. Sexy. Delicious.”
My cheeks heat, sending it down below. I wish he were here. I miss him so much. Once my lipstick is on, I slip on the dusty purple, wrap dress and some black heels. The skin on my arms are loose and flappy. I hate the way I look. I don’t know what he sees.
“Get out of your head, Ace. You are the most beautiful and bad ass woman I’ve ever come to know. And, I love you.”
“Don’t make me cry. It took me forever to get this dressed up.”
He chuckles.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, baby. Don’t forget to take a picture. I want to fall asleep to your face tonight.”
“I love you. Talk to you soon.”
I race out to the living room and find Zoey dressed in the pretty floral dress she wore on our first date with Derek. She holds a new book in her hands, one that we picked up earlier today.
“Ready to go, Zo?”
She dogears her page and sets the book down on the coffee table. Her eyes light up at the sight of my dress.
“Can I take a picture of you? You’re so pretty.”
Like father like daughter.
“Sure thing, babe.” I hand her my phone and pose obnoxiously so I can send it to Derek later. He’ll appreciate the ugly funny face I make.
“Let’s go. I’m so excited!” She races over to the door and swings it open. I’m surprised when I find Chris waiting on my front porch.
“Hey, what are you doing here?”
Chris grins at my question and grins at Zoey.
“The first day you and Derek met, he thought you were some rando trying to mooch off of our security.”
Oh. Cool.
“Um…”
“When he realized you were the Aria McKenzie, he felt bad for berating you. And then at the barbeque, when Charlotte, he thought you needed help. Turns out you’re a bad ass and didn’t need a damn thing from him.”
“Well…you’re damn right about that. But I don’t understand what this has to do with anything. Can it wait ‘til tomorrow? Zo and I are going out to dinner.”
He holds my hand in his and squeezes.
“For so long I hoped you’d come back home. I wanted you to see that you belong here, even though our family is pushy, overprotective, and annoying.”
I giggle. That’s putting it mildly.
“But I’m happy you’re home. I’m even happier you found a man who loves you. Truly, freely, and unconditionally loves you.”
“Chris…”
“Come on. There’s more.”
I glance at Zoey who is vibrating with excitement. She follows on with a grin that goes from ear to ear.
Annie meets me in the middle of the paved road without my baby. She better not have forgotten him!
“Where’s Troy?”
Annie gives me a shit eating grin as she rolls her eyes. “Don’t worry about Troy.”
How can I not!?
“Annie—”
“Derek knew you were the one when we went to Rico’s.”
My heart stops beating my chest.
“What?”
“He was testing the waters. He wanted to see if you liked him too. And you did. But he wanted to respect your healing. He wasn’t going to push himself on you if you weren’t ready. He was even more sure when you watched the International Space Station with him and Zoey. He thought it was cute when you cried.”
Oh, god. That wasn’t cute.
“Why are you telling me this? You guys said you liked him. He’s been lovely to me. I’m not breaking up with him.”
Annie laughs.
“Sorry for interrupting, Christopher. I want to see too.”
Chris winks and waves us along.
My calves scream in my heels when we climb the hill to Momma and Daddy’s house. I’m going to carjack one of their trucks so I don’t have to walk all the way back. Jo grins from the porch and waves to us as we approach.
“Well don’t the two of you look gorgeous!”
Zoey grins.
“She does, doesn’t she? Dad picked a pretty dress.”
My cheeks flush at Zoey’s compliment.
“Baby, did you know when I opened the shelter, I always knew you were going to be my partner in it?”
“What is with everyone today? Did I do something wrong? Is Daddy pissed because I’ve been shirking my feed duties and you’re all buttering me up so you don’t have to hear me cry later?”
Annie giggles and shakes her head.
“You have done so much, sweetheart. You’ve made a great life for yourself outside of abuse. You’ve already helped hundreds of women create their new beginning. You’ve done nothing but put smiles on everyone’s faces.”
It hasn’t always been like that.
“When you told Derek about the grant from the Live Oaks Foundation, he was so proud of you. But he didn’t want to tell you because if he did, you’d run in the other direction. He was determined to keep you around.”
And later that day, Charlie shot at him and Joey. I almost lost him. It was when I knew I was falling hard for him.
“He said when you jumped on him that day when he came back, he was going to sail to the ends of the Earth if it meant you were safe.”
My bottom lip wobbles and I already feel my makeup smudging. “Come on, guys…please don’t make me cry.”
“Head inside, honey. Know I love you.” She kisses my cheek.
What the fuck is happening? Am I in trouble?
I head inside the house and find Nate at the kitchen table. My heart soars. I wasn’t even expecting him! He stands up with a wide grin, and suddenly, Tanner, Logan, and Joey walk out from the kitchen.
Make Me Dream (The Sage Creek Series Book 1) Page 35
