by Tee Smith
I was so sick those first months. I dropped out of school and moved back home to live with my mum. She was great. A little shocked and upset at first, but she has been my biggest support, even through her own illness.”
“Shit, Davina. Have you ever seen him again? Logan’s dad? Does he know?”
She shook her head. “I saw him around the campus a few times after that. But I wasn’t there for long. As far as I’m concerned, Logan is my son. Not his.”
“No wonder you are scared to go any further with me.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just. I don’t really know what to expect.”
Turning his body to her, his eyes found hers. “Do you want me to tell you what to expect?”
His words and the smouldering look in his eyes made her body heat up. He raised a hand and placed it on her neck, keeping her gaze in place.
“You can expect to like it. I would never do anything you weren’t comfortable with. I would never hurt you.
You are beautiful. To me, you are like a goddess, and I would treat your body like one and worship you. I would use my tongue to bring you to your knees, then I would make love to you. I would bring all of your senses to life, and when you were finally satisfied, I would hold you and never let you go.”
His words resounded in her head, and her skin tingled. No one had ever spoken to her like that before and being there with him now, she had never wanted anyone so much. Would it matter if he hurt her? Right now, she needed him. No matter the consequences. She couldn’t get a clearer thought in her head.
The hand on her neck felt hot as his thumb grazed her jawline, and her eyelids fluttered closed. She could feel her breaths coming in short spurts, and every muscle in her body ached to have him touch her.
As she opened her eyes, she saw his face moving closer to hers, and she parted her lips slightly, ready to receive his. When they met, his were soft, tender. His kisses were gentle as his tongue darted between her lips, finding hers. It was not frenzied, but there was a passion there, she had never felt before.
Her hand snaked up his back and into his hair at the back of his head, pulling him closer into herself and anchoring herself to him, drawing him in. If this was what those girls were talking about all those years ago, they were not giving it any justice. This feeling of complete and utter desire was unlike anything she had experienced.
Chapter Eleven
“Whoosh!” Logan called out.
Davina watched on as her two favourite boys enjoyed each other’s company. Hearing her boy verbalising, she smiled. He was coming along so well, and a lot of that had to do with Drew. She wasn’t sure how she had gotten so lucky. Whatever she had done, it was right. Logan loved Drew, and it seemed he loved her son just as much. He might look rough, covered in tattoos. She saw the way people looked at him. What they didn’t see was the heart of gold that beat beneath that colourful skin.
Snapping a picture with her phone, she zoomed in to capture the smile of delight on her precious boy’s face. His smile wide. Catching Drew’s eye, she couldn’t be sure which of the two was having the most fun.
Looking down at the screen, she scrolled to the left and checked the images she had captured. Logan having been shot had taught her more than anything that life was too short to let moments like these pass without capturing them.
“Hey, baby.” Drew’s voice caught her by surprise, and she looked up to find him beside her.
“Hey, where’s Loges?”
“He found some friends,” Drew nodded toward the playground.
Davina looked over to see her boy playing ball with a small group of children around his age. It warmed her heart to see that. He enjoyed the daycare he attended three days a week, although it had taken him a while to get settled. She worried he would never fit in with other children after what had happened to him. The staff had been amazing, encouraging him and reassuring her.
For the most part, he was a normal little boy, but he had issues that other kids didn’t. He didn’t communicate well and would become obsessed about odd things. The doctor had assured her that many kids, particularly following a trauma, would follow this path, but given his tender age, he was sure Logan would grow out of it.
He was her baby, and no matter what, he was always going to be perfect to her, but she wanted desperately for him to fit in. She had felt out of place all through her school life, and she never wanted Logan to feel what she had.
She smiled up at Drew as his hand dropped down onto her shoulder. “You looked like you were having fun out there.”
“He’s an awesome kid.”
“Thanks, I think he’s pretty cool, too. But I’m biased,” she laughed. “You’re so good for him. He’s verbalising more since you’ve been around. He feels comfortable with you.”
“I can’t take much credit for any of that. He has a pretty amazing mum.”
It had been a lot of work on her own. Taking care of her mum and Logan had been a mammoth task, but one she wouldn’t have changed for the world. However, having Drew in their lives made everything easier in so many practical ways. She imagined if things developed he might even one day take on more of a fatherly role for her young son.
“I wish I had met you sooner,” she sighed, dropping her head into the crook of his neck as she scanned the playground for her son. “Where is Logan?” she asked again, not seeing him.
“He’s just over there,” Drew waved off into the distance, before sitting upright in his seat. “Well, he was.”
A mixture of hot and cold washed over Davina, seemingly at the same time.
“It’s okay. I’m sure he has just wandered off somewhere, he won’t have gone far,” Drew tried to calm her. It was only when he placed his hand over hers she realised her tight grip on his forearm. “C’mon,” he said rising to his feet. “We’ll go look together.”
Hastily making their way across the grassed area, Davina keenly scanned the area. “Logan,” she called out. “Logan!”
Several parents watched on, seemingly unconcerned.
When they reached the children he had been playing with, Drew dropped her hand and approached. “What happened to the little boy that was here playing with you?” he asked.
Two of the children appeared to be around five or six, one looked about Logan’s age. One of the older children raised an arm and pointed in the direction of the car park that was obscured by a row of trees.
Davina didn’t wait for Drew, she ran toward the trees. Logan was too young to have any road sense. What if he had been run over? Within seconds, Drew was at her side, calling out her son’s name.
The parking lot was empty but for Drew’s car. He ran to the car and checked in case Logan had taken it upon himself to climb in. No sign of him.
Davina ran to the edge of the road and looked as far as she could see in both directions. There was no way he could have gone far, he’d only been out of sight for a minute.
“Excuse me.” When a lady approached her, Davina immediately recognised her as one the parents of the children Logan had been playing with. The woman tugged her own child closer and wrapped a protective arm around his shoulders. “I don’t want to alarm you, but my son just told me he saw your son holding hands with someone and walking out here.”
“Who? Who was it?” she demanded. Rushing to the boy, she crouched down to his level, suddenly aware of Drew standing at her side.
“He doesn’t know who it was,” the mother interjected. “He just said it was a lady.”
“Of course,” Davina shook her head, trying to make her thoughts clearer. “Can you tell me what she looked like? Did she speak to you? What did she say?”
The child’s chin trembled, and he turned his face into his mother’s blouse.
“I didn’t see her. I’m sorry. I was busy chatting with my friend,” the woman explained. The child broke into a sob.
Davina turned to Drew, worry etched into his face as he reached for his phone. “I’m calling the police.
”
The police. The words reverberated in her head. She needed the police. Someone had taken her child. Suddenly, the world was spinning out of control. She plunged her hands into her hair, and her knees shook, threatening to give way and have her plummeting to the ground. She heard Drew’s voice somewhere in the distance as he gave their location and described her son.
“He’ll be scared,” she whispered. “He’s only a baby.” Somehow all she could think about was that she hoped whoever had taken her son wouldn’t hurt him. He hadn’t seemed stressed. Could it be someone he knew? The playmate’s mother said he’d walked away with someone. A woman. Who would take her son?
“The police are on their way. Is there anyone else you want me to call?” Drew asked. “Your mum?”
“No. No,” Davina shook her head. “I don’t want to worry my mum. I’m sure it’s a mistake. He must be here somewhere.” Her words rushed out of her mouth frantically as she started running back toward the park area. “We have to check everywhere.”
She knew he was gone. They had told her he was gone. But what if they were wrong? They had to be wrong. It must have been a child that looked like Logan.
“Davina! Davina!” Drew called from behind her, and she turned, expecting to see him with Logan in his arms. It would all be a mistake.
Finding his arms empty the tears rushed to her eyes, and she didn’t hold them back as she collapsed into his chest. Drew’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her close.
“We’ll find him. It’s going to be okay,” he soothed.
“He’s my baby, Drew,” she cried, the words barely making sense through her sobs.
“I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I’m so sorry.”
When someone approached her, she looked up to see the park was teeming with uniformed police. The woman and child who had approached her were being questioned as were the other adults in the park. All were potential witnesses. How had she let this happen? How could Drew let her son out of his sight?
“Miss Davenport?” a policeman asked.
“Yes, yes that’s me.” Davina wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“I’m Senior Constable Therone. I’d like to ask you a few questions.”
“You need to find my son,” she spat out. “There is no time for talking. Someone has taken my son.”
Drew moved in behind her and rubbed her shoulders reassuringly. How could everyone be so calm? Why were they not looking for Logan?
“I understand your distress. We’re going to do everything we can. We have officers out looking for him already. We would like you to help us with some further information. Can you do that?”
“Yes,” Drew answered for her. “Yes, of course. We’ll do whatever we can, won’t we, baby?”
“Do you have any recent photos of Logan?” Therone asked.
“Yes, yes I do.” Her hands trembled as she pulled the phone from her pocket and quickly found the photo she had taken only twenty minutes earlier. Logan’s face was open wide in a smile as Drew pushed him on the swing. She had thought at that moment how lucky she was to have him. How her life was finally coming together, not knowing that within minutes it would be torn apart. Perhaps forever.
“Do you know of anyone who might want to take your child, Miss Davenport? Are there any custody disputes?” He eyed Drew as he spoke and she felt him stiffen at her side.
“No. He has nothing to do with his fath…” she stopped dead in her tracks. “Trent.” An image of Logan’s biological father flashed into her mind. He wouldn’t, would he? Why would he want Logan?
“Miss?” the officer prodded.
“I… ah, his biological father met him just recently. But I don’t think he would do anything. He didn’t… oh shit.” Davina struggled to get her words straight as her memory of Trent chasing her from the grocery store flashed back into her mind.
“I’m going to need this Trent’s last name and any other details you have for him.”
“Yes, of course,” she said. Taking the pen and paper from the officer’s hand, she quickly scribbled down his name and the suburb he where he lived. “I don’t know if he still lives there. I don’t know the address. I’m sorry,” she explained.
“That’s okay, we’ll run the details through the system. Is there anyone else you could possibly think of?”
Davina shook her head.
“We are going to do everything we can to find your son, Miss Davenport. It is almost always a parent or close family member that is responsible in these cases.”
The officer walked away, and she fell into Drew’s arms. His heart beat furiously beneath his chest. It was a comforting sound. It meant she was not the only one grappling with this situation. Across the park, she watched as the police huddled together, their eyes darting back and forth between herself, Drew, and each other. She wondered what they must be thinking. She was used to the prejudices of people. She knew they judged her for being a young, single parent. Was her being with Drew some kind of issue for them? Wasn’t it their job to help her find her son, not judge her?
“I’m sorry guys,” the officer announced, as he approached them minutes later. “I’ve talked to my colleagues, and they want some further information. Can I ask you to follow us back to the station?”
“Sure,” Drew said, clasping her hand tight in his.
“But what if they come back here?” Davina asked, the thought of leaving filling her with dread.
“We will have several officers remaining on the scene, others have already been mobilised,” the officer placated. “You needn’t worry about that. If Logan turns up anywhere, you will be the first to know.”
“What’s going on,” Davina asked when they arrived at the station to find August and Reese waiting for her at the front counter. Her worried eyes darted between the two of them.
“Drew, I need to speak with you alone in the interview room, please. You can wait out here, Davina,” Reese said in a stern voice before motioning to August.
“Drew?” She asked her brows pulling in tight.
“It’s okay, Baby. I’ll be back in a minute,” he said dropping his grip on her hand.
“We’ve already told the officers at the park everything we know,” she argued. “What more can you want with him?”
“We just need to ask him a few more questions,” Reese advised before turning his back and walking with Drew into the interviewing room.
“What’s going on, August?” she asked confused.
“Let’s sit down, shall we?” August asked pointing toward some nearby chairs.
“August?” She was sure August had never been so pleasant to her before. Something was up.
“Davina, how much do you know about Drew’s past?”
“A bit, why? What?”
“So you know he has a criminal record?”
The floor seemed to tilt under her. What was August going on about?
“No, I figured he hadn’t told you that. Maybe we better sit down, huh?” August clasped her elbow and led her toward the chairs. She went willingly. Everything was becoming hazy. This day was insane. Surely she would wake up soon.
“The information wasn’t hard to find. I ran his name as soon as you started seeing him. I was going to give him the benefit of the doubt, but in light of the circumstances…”
“But he was with me. Drew didn’t take Logan.” Even in her confused state, she knew what August was saying was wrong.
“No one is saying he did, Davina. He is just being interviewed in private to see if he knows more about what has happened to your son than he is letting on.”
“Drew loves Logan. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt him.”
“Davina,” August said forcefully, gaining her attention. “Drew is just being asked some more questions. You need to keep a level head about all of this. No one is saying he had anything to do with Logan’s abduction. The police are just looking at any connections he may have made whilst in jail.”
“He was in jail?” Her voice
was shrill and didn’t sound like her own. She wanted her mum. She wanted Drew to tell her all of this was wrong. Most of all she wanted her baby boy back.
The doors slid open, and a cold rush of air hit her skin. Her gaze immediately fell to the entrance, hoping against hope, she would see a policeman standing there with her son. But it was just a young couple.
“Why was he in jail?” she asked, suddenly realising she had no idea who this man even was. “Oh my god, he’s not a paedophile, is he?” She slapped her hands to her mouth. What had she done? She had allowed this stranger into her life, around her child. Was this her fault?
“You really should talk to Drew about why he was in jail, but no, he’s not a paedophile,” August advised.
Davina let out a sigh of relief. Thank god for that. Almost anything was alright, other than that. But the fact remained he had lied to her. She had trusted him, and he had lied.
“Thanks, mate,” she heard Reese say and looked up to see Drew standing beside him. “Take her home, and as soon as we hear anything, we’ll let you know.”
In a daze, she allowed Drew to lead her out to his car and help her in. Seeing Logan’s car seat in the back made her tears start up again. How could she live without her boy?
Taking a seat beside her, Drew pulled her into his arms. She went willingly, in the moment, feeling his comfort was paramount to firing accusations at him.
“We’re going to find him, baby. Even if it kills me. I promise,” he whispered into her hair.
All she could do was sob and hope he was right.
Chapter Twelve
“Here, I made you a cup of tea, sweetheart,” her mum said taking a seat beside her.
She could barely see straight. Her eyes were puffy from crying, if she thought seeing her son being shot was the worst thing that could possibly happen, she had no idea. She’d give anything to have her baby back in her arms.
