by Mimi Barbour
Within a very short time, Lelonde had been fitted with a vest worn under his shirt. When the goffer came back with the hot drink Aurora accepted it and passed it to Lelonde. The lock pick set arrived and Aurora held out her hand.
Cory stepped up and knocked it away. “Not a chance, Aurora. You know that ain’t going to happen.”
“Cory, I need this. You have to admit, I’m the best with locks.”
“Makes no difference. You’re too close to the conflict. If Jane saw you, it could jeopardize the con and wreck all the progress Kai has made.”
Aurora swallowed the pleading words that had gathered in her throat and coughed. She blinked back the tears so close but not yet dripping. Without thought her hands came together under her chin as if she were saying a prayer.
“I’ll stay out of sight. I promise.”
“No.”
“God Cory, do you need me to beg. I will. I—”
“Dammit Rory, don’t do this to me.”
The next words she whispered. “I’d do it for you.”
Cory stood in front of her not moving. Then all of a sudden he grabbed her as if to shake her. Instead he hugged her close and also whispered, “You got me with the tears, Brat. Didn’t have to pull out the big ammunition. Go get your family.”
Chapter Forty-Four
For Aurora, the elevator moved slower than wind on a still day. Lelonde fidgeted and she spoke to calm him. “Marc, can I call you Marc?”
“Yes, of course.”
“First I’ll unlock the door and stay in the hall until it’s safe. You’ll enter the room as if it was a normal work day and she was expecting you home. Act as natural as possible. Hand her the drink in a way so she’ll accept it. Now be absolutely sure to call the baby Lucy. Tell her something like how you’ve been anxious all day to hold your daughter once again.”
“I can do that. But you must understand. My wife is very smart and can see through any ploy easily.”
“You heard your wife on the radio, Marc. She’s not at her best right now. She’s tired and caught between reality and make-believe. She wants to see you. If you play along that it’s a normal day, we’re hopeful she’ll follow your lead.”
“I’ll do my best, Detective.” Pale and obviously shaken, Marc first rubbed his forehead and then his eyes.
Poor man! He was a wreck. A person didn’t need to be a skilled detective to see he held on by a very fine thread.
Once they arrived, Aurora got to work and in a few seconds had the door unlocked. “Be gentle, Marc. Jane’s responded so well to Kai because his voice is pure corn syrup.”
A slight smile lit up his face just as Aurora had hoped and he nodded. He entered and when he went to close the door behind him, she stuck out her foot to stop it from shutting all the way.
Then he sauntered into the room calling, “I’m home, Honey!”
Jane swung in his direction. “Marc? I-I didn’t expect… You’re here?”
“Yes, dear. I’m a bit early.”
“You’re early? I have no dinner cooked.”
“It’s fine, sweetheart. I’m not hungry.” Aurora loved that he kept his voice monotone yet easy-going. “I brought you a nice cup of your favorite Chai tea. It’s hot and yummy, just the way you like it.”
So far he’d ignored Kai and she hoped that Jane would also.
“That’s nice of you! How did you know I was so thirsty?”
“You’re always thirsty for chai lattes.” Slowly, Marc’s voice grew fainter and Aurora knew he’d advanced to give Jane her tea.
Taking advantage of him being the center of attention, Aurora peeked into the room. It was easy to see Kai perched on the floor but moving ever so slowly toward a baby blanket not far from him. His hands were cuffed in front and he left them lying casually in his lap.
“Lucy is napping, Jane. Do you think it’ll wake her up if I hold her, very gently? I’ve thought of nothing else all day but cuddling my beautiful daughter.”
“She’s sleeping, Marc.” Jane began to sound a bit peeved. “Don’t disturb her.”
In the mirror, Aurora saw Marc lean over Lily and let his hand caress her hair so very tenderly. “She’s lovely, isn’t she Jane. So perfect.”
Jane breathed deeply, a shuddering sigh and astonished everyone with her next words. “We can’t keep her Marc, can we? We have to give her back.” A sob reared, so heartrendingly pitiful that it tore the last of the vengeance from Aurora’s soul. One mother’s pain spoke to another’s heart and compassion sprouted.
“Yes, my dear.”
“I love her so much.”
“Yes, I can see that.”
“Take her. Give her to her father. The poor man has suffered long enough.”
Aurora saw Kai undo the handcuffs that weren’t locked in place and slip something inside his waistband under his shirt. Then she watched him stand as Marc passed him the sleeping angel.
For the very first time, Kai cradled his precious daughter. Tears ran down his cheeks—tears that matched her own.
Chapter Forty-Five
Within minutes, Ham and Cory arrived and helped Aurora to stand. Her legs had given out completely. After the emotional scene inside the apartment, she’d stayed in the hallway, back against the wall, legs bent and her dripping face nestled into arms crossed over her knees.
Her yearning to hold Lily and never let her go had yielded to the recognition that Kai had needs also. Seeing such a man, so strong, so muscular, so damn manly loving his tiny daughter had to be the most poignant thing she’d ever witnessed.
She wasn’t worried about the perp anymore. Marc and Jane hadn’t moved from the chair where she’d sat. All the while he knelt in front of his wife, Marc stroked her face, whispering words of encouragement and love.
Aurora, aided by Cory, stepped into the room. She crossed to Kai who grinned his joy while his daughter, bubbling with her own satisfaction, pulled at his nose and patted both cheeks. As soon as Kai saw Aurora, he kissed Lily on the forehead and held her out to her mother’s reaching arms.
Oh God! Thank you!
Snuggling her baby’s face into her neck, Aurora leaned her own cheek against the soft downy black hair and breathed in deeply. Oh God! She’s really here.
Lily seemed to sense who held her, maybe Aurora’s scent or her sound, but when Aurora kissed Lily’s cheeks, forehead, neck, ears everywhere her lips could reach, Lily allowed the embrace. She lay still and if one believed in miracles, one would believe the child recognized her mother.
One stared at the other and for the first time since the day’s conflict began, Lily opened her mouth, scrunched up her body and wailed. Screams grew to ear-splitting levels as her tantrum continued. Panicking, Kai wrapped his arms around both his crying females and tried to shush them.
Jane, who’d slipped into a drugged stupor, returned. Upset by Lily’s crying, she pulled away from the capturers who were guiding her from the room and approached Kai and Aurora cautiously. “Lucy’s hungry. She’s crying because she hasn’t eaten.”
Instinctively, Aurora whipped Lily away from the woman to protect her with her own body. She couldn’t speak, but she knew her eyes did so for her.
Jane shrank back into Marc’s reaching arms and let Cory and Ham lead her away, handcuffed, pitiful, stumbling—a lost soul.
One of Kai’s trembling hands patted his daughter, while the other tried to calm a babbling Aurora whose words of love were gushing out.
“Hush, my beauty. Mommy’s here now. Everything will be fine, Lily. Mommy’s here.”
The next thing Aurora knew, Kai had swept her up and carried her and a displeased Lily to the same large armchair Jane had vacated. He sat her down and then said, “She needs you to feed her so she knows she’s safe and that it’s you here with her.”
In the time it took for Aurora’s shaky fingers to unbutton her white, shirt-like blouse and free herself, Lily had worked herself up into a mess. Aurora had never seen her child act this way before.
<
br /> Tear poured from under Lily’s long spikey eyelashes. Her hands had balled into fists that paddled at the air. Her chubby blue-clad legs kicked her wrath, keeping time to her howls.
“She doesn’t know me.” Aurora’s voice broke.
Panic crawled into her happiness, churned her stomach and promised retribution if she didn’t deal with the situation and soon.
“She’s probably pissed cause she’s just realized you haven’t been around. Once she’s fed everything will be fine.” Kai sounded as if he knew what he was talking about. His calm statement worked and she tried again to offer her body to Lily who still refused to accept her.
“See! She doesn’t want me.” Looking at Kai, Aurora knew her horror showed when she saw him flinch and turn pale.
Knowing that her hotshot was now floundering and wouldn’t be any help, she understood it would have to be up to her to persuade Lily to stop. So she let her intuition take over.
First she lifted Lily to her chest and let her cuddle in close, a habit they’d had since the day of her birth. Rocking back and forth, singing the song Lily loved, the one that had always worked like magic, Aurora patted Lily’s fanny and worked a miracle. The hysterics waned taken over by hiccupping, body-shaking breath heartbreaking in their own pathetic way.
This time when Aurora offered her breast, the hungry little lips closed and Lily suckled, drawing. Her lips pursed, her globby eyes attaching themselves to Aurora’s. All the while she ate, she scrutinized her mother.
Kai watched, amazement spreading over his happy expression. “She’s settling down. Wow! She’s a hungry little rug-a-muffin.”
“Must take after her daddy. First she has a tantrum and then expects to be treated nicely.” Aurora dared Kai to smile back at her cheeky grin.
He did. Then he said. “If she grows up to be a gorgeous woman like her mother, she can have all the tantrums she wants and her grateful daddy will always be there for her.”
“Does that work the same for her mother?”
He kissed her lips, nuzzled her neck and then whispered. “Don’t push it, Darlin’!”
Chapter Forty-Six
When Lisa Jordan, Aurora’s partner, heard the news on TV that Lily had been found, she immediately plopped down on the carpet and burst into tears.
For little Noel, she’d managed to keep it together during the celebration of life she’d held for her sister.
She’d bitten her tongue and kept a smile plastered on her face all the time she’d cleaned and sorted the precious items that had surrounded Carly while she’d been alive. Her clothes and jewelry and the stuffed teddy bears she’d been addicted to.
They’d all ripped at her emotions, clawing at her heart trying to force her to let loose but she’d maintained that blasted stiff upper lip. Sometimes she’d even copied Aurora’s attitude by being flippant so as not to show her vulnerability, and it worked. It just didn’t come naturally.
Once she knew that Lily had been abducted, it became almost impossible to keep those controls in place but still she’d managed. Frustrated beyond belief at not being able to help her best friend and partner had all but killed her.
Many times she’d wanted to scream with fury and if she could have had one minute with the sicko who’d do such a despicable thing as to take a baby from its mother, it would have been hard time keeping her gun holstered.
If it weren’t for the big brown eyes of her nephew who clung to her every waking moment, she’d have given in and gone back to Vegas immediately. But he needed her nearby, being strong and proving her love every minute so he knew how much he meant to her and that he was safe.
Somehow she sensed that if she fell apart, it would frighten him and just maybe she’d loose some of his trust. In his incredibly sharp little head, she’d been accepted as the one now in control and she couldn’t blow it with tears.
Earlier that day, before his nap, shadowing her as usual, he’d shown what his thoughts were by the questions he’d hesitantly asked. They’d been snuggled on the sofa watching his favorite cartoon when he’d pushed away so he could see her face.
Thick, curling dark brown hair surrounded chubby, little boy cheeks and his big brown eyes drilled into her with a shrewd stare for one so young. “You weally want me to live with you, Auntie Lisa? Like be your little boy? So we can be a family?”
Having troubles periodically with his r’s had always charmed her, and when Carly had been alive, they’d giggled about it and even purposely made the same mistakes as a joke.
Hearing Noel’s mispronunciation in the sentence he’d just asked made her bite down hard on her bottom lip as she fought to stay cool. Only the tears drenching his searching eyes, kept hers at bay.
She cleared her throat and took a very deep breath. “Noel, I have a story for you. When your mommy told me she was going to have a baby, I thought to myself, no big deal. Babies are okay. Just not for me.” Lisa made sure Noel saw the truth shining from her eyes. “Then you arrived all red and squawky… and cute as a button. And as soon as I held you, I fell so much in love with your funny little face that I knew I’d give anything to have a little guy just like you.”
Noel grinned happily but still needed confirmation. “We’ll live together forever?”
Insistent little man wanted more reassurance, but she understood.
“Yep! You and me, buddy. I know a nice lady who loves little boys. Like she’s crazy for ‘em.” Lisa rolled her eyes and made a funny face. “She must be goofy, right?” This time Noel let loose with a belly laugh. “So when I go to work, she’ll look after you. Her name is Mattie. I work with her husband, John. After I finish work, just like your mom did, I’ll pick you and bring you home with me so you can cook my supper and put me to bed. How does that sound?”
Giggling now, Noel answered. “You have to go to bed early and brush your teeth.”
Whether or not this reassuring discussion did the trick, Lisa wasn’t sure but Noel seemed happier for the rest of the day and went to bed with her only having to lay beside him for a short time before he fell into a restful sleep.
Now, letting the tears flow, crying for Aurora’s happiness and for her poor dead sister and their dreams of a new life in Vegas, she cleansed herself of all the fear and sorrow that had ridden her shoulders like a shroud.
From the first day Lisa had arrived and taken Noel’s chubby little three-year-old body into her arms, her decision had been solidified in the concrete called love.
A sense of anticipation erupted. She’d be his family, his protector. She’d take care of him as if he were her own beloved child and she’d be the best damn auntie a kid could ever ask for.
Wiping her cheeks and blowing her nose, she headed to the kitchen to plug in the kettle for a last cup of hot chocolate before calling it a day.
A knock on the door stopped her and had her turning in the opposite direction. Must be their neighbour Mrs. Litel checking in on Noel, she thought, as she whipped it open.
Instead of a plump motherly soul standing there, the handsomest man she’d ever seen leaned nonchalantly against the doorframe holding a huge bouquet of colorful flowers.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Cory sat in Aurora’s office, smiling at the two lovebirds. All the while, like a pro, he held a drooling, thumb-sucking Lily. “Considering you only worked to help out over a bad stretch Rory, I think you can take whatever holidays you want now for a honeymoon.”
The blush settling on her cheeks pissed her off and made her voice gruff. “I only need a couple of weeks. And stop calling me Rory or I might forget to come back.”
Ham, who’d stepped into the room in time to hear her announcement let go a booming laugh and jokingly added, “She’s baaack!” He winked in Aurora’s direction and quickly aimed his way to Lily. Holding out his arms for his turn to hold her, he glowed when the little flirt arched his way and grabbed his fingers.
While cuddling Lily, Ham moved to the computer and set it up for them to see an incoming c
all. “I came to tell you that Lisa is skyping. Says she’ll be online in a few minutes and needs to talk with you, Rory.”
Moving fast behind her, Kai enfolded her in his arms and took the opportunity to press his body up against hers for a hug. “No bloodshed, Tiger. I want Ham to be healthy enough to attend the wedding.”
“Well he’ll be in the hospital if he keeps bugging me with that stupid nickname.” On purpose she growled the words to add emphasis to her statement.
Of course, it did no good, since the Irish crooner was too busy singing a childish limerick to an entranced Lily.
Cory was no help. He leaned back and smirked. “So when’s the big day?”
“Soon,” Kai said.
“We don’t know for sure,” Aurora added.
“Real soon!” Kai reiterated to the amused smiles from the two men who chuckled in male sympathy.
Aurora scoffed, but softly. The man couldn’t seem to step a foot out of place with her. Even though she knew it went against her grain, she wanted to please him more than a puppy with a new master.
She should’ve been ashamed of herself, but she was too frigging happy. Kai was the only man she’d ever wanted to spend her life with. Knowing he wanted her in the same way made every nerve in her body quiver with pure mush.
His devilish blue eyes smiled at her as he asked, “Is Lisa your partner?”
“Uh huh. Didn’t want to work with anyone else after you left but she gets to a person. Doesn’t she, guys?” Aurora aimed her remark at the two hardened cops still fawning over a contented Lily.
Both nodded in agreement. But Cory spoke. “She’s a hoot, a damn good cop and Rory’s right, she gets to you.”
Kai had to ask. “How do mean she gets to you?”
Playfully, Aurora stuck her rude finger up at Cory but turned to Kai and answered. “She babbles all the time. Takes four sentences to describe something where anyone else would use one. And she knows things. I can’t explain but she comes out with the weirdest shit she collects in her head. And it doesn’t matter who you are, she’ll talk your ears off. Drives me batty—”
