by C. A. Harms
Suddenly my phone began to ring again and I laughed, holding my hand out. “Here, I’ll take it.”
“Okay, but under no circumstance is she going to con you into going to the office. Josh’s order, sweetheart,” my mother said in her best motherly tone. “And the doctor’s. My grandson’s health and yours come first.”
“I know, mom,” I told her as I took the phone and watched her retreat to the hallway.
“Hello,” I said as I lifted the phone to my ear.
“Oh, thank god,” Margo said in a breathy voice. “Shit has gone haywire. And when I say haywire I mean completely fucked up and possibly beyond repair.”
Rarely did Margo get rattled. She could handle most anything with grace. She never grew irritated, at least not that I ever witnessed, but now she had lost it.
“Slow down,” I said as I sat up and slid back to lean against the headboard. “What’s going on?”
“Mr. Jeffreys,” she said. “He’s so pissed.”
Mr. Alan Jeffreys was my biggest client. I swear the man owned half the city and had enough money to buy any property on the market. In fact, that was what he did. He owned hotels and towering buildings all over New York.
“He put in an offer for a property in Manhattan and Sierra completed the contract,” she began, and I gripped the phone tighter.
What in the hell was she doing allowing Sierra anywhere near Mr. Jeffreys? Was she flipping insane?
“Sierra didn’t submit the offer in time and he lost the property to another bidder. Which would have been easy enough to brush off as a higher bidding, but Mr. Jeffreys knew the listing agent, and they disclosed to him they never even received his offer.” My stomach felt as if it had instantly fallen.
“Without coming off as a complete bitch, can I ask you why the hell you gave my biggest client to our flakiest agent?” I know the doctor said no stress, but I couldn’t control the rage that was filling me.
Alan was my money maker. He was a guaranteed monthly commission, sometimes multiple commissions depending on demand. Now because of this skinny little bitch I may have lost that security.
“I was out when he called and she took the call,” Margo explained. “Believe me when I tell you this has not been taken lightly. She is now in the process of cleaning out her desk. But Gabby, that does nothing to reassure his continued working relationship with this firm.”
There was a long pause.
“He won’t talk to me. I’ve tried to call, but his secretary continues to offer her apologies, only taking yet another message.” I heard her let out a deep exasperated breath. “What would be the chances of you coming in and us going to see him together?”
I laughed. It was more an exhausted, sarcastic laugh.
“I’m on fucking lockdown, Margo. Josh has me under the watchful eye of my father, and there is no fucking escape from Sergeant Major Marshall Shannon. I swear the man has planted a tracking device in my ass. If I step outside in the backyard he is there in seconds, hovering and commanding I get off my feet.” I wasn’t exaggerating; the man’s senses were insane.
“Then maybe you can call him and set up a conference call. Hell, or simply just call him yourself and try to smooth things over.” She actually sounded desperate.
“Oh, I can assure you I’m going to call him. And I’m going to do whatever I can to save this client,” I told her. “But you’re going to guarantee me that from this point on, none of my clients will be handled by anyone but you.”
“It has already been clarified and expressed loud and clear to everyone within these walls. I may have yelled and thrown a plant or two, so I can assure you every person on this floor understands.” On any other day the visual of Margo having a hissy fit may have been humorous, but at this moment I was entirely too irritated to even smile.
I ended the call and began working on fixing the fuck up Sierra had created for me. That girl better feel extremely lucky I couldn’t escape my father’s clutches, because right then I felt murderous.
Chapter 19
Josh
“What are you still doing here?” Gray was hovering in the doorway of the bedroom Gabby and I shared prior to this fucking mess Leo had bestowed upon us.
“You do realize what time it is, don’t you?” He looked irritated as he looked at his watch and back at me.
“I do, I just…” I started to give him an excuse, but he held up his hand to stop me.
“Save it, man.” He walked toward me and grabbed the laptop out of my hands. “Get the fuck up and get dressed.”
“Gray,” I hollered after him as he walked toward the door, still holding my laptop.
Before he exited the room he turned around to face me. This was one of the few times he gave me that “Don’t fuck with me” stare he reserved for the bad guys.
“Brook and Audrey have gone through a lot of trouble to plan this day. They just want us all to have a little bit of fucking normal for a change. It’s for your son, man. Put your family first for a day and pull your shit together before you regret it.”
Before I could respond he walked out and left me with his words.
***
An hour later Gray and I pulled up in front of Marshall and Judith’s house. Cars lined the street in front of their home, and blue and yellow balloons were tied to the porch swaying in the breeze.
“One afternoon,” Gray said, pulling my attention away from the house. “Just give Gabby one afternoon to enjoy the old version of you. The one before Leo changed you.”
He didn’t wait for me to argue as he opened his door and climbed out of the car.
But if I was being honest, there was nothing to argue about. Leo had changed me. Not only Leo, but Frank’s involvement had changed me too. And I was finding it harder and harder to pull myself out of the darkness.
I stood back and watched from the doorway of the kitchen as Gabby was fussed over by friends and family.
Aunts and cousins had come to celebrate the life of our child, and suddenly I felt like an ass for pretty much abandoning her for weeks.
After Mike and the shooting, I grew even more obsessed with putting an end to everything. The reality that she pretty much had gone through this entire pregnancy alone sat heavy on my shoulders.
Even though I was here now, my mind was still somewhere else, constantly going over the case and avenues we might need to look into further. I had looked over all the reports from our encounters with Leo so many times I could see them if I closed my eyes.
To think that we had him so close once before that we could have ended him makes me sick. But we let him go to fry the bigger fucking fish, and in turn the joke was on us. Leo was the bigger fish.
Excited gasps filled the room, pulling me back to the present.
I found Gabby sitting on the couch holding out a blanket in front of her. When she turned it to allow everyone to look at what she was seeing I couldn’t stop from smiling. It was the first time anyone would be allowed to know the name we chose for our son.
Embroidered in the center of the quilt made by her aunt was the name Asher Joshua Phoenix. Each square surrounding it had some embroidered car or truck, giving it the boyish touch.
Tears streamed down Gabby’s cheeks as she lowered the blanket to her lap and stared down at our son’s name.
A lump formed within my throat as I watched her set the blanket aside and excuse herself from the room.
All eyes shifted in my direction, panicked looks and concerned creases on their faces.
I quickly moved in the direction Gabby had gone as I followed the hallway that led to the bathroom.
I tapped on the door and leaned against it. “Gabs, let me in.”
Silence filled the air as I waited impatiently for her to open the door.
“Baby, come on.” I tapped again as I tried to twist the handle. “Unlock the door, sweetheart.”
There was another uncomfortable pause before I heard the soft click of the lock on the handle.
When I opened the door I found her sitting on the lid of the toilet with her head hung low. Instantly I lowered myself to the floor and outstretched one hand on each of her thighs. “What’s going on, pretty girl?”
She shook her head as if to tell me no, but I wasn’t letting her brush this off as some hormonal outburst. I knew better. Gabby wasn’t emotional unless there was a good reason to be, especially with an audience the size of the one in her parents’ living room.
“Tell me,” I pushed as I leaned in a little further so I could at least get a small glimpse of her face.
“I wanna come home,” she whispered.
It wasn’t what I expected her to say.
“I miss you. Even though you rarely know I’m there because you are so engrossed in all things Leo, at least I can see you. I feel like there are a million miles between us all the time, and even today I feel it.” It was then that she lifted her head and our eyes connected.
“You’re here, but you’re not.” Her lip trembled as she tried to fight her emotions.
“I’m right here,” I told her.
“No you’re not,” she pushed back. “Name one thing we got today besides that quilt.”
When I couldn’t she laughed, but I could tell it was forced.
“See?” she said. “I understand your need to focus on this case. But I need you to understand that I need you too. I lost you once already, and the day you came back to me I felt like everything fell into place. It was like a part of myself had been found, and I felt whole again.”
When she took in a deep breath I could hear the shuddering vibration within it.
“But lately I feel like I’m losing you all over again, and this time I’m not sure you’ll come back to me.” It was then that the tears fell, and I felt like I had been stabbed in the chest.
“I just want to be home with you. Even if you rarely acknowledge my existence, it’s better than not seeing you at all,” she confessed, and once again my chest fucking ached intensely.
I rose up on my knees and wrapped my arms around her tight as I pulled her close.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered into her hair.
I held her like this for some time before a knock on the door caught my attention. I turned as it was pushed open and found Marshall standing in the open door frame with a hard look on his face.
“Everything okay in here?” he asked.
“It will be,” I assured him.
I turned back to look at Gabby as I spoke my next words. “Once I get my fiancée and son back home with me.”
Marshall started to argue but I knew what had to be done.
“It’s not up for discussion, Marshall. I’m taking Gabby back with me. If you don’t agree with that, you’re more than welcome to follow us back to the city.” Gabby’s eyes widened, but I didn’t hear another word out of her father. Only a small click as the door behind me was pulled shut.
We eventually made it back to the party, and this time I sat right by Gabby’s side as she continued to open the gifts people brought for our son.
It nearly broke me seeing and hearing how much she was hurting inside.
Here I thought getting her out of the city and sidetracked with her parents’ was the best thing I could do for her, but I was wrong.
I looked up to find Grayson and Audrey entering the front door, both with angered looks on their faces. I could instantly tell something was wrong.
When Gray motioned with his head for me to come, I leaned over and placed a kiss to Gabby’s cheek. “I’ll be right back, sweetheart,” I told her as I quickly lifted myself from the couch and moved across the room.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“We have a little bit of a problem.” Gray didn’t even wait for me to ask any further questions before pushing the door open and walking outside to the front yard.
“What the hell, Gray?” I was confused by his actions.
“He’s been here,” Audrey said as she jogged up to my side. “Or at least someone has been. Someone who wasn’t invited.”
Chills covered my arms and traveled along my shoulders and back as Grayson moved to the side and I saw what it was they were referring to.
Tick tock…
The time is near, Josh. Is Gabby ready for me?
It had been written across the windshield of the car Gray and I drove earlier.
A sick feeling filled my stomach, and suddenly I realized the one place I thought Gabby would be safe wasn’t safe at all.
Chapter 20
Gabby
I could hear them whispering. They would just smile and pretend everything was okay but I knew different. I was well aware of the tension and unsettled looks upon their face.
I was pregnant, not completely blind or stupid.
I let them all continue with the charade of all around us being perfect and peaceful.
I knew it was their way of keeping the stress off me, but what they had not yet figured out was that I was so on edge, I constantly felt like I was being watched.
It wasn’t like we were on the first or even the second floor, yet I refused to leave the blinds on the windows open. It was just too creepy.
Every night since my baby shower I woke with the feeling someone was in the apartment. Yet I knew the chances of that were slim. I had two FBI agents living in the same apartment and could not forget a third one had setup a constant surveillance feed pointing at my front door at all times.
Josh had even gone as far as having an alarm system installed that took a special series of numbers in order to deactivate.
It all made him feel better, but me—it just made the reality of the situation that much more tangible.
All the neighbors outside my parents’ were questioned and interviewed. Josh and Gray had gone door to door asking if anyone had seen anyone who may have left the message on the Lincoln Josh drove.
But there was nothing that could lead them to the culprit.
For Leo to do it himself would have been a risk we all knew he wouldn’t take, which meant it truly could have been just about anyone.
And that thought alone was terrifying.
There was no way to know who Leo had reached.
No way to know who I could trust.
And no way to know when that person would strike again, or the extent they would go to appease Leo.
***
I woke from a nightmare to a darkened room. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my stomach and around to my back as I gripped my stomach, squeezing my eyes together tightly.
“Josh,” I said through gritted teeth, fighting through the pain.
But there was no answer.
Immediately I felt the bed beside me as yet another pain ripped through my abdomen. It was empty.
“Josh,” I hollered out, louder this time.
“Oh fuck,” I gasped as a rush of liquid seeped into my pajama pants and ran down to the mattress below.
Just then the bedroom door came open and a stream of light from the hall lit the room.
A look of panic covered Josh’s face as he searched the room before settling his gaze on me.
I watched as he took in my position, hunched forward, holding my stomach.
“My water broke,” I whispered as my stomach tensed once again. “I’m having contractions,” I continued as he moved closer, a look of confusion on his face.
“But it’s not time,” he replied.
“I’m pretty sure your son doesn’t give a shit if we’re ready. It would appear he is.” I began moving off the edge of the bed, and Josh’s eyes widened.
Reality sunk in and he quickly reached out and helped me from the bed.
Just then Brook appeared in the doorway, looking as if she had just gone through a wind tunnel. Her hair was everywhere and her t-shirt hung halfway off her right shoulder. Oh…and it was on backward.
When Grayson stepped up behind her wearing only a pair of loose shorts, I could imagine what my screaming in agony had interrupted.
The next fifteen minutes was like a whirlwind of crazy as they all three sprung into action.
I could only imagine what the four of us looked like as Grayson and Josh attempted to carry me around from room to hallway. Hallway to elevator. And finally from the elevator to the lobby where Russel, the night watchman, watched in amusement.
Brook trailed behind, holding my bag close as she barked orders to both men.
If I wasn’t in pain and feeling extreme pressure between my thighs, I may have laughed at her bossiness.
Once I was placed in the waiting car that somehow Josh and Grayson had arranged, I looked in the front seat to find Trevor smiling wide. “You ready to have a baby?” he asked.
I could only nod as Grayson jumped in on my left, Josh on my right, and Brooklynn piled in the front seat.
It was absolutely absurd. I was like the god-damn coming attraction and they all had front-row seats.
The ride to the hospital was filled with each one of them directing Trevor on the best, fastest route. Poor guy.
But the greatest part about it was that he remained calm and took it upon himself to choose his own route, yet never stopped the three maniacs from telling him to turn left when he chose right.
If I wasn’t trying to hold back from screaming, I might have laughed at the entire display.
Once we arrived, Josh jumped from the vehicle before it even came to a complete stop and began yelling at the paramedics walking out of the doors toward their waiting vehicle.
“My wife is in labor,” he barked, and that comment was rewarded with a small smile. His wife.
The woman paramedic turned back toward the doors and stepped just inside before a nurse came out pushing a wheelchair.
Chapter 21
