Callous Heir

by Michelle Heard

  I let out a sigh as I lean back.

  Two down, a hell of a lot still to go.

  NOAH

  Kao’s already standing on the porch as I pull up the driveway.

  Damn, I’ve been so caught up with Carla and the pregnancy, I haven’t seen Kao in way too long.

  When we reach him, I give him half a hug. “Good to see you.”

  “You too.”

  I wait for Kao to hug Carla before we go inside.

  Kao and I hang back so Fallon and Carla can have a moment to hug and catch up.

  “How’s the relationship going?” Kao asks.

  “Very well.” I take hold of his arm and pull him toward the living room. “Take a moment to brace yourself,” I warn him.

  His eyes widen. “Why? Are you going to ask her to marry you?”

  I shake my head and leaning closer to him, I whisper, “Carla’s pregnant.” Kao starts to blink as if he’s going to malfunction, and it has me repeating, “We’re expecting a baby.”

  Kao nods, his eyebrows shooting into his hairline. “I heard you the first time.” He takes a moment to process the words, and then we hear Fallon shriek with excitement.

  “I guess Carla just told her.”

  Kao’s eyes lock with mine, then he asks, “Are you happy?”

  A smile spreads over my face. “More than words can explain.”

  He leans in and gives me a tight hug. “Then I’m happy for you.”

  The women come into the living room, and we instantly pull apart.

  Fallon comes to give me a hug, murmuring, “Congrats, Daddy-to-be.”

  We all take a seat, and then Fallon begins with the questions. “How far along are you?”

  Carla smiles brightly as she answers, “Raspberry is eight weeks old.”

  “Raspberry… ahhhhh.” Fallon jumps up to hug Carla again. “I love it.”

  For a while, Kao and I just sit and listen as Fallon and Carla talk non-stop, then he asks me, “Is it safe to guess that you’ll be getting a place of your own now?”

  “Yeah, that reminds me. Can I get the contact details for the agent you purchased your house through?”

  “Sure.” Kao forwards the business card to my phone, then he says, “Wow.” He stares at me as if the news only sunk in now. “I’m going to be an uncle.”

  “I’m going to be an aunt,” Fallon exclaims excitedly, then she continues, “Just let me know if you want me to organize the gender reveal party, the baby shower, and help with anything else.”

  The conversation then turns to the gender reveal party, and it has Kao standing up. “We’ll go get something for dinner while the two of you plan the baby’s entire life.”

  Rising to my feet, I press a kiss to Carla’s forehead before Kao, and I leave to get food.

  As soon as we’re in the car, Kao asks, “Who else knows.”

  I grin at him. “Only our parents, Dash, and Jase.”

  Instantly a smile spreads over his face. “When are you going to tell the rest of the family and friends?”

  I shrug. “We’re working our way through the list. We’re telling Forest and Aria when we get back to the suite.”

  “How did it go when you told Carla’s parents,” he asks.

  “It was like walking through a ring of fire,” I joke.

  Kao lets out a chuckle. “I’m sure she’s worth it.”

  Smiling at Kao, I say, “She is.”

  “Who would’ve thought you’d end up with Carla,” Kao states, a teasing tone in his voice.

  “I never stood a chance,” I chuckle. “Like Carla always said, it was only a matter of time.”

  I let out a sigh as I steer the car into a parking bay. “I’m just glad she never gave up.”

  “Yeah? A couple of months back, I remember you singing a different tune,” Kao teases me.

  Chapter 22

  CARLA

  Only one more week, and then we might find out whether Raspberry’s a boy or a girl.

  I’m sitting in the library, trying my best to focus on my work, but my mind keeps drifting to Raspberry and how happy Noah and I have been.

  We’ve gone to look at a couple of houses, but none of them were to my taste. We have time, though, so we’re not in too much of a rush.

  I let out a sigh as I read over the same paragraph for the fourth time.

  Now that our families and friends know, I’m don’t care about the other students finding out.

  I glance at the time and notice I only have an hour left before meeting Noah for dinner.

  With my hand resting on my stomach, I force my attention back to my work. With all the help Noah’s been giving me, I’ve been able to up my overall average, but I can’t expect him to help me with all my work.

  The thought helps me focus, and I manage to get half the assignment done before I have to pack up.

  Clearing the table I used, I grab my bag and make my way out of the library.

  I take the stairs down, then turn right toward the dorm. Pulling my phone out of my bag, I message Noah.

  C: Are you at the restaurant?

  It takes a couple of seconds for him to reply.

  N: I just left the suite.

  My eyes dart up, and I watch as Noah steps out of the dorm. He turns toward the restaurant when there’s a loud crash behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I watch as a car drives through the security barrier.

  A gasp explodes over my lips as students pile out of the library to see what the commotion is about.

  The car comes to a skidding stop on the stretch of lawn beside the parking area, which is right across from me.

  I feel a flutter of relief when the driver stumbles out of the car. He begins to wave something around, yelling, “Where’s Noah West?”

  A frown forms on my face until it registers what he’s holding. The blood drains from my face as my head turns back toward the dorms.

  I see Noah staring at the man.

  “Noah West!” The man shouts, sounding hysterical. He waves a gun recklessly around as he begins to stumble into the street.

  Not thinking, I drop my bag and begin to run toward Noah.

  NOAH

  Coming out of the dorm, I hear a loud commotion. My head snaps in the direction of the main entrance, in time to see a car driving right through the security barrier.

  “What the fuck?” I mutter as I watch the vehicle come to a screeching halt opposite the library.

  A man stumbles out, waving a gun at all the students in his near vicinity. “Where’s Noah West?” he shouts.

  Holy shit.

  My heartbeat speeds up uncontrollably as he turns in my direction. I stand frozen with shock as security guards run toward him.

  “Noah West!” The man shouts, sounding hysterical. He waves the firearm around as he begins to stumble into the street.

  “Noah!” I hear Carla scream. “Run!”

  My head snaps toward Carla’s voice, and all my breath rushes from my body as she sprints toward me.

  No!

  I dart forward, shouting, “Get down, Carla!”

  There’s a panicked look on her face as she runs to me.

  My eyes dart to the man, and I watch as a security guard tackles him. A gunshot reverberates in the air as they hit the concrete, and the noise sends ripples of shock racing over my skin.

  The guards manage to restrain him and kick the gun out of his reach.

  My gaze turns back to Carla, and it takes a split-second for my world to implode. She stumbles to a halt, and her eyes lock on mine before she slumps to her knees.

  “No. No. No.” I dart forward and drop down in front of her. “No,” I breathe, and then she coughs, and blood sprays over my neck and shirt.

  Fuck.

  God, no!

  Everything I’ve been taught by my mother rushes into my mind as my emotions spiral into a chaotic mess. I move behind her, and seeing the crimson stain growing on her back, I quickly press my hand against the wound to keep air from being
sucked in so her lung won’t collapse.

  My eyes dart around us, and then they lock on a guard that’s running toward us. “Get a car! We need to get her to the hospital.”

  He turns and runs in the direction of where the SUVs are parked.

  Gunshot wound to the chest has an eighty percent survival rate.

  But our baby?

  Carla coughs again, and it makes my gaze snap back to her. Her eyes are locked on my face, and seeing the fear reassures me she’s still alert.

  “You’re going to be fine,” I say as I dig my phone out of my pocket and dial my mother’s number.

  Mom doesn’t answer on the first try, so I keep pressing redial until she finally answers, “Noah, what’s wrong?”

  I ramble all the information she’ll need, “Carla’s been shot in her back. I think it hit her lung. She’s coughing up blood. I have the wound covered with my hand. We’re bringing her in. I need you to be ready.”

  “Okay. I’ll get an operating room ready for her. I’ll be at the emergency entrance to receive her.”

  Ninety-five percent survival if we get her to the hospital with her heart still beating.

  That’s all I have to do. Just keep Carla’s heart beating.

  The guard kneels next to me, and I quickly shove my phone back in my pocket. We work together to lift Carla into the back of the SUV without moving my hand away from the wound. I get in with her and then press as hard as I can against her back.

  The guard speeds us away from campus, and he must’ve had training because he’s doing a damn good job maneuvering the car through any traffic we come across.

  Carla coughs again, and it’s only then feeling returns to my body. It hits me like a tidal wave. Seeing her struggling to breathe rips my heart right from my chest.

  “My mom’s waiting for you. You’re going to be fine,” I begin to reassure her.

  Carla manages to grab hold of my thigh, but her grip is weak. “Noah.” Her breathing becomes shallow, and when I hear crackling sounds, I quickly lift my hand from the wound. There’s a hissing sound as the built-up air escapes, and then I cover the bullet hole again, applying pressure.

  Our eyes meet, and Carla struggles to say, “Raspberry.”

  “You’re both going to be fine,” I try to reassure her. “We’re almost at the hospital.”

  My heart thunders in my chest as worry for both Carla and our baby grinds against my soul.

  I glance out the front window to see where we are and let out a breath of relief when I notice we’re almost at the hospital.

  The moment we stop in front of the emergency entrance, Mom jogs toward us, and just seeing her offers me a world of relief. She yanks the door open, and I have to move quickly to get out of the way.

  I watch as they load Carla onto a stretcher, and an oxygen mask is placed over her nose and mouth. Mom glances at me, and then they’re running, wheeling Carla toward the operating room.

  I follow them as far as I’m allowed to go, and then I stand, feeling numb to my core.

  I don’t understand what happened.

  Who was that man?

  Why did Carla get shot?

  Why did any of this happen?

  My mind races for answers, but there’s none.

  The woman I love more than life itself got shot, and I have no idea what that means for our baby.

  My eyes drift closed as a helpless feeling settles darkly inside me.

  Please, Mom. Please save them both.

  Chapter 23

  NOAH

  My legs lose all strength, and I sink to my knees, my blood-covered hands lying limply on my thighs.

  I keep hearing Carla’s scream. The gunshot.

  I see her stumble before she drops to the ground.

  The sound of her coughing.

  Her blood splattering over me.

  Her eyes.

  God, her eyes. She was so scared.

  I suck in a breath as the images and sounds play on an endless loop in my mind like a horror movie.

  Why?

  Why did this happen?

  I feel hands on my shoulders, and then I’m pulled up. My sight manages to focus on my father’s face.

  “She’s in the best hands, son,” Dad says.

  I nod and murmur, “I know.”

  “Let’s get you cleaned up.” Dad turns me away from the doors Carla was pushed through and guides me to a restroom. He helps me wash the blood from my hands. Taking a paper towel, Dad wets it, and then he wipes the blood from my neck and jaw.

  When he’s done cleaning me as best he can under the circumstances, he frames my face and his eyes lock with mine. “Carla and the baby will survive. Okay?”

  I shake my head and whisper, “Why?” I suck in a breath of air, and then my body begins to convulse. I dart to the toilet, and dropping to my knees, I empty my stomach.

  I feel Dad’s hand on my back, and then he hands me a paper towel. I wipe my mouth before I get up. The shock lifts, and in its wake lies the worst pain I’ve ever felt.

  It’s sharp, merciless, unfathomable – eating away at my heart.

  I press a hand to my chest as I try to breathe through it.

  Dad pulls me against his chest and wraps his arms tightly around me. “I’ve got you, son. It’s okay.”

  There’s no comfort in my father’s arms. This isn’t a scraped knee or a black eye.

  This is… this is… excruciating.

  “Dad,” I groan. “I can’t process this. I can’t comprehend what happened.” I suck in a suffocating breath as I grip him tighter. “It’s like an equation I can’t solve.”

  “My boy,” he murmurs, his voice tight with pain for me. “This isn’t something you can solve. I know it fucking hurts right now, and you’re worried out of your mind, but in a couple of hours, you’ll see that they’re fine. Your mom is the best, and she’ll save them.”

  I’m caught in a maze where nothing makes sense. There’s no way out. There won’t be any way out of it until I find out why, until I see Carla again and hear that our baby is fine.

  Until then, I’m stuck.

  I’m frozen in time until Carla returns to me because, without her, there’s no tomorrow.

  I need to hear her laughter and her sass. I need to see her smile. I need to feel the heat from her body.

  During the past three months, she’s become… the very meaning of emotion for me. She’s love. She’s happiness.

  Without Carla, there’s nothing but cold hard facts.

  There’s no warmth.

  Dad pushes me back, and his worried gaze searches mine. “Your mother will save them both. Okay?”

  Another wave of shock and pain hits, and I struggle to take a breath. “Dad,” I groan, unable to process the intense heartache ripping my world to shreds.

  Dad’s arms instantly tighten around me again. “I’ve got you, my boy. I’ve got you.”

  I’m sitting like a zombie in the waiting room. Dad keeps rubbing a hand over my back.

  Suddenly there’s a commotion, and the room fills with Carla’s family and our friends.

  Dad gets up to talk with them, but I can’t even manage to lift my head. Someone sits down beside me and pulls me into a hug, then I hear Kao say, “I’m here.”

  I close my burning eyes, unable to say anything.

  I feel a hand on my knee, and when I open my eyes, and I see Fallon, something breaks inside me.

  The same silky brown hair.

  The same golden-brown eyes.

  I see some of Carla’s features in her cousin, and right now, it’s killing me.

  I want my Carla back.

  Lifting a hand, I cover my eyes, and the moment Fallon’s arms wrap around me, my shoulders shudder.

  “Shh…” she whispers. “Carla’s strong.”

  She is. Carla’s the strongest person I know. She never backs down from a fight. God, she gave me hell for three years.

  The thought rips a gasp from my lips as the wave of heartache wash
es my world from under my feet.

  For three years, I kept her at a distance. I was cold and downright harsh at times.

  Then I gave in, and she fucking changed everything. She turned my world on its head. She added a deeper meaning to every single second.

  “Can I bring you something to drink?” Fallon asks.

  I shake my head because I know I won’t be able to stomach anything until I hear Carla and Raspberry are fine.

  Raspberry.

  My shoulders shudder again under the strain of the distress.

  I don’t know how much time has passed, but my head snaps up the instant I hear Miss Sebastian say, “The surgery is going well. The bullet has been removed, and Dr. West is now repairing the lung and draining the blood that has built up. It should take another hour before Miss Reyes is moved to the ICU for recovery. Dr. West will see you then.” Miss Sebastian looks at me. “The baby’s also doing well under the circumstances. Dr. Wells was present during surgery.”

  I feel a slither of relief trickle through my insides. Kao gives me a supportive squeeze.

  Miss Sebastian smiles at me. “I wish I could hug you, my god-baby, but I have to get back. They will be fine. Okay?”

  I nod, still unable to form words.

  She blows me a kiss before she hurries back to the operating room.

  Getting up, I rush to the nearest restroom. The moment I’m inside, and Kao’s arms fold around me, I can’t keep the tears from coming.

  I grab hold of my best friend as I lose all control over my emotions.

  I promise I’ll be the best husband and father.

  My shoulders shudder.

  Please give me the chance to be what Carla deserves. Give me a chance to hold our baby.

  I just want them safely back in my arms.

  Please.

  After I manage to regain control of my emotions, Kao and I go back to the waiting room.

  I walk to Mr. and Mrs. Reyes, and after shaking Mr. Reyes’ hand, I say, “I’m so sorry.”

  The words sound empty to my own ears.

  Mrs. Reyes rises from the chair, and then her arms wrap around me. Getting to hold Carla’s mother offers me a sense of comfort I haven’t felt since Carla got shot. It’s like I’m holding a piece of her.