SECRET BABY AT THE ALTAR

by Claire St. Rose

  “Angel?”

  “I… I thought that you were gone,” she said.

  Kane nuzzled her neck, and his lips raced towards her ear.

  “Not gonna happen,” he said. “It’s you and me now. For good.”

  Theo tried to push the ball back into Kane’s hands, and he took it on cue bounced the red rubber to Theo’s delight.

  “It’s us,” Kane said. “Like a real family.” Brent set the table with a scowl, and Kane was on his toes as he extended his hand to him and said, “I’m here to stay. And I swear to you that I’ll look after them with my life.”

  Shrugging him off, Brent gave a faint nod and went back to the pouring the coffee. As Theo clung to her, Angeline knew that it would take some time and a miracle to make her father believe it. But he wasn’t poised for a new fight—and that was something. “Well, then you should sit down to breakfast I guess,” Brent said.

  Angeline fed Theo and let Kane hold the spoon every few seconds. She took note of the fact that Theo gobbled down his oatmeal quicker when it was Kane’s hand curled around the spoon, and when the boy was fully fed, Kane wiped his mouth clean with a napkin and smiled.

  “Eats like a champ, too,” Kane said. “What can’t this kid do?”

  “Sleep,” Brent answered. Kane and Angeline looked to Brent in unison, as he kicked his chair back. “Rough night all around,” he said. “Think we both need a nap.”

  Brent was not taking no for an answer as he started to carry Theo from the table; but, at the last second, he brought the wide awake boy back and let him touch Kane’s face. Angeline had to smile as her child played with the nose of her burly biker, and when Kane kissed his finger, she fell in love with him all over again.

  “He really likes you,” Angeline said.

  Kane brought Theo into a bear hug and patted his back as he smiled. “Feeling’s mutual,” he said. “You made a great kid.”

  Brent stated plainly that Theo had to get some rest, and then they were alone for the first time since her bed. Kane took her hand and asked her to join him for a walk. Looking over her shoulder one more time, she made sure she heard no crying from the nursery. When she was finally confident that everything was fine, she gripped his hand and let him lead her back to the place where they had reunited. She could still see the rustled leaves, and her body wilted when she thought of him inside her. Kane didn’t make that move now, but he did turn her to his chest.

  “I want to ask you something,” he muttered.

  She nodded into him, and Kane lifted her face into his hands and smiled down at her.

  “When we’re clear,” he started, “when the danger’s gone, I want… I want…”

  Before she knew what was happening, Kane was on his knees as he clutched her hand. Angeline knew what he would say next, but she pressed her free hand to his lip and stilled him into silence.

  “I… I’ve wanted this,” she said. “Just this. For so long.”

  Kane stood tall and took her into his arms.

  “Now you have it,” Kane said. “I want to marry you. I want this for keeps.”

  Angeline started to fall into his arms when he held her back and stared at her hard.

  “Say yes, Angel. I need to hear it.”

  Her heart was too full to speak. But just the thought of how he was with Theo caused her to nod, and it seemed to be enough for him. “I’ll take it,” Kane said.

  As the leaves rustled above them, Angeline imagined sharing the good news with Theo. He had already taken to Kane, and she would make him understand that his father wasn’t going anywhere. Just the thought of it brought a skip to her step, and Angeline started to drag him through the woods, her excitement intensifying with every step.

  “I can’t wait—”

  When they burst through the door, the house was a disaster. The furniture was turned over, and there was shattered glass everywhere that she looked.

  “What the hell?” said Kane.

  Moving away from Kane’s side, Angeline’s first thought—her only thought—was of her son. Crying out his name at the top of her lungs, she flew into the nursery and screamed into her hands.

  “Oh God! Oh no!”

  Brent was lying on the floor, bloody and beaten. He would need her help. But first, she had to see, to know…

  “Theo?”

  As her eyes found the crib empty, nothing, not even the feel of Kane’s strong hands on her shoulders could ease the ache that worked its way like a crown of thorns around her heart.

  CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

  “No,” Kane muttered under his breath, as his fingers pressed into Angeline’s quaking arms. “He… he can’t have found me. Not this soon.”

  A low whine started in the pit of her stomach, and as her trembling deepened, an anguished wail consumed the nursery. She had to grip the crib’s rails to keep from falling. However, it was no use; her legs gave out, and she was on the floor as Kane fought desperately to fold her into his arms.

  “It’ll be okay, Angel,” he promised. “We’ll find him.”

  Just minutes ago, she had wanted nothing more than to linger in his embrace and rest her head against his broad chest. But now his arms were an extension of an enemy that had returned to tear away the most precious thing in her life.

  And even if he promised, Kane couldn’t snap his fingers and make it right.

  “Angel, I—”

  “Let go of me!”

  Pushing away from him, Angeline crawled to her father’s side. She cradled his head with her shaking hand as she helped him to sit up.

  “Angie,” he groaned through his bloodied lip. “I tried to stop them. I swear.”

  “I know, Dad,” she said, as tears streaked her face. “And was it Noel?”

  He nodded angrily. “That’s what he said. Had… two others with him. Big dude and a black guy.”

  “Ben?” Kane asked. Immediately, he was with Angeline, trying to keep Brent talking, but Angeline could not bring herself to meet his eyes.

  “I don’t know,” Brent said. “Assholes weren’t exactly giving out names.”

  “Where is Theo?” she demanded. “Where is my son?”

  “They… they just took him, Angie. Said something like they were taking him to make up for what they lost.”

  Kane formed a fist and pounded it into the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kane seethe; but, for the first time, she almost wished that he hadn’t darkened her door again—not if his presence meant that Noel would sell her child or harm his innocent flesh.

  “I’ll kill him,” Kane said. “I swear to God—”

  “Just stop!” she screamed.

  What could he do? Kane hadn’t even been able to save himself from the worst of Noel, so how could he bring Theo back? What if it was already too late and Theo…?

  No. She couldn’t think like that.

  Brent groaned again, and Angeline righted the rocking chair. She didn’t ask for Kane’s help, but he was right there helping her father off the ground. When she touched his ribs, he flinched. Feeling his sides quickly, she couldn’t be sure if anything was broken, but she knew that he needed help.

  So did she.

  “I’m calling the police,” Angeline said.

  Running from the nursery, her mind kept Theo alive, but her soul wrenched at the thought of him crying out for her, his arms reaching into the air only to be met by Noel’s cold fingers. What if Theo’s cries provoked him to shut her sweet boy up with a slap? He would only cry harder, and Noel might not quit until he was quiet…

  I’ll kill him myself if he hurts him.

  She started to dial the phone when Kane ripped the receiver from her hand and turned her to face him.

  “Angel, don’t,” he pleaded. “Cops’ll just spook him.”

  “I don’t care!” she said, as she tried to break free of his hold and make the call.

  “He just wants him as a bargaining chip,” Kane said. “He’s after me.”

  “Theo wouldn’
t be that if you hadn’t… if you…”

  Her eyes locked on his. Kane’s stare was sympathetic, but she didn’t need his pity or his empty promises that they would get out of this. She needed her son back, and her rage erupted.

  “Why couldn’t you just leave me alone? Why?” Pounding her fists into his chest, Angeline hit him hard, spitting in his face as his body absorbed her blows. Kane made no effort to shield himself from her assault, and she started tugging at his hair and slapping his face wildly. “You should have gone somewhere else! Anywhere else!”

  “Angel.”

  “You know what he is! And you led him here! You bastard!”

  She kept hitting him, and soon she had him backed against the wall. As Kane took his beating, she watched his eyes close. Even in her frantic state, she suddenly realized that she was doing the one thing that she had sworn would never happen to him again. She was hurting him. And it wasn’t his fault. It was Noel’s. And it was for hers for dealing pills all those years ago. And for believing the monster when she had to know… when she should have known that Kane would never leave her.

  “Oh my God!” she wailed.

  Her fists came to a stop, and she collapsed into his chest. Kane had sacrificed everything for her, and this was how she was paying him back. She had it right last night. He should run from her at the first chance. If Theo was still here, she would have placed him in her father’s arms and demanded that he do the same.

  “Angel?”

  She was on the ground, shaking and crying, and when he seemed sure that her blows had ended, he took her into his arms. She tried to back away from him, but he was not taking no for an answer. “It’s okay,” he whispered as he stroked her hair. “I want to hit someone, too.”

  Her voice was muffled as she moaned into his chest. “But not you,” she said. “I just… I just…”

  Lifting her eyes to his face, she blinked back tears. He sadly smiled down at her and steadied her face in his massive hand.

  “And we’re going to get him back,” Kane said. He kissed her head, and his lips found their way to her ear. “We’ll find him,” he promised again. “But no cops. That’s not the way.”

  “But what are we supposed to—”

  The shrill ring of the phone cut into the room, and they looked together at the spot where the receiver had landed. Kane kept his arm around her shoulders, as he reached across her and answered the call.

  “Hello?” he said in a voice that barely masked his rage.

  Angeline gripped his arm and brought her ear close to the phone, hoping to hear some sign of Theo alive—even if he was crying.

  There was nothing but silence for what felt like an eternity, but finally the most unwelcome voice broke through the line, as she heard Noel say, “We made quite a baby, Angel.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

  Angeline tried to snatch the phone from Kane’s hands, wanting nothing more than to howl at him and tell him that if even one curl was out of place, she would rip his heart from his throat and stuff it into his mouth. But Kane held her tighter and spoke in smooth, eerily even tones.

  “Where the fuck are you?” Kane asked.

  They both heard him take a drag off his smoke, and he only continued after he exhaled. “Not too far gone,” Noel said. “Like not at the bottom of a cliff.”

  Angeline gasped, and Kane kept her steady. Somehow Noel knew. Had he been following him from the first moment that he had fled with Ben leading the charge? Was it all just some joke? Some game at their expense?

  “Truckers talk,” Noel said. “I figured you’d high tail it back to that sweet piece of ass, and he brought us to where you faked the whole thing. Ditching your jacket was a nice touch. But it didn’t fool me. I know the way you ride, kid.”

  Feeling as if she would explode through her skin, Angeline couldn’t wait any longer. She grabbed the phone and screamed, “Where is he you fucker? What are you—”

  Her voice came to a halt as the sound of Theo’s cries hit her ears. For the briefest of moments, Angeline was relieved to just know that he was still alive. But he sounded more scared than she had ever hear him, and when the word Mommy started to mingle with his tears, Angeline wished for the power to leap through the phone and collect him in her arms.

  “Theo! Baby!”

  Kane took the phone again, his jaw clenching as he spoke.

  “Give him back, Noel,” Kane ordered. “They have nothing to do with this.”

  “Guess we can agree to disagree,” Noel said. “But okay. The cunt can have her brat back if you come home and focus.”

  Here was the way out, the fix that he had promised, but Angeline saw him shudder at the prospect of having to go back to the club and Noel’s wrath. He might keep him alive to keep him working, but what kind of a life would it be? Kane as a shell of the swaggering man that had first captured her heart? As much as she wanted Theo back, it seemed too great a price to pay when the crime was hers.

  “Fine,” Kane said. “Where do we meet?”

  She started to tell him no when he waved her off and started exchanging details. Angeline had to move fast if she was going to make this work, and she disentangled her body from Kane’s arms. Finding her purse, she grasped her cell phone and made her way back to the shattered nursery.

  “Dad,” she said. “Here.”

  “What’s going on?” Brent asked.

  “Call for help, but don’t tell them about Kane or… or my baby.”

  Brent’s face shifted into a mask of concern as she bit her lip and wiped the blood from his face.

  “Angie?”

  “You need to go to the hospital,” she continued. “But just say that we’re out and on our way to you.”

  “Is Theo ok?”

  “I know how to keep them both safe.”

  Hugging her father, she kissed his bruised cheek and ran out of the room. Kane already had her keys in his hand, and he spoke without looking at her.

  “I’m taking your car,” he started. “He said that the boys will bring Theo home.”

  “And you really believe that?” Angeline asked, as she took his hand.

  “I have to,” Kane sighed. “Only way I’m going to get through this.”

  He was nearly out the door when she followed after him. “I’m coming with you,” she said.

  “No, you’re not!” Kane said, as he took her face in his hands. Their eyes locked, and Kane kissed her passionately, his mouth claiming hers with so much longing that it could only mean the last time. And maybe it was. But she was still going with him.

  “He’s my son, and I say how he comes home,” Angeline said.

  Kane still seemed reluctant, but when she held his gaze, he stretched up and touched her face.

  “You stay close to me,” he ordered. “He doesn’t get to touch you again.”

  She nodded, and they hopped into her car.

  Kane started to hit the brake as they neared a quiet patch of woods. Noel had been truthful about one thing; he wasn’t too far. Peering through the windshield, she saw three bikes, and she recognized Ben and Waldo as they awaited Kane’s approach. In that moment, her rage was for Ben. Maybe he hadn’t tricked Kane into running away, but he had to have a hand in bringing Noel to her door before they had a real chance.

  “I… I don’t see Theo,” she whispered.

  Parking the car, Kane told her that she need to stay behind him as he stepped from behind the wheel.

  “What the fuck?” Kane said, as he lifted his hands in the air. Angeline stayed at his back as Ben lowered his gun and slowly shook his head.

  “Not my call, man,” he muttered. “But he beat Gina bad. So I talked.” Ben stepped forward and hung his head and said, “I’m sorry.”

  Angeline knew bits and pieces of Gina’s story, and she disobeyed Kane’s order and stepped forward even as he tried to hold her back.

  “But she’s alright?” Angeline asked.

  Ben cast Waldo a quick glance before turning his eyes bac
k to her.

  “She’ll live,” Ben said, and Angeline was grateful.

  More so when Noel appeared from the shadows of the trees, and Theo was only whimpering quietly as he moved towards them.

  “You know, in another life, I could have made a real Blood Brother out of this little shit,” he said.

  No. Not my son. Not under your watch.

  “That is not happening,” Kane said, as Angeline wished that she could have Theo and make all of it a bad dream.