Echo (The Butterfly Series Book 3)

by Isabella Redwood

  Shortly after my surprise pregnancy announcement, Sophia confirmed she was expecting too and at just two months behind me, I was ecstatic that we could be pregnant together.

  Kissing Nicholi goodbye I drove out to meet Sophia for coffee with Caitlan and Liam, the twins and JC still at school.

  ‘I’m looking forward to the school holidays.’ I was excited to spend some time with JC and we were planning to go to Disney World again.

  ‘How would you feel about us joining you all down there?’ Sophia asked as I nodded a resounding yes.

  We chatted about anything and everything for an hour before she finally plucked up the courage to tell, me what had been bothering her, stunning me into silence in its wake.

  ‘He is getting married again?’ The words barely computing at the revelation my father and his nurse girlfriend were tying the knot.

  ‘Apparently he is besotted with her and the feeling is mutual,’ shaking her head, she too completely shell-shocked by the news.

  ‘Are you going to the wedding?’ The thought alone giving me hives as she shook her head in agreement.

  ‘No way. I barely see them and when we do, it is so forced and unnatural. He is a stranger to me now,’ taking a sip of her smoothie as I did mine.

  ‘Oh, I almost forgot, grandma sent you a few things for the baby. She sent them to me for your shower, but they are too cute to keep and one is extremely sentimental I cried buckets when I saw it.’ She handed me the packages, I peeked inside, my eyes surveying the contents and felt the tears building up. She had made the baby a patchwork quilt in the shape of a family tree, including pictures of our families, thankfully leaving our father off.

  ‘That is absolutely beautiful,’ crying along with Sophia as my phone rang.

  ‘Baby, what’s wrong?’ Nicholi hearing my voice and knowing I had been crying was on full alert.

  ‘Grandma has made the baby a quilt and it is the sweetest thing I have ever seen.’ Welling up at just the thought of it, I could hear him audibly sigh with relief.

  ‘I just wanted to let you know I will be late for dinner. I have a client meeting and the proposal is taking longer to finish than I hoped.’ Remembering only too well how difficult it could be with new clients, I completely understood, hanging up to continue my lunch with Sophia.

  The day of our ultrasound arrived and I watched as Nicholi held Caitlan with JC hanging onto his other hand all so excited to find out what we were having.

  I was certain I was right this time and as the ultrasound tech positioned the probe for a clear shot, I could clearly see my theory was right.

  ‘Congrats, you are having a little boy,’ she announced as JC screamed with delight and Nicholi wiped the tears from his eyes.

  ‘Momma, can he share my room?’ bounding around completely in love with the idea of having a baby brother as I buckled Caitlan into her seat. ‘Next time, Caitlan, it will be a sister for you,’ he smiled with satisfaction as I turned to Nicholi and he nodded in agreement.

  ‘I’ll see what I can do,’ winking at JC and climbed into the car, ready to leave.

  Nicholi got a call just as we were about to pull out, stopping to take it, I watched his face as he processed whatever the caller was saying to him.

  ‘I understand, yes, thank you.’ He hung up and turned to me, his expression unreadable.

  ‘What happened?’ biting my lip in anticipation as he said the words I thought I would never hear.

  ‘They have found someone who can get the data off the disc. It is being shipped to Hong Kong tomorrow.’ He took my hand as we both stared at each other completely incredulous.

  ‘I will believe it when I see it,’ shaking my head, but feeling more positive this time I turned on the radio, wanting to distract us all.

  Two months had passed and the disc was long forgotten in the excitement of Caitlan starting to crawl and our Florida holiday. JC was thrilled she was more mobile and before long she could crawl as fast as he could, playing together on the floor with screams of laughter as they hid from each other.

  Nicholi had been working late a ton and I was longing for our holiday to kick back and relax together.

  Washing the last few items, I had the kids in bed and was just scooping myself some ice cream when Nicholi pulled into the drive.

  ‘Hey, baby.’ He pulled me into his arms and planted a kiss that had my stomach flipping and my arms lingering around his neck.

  ‘How was your day?’ Talking together about architecture was so much fun and I loved his passion and drive for it, just as much as mine.

  Packing the last few items, we were all set to leave and falling asleep in Nicholi’s arms, I drifted into a dream world.

  The phone ringing penetrated my mind, but the pull to sleep was too strong I blocked it out.

  ‘Lexi, it is Sophia,’ Nicholi shook my arm gently as I checked the time and started to panic.

  ‘Soph?’ my voice groggy as she animatedly told me the news and I thought I was dreaming.

  ‘She is what?’ Sophia had to repeat it three times before the information finally dropped in and I hung up completely shell shocked.

  ‘What is it?’ his brow furrowing until my giggles started. I could not stop and by the time I was able to form words, my head was spinning and my eyes watering.

  ‘Dad apparently was sleeping with the maid and he has gotten her pregnant.’ Saying the words I never thought I would hear let alone speak had me phoning Sophia back.

  ‘He is so old, I know, eww,’ cringing at the thought of her sleeping with him. ‘I guess he still has his charms.’ Something that was not lost on any of my mom’s friends, but still made me feel like I needed to shower in response.

  ‘Wow, I can’t believe it,’ Nicholi was shaking his head stunned as the baby kicked and we completely forgot everything other than our family and our dreams for the future.

  JC woke up first, too excited to wait any longer and carrying his sister into our room, declared we just had to wake up now.

  Fixing breakfast for us all making Mickey waffles for an applauding audience, I turned my nose up at the coffee Nicholi was drinking, the sign it was definitely a boy, having experienced the same symptoms with JC.

  ‘Sorry, baby.’ He dumped his drink out and joined us with fruit smoothies instead. I made extra, seeing Cross pulling up with Sophia and the kids.

  ‘Hey, bump buddy,’ grinning at my sister as she guzzled her smoothie and demanded more.

  ‘Is there anything you are not good at?’ winking at me as I refilled her glass and reached to answer my phone. ‘The queen of multi-tasking,’ she smiled as I left the room to get better reception.

  ‘Hello, who is this?’ trying to hear, but the voice was so muffled I could not make sense of it.

  ‘This is Stark Technologies. Is Nicholi Veneto available?’ realising I had picked up his phone by mistake I turned to tell him but paused instinctively.

  ‘This is Mrs. Veneto, his wife. Can I take a message?’ holding my breath, the company name so familiar as I recalled why.

  ‘Yes, can you please tell him we have recovered the information off the disc he has sent us. There was just one file on it, a video recording and we have copied it onto a disc for you. It should be with you by next week.’ Hanging up I processed the information.

  ‘Who was it?’ Nicholi asked following me into the hallway as I took his hand and led him into the living room, closing the door behind me.

  ‘It was the tech firm about the disc. They have retrieved the data and are sending it out to us next week.’ I still did not completely believe it, but the smile it brought was worth it.

  ‘This is terrific news,’ he gushed pulling me into his arms as JC opened the door, eager to be on our way.

  Rushing through the gate having got stuck in traffic I had not had a chance to tell Sophia and not wanting to spoil our vacation with the whole focus being on the disc, I asked Nicholi to not mention it either.

  Arriving in Florida, JC was boun
cing off the walls, picking up the mountain of baggage we had bought with us. Nicholi and Cross carried it all to the car, refusing for either of us to assist as usual.

  We had two suites at Animal Kingdom Lodge again and surveying the view, I declared this my most favourite Disney hotel. Giraffes pottered past as gazelles and elephants wandered around unrestricted, it was truly a magnificent sight.

  ‘Momma, can we move here,’ JC pleaded, holding Caitlan’s hand as she attempted to stand, so eager to copy her big brother in every way.

  ‘I think we should stay at Daddy’s hotel next time.’ I watched Nicholi’s eyes light up knowing he had sold his design to Disney for the 4our Seasons hotel and it would be finished next year.

  ‘Our hotel,’ Nicholi corrected as we all gazed out onto the Savannah, the picture perfect moment.

  Watching the firework display on our last night here, the baby doing summersaults in response to the noise, I let my mind wander to the disc and whether it would be waiting on the mat when we arrived home.

  ‘Whatever it is, whether it is something or nothing, we will get through it together.’ Nicholi read my mind and pulled me against him as I looked up to the sky and longed that it would bring resolution.

  ‘I love you,’ mouthing the words as the noise overhead was deafening as the fireworks reached their crescendo.

  ‘I love you too,’ Nicholi yelled as the fireworks finished and the people stood either side of us laughed in response.

  Tossing and turning for hours, I eventually gave in and padded to the kitchen to get a drink. Sophia was also awake and I sat down next to her handing her a bottle of water.

  ‘Soph, there is something I have to tell you.’ I watched as she looked up, processing my facial expression.

  ‘You recovered the data?’ nodding as though she already knew the answer and I confirmed her assumption.

  ‘What do you think it will show?’

  Something I had long agonised over, but could never see the answer being something that we would want to know.

  ‘I don’t know, but whatever it is, we can deal with it,’ taking her hand as Nicholi entered, sitting down next to me.

  ‘Hey, I am missing the party?’ Cross joined us and taking Sophia’s water downed it.

  ‘They got the disc working,’ Sophia announced filling Cross in as we digested the information and looked to the future.

  ‘A life without bodyguards, can’t say I would miss them,’ Cross teased, wrapping his arm protectively around Sophia as I lay my head on Nicholi’s shoulder.

  ‘Bedtime?’ he whispered and I nodded, his eyes catching fire with mine instantaneously as we forgot everything other than each other and our longing.

  Boarding the plane, I patted it, our good luck charm and sat down next to Nicholi and JC. Caitlan was falling asleep before we took off and feeling my eyes close after virtually no sleep last night I joined her shortly after.

  Arriving home, Nicholi instantly checked the mail and finding nothing from overseas, we continued our day as normal.

  Making dinner for everyone, I focused on the task at hand and was quickly distracted helping JC who was desperately wanting to learn to peel the potatoes.

  Having practised a bit, he declared me cutting them into shapes, painting with them with his sister was definitely preferable, and by the time dinner was over, they were in desperate need of a bath.

  Filling the tub, JC and Caitlan splashed and soaked everything including me as I laughed with them and Nicholi handed me their clean nightwear ready for bed.

  Settling them down for the night, I could not help noting Nicholi’s disappointment and reading over his shoulder, I saw the reason why.

  ‘There was a fire at the post office in Hong Kong, everything was destroyed. They are sending us a new disc.’ He flopped down on the bed completely frustrated.

  ‘Nic, we need to let this go. Look how crazy it is making you,’ imploring him, but it was no use.

  ‘Baby, I just want to keep you safe. All of you. This is the only way I can do that.’

  He was so confident the disc was going to answer all our questions and I threw the covers over my head in frustration.

  Peeling them back tentatively, he smiled his seductive smile and before long I was wrapped in his arms, lost in the moment and drowning instead in my desire for him. A thrilling cocktail I never tired of.

  The next two weeks passed by quickly, JC was back at school and loving this terms projects. Nicholi was busy with work, but home each night by six and I was beyond ecstatic every time he pulled into the drive.

  Sophia had found out she was having another little boy and together we were enjoying our pregnancies. Life had returned back to normal, as we knew it.

  I had not checked the mail today and arriving home from the supermarket carrying Caitlan I saw the envelope sticking out from amongst the bills and catalogues.

  Settling Caitlan down for her nap and grabbing a water bottle out of the fridge, I stared at the brown envelope for the longest time, as though I had secret super powers yet to be discovered and my eyes would penetrate the outer surface.

  Picking up my phone ready to dial Nicholi, I paused. I needed to do this. If it were nothing or something profound, I could prepare him. Making my decision, I pulled back the envelope and prised it open. Seeing the plastic DVD case, I broke the seal and carefully took it out.

  Crouching down on my knees I switched the TV on, it beamed to action instantly and placed the DVD into the player. My hands shaking, throat raw as I waited for it to display on the forty-inch screen.

  Closing my eyes I heard a voice I would never forget and opening them quickly I could see Larissa and my father sat on a bed together. They were chatting and giggling like any other couple.

  I watched as my father lovingly and tenderly kissed Larissa, before looking her in the eyes and saying the words that I never even in my darkest nightmares could hear.

  ‘Kill them, kill them all. She is nothing but a cheating whore and will never let me go without a fight. One daughter is a whore just like her mother, the other a conniving deceitful bitch. Did they ever think I would fall for it? End it now.’

  I dropped the glass of water its shards scattered across the hardwood floor throwing rainbows against the magnolia walls. A flutter caught my eye at the window. Its golden yellow wings penetrating the dark recess of my mind.

  My father had told Larissa to kill us.

  Dropping to the floor, I picked up the phone that was lay on the sofa, longing for his voice. The velvet thread penetrating my soul as images of him flashed before my eyes. The first time we made love, his proposal, our wedding. The night we found out, we were pregnant. Anything to diminish the terrifying and all-consuming hatred that was about to spew out, like a volcano, suddenly receiving a charged force, springing into life. Its red-hot molten lava flowing without regard and causing untold destruction.

  ‘Hey, baby. Miss you, How is your day going?’ Nicholi asked, waiting for my response, but the words would not form, could not. How could they? How could I tell the man I loved that the person who was supposed to love her above all else, cherish and protect her had asked his girlfriend to brutally murder her and his entire family.

  ‘Lexi, what is it?’ his voice pitching as it echoed down the void of my conscious. I could tell he was running and I still could not speak.

  ‘Lexi, please, just tell me you are okay. I’m coming, baby, I’m coming,’ pleading and reassuring at the same time. I held my breath and finally managed to squeak out a response.

  ‘Drive carefully.’

  I sat crouched down on the floor wrapping my arms around my legs and stared at the television screen, the image of my father’s eyes, dancing, like the devil about to enact his greatest plan.

  Nicholi talked to me all the way home, calming, soothing, reassuring and as I heard his car pull into the drive and his feet pounding against the hardwood floor as he ran and pulled me into his arms, I could finally talk.

 
; ‘My dad, it was him.’ My hands were shaking as I clutched onto Nicholi’s shirt, not wanting to be an inch away from him, not now, not ever.

  ‘I don’t understand, what was your dad?’ Nicholi questioned, trying desperately to penetrate my mind and bring me back to reality, something I was running from at Olympic speed, this could not be happening.

  ‘The disc arrived; it is a video of my father and Larissa.’

  Handing him the remote, my lips quivered as he held me in his arms, his face terrorised from the reflection of mine. Hitting play, I hid my face in his chest, not wanting to see those eyes. Those haunting eyes that were not from the man I had attempted to try to love me, but the eyes of a monster. A cold calculated killer that would murder his whole family rather than let them go and live their lives, happy and safe away from him.

  I felt Nicholi gasp, tightening his hold on me as we both sat on the floor, completely traumatised by what we had just seen.

  Desperate to forget, to see anything else other than his eyes, revelling in the torture he was about to inflict, I looked at our pictures.

  My husband, my son, my daughter. The ultrasound of our baby. The pictures of Sophia, Cross and their children, my grandparents, Seth, Chris, and finally the one picture I had that I would never look at in the same way again. My mother. She was so happy, her hair slightly tousled in the wind, her eyes glowing. I remembered her telling me about that picture. She was at the beach with our father, it was their first date and she said it was love at first sight.

  Everything my mother had ever said that had stayed with me poured into my head. A never-ending flood of quotes, suggestions, and her thoughts.

  Remembering one point that never was more accurate and relevant than now, I recalled the day I was discussing my friend and how she was suddenly changing. A butterfly, scarlet red flew past and she pointed to the beautiful creature to emphasise her point. Something she reminded me of throughout my short life with her. I wondered if she knew this would be the advice, I would need right in this moment.