by J. L. Berg
Liv wrapped her arms around me and held me as we wept together, mourning the sudden loss of innocence we’d felt.
The world was not a safe place to us anymore.
It had taken the one thing that was pure and good.
And all that remained was despair.
~Liv~
Every time the phone rang, my heart leapt and firmly lodged in my throat.
I knew our friends and family meant well. I knew each and every one of them was calling because they cared, but I needed them to stop.
I needed it all to stop.
Nothing in my years of training and professional experience had ever prepared me for this. I didn’t know how to mentally process this sort of loss.
In my mind, we’d already lost.
How could we get Noah back when I couldn’t give Natalie the one thing she wanted?
I looked over at the phone, willing it to stop, begging it to end its constant reminder of my failure.
I didn’t deserve anyone’s empathy or love. Jackson’s tight hold around me only furthered my belief that I should have stayed away. I should have kept them safe.
“You’re spiraling.” Jackson’s quiet voice cut through the silence. “I can feel the guilt seeping through your pores.” He pulled back, and our tired, wet eyes met. “I can see it wrapped up in your soul, Liv. You can’t blame this on yourself,” he said, grasping my hand in his.
“She would have stayed away if it weren’t for me,” I cried out.
“No.” He shook his head. “She would have come back eventually. She was just waiting for an opportunity. If this were just about money, I’m sure she could have found a hundred ways to rip off some other lonely bastard far easier than hurting us. This was about revenge.”
“I just don’t understand why someone would do this,” I whispered.
“And you never will. Don’t try. Focus on getting him back. That’s what we need to do.”
A lone tear trickled down my cheek as I took a moment to study his features. He looked worn and haggard, nothing like the man I’d woken up beside a few days earlier, yet there was a fierce determination I recognized. I’d seen it the night of the dinner party when I told him we would never work and again the day I’d heard my father basically say that I was nothing more than a way to the White House.
Jackson’s family had been threatened, and he was struggling to find a way to piece it back together again. He always said that I was a part of that sacred circle, but until now, I hadn’t really believed it.
“How do we get our boy back?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but we’re not going to let her win.”
“I was hoping I might be able to help with that,” a deep voice said behind us.
We both turned around to find my father standing by the back door, dressed in jeans and a dark jacket with a baseball cap.
“Senator, how—”
“The back door was unlocked. A few police officers and media personnel are still outside, but I figured I’d try to slip in unnoticed.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“What I should have done a long time ago,” he said. “The right thing. Let’s get to work.”
~Jackson~
Natalie texted me the address an hour after we’d hung up.
It was an older hotel just outside the city.
I was to deliver the money in exchange for my son—alone.
I still couldn’t believe this was happening.
I said good-bye to Liv. I kissed her softly, letting my thumb slowly rub across her cheek one last time. Then, I walked to the car and tried not to think about how fucked-up my life had become in the last twenty-four hours.
Two days ago, my biggest fear had been whether or not I had enough Froot Loops to last me through the week, or if anyone would ever take me seriously at another job interview.
Now, without Noah, everything else seemed completely trivial.
I drove in a daze. Streets, cars, and trees all passed by me in a blur until I reached my destination. The hotel had seen better days, but it wasn’t the worst place I’d been to. It had a roof and a working sign.
Natalie had at least given Noah shelter during his captivity.
By now, he had to know something was going on. Hours had passed, and the morning sun was just peeking its head over the horizon. Noah must have realized his innocent afternoon reunion with his mother had been anything but.
Was he scared? God, had she fed him?
A million questions rolled through my mind as I parked the car. I entered the building while my brain tried to comprehend what I was about to do.
I easily found the room. Taking one final breath, I raised my hand to knock, ready to meet the demons of my past.
The door creaked open, and Natalie appeared. She was just as I remembered her. Tall and exotic with curves to spare, she smiled, but I saw the malevolence hiding behind her dark brown eyes. There, creeping beneath the charm, was the true Natalie—the one who would lie, cheat, and steal from those who trusted her, the woman who would kidnap her own child.
“Where is he?” I demanded, not bothering with a proper greeting.
“Safe.” She smiled, pushing the door open wider.
I looked around from one double bed to the other, searching for him, but I found nothing.
He wasn’t here.
“Where the hell is he?” I asked, pushing past her. I searched every corner, every inch of the room and adjoining bathroom, but Noah was nowhere to be found.
“So anxious.” She sighed. “I told you, he’s fine. He’s in the lobby with a friend. I thought we might need a few minutes to catch up.”
I turned around, furious, and met her gaze. “We have nothing to discuss. I’ve done everything you asked, Natalie. I made myself look like an absolute ass on TV last night, saying my son’s disappearance was a huge mistake. Liv drained her trust fund. What more do you want?”
“You. I want you.”
“What?” I said, completely blindsided.
She took a step forward, her low-cut tight jeans accentuating every step. “I want you, Jackson. I’ve decided I was a bit too rushed with my disappearance. I hadn’t taken the time to properly say good-bye. I don’t believe in making the same mistake twice.”
My eyes went wide with shock as I backed away. “You’re fucking insane.”
“No. You want to know what’s insane? During the years we spent together, you swore you loved me and that you’d take care of me, and then I found out you had done nothing but hide from me. When you love someone, you share, Jackson. Everything. You had us living like paupers when we could have been royalty. Why?” she yelled, backing me into a corner. “Why didn’t you give me everything I deserved?”
Her eyes were manically darting back and forth. I saw wildness and that same deceptive need to control I’d been confronted with when I first arrived.
Beyond that, I saw the girl I’d fallen in love with all those years ago.
Somewhere along the way, Natalie had been broken or abused. I wasn’t sure how much of it had occurred before I met her, but since leaving me, it had become irreparable. The woman now standing in front of me was nothing but the remnants and shards of the bubbly, vivacious girl I once knew. I’d never seen a greater tragedy.
“I tried,” I said. “There was nothing more important to me than you and Noah.”
“You lie.”
“I know you think I was hiding the money from you for some sneaky, underhanded reason, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I had nothing but the greatest intentions for us. I had such plans for our future, Nat. We would have had that house you always wanted with the wraparound porch and a Dalmatian running around in the backyard. You could have continued your art while I practiced law. It would have been a great life,” I said softly.
A tear trickled down her cheek. “Why can’t we have it now, Jackson?”
“Sometimes, life doesn’t give us second chances, but there is alw
ays time for healing.”
She nodded her head and collapsed in my arms. For the first time since arriving, I didn’t feel repugnant by the thought of her touch. Wrapping my arms around her, I held her as she wept—for her mistakes and grievances, the brokenness of her situation, and the life we would never have.
It was the closure we’d never been given and what she so desperately needed.
By the time her tears began to dry up, the room door was pushed open, and three officers made their way in.
Natalie’s wide eyes met mine.
“I’m sorry, Natalie, but I had to.” Turning to the police officer to my right, I said, “Noah’s downstairs.”
More tears flowed from her as she sobbed through the cuffing and reading of her rights. As the officers escorted her out of the room, she turned back toward me one last time.
“Tell him I’m sorry, Jackson. Tell him I’m so sorry.”
I nodded. “I will. Good-bye, Natalie.”
“Good-bye, Jackson.”
Then, she was gone—for good.
Rather than feeling relieved or happy, I just felt nothing.
~Liv~
I’d been instructed by the burly redheaded cop to stay in the squad car until they gave the all-clear. I had fully intended on following his directions to the letter of the law. He looked scary, and I didn’t want to screw up this plan we’d spent all night concocting.
After my father had arrived the night before, we’d made the hard decision to include the police. If Natalie got wind that we had double-crossed her, we would run the risk of possibly losing Noah forever, but it was one risk we had to take.
We were in over our heads.
Kidnapping wasn’t something to take lightly, and luckily, my father had been able to contact the proper authorities discreetly and without media attention. His untraceable phone had helped as well.
I didn’t even want to know how he’d gotten his hands on one of those.
The cops didn’t think Natalie had the ability to run surveillance or had anyone working with her, but with a child involved, they were taking extra precautions.
Everything had been planned carefully and with precise calculation. Every last penny had been withdrawn from my father’s bank account and placed in a briefcase for Jackson to use in the handoff. Even though we knew she’d never get farther than the hotel doorway, seeing him walk away from me with all that cash had still seemed like a dream—or rather a nightmare.
The plan was to wait ten minutes before following Jackson inside. We wanted Natalie completely occupied when the cops stormed the room.
When I’d been told to stay behind at the house, I had adamantly replied to the men in charge, “Hell no.”
Reluctantly, they’d allowed me to ride along in the back of one of the unmarked squad cars—as long as I agreed to behave.
Three minutes had turned into five…then eight as we stood by. I stared at the run-down motel as I waited for a sign that something, anything was happening.
As my mind lit off a hundred different scenarios, the men in the front seat prepared to go upstairs.
“You stay here, Ms. Prescott.” The burly cop said.
I nodded. “Please keep them safe.”
“That’s our job,” he said with little emotion.
I’d never been much of a religious person, but in that moment, I nearly fell to my knees in that backseat, begging any deity within earshot to please hear my silent plea and protect my family.
Within minutes, two of the officers were racing back out of the building toward the entrance. My head darted back and forth as I searched for any sign of Noah or Jackson, but neither were visible.
My heart raced frantically as I watched them storm the lobby.
Minutes later, the redheaded cop walked back out with his arms wrapped around Noah.
I leaped from the car and raced across the parking lot toward him.
“Liv!” he cried, tears racing down his cheeks, as he flung himself into my arms.
“Oh, thank God!” I sobbed.
My hands went everywhere, searching every single hair on his head and up and down his body, just to be sure he wasn’t injured.
“I’m okay. I’m okay,” he kept chanting.
“I was so worried,” I said, tucking him into my body. “Have you eaten? Were you scared?”
“Yes, and not all the time. I mean, yes, I was scared when it started to get late, and she wouldn’t take me home. I knew then that I’d made a bad decision going with her. But she was never mean to me. When she’d first shown up, we talked about me and school. I could kinda tell that she was distracted, you know?”
I nodded, urging him to continue.
“Then, when it got dark and we showed up here, she stopped talking and just began to pace—back and forth, over and over. That was a little scary. After a few hours, she calmed down and started asking me about my teachers and stuff. I think she actually listened then,” he said.
“But this morning, when she woke me up, she looked agitated and distracted again. She told me to go downstairs for the continental breakfast, and she made me swear I wouldn’t run off.” He looked frightened.
“You were brave,” I assured him.
The police officer escorted us back to the squad car where I’d promised to stay, but I obviously hadn’t. As he opened the door, I looked over and saw her.
Her hands were handcuffed behind her back while two uniformed officers were on either side of her. They swiftly walked her to the opposite side of the parking lot where a police car was parked and ready to take her away.
As she passed, our eyes met, and I saw the raw pain radiating through them. Her gaze quickly darted to Noah, and then she looked away as if it hurt too much to do so.
As I was pondering what the hell I’d just witnessed, Jackson appeared, and he was immediately covered by two sets of arms. Noah hugged his waist while I wrapped myself around his shoulders as I softly kissed him.
It was over.
“Let’s go home.” He breathed out a sigh of relief as he bent down and kissed Noah’s forehead.
“I’ve never agreed with you more.”
~Jackson~
“I should have known,” I said. “I should have done more—helped her.”
Liv’s hands trailed down my naked chest as we lay in bed, watching the moonlight dance around the room. Hours had passed since we sat outside of Noah’s room, waiting for him to fall asleep. We’d spent almost the entire day on the phone, assuring everyone that we were all fine and safe, and all I’d wanted to do was sit there and listen to him breathe.
Walking away had been difficult, but I knew now that he was safe. Natalie would most likely be serving time well into his geriatric years. The thought should have given me relief, but I felt little.
Could I forgive the woman who had kidnapped my son? No.
I couldn’t help but question if I hadn’t played a slight part in everything that happened.
Had I really known the woman I claimed to be in love with? Or had I not cared enough to learn?
Looking back, there was so much about her I didn’t know—chunks of her life I’d never bothered asking about. Had she purposely kept them from me or did I not care enough? I could blame it on youth, but deep down, part of me wondered if I just hadn’t wanted to know the real Natalie.
“You can’t help someone who doesn’t want it, Jackson,” Liv urged.
“I just can’t stop thinking that if I’d taken the time early on to be more…caring or attentive, maybe she would have found the help she so desperately needed, and none of this would have happened.”
Her hand cupped my cheek, and I found myself staring into her deep brown eyes.
“You can’t be responsible for everyone, Jackson. I know you have this innate sense of duty to protect those you love, but don’t be pulled down by the actions of others. Each of us makes our own path.”
“I hated her for what she did to me and to Noah. But seeing her break in fr
ont of me…I only wish things had worked out differently for her. I don’t long for the life we could have had, but anything is better than where she ended up,” I said, nuzzling my head close to hers.
“You’re a good man, Jackson,” she whispered.
“Would you think less of me if I told you that I never want to leave this bed again?”
“Considering the barrage of concerned calls we’ll both have to face all over again tomorrow and the police coming back for our statements once again, I wouldn’t blame you one bit.”
I smoothed down her dark hair, loving the way it almost seemed to glimmer under the light coming through the window. It had been a long day. After we’d rescued Noah, everything had seemed to unfold in a great blur of events. We’d received endless phone calls and questions, and an onslaught of media attention had swarmed the house when word had gotten out that a suspect was captured.
At least my embarrassing statement on the news was now nullified. Dozen of hate messages had begun pouring in from concerned citizens over the misuse of tax money over my faulty AMBER Alert.
Liv’s father had helped where he could, fielding questions and issuing blanket statements for the family as a whole. The assistance was greatly appreciated. It hadn’t made up for everything in the past, but it certainly left the possibility of something more between Liv and her parents open in the future.
While the world had exploded around the three of us, we’d tried to focus on each other. The phone rang, the door bell rang and sometimes it seemed like peace and quiet would never come.
But none of it mattered because we had him back.
The phone would eventually quiet, the media would find something else to talk about, and our lives would return back to normal with just the three of us.
“Dad,” a small voice uttered from the doorway.
“Yeah, buddy?” I replied, lifting my head to find him slowly walking toward us.
His hair was a mess, and he looked so much younger in his sleepy state. “Can I…I mean, would you let me—”
“Come on, get in here,” I said, answering the question he was so scared to ask.
He gave a relieved smile as I lifted the covers and scooted over, so he could crawl between us. He nuzzled into my pillow and curled slightly onto his side. I looked over to find Liv watching him, her hand reaching out to push away the loose piece of hair that had fallen into his face.
