by Chanel Ivy
Matt gave me a dirty look. “What the hell am I? Chopped liver...”
“No, but you have other talents, and you made it very clear that I can’t pull you into stuff all the time. If The Company finds out that you’re helping Emma and me, we’d all be screwed. I wanted another option, if at all possible. Dave seemed like a good choice. That’s all.”
“Well, when you put it all rationally like that. It does make sense. I do have connections with Innocence Inc. for doctors, but like you said, it might be better for everyone if we keep it with someone you know through Dr. Jenkins. It would throw The Company off if they thought you just made friends with him at the Surgery Center. Have I told you how smart you can be sometimes, Mia?” Matt laughed again.
“Well, I’m not smart enough to figure out what the hell is up with nurse Jackie Simpson. She used to be cordial to me, not overly so, but now she seems to hate me. Emma mentioned that Todd and I are moving in with her while she’s recovering, and I swear that woman stared daggers through me.”
“Really? That’s interesting. I’ll look into her a little more too. We already know she works for The Company, but there might be something else going on since this change seems out of the blue. I’ll keep you informed. Speaking of, here’s a burner phone. Keep it with you for emergencies only. I’ll text you what I find out about David Davies and Jackie Simpson. My burner is the only number in there, so this should be just for us. Don’t use this phone for anything else, and don’t tell anyone about it and keep it hidden at all times,” Matt said, handing me a small black flip phone from his satchel.
“I can’t even tell Emma?” I asked.
“You can, but I find the fewer people that know about secrets, the better. It’s up to you. We obviously know we can trust Emma. She’s the reason Innocence Inc. is involved in any of this, but with her recent injury and Nurse Simpson hovering and acting odd... it might be a recipe for disaster.”
Matt looked worried, and that frightened me. I wanted to pick up Todd and get back to Emma as quickly as possible now. I didn’t want to leave Emma with Jackie for any longer than I had to.
“On that note, I’m outta here. I have to get a new car and pick up Todd. Apparently, Ben and Daisy are having a blowout about something, and Todd wants out of there ASAP,” I said as I shoved my new phone in my pocket, hugged Matt, and headed for the door.
“Safe trip, Mia. Be careful out there and remember codeword ‘bent’ if you need me to come swooping in to save the day,” he smiled.
“Thanks, Matt. You’re my knight in shining sequined armor,” I laughed.
“You know I am, girl!”
Chapter 5
I headed to the nearest dealership, removed the tracking device from the Maserati, and shoved it in my purse. I headed straight for the manager’s office. I didn’t have time to haggle with sales reps about pricing, options, and all that other standard car buying garbage.
I laid it all on the table, explaining that I needed an SUV of some sort, and I was willing to pay cash in full upfront. The manager’s eyes lit up as he walked me to the back of the lot, where he said they kept the ‘special’ vehicles. I spotted a burgundy truck that was just the right size and pointed to it. The manager said it was a Range Rover Velar, a very reliable and smooth driving vehicle. He said I’d look perfect in the driver’s seat.
I sat inside, played with all the various buttons and knobs while the manager retrieved the keys. I took it for a quick test drive, and I was sold. I asked him how much, and he gave me the number. I wrote a check and gave him my license telling him I needed to have all of the paperwork drawn up, but that I couldn’t wait for it. I had a family emergency that I needed to tend to, and with the amount of money I was dropping with him, he was more than happy to let me leave with just a few signatures and my check in his grubby little hands. We agreed that I’d be back tomorrow morning to finish the paperwork, pick up my Maserati - I wasn’t giving up my gift from Emma, and I was off.
In and out of a car dealership in under thirty minutes. I think that was a record. People say money can’t buy happiness, and I agree. But it sure as hell can buy convenience.
It was already five o’clock, so I quickly texted Todd that I was on my way, but I was going to be there closer to nine as long as traffic wasn’t too bad. Unfortunately, it was Friday afternoon at rush hour, so there was bound to be some congestion on the roads. The text reply I got from Todd pushed me to drive my new truck as fast as I could safely within reason and the other cars on the road.
‘Mom, I’m worried about Dad and Daisy. They’ve been screaming at each other for the last twenty minutes, and now she’s throwing things at him and threatening to call the cops. He’s calling her all kinds of names, and I’m kind of scared.’
I immediately called Todd putting the phone on speaker, and he answered right away. I could hear Ben and Daisy yelling in the background. “Todd?”
“Yeah, Mom.”
“Get your stuff and get out of there. I don’t want you anywhere near them if they’re fighting like that.”
“Okay. Where should I go?” Todd asked, fear creeping into his voice.
“You’re still at the hotel, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, good. Go to the lobby and hang out down there. Don’t talk to anyone, just sit and relax. Text or call me if anything happens or if anyone tries to talk to you. I’m on my way as fast as I can, okay?”
The worst feeling in the world is knowing your child needs you, and you can’t be there for them.
“I’m going now. I love you, Mom. I’ll text you when I get to the lobby. I’ll see you soon.”
“I love you too, kiddo,” I replied, holding back my tears while I waited for Todd to hang up the phone.
As soon as Todd clicked off, I called Ben, the phone rang once and went to voicemail. I didn’t want to sound angry, but I was furious that he would have such a heated and possibly physical argument with Daisy in front of Todd. The message I left simply said that I told Todd to go to the lobby and wait for me to pick him up. I’d be there soon, and he’d be coming home with me. If Ben had any issues, he needed to call me and to leave Todd alone for the time being until we sorted everything out. I tried not to let my frustration seep into my voice, but with driving through the crowded highway and hearing my son’s scared voice, I couldn’t help it. Ben could be pissed at me all he wanted as long as my son was safe.
I made it to the hotel in record time, three hours, and forty-five minutes. My new truck was just as fast as the Maserati and just as comfortable but definitely had more room.
I rushed into the lobby, and Todd was fast asleep in one of the oversized sitting chairs with his headphones on. I stopped in front of him, and I felt my chest physically lighten at the sight of my boy safe and sound.
A voice from behind me spoke softly, “He’s been asleep for about an hour. He’s a good kid. He helped a few of our elderly guests get their luggage onto the carts earlier.”
The young woman behind the counter appeared to be in her mid-twenties. She had long, pin-straight black hair, and beautiful dark-colored sin. She was so naturally beautiful; she should have been on a runway somewhere in the south of France instead of in the lobby of a hotel in North Carolina.
“Thank you. I appreciate you keeping an eye on him. It’s nice to know there are still good-hearted people left in this crazy world,” I replied, catching my breath from the jog inside and the swirling emotions inside of me.
“It’s no problem. I was just happy to see a kid who was so polite and helpful without being asked,” the woman smiled as she answered the phone.
I gently took off Todd’s headphones, and he sat up, his eyes shooting open quickly.
“You’re okay. It’s just me, it’s Mom,” I said, kneeling down in front of him and hugging Todd tightly.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“Oh, honey, don’t worry. You’re fine. The nice lady at the counter was keepin
g an eye on you. She said you were helping people with their bags earlier?”
“Yeah, well, you always taught me to treat others how I would want to be treated, right?” Todd asked as he pulled away from my hug and smiled back at me.
“Yes. Yes, I did. Have I told you recently how proud I am of the respectful and wonderful young man you’re growing up to be?”
“Not recently, but you have told me that many times.”
“Well, I am. I’m very proud of you, Todd. Let’s get your stuff and head over to Ben’s house and grab the rest. Then we’re off to Emma’s house.”
“Emma’s?” Todd asked with a huge grin stretching from ear to ear.
“Yes, Emma’s. Since she had her surgery, she’s going to need some help getting around. So, she asked that we both move in with her for a while, and I agreed.”
“Yes!” Todd shouted.
“Calm down. It’s only temporary until Emma’s well enough to get around on her own. Now you have to decide which school district you want me to put you in. Do you want to go back where you were when we all lived here in Charlotte? Or do you want to go where all the rich spoiled kids go in Emma’s district?” I laughed.
Todd smirked at me as he grabbed his bags. “That’s not even a question, Mom. My old stomping ground is where I want to go. It’ll be great to see all of my old friends from middle school.”
“It’s settled then, I’ll call the school first thing Monday morning and get you all registered so you can hopefully start Tuesday. Now, I was planning on staying the night here and driving to Emma’s in the morning, but with Ben and Daisy fighting, I think I’m amped up enough to make the drive back now. You good if we go right away?”
“Sure. As long as you’re not too tired to drive, let’s head out as soon as we get my stuff from the house.”
“I have a surprise for you.”
“Is it like an Emma surprise?” Todd smiled.
“Kinda, I got a new truck. Wait until you see this thing. It’s got all the bells and whistles the Maserati has, but with more space. The manager at the dealership said it’s the Range Rover Velar. It’s supposed to be a pretty hot SUV.”
“Ugh, duh! You got a Velar, Mom?” Todd yelled with excitement. “Let’s go! I wanna see this thing.”
Todd played with all of the features in the truck as we made our way to Ben’s house. There was still police tape covering the front steps that we had to pull down to make the few trips in and out of the house to pack all of Todd’s things away before we were finally ready to go.
Todd was definitely excited to move. He took absolutely everything he could. His closet was completely empty, as were all of his drawers and even everything under his bed. The only things left in his room were the furniture and the sheets. I couldn’t believe we fit all of it in my truck, but somehow, we did, and we were off.
Todd turned back to the house as we pulled away and he shook his head before looking down at his hands. I wasn’t sure exactly what he was thinking, but I was going to leave him to his thoughts. He didn’t seem upset to be going, he seemed more disappointed about everything that led up to him having to leave. I guess Ben let everyone in his life down eventually. This now included Todd.
Chapter 6
I pulled into the garage at Emma’s house around two in the morning. Todd was fast asleep in the passenger seat, drooling all over himself with his headphone’s half on half off and his forehead leaning at an uncomfortable looking angle between the window and his seat. It always amazes me how kids can sleep in the weirdest positions and wake up just fine. If I slept even slightly crooked, my entire day would be ruined. Agh, to be a kid again.
We used the side entrance of the house attached to the garage, so we hopefully wouldn’t wake anyone up at this early hour. I crept quietly through the kitchen with a half-asleep Todd following slowly behind me when the lights flew on, and Jackie jumped out from behind a cabinet, a bat in hand ready to strike.
I backed away quickly, shielding my son with my body to protect him, yelling at Jackie, “Woah, woah, woah! It’s just us. Mia and Todd. Slow down there, killer.”
Jackie was dressed in a loose-fitting tank top, and shorts with her brown hair pulled back in a long comfortable braid, but her eyes were full of anger. “You said you weren’t coming back until tomorrow morning. How was I supposed to know you weren’t an intruder?” She quipped angrily.
“Does an intruder have the code to open the garage doors and a key to get inside?”
Todd chimed in to break the uncomfortable vibe, “I think I need to use the bathroom. I might have peed my pants.”
Todd’s joke seemed to lighten Jackie’s demeanor, and her face relaxed some.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said to Todd. “I’m going back to bed,” Jackie said as she rolled her eyes at me and turned, bat still in hand, walking back to her room.
“Well, that was fun,” Todd grinned as he visibly slackened from his previously tense and slightly defensive pose.
“We’ll get your stuff out of the car in the morning. Let’s get you to bed. I’ve had enough excitement for one night.”
“Me too,” Todd smiled awkwardly.
I was so happy to crawl into bed next to Emma, who was sound asleep and snoring softly. I didn’t want to wake her, so I dropped all of my clothes to the floor, leaving just my panties and slid under the cool covers. I made sure I was on the opposite side of her wounded leg and the contraption holding it elevated as to not bump her, and I was asleep almost instantly.
That night I had a nightmare about the incident with Mila Muller, except this time it wasn’t Mila, It was Jackie, and she was holding me hostage instead of Emma. We were in the same warehouse, but there was no one else there. It was just Jackie and me. She was so angry, and she kept punching me over and over again while I was tied to a chair, yelling that it wasn’t fair. I didn’t know what she was talking about, but when I opened my eyes, I was disturbed to see Jackie standing over me.
I was sure I was still dreaming, so I shook my head and rubbed my eyes before looking again, but Jackie was still there with an angry scowl on her face.
I quickly pulled the sheet up and over my bare breasts to cover myself, and she turned away from me to walk to Emma’s side of the bed before she whispered, “You shouldn’t be sleeping with her, you know. If you hit her leg, you could hurt her, and you wouldn’t want to be responsible for further damage to Miss. Cross now, would you?” Jackie asked in a hushed condescending tone.
I returned her nasty look. “I’m careful not to bump her leg, and I sleep on the other side. I won’t hurt her. Why are you so mad at me all of a sudden? What did I ever do to you?” I asked, having had enough of this fake nicey nice song and dance we’d been doing the last two days.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Miss. Blackburn. I’m only looking out for the wellbeing of my patient and having anyone in bed with her isn’t a good idea for her recovery. That’s all I’m saying,” she scoffed.
“You don’t know what I’m talking about? Bull shit. You’ve been nothing but pissy with me these last two days, giving me dirty looks and making snide comments. What’s your deal?” I asked, sitting up with the sheet wrapped around my chest.
“Ladies, please stop arguing. My leg hurts too much to listen to your bickering this early in the morning. What time is it anyway?” Emma asked as she placed one hand at the small of my bare back and the other rubbing her head.
Both Jackie and I responded at the same time, “It’s ten o’clock.”
Jackie rolled her eyes at me, and I did the same to her. It felt childish, but I had no idea what her issue was, and it was getting annoying.
“Your son is already up, and he’s made breakfast with Henrietta,” Jackie said with a snarky tone in my direction. She turned to Emma and smiled, her tone changing dramatically. “It’s time for your pain medication and your antibiotics, Miss. Cross. Both of which should be taken with food. I’m also requesting
that you take a stool softener to counteract the possible side effects of the pain medication. Would you like me to bring you your breakfast in bed, or would you like me to get the wheelchair so you can take your breakfast outside? It’s a lovely day out.”
“I need to get out of this bed, so if I can get around in the wheelchair, that’ll be great. Thank you, Jackie.” Emma replied.
“With pleasure, Miss. Cross.” Jackie smiled at Emma and rolled her eyes at me again before leaving the room.
Emma rubbed my shoulder. “What the hell was that about?” she asked.
I replied in a childish mocking tone, “It’s a lovely day out. Ugh.” I threw myself back into the pillows with a huff. “What a condescending sneaky little bitch. Did you know she tried to kill me with a baseball bat last night?”
Emma looked utterly stunned. “What? I’ll fucking kill that bitch...”
“Hold on there, Conan the Barbarian, in all fairness, not that I’m defending her or anything. But, I did tell her that I wasn’t coming back with Todd until this morning, and last minute I decided to come home right away. We walked in at two in the morning. But still. I had a key, and she was ready to bash my brains in with a bat.”
“Aww... you called my house home,” Emma replied as she stuck her bottom lip out being cute.
“Don’t get all bent out of shape about that. We’ve got other things to worry about, darling,” I replied, feigning smugness.
“Well now, I get why she might have reacted that way. But what is with the bickering between you two? Did I hear you say it’s been the last two days this has been going on?” Emma asked, concern written all over her face.
“Yeah, ever since yesterday when you had your surgery. She was nice to me the night before. The only thing I can think of is that when they came to take you yesterday morning for surgery at the beach house, I was in bed with you. I wasn’t planning on being asleep when they picked you up, but Matt apparently broke into the house and drugged me so he could talk to me after Jenkins and Simpson were long gone.”
