Текст книги "The Missing One "

Автор книги: Liz Lovelock

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 12 страниц)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Melodi

When five o’clock rolls around, I’m thoroughly exhausted. Walking out of the office I spot Jonas waiting for me.

“Hey, Jonas. How are you?”

“Good. Thanks, Melodi. How was the rest of your day?”

“Good, but I’m feeling rather tired now.” I slide into the car and wait for him to hop in.

“Bet it feels great having your cast off?”

“Yeah, very much so. It’s good to have free movement once again.”

“I’m sure it is.” He smiles, looking through the rear-view mirror. He’s a lot chattier than what he normally is.

Once we arrive at the apartment complex, Jonas opens the door for me. As I climb out, I look up and see he’s magically got a bunch of bright red roses in one hand and a card in the other.

“Umm…what’s this?” I’m a little confused.

“You’ll find out. Take the card and read it.” He holds the card out to me and I’m a bit sceptical about the whole thing. I wonder how Jonas must be feeling. I take the card and open it.

My Beautiful Melodi,

You’re an amazing woman and I love you with everything I have to offer. Please take the flowers to the apartment and there you will find another card.

I love you.

Corban xx

 

      I can’t keep the grin from my face.

“Oh, thank you, Jonas! Tell me, what’s he got planned?” It’s as if I’m floating on cloud nine. I’m eager to what Corban has planned. This smile couldn’t be wiped off my face, not for anything.

“You’ll have to wait and see. He’d fire me if I told you.” He laughs. “You better go do what you’ve got to do.” He hands the roses over to me. I can’t help but smell them, taking in their beautiful scent.

I arrive at the apartment and walk in the door. I’m at a loss for words. There are candles placed around the entire room with a walkway of rose petals on the floor leading to our bedroom. Entering our room, a smile is plastered on my face with tears welling in my eyes. Corban has recreated what he did the day he gave me my promise ring which I wear every day. It’s never been removed since he placed it on my finger with a promise of another ring later. On the bed is a stunning blood red dress with a few Tiffany & Co boxes. I can’t help but release a tiny squeal of delight. On the dress is another card. I quickly pick it up and can’t help but touch the silky material of the dress. I open the card.

My Beautiful Momma-to-be,

I cannot wait to meet our beautiful babies. I love you so much.

Get dressed and go to the roof, there you will find your next card.

Corban xx

 

Excitement vibrates through me, I’m beyond excited. Corban has a way of making me feel special. He knows how to pick me up when I’m down and is always there when I need him to be. I race around getting myself ready. Not knowing what he has in store for me, but knowing he’s an old romantic at heart makes me want to dance around in happiness for our blessed future together.

After I’m dressed up, I look in the mirror and I’m instantly floored by what stands in front of me. Corban has stuck a Post-it note on the mirror.

I’m sure you look amazing.

You steal my breath every time you walk into the room.

I love you forever and always.

 

     My heart races as heat rushes through my chest. People say everything happens for a reason. Well, all I can say is that meeting Corban by chance in that club seems like forever ago now. Considering everything that’s going on, it was by far one of the most incredible things that could have ever happened to me. I never imagined my life would turn out how it has, I have my happily ever after and I really hope Abby gets hers as well. I can see the love Blake has for her and I know she returns it, but is holding back. Perhaps not as much as what she did at first which is understandable given the circumstances.

Grabbing the shawl that’s sitting on the bed, I wrap it around myself, taking one more look in the mirror, my glowing smile greets me. The dress sits beautifully over my body. I’m sure either Flick or Rachel had a hand in helping him set this up once again. My hand dances over the simple diamond necklace making it sit perfectly on my chest.

Leaving the apartment, I walk to the elevator feeling beautiful and adored. I made sure to blow all the candles out in the apartment so as to not start a fire in the building. Now that would just put a damper on the night, I giggle to myself.

My excitement is bubbling over and I can’t wait to see what’s waiting up on the roof. Last time we were up there we had an amazing night.

I step off the elevator and make my way up the few stairs. My body is vibrating with anticipation at what lays behind the door. My shaking hand turns the handle and pushes it open, my chest constricts and I become breathless at the magical view before me.

Roses, and I mean roses, are everywhere. I cannot see anyone else up here. There’s a simply decorated round table in the middle of the space. I look around taking in the scene. It’s like something out of a movie. I’m sure I must be dreaming, things like this don’t happen to me. I actually pinch myself to make sure I’m not.

Walking over to the table, I hear the noises from streets below. Cars are going crazy with their horns, but it doesn’t ruin the moment at all, nothing could destroy it. I open the card.

Will you marry me, Melodi White?

(Turn around)

 

      I whip around with tears in my eyes. Glancing down there’s Corban on one knee before me holding out a ring. I can’t keep the tears at bay anymore and I become a blubbering mess. My eyes never leave Corban’s blazing blue eyes. He even has what looks like tears in his, but I can hardly see through my own, so probably not.

He clears his throat. “Melodi White, will you do me the pleasure of becoming my wife?” he asks out loud. My face falls into my hands as, the tears won’t stop. I nod furiously.

“Y…yes, I will.”

He stands up, placing the princess cut diamond ring upon my finger, before taking my face in his gentle hands and placing a vigorous kiss upon my lips.

“I have one more surprise.” Honestly, what more could he surprise me with? He steps out of my view and stands beside me. There before me are his parents, Flick, Liam, Rachel, Axel, Blake, Katie, and Abby. Seeing Abby, I burst out crying. I’m so glad she’s here and is able to celebrate this moment in time with me and my new family and friends. I walk toward her with my arms out and I notice she’s crying as well. We wrap each other up in an embrace and share this moment together, a moment we thought we would never have.

“I love you,” I whisper into her hair.

“I love you, too. I’m so proud of you.” We hug for a moment longer before we step back.

“I’m so glad I’m able to share this with you. I know these last few years haven’t been easy for either of us, but we have the chance now to take on the world together and be the sisters we once were.” I take a deep breath and wipe the few tears away from my cheeks. “Our bond is something that will last forever, no matter what.”

Abby says nothing and gives me a nod and another hug which says a thousand words on its own. I’m then swamped with congratulations and hugs and kisses by my new family to be. Life is perfect. Well, it is for now…

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Abby

Last night was beautiful. Corban is an amazing man. When he came to me and told me what he had planned, I knew he was the perfect match for my sister. She deserves the best and he is…well, apart from my Blake. He is my perfect. We had a great night last night. Corban planned it in a way that I could attend. So what’s better than a rooftop proposal? Boy, was it magical. There was light finger foods and lots of wine to go around. Melodi was a little bummed not to be able to have any, but there were delicious non-alcoholic drinks as well. Her man thought of everything.

I’m so happy for them both. With marriage out in the open, I wasn’t expecting Blake’s pillow talk last night when we got home. I wouldn’t have guessed that he has thought about it, but when he came out and said what he did, it stumped me.

“Would you want to get married?”

I’m instantly speechless. “Of course, I want to one day. Isn’t it every girl’s dream to wear that big white dress and be walked down the aisle by their dad?”

He simply nods. Even though there was silence, I could still hear his mind ticking over. “So not right now?” Did he really say that?

“I…I don’t know. Are you asking me?”

He shrugged, a little unsure of himself. “I would like us to be a family.”

“That doesn’t answer my question. Are you asking me?” My heart felt like it was going to jump right out of my chest. This wasn’t a conversation I thought we’d be having so soon after rekindling our relationship. I love him with every fibre of my being and I know he loves Katie. She’s even asked if she can call him Dad. Of course, I told her that he is her dad and she was so excited by that little fact. She thinks he’s amazing.

“I don’t have a ring for you, but yes, I’m asking if one day you’ll be my wife.”

I’m gobsmacked. It’s not the most romantic way of proposing to a girl, but I will take what I can. “Yes, ring or not, you’re the only man I’ve loved with my whole heart.” After those words had left my mouth, he claimed it with his.

Now I’m sitting in the apartment that seems more like a prison lately, thinking over the whole night. I still can’t believe that I’m going to marry the man who has consumed my thoughts over the last three years, and even before then. The day I met him in that park always plays out in my mind. I’m so grateful for him coming out of his way to talk and befriend me. I wasn’t looking for anything new because I only knew the way Jacob treated me. Of course, I was young and silly, never thinking I’d ever find anyone better. Boy, was I wrong. Blake showed me a whole new world. Now I get to prepare for a future together with our daughter and I couldn’t be more excited.

Looking around the living area, I watch Katie colouring in the new book that Blake had given her yesterday. He’s been spoiling her like crazy and she has him wrapped around her little finger already. They’re funny to watch play, he’ll even sit and play dolls with her. Making up for lost time I guess. I really want to take her out today to the park for a little while. She’s been amazing through everything without hardly any meltdowns. I know she hates being cooped up in here. Where we lived before coming out of hiding, we had a park across the road and we’d go there almost daily. She loved it. I’m sure Blake won’t mind if we go out to the park. He takes us there every couple of days because he doesn’t want us going out alone.

We still haven’t seen or heard from Jacob or Athena. I’m worried about Athena because I know just what he’s capable of.

I reach for my phone to call Blake and let him know what I’m going to do. I already know he won’t like it, but I really need to get out of this prison for a while. He doesn’t pick up so I send him a quick message.

Me: Hey, I’m taking Katie over to the park. I know you’re going to freak out once you read this, but I’ll be okay and it’s a public area. I love you. Will message you once we get there.

I hit send and prepare a small lunch for Katie and myself.

“Katie! Please go get ready, we’re going to the park,” I yell from the kitchen. She comes bouncing in with a bright smile on her face.

“Where’s Daddy? Is he coming?”

Hearing her call Blake Daddy plays on my heartstrings. “No, darling, he’ll come later.”

“Okay, Mummy.” She skips out of the kitchen, hopefully, to get ready.

After everything is packed and ready to go, we begin our short walk around the block to the park. It’s a beautiful bright sunny day. There’s a little chill in the air which is refreshing. I hold on tight to Katie’s hand, always looking around making sure we aren’t being followed. As soon as Katie sees the park, she squirms her hand out of my tight grip and runs straight for the slide. I pick up my pace to keep up with her and not let her out of my sight. I message Blake once we arrive with still no reply. I know he’s busy, not only doing his everyday job, but also looking for Jacob and Athena.

We play at the park for about an hour or so more, until Katie becomes tired. We set off home, exhausted, and ready for a sleep. Katie wants to be carried so I pick her up and she soon falls asleep. This is my exercise for the day. She isn’t as small as she once was, but I will take the cuddles any day. Before I know it, she won’t want them anymore and will be screaming at me that she hates me. As I approach my apartment building, my senses are heightened. That eerie feeling of being watched or followed rings loud and is clear in my mind. I pick up my pace and clutch Katie tighter. I look around and notice the street is pretty empty, possibly one or two people on the other side of the road. My heart begins to race in fear. The hair on the back of my neck starts to stand up and a shiver runs down my spine.

My instinct kicks in and it’s screaming at me to run. It only takes a short moment and as I’m about to run, someone grabs me from behind and hits me painfully across my head. My last thoughts are of Katie and how I hope Blake can at least save her from Jacob. Then darkness overtakes me.

“Why isn’t she waking up?”

My head is foggy, but I can hear a young girl’s concerned voice.

I can’t bring myself to open my eyes. My head is throbbing and panic rises in my chest as my breathing constricts.

Katie…where is she?

Is she safe?

Surely if Jacob believes she’s his, he won’t harm her.

“Oh, she will wake up. I didn’t hit her hard enough to kill her. I have something special in store for her.” I hear the malice in his voice, the venom dripping from his words. Fear grips my heart making me feel as though it’s in a vice. “Wake up, Abby!” he yells, causing me to flinch away slightly. A sharp stabbing pain rages through my head. “See, she’s awake.”

I open my eyes slightly, slowly taking in my surroundings. As things become clearer, I realise I know this place. I’m back at Melodi’s apartment. Have they been staying here this whole time? They couldn’t be because I know Melodi has been coming back when she needs to pick things up as she needed them. I lightly rub my hand over my head, feeling a damp, warm patch. I take a look at my hand and it’s covered with deep red blood. My heart drops deep into my stomach. This is really bad.

Once my blurry eyes clear, I can see my worst nightmare standing before me. I wish I could just get Katie out and go back to my little hiding place. His evil smile brings fear into my heart. Think of one thing that makes your heart stop and mine is standing right before me.

“Where’s Katie?” I croak, my throat tight and dry.

“Oh, so that’s her name? She wouldn’t speak to me, so I punished her.”

Panic tears through my whole body and my injuries are forgotten, I lunge at him, aiming my punches and scratches straight for his face. I feel my fist connect with his face and he cries out in anger mixed with pain. He grabs my shoulders, shoving me backward with all the force he can muster. My body slams against the wall and I crumble to the ground. There are tears in my eyes, but I dare not give him the pleasure of seeing me cry, so I swallow them down along with the lump in my throat.

“Where is she?” I scream at him.

He knows he has found my Achilles heel and how to make me react. I can see it in his malicious eyes. There’s blood pouring out of his nose, and it gives me a tiny ounce of pleasure to know I caused him at least some pain.

“She’s locked away. You’ll never see her again once I’m done with you.” He grins with blood on his teeth. He turns away and grabs a towel from the kitchen for his face. My eyes trace the entire room looking for an out, but I’d never leave without Katie. My eyes fall on who I think is Athena. She looks a little worse for wear herself, bruises on her arms, a cut above her left eye, and a blackening bruise forming as well. I don’t however feel sorry for her. I only feel more hate and, I know he would have punished her if she didn’t help him. Obviously, she tried and failed, to get away from him. Melodi attempted to warn her and she didn’t want to heed her warnings, knowing what he was like. She laid down with the snake and got bitten.

“What do you want from me? Why can’t you just leave me alone?” The tension in the room is high and I will have to tread lightly if I ever want to make it out alive and with Katie as well.

“I want you to pay for what happened to me.”

“I don’t care what you do to me, but if you harm a hair on my daughter’s head, you’re going to pay for it.” I look behind him toward Athena, who remains silent. “You were warned, you silly, naive little girl. Now look what you’ve done—” Before I can get another word out, Jacob’s hand connects with my face, causing that side of my face to tingle in pain.

“You don’t get to speak to her!” he yells in my face, his turning a bright shade of red. Without thinking, I spit the blood from my mouth at him only making him angrier. His hand connects with my face once again. “You’re going to suffer for what you did to me.”

“Do it then!” I yell back into his face. As frightened as I am, I will never back down again. I finally built a backbone and will not allow anyone to treat me how he did ever again. I don’t care what he does to me, but I want my daughter safe. I know Blake will never allow anything to happen to her. She’s his blood –his daughter, our daughter.

The way he’s smiling sends a chill down my spine. “Oh, my sweet Abby, you’re going to suffer in more ways than you think. Your other half will be here soon, after receiving a disturbing text from her dear, sweet, trustworthy sister.”

“No,” I breathe barely in a whisper. Fear grips me tightly across my chest. I open my mouth to speak, but then I hear the door being unlocked and my instincts kick into overdrive. “Melodi, run! Don’t come in here!” I scream with everything I have in my chest. Jacob kicks me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me.

“Let me go, you back stabbing bitch!” I hear Melodi fighting with Athena. Regret overwhelms me as a few warm tears slide down my cheeks.

“See, I know your weakness. I knew you wouldn’t care so much for yourself, but when I bring your pregnant sister into the equation, you become putty in my hands.” He’s stooped so low this vile, hideous man.

“You have a sick and twisted mind, Jacob. You need help.”

“Abby!” Melodi yells as she rushes to me, only to be stopped by Jacob grabbing her arm. Dragging her away from me and shoving her backward, he causes her to fall, hitting her head on the bench. She whimpers, pulling her legs up to her chest to protect her little ones. If something happens to her or them, I will never forgive myself and will be wishing for Jacob to finish me.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Blake

Seriously, how can two people drop off the face of this earth? I’m pulling every string I can to find out where this lowlife and that stupid girl are. I haven’t even been able to work much on it today. It’s like everyone wants to start fights or rob a store. It’s never ending here. Since moving to New York work has been nonstop, even more so since Abby came back.

“Oi, Blake, you need to remember to take your phone with you. It’s been going off like crazy,” one of the other officers called out to me.

Oh, crap, how could I forget to take it? When the call came in about the robbery, I got caught up on the job, doing the best that I could to apprehend the culprits. It was probably some person trying to score cash for some drugs. It never ends. I grab my phone from my desk and see like ten missed calls from Corban and two from Abby. Along with about a million messages from Corban, Rachel, and three from Abby. Panic grips me as I know that Corban would only ring persistently when something was wrong. I call him back and he answers on the first ring.

“Where the hell have you been? Melodi is missing and I can’t get her on her phone.” The panic is evident in his voice and hearing that sends my mind into overdrive.

What did Abby’s messages say?

I ask Corban to hold on while I check my messages and seeing that she left the apartment without me makes me furious as, she knows not to leave without me. Dread fills me.

“What did Melodi say to you?”

“She didn’t tell me. She told Rachel that she got a message from Abby and that someone was in trouble. Rachel told her to wait until you or I went with her, but she didn’t!” he yells down the phone in frustration.

“Settle down, everything will be okay. Did she tell Rachel where she was going?”

“Rach said that she needed to stop by her apartment as Abby had asked her to grab something for her. Is that where she is?” Well, what a sneaky little mole Jacob was. He’s been hiding in plain sight. A place we haven’t been too often because Melodi has been staying with Corban and Abby at the new apartment, but why did he wait till now to make his move it’s been over a month.

“How long ago did she leave?”

“About twenty minutes.” Crap…that’s a long time and who knows what he’s been doing to our girls. Hate wells within me and I feel like I might lose it. I quickly reign in my emotions because I don’t want Corban to know how terrified I am for our girls.

“I’m going to get a few people together and get over to Melodi’s right away.”

“I’m heading there now.”

“Calm down and don’t do anything stupid. Wait for us to get there.” I don’t need Corban throwing himself in the line of fire. We don’t know what Jacob has in there and, for all we know he could have a gun.

“Don’t tell me to calm down! That’s my future wife possibly in danger and she’s having my babies, it’s not what I want to hear right now.” I understand how he’s feeling. I’m trying to keep myself together because if Jacob has Abby then he also has Katie as well, and that alone strikes fear into every fibre of my being. I want Abby and Katie in my future and if he harms one hair on either of their heads, I’m going to take him out. He has messed with my family for the last time in his lifetime.

“Just don’t do anything stupid!” Is all I hear as a grunt comes from the other end before he disconnects. I hope I get there before he does and with enough time.