Chapter 47
Chapter
Forty-Seven
JADE
Six Weeks Later
You’re never warned about how much your life gets flipped and turned upside down when you have a kid. Especially not when you have two. Twins. Tiny little humans who’ve already spent their first weeks of life in a hospital. They tell you there will be some ups and downs, sleepless nights, plenty of tears from both the babies and you, dirty diapers, and maybe trouble with feedings. What they don’t prepare you for are the volatile emotions that threaten to destroy you every moment of the day. The fear, anxiety, anger, desperation constantly trying to creep inside and bring you down. The countless nights I spent crouched down in a fetal position in the shower, the instances I closed my eyes and pretended I couldn’t hear the shrilling cries, or even the days I fell asleep sitting up while one of my babies sucked aimlessly on my nipple .
Though the most frightening moments of all are the ones where the happiness and insurmountable joy I feel when I look at my beautiful babies, overwhelms me. The amount of love I never imagined being capable of feeling when I see the two of them, my Onyx James with his unruly blond hair and the same daunting gray eyes as his father, and my sassy Sapphire Gray, whose honey blond curls and dark blue eyes, hence the name, are cradled in their father’s arms. It’s terrifying. Because the fear of this being all a ruse, a rose-colored veil over my eyes shielding me from the true horrors that will soon enough make their impending appearance, is crippling.
The dark thunderous cloud, which looms overhead like an unpredictable storm despite the weeks of calm we’ve had, threatens to create chaos with just one simple strike. And his name is Stephan Silver. He’s been quiet for six weeks, disappearing from our nightmares after he ambushed me in my hospital bed after giving birth, with his threats and check book. Five-hundred-thousand dollars, to leave him my babies to dispose of, and disappear from Sebastian’s life. Of course I went fucking berserk and told him to fuck off and go straight back to whatever fucking hell hole he climbed out of. I sure as fuck wasn’t giving him my babies and I wasn’t leaving Sebastian.
He gave up too easily, telling me I made a grave mistake and would regret it, he’d make sure of it, but that’s the last we’ve heard of him. I didn’t bother to tell Sebastian the extent of what he offered, there’s no reason to make him hate his father more than he already does, and frankly I was terrified of how he’d retaliate.
But it’s been eating me up inside for two whole months. Every creak in the porch floorboards, every rustle of wind in the trees outside our window, or the loud roar of the ocean waves crashing against the shore, makes me jump in fear.
“Honey, we're home!” I’m startled out of my thoughts when Scarlett calls out from the front door. She waltzes in, wearing a long black dress with a high slit and a matching witch hat, with Ace by her side and a beautiful, dark haired little bundle wrapped up in a pale pink blanket in her arms. Ace, who’s wearing a long black Dracula cape, carries the car seat and the diaper bag, looking completely out of sorts. Who would have thought, not one but two Horsemen, two ruthless kings would be tied down and turned into sexy as fuck daddies just four months after graduation.
“Aww would you look at that. My sweet Onyx and Saph in the arms of their daddy, their very hairy daddy,” Scarlett squeals, sighing adoringly at Sebastian, who’s dressed as the wolfman. “I swear I practically orgasm at just the sight of Ace holding my darling Caeli Rose in his arms.”
I laugh at my sister's bluntness, which only seems to have heightened after her pregnancy. She’s not wrong, the sight of my babies in their daddy’s arms definitely gets me wet and ready. “Multiply that feeling times two and that’s exactly where I find myself every moment of the day,” I tease, winking at Sebastian who is already watching me with dark, lustful eyes. There’s the monster I know and love.
“Well I honestly don’t know why you two aren’t fucking every hour of the day like Ace and I, thankfully Caeli is such a good baby letting mommy and daddy play while she naps.”
“Well maybe because you have one little heavenly angel, while I have two little monsters who try to outdo each other’s cries,” I groan, turning back to look at my little family, “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Mommy and daddy will have plenty of opportunities to make up for all the lost time,” Bass says, standing and handing me Onyx softly kissing my lips.
“Oh my god, is he wearing what I think it is?” Scar shouts, coming closer to look at Onyx. “A little wolf! And you’re Red Riding Hood right?” she asks, but I raise a brow in question.
“No wolf cubs,” Bass clarifies, bringing Sapphire closer and revealing their crochet, matching gray wolf costumes .
“And I’m wearing a red hooded cloak Scar, of course I’m Red Riding Hood.”
“It’s perfect! Two wolf cubs and my beautiful little flower, aaah their first Halloween. Do you know how excited I am!”
“Okay who the hell are you and what have you done with my sister?” I joke at her sudden cheery attitude.
“I can’t help it Jade, I’m just so happy. My family all together, on Halloween my favorite Holiday, don’t you dare kill my mood.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
For the next few hours we eat, watch scary movies, and laugh amongst ourselves at how different our lives are this time around. This time last year, Scarlett was fleeing the Halloween Masquerade Ball at Servite Manor, after being ambushed by Wesley, then preceding to fuck Ace for the first time. And me, well I was right beside her making her promise to help me find my brother.
“Wasn’t Roman supposed to come over today?” Scar asks, just as Michael Myers is about to walk into the babysitters house.
“He said he’d try to stop by but he was working tonight,” I mumble, throwing a handful of popcorn in my mouth.
Scarlett turns to look at me with a curious expression, Caeli fast asleep in her arms. “Where does he work?”
“With Drake, honestly I have no idea what it is they’re doing but I really don’t want to find out, so…”
We’re startled when Bass’s phone starts ringing, interrupting us. He picks up his phone but glares angrily at the screen before silencing it. I turn my attention back to the movie, trying to ignore the jealous monster questioning who it is that was calling, when it begins to ring again and alerting him of a new text message. Once again I turn and find him glaring down at his phone. “Everything okay babe?” I ask, placing my hand on his thigh.
“Yeah, it’s no one,” he snaps, rather clipped. Though just as he does, Ace’s phone starts ringing as well.
“We gotta go man,” Ace mumbles, standing abruptly.
“Go where?” Scar questions, shifting toward him .
“Fuck,” Bass groans, standing to join Ace. He leans down and kisses softly against my forehead. “I’ll be right back baby, there is something we have to do.”
“What the fuck Sebastian? Who is calling you?”
He shakes his head in frustration, “It’s nothing I promise you okay. I just, we have to do this. I promise it’s not dangerous, there will be no girls. Just trust me please,” he pleads, and the strain in his voice, although it makes me eerily nervous, convinces me.
“Okay, but hurry back. I want a marathon of all the Halloween movies.”
“All of them I promise.” He leans forward kissing me, taking my bottom lip in between his teeth. “You will be mine tonight, we’ll give the babies Nyquil or something.”
“Sebastian,” I shout, smacking him on the arm, “Don’t you dare.”
“I’m kidding babe.”
Ace kisses Scarlett, as well as Caeli’s forehead before joining Bass at the front door. “We’ll call Roman, ask him to stop by when he’s off work. It’s Halloween and stupid punks tend to prank the houses or come out here to fuck in the sand,” Ace calls out before the two of them walk out.
“It’s been three hours,” I murmur, staring out the window at the beach before us. It’s completely dark now, every bit of sunlight gone from the sky leaving only the full moon illuminating the night. “How long do you think they’ll be? What if something happened?” I ask anxiously. I can’t help the gut wrenching feeling of danger in my stomach.
She comes up behind me wrapping her arms around my waist and stares out the window, bringing her head to rest on my shoulder. She smells like popcorn and vanilla, “Relax Jade, the guys are fine. Besides, we haven’t had any trouble or threats for months. I mean it’s been so quiet lately, which is definitely a good sign.” Rubbing her hand on my back to calm me, she hugs me tighter. They're probably just out having some alone time. It’s a lot for them, two guys who’ve lived their whole lives angry and alone, only ever relying on each other, to suddenly not only have girlfriends but also children.”
“We’re doing it,” I mutter, aware that this change isn’t easy on anyone..
She releases me shaking her head, the love in her eyes mirroring everything I feel. “But we wanted it. Whether we knew it or not, we craved this. A family, love, happiness. Someone to care for us and someone to care for. We have it now Jade, nothing can take that away.”
“Stephan tried,” I mumble, under my breath. I never told her or anyone what happened when he approached me, but it’s been eating me alive to keep it a secret.
“What?” She asks, releasing me and taking a step back.
My anxiety has been crippling me for weeks, not allowing me to fully accept and revel in the beauty of all that has changed. My life has done a three-hundred-sixty-degree flip and completely turned into something I wouldn’t even find in my wildest dreams.
“At the hospital,” I whisper, swallowing roughly, my voice wavering as I once again recall what happened. “He came and offered me a fuck load of money to leave, disappear from Bass’s life. Apparently, it’s the only way he could guarantee he would control him. I’m a threat, my babies are a threat. I won’t be okay until I know we are safe.”
Scars eyes go wide in fear at what I’ve confessed but before she can respond a loud crashing sound is heard through the front of the house.
“What the fuck was that?” I shout, rushing over to the window which now lays in shards of broken glass on the floor.
Scar walks around nervously pacing toward the front door. “ Probably just the punks Ace mentioned coming around to prank us.”
“They broke a fucking window!” I shout out, trying to step around the glass.
Suddenly another loud thumping sound, which sounds like something falling to the ground, comes from the upstairs bedroom. “Shit, you stay here with the babies I’ll go see what that was,” I whisper, leaving Scar and heading up the stairs, but before I make it half way, a sinister cackle rings in my ears making me freeze in place.
At the top of the stairs, dressed in all black and wearing a ski mask, a large man stands watching me with a wide grin and threatening eyes. “Fuck, Scar run!” I shout, turning to face her but it’s too late.
I rush down the stairs but stop dead in my tracks when I see another freakishly tall man, wearing the same uniform, standing behind Scar with a gun pointed directly at her head. In the bassinet beside her, Sapphire cries out, waking up from her nap, and causing a domino effect of loud cries to erupt from Onyx and Caeli.
Oh god no, my babies.
My heart thunders in my chest when I hear the man behind me step closer, his footsteps quickly approaching me. My eyes are focused on the look of sheer panic on Scar’s face when I feel the barrel of the gun pressed against the back of my head, just as Scar cries out in terror.
“No!”
I close my eyes, mentally preparing myself, if there is even such a thing, for my impending death. This is it, the exact moment I have been dreading yet expecting these last few weeks. He won, Stephan Silver has won. He is rid of me, and will take my babies, surely using them to ensure Sebastian follows every one of his demonic schemes, that is if he lets them live.
The horror of what will happen to them, the guilt of how easily I could have prevented this, eats me alive. “I should have taken him up on his offer, I should have left when I had the chance,” I whisper into the air.
The man behind me moves in closer to me, breathing huskily against my neck. “Yes you should have my love, but like always you’re a stupid, stupid girl. Looks like the Big Bad Wolf has come to eat the darling little girl.”