Chapter 32
ELSIE
The sun streams through the slit in the curtains as my eyes adjust to the bright light. A hard, thick body is at my back, and the sweetest little girl is huddled in my arms.
“You awake?”
That deep, raspy voice wakes up every inch of my body, his warm breath coasting up my neck, his soft lips landing right under my earlobe.
“Yes,” I whisper, turning my head over just enough to see him smiling, and something flips in my stomach.
It’s in the way he looks at me, eyes glazed and heavy-lidded. That’s all it takes for my heart to dance to a melody all its own.
“I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your text yesterday,” he explains, rolling his knuckles across my jaw, and my skin prickles. “I had no reception.”
“It’s fine. You don’t owe me an explanation.”
I can’t let him know how sick with worry I was. He’s going to think I’m insane.
His features grow taut, and quickly, he props himself up on his elbow. “But I do, little dove. You were worried about me.”
Gently I slide my arm from under Sophia and turn over. His gaze locks with mine, and there’s something intense in it that has me concentrating on every one of his words.
“I appreciate that more than you know.” The timbre of his tone wavers with emotions as his gaze drops to my lips. “I’ve never been close enough to a woman for her to care whether I made it home alive.”
My heart lurches. It makes me sad to know no one has loved him before.
“I do care about you, Michael.” I clasp the side of his neck.
His eyes grow tender. “I’m grateful for you.”
He sucks in a long breath, and slowly, his lips fall to my temple and he kisses me in that gentle way he does.
“I have a surprise for you later today,” he breathes as he drags himself away. “And it involves a plane.”
That has my curiosity piqued.
I narrow a stare. “As in I’ll be going in one?”
He chuckles just under his breath. “Yeah, baby. We’ll be flying again.”
Anticipation flickers in my gut. “Where?”
“Can’t tell you that.” His thumb lazily draws down my cheek as those adoring eyes stay perched to mine. “It’s called a surprise for a reason.”
“Oh my God. Did you find Kayla?”
Please tell me he has. Nothing would make me happier.
His face falls.
“Oh…” My throat tightens.
We’re never going to get her back.
“I’m sorry.” The broken strain in his voice makes me hurt.
“It’s okay.” I pick up his hand and lead it to my mouth, pressing a kiss to his fingers. “I know you’re doing your best.”
His jaw strains. “But it’s not good enough.”
Six hours later, and we’re miles away, up in the clouds, flying somewhere he still won’t tell me.
“Please fasten your seat belts as the plane reaches its destination,” the pilot announces.
Sophia bounces with excitement as Michael secures her back in her seat.
“Please, Daddy.” She pouts, dropping her head against her shoulder. “Tell me where we’re going!”
But he only chuckles with amusement. “You’re not going to get it out of me, princess, no matter how cute you are.”
“Oh, come on, bro.” She rolls her arms over her chest, shaking her head with a roll of her eyes.
“Bro?” He laughs in disbelief. “Who taught you to say that?”
“Uncle Gio.” She shrugs, all proud of herself.
He leans into me and whispers, “I’m gonna kill my brother. I’m not ready for her to stop calling me ‘Daddy’ just yet.”
“You’ll always be her daddy.” I cup his face, my lips curving into a faint smile. “No matter what she calls you. She’ll always look up to you. Come to you when she needs someone. She’ll always be your baby.”
He sighs deeply. “Thank you.”
I let my head fall over his shoulder.
“But I’m still going to kill my brother.”
We both laugh as the plane makes its descent, hitting the runway with a jolt before it slows to a stop.
“You’re now free to unfasten your seat belts,” the captain says. “Please enjoy your trip.”
Michael undoes Sophia’s belt while I do mine. When we’re all on our feet, he takes out his cell and types something out quickly before placing it back in his pocket. He side-eyes me as we head out of the plane, and that has me even more excited about what he’s got planned.
As soon as we climb down the steps, I breathe in the cool, crisp air, my eyes wandering to the horizon, where the sky blossoms with rich hues of crimson and fiery gold.
When we make it all the way down, I suddenly notice a car a short distance away. A white sedan. Nothing special about it. But I stare at it anyway, wondering why it’s here and why we’re suddenly moving toward it.
“Who’s in that car, Michael?” I ask, peeking up at him, my heart frantically beating as though it knows before I do.
His eyes bore into mine, the corner of his mouth lifting in a lopsided grin. “Some things are worth the wait, little dove.”
I shiver; this feeling of unexplainable heaviness hits me all at once. A pounding of emotion swelling inside me. Tears are suddenly gathering within my eyes when the car door opens. We’re too far to see who’s inside it. But my feet are moving faster, past Michael, past Sophia.
Someone steps out from the passenger side. I see her black stilettos first.
“Mom?” I burst with a cry, my vision blurry.
No, it can’t be. He didn’t.
“Elsie!” she cries.
I don’t know which one of us runs to the other first, but I’m breathless, rushing into her loving arms.
“Mom!” A sob wrenches out of me; I’m weeping as she clutches me with every fiber of her being.
“Baby. My sweet baby.” She grabs my face and stares into my eyes like she can’t believe I’m here, and I get it because I can’t believe she’s here either.
Tears track down her reddened cheeks, like the waters of unending falls.
The driver’s side door opens, and when I see my father, the moisture pooling in his eyes, his chin trembling, I shatter all over again.
The wave of our agony, the years of separation…it all swells, it all builds, until it bursts. And together, we fall apart in each other’s arms.
I can’t believe we’re sitting in the same home I once spent my childhood in.
It still looks exactly the same, like they were afraid to change a single thing about it in case I returned.
There’s even still that crack in the granite, the one Dad put in when he was fixing the sink. It was three days before I was taken.
I remember everything about that day. Mom was making coffee and I was eating a scone when the pipe burst all over Dad.
Then it was all hands on deck, me running off to get some towels and Mom shutting off the water supply.
Dad went off to get more of his tools, but accidentally hit the counter with a wrench when he returned.
He meant to fix it, but I guess after I was taken, it was the last thing on their minds.
Michael took Sophia out for ice cream, giving my parents and I time alone. They’ve been tearfully staring at me for a few minutes now, touching my hands and arms as though I’m a figment of their imaginations.
“We were so happy when he called.” Dad chokes up, referring to Michael. “I didn’t think we’d be seeing you so soon.” He pauses, taking a deep breath, swiping under his eyes. “My God, sweetheart…”
My chin trembles; I’m completely overwrought with emotions. I can’t believe Michael planned this as a surprise. I haven’t had any time to thank him. He did this for me. However unconventional our relationship is, this right here…it matters. He cared enough to call my father and arrange it.
He grabs my hand and holds it in his lap, while Mom drops her head on my shoulder.
“We didn’t think this day would ever come,” he cries. “We did everything we could to find you, but it’s like you vanished without a trace.”
“It’s not your fault,” I sniffle. “It’s mine.”
My mother’s comforting arms come around me. “No, no, no. Don’t you do that, baby. It’s not your fault.” Her gaze slams into mine, and she wipes away my tears with her thumbs. “You were just a girl who wanted to experience the world. Don’t you ever blame yourself.”
“So who exactly is this Michael to you?” my father asks.
And I’m not quite sure what to tell them. But I lead with the truth.
His gaze drifts down to the giant rock on my left hand.
Oh, crap. I forgot that was there.
“You’re…” He sucks in a breath. “You two are married?”
I grimace. “Yeah. Kinda. I mean…”
I swallow down the nerves climbing up my throat, my heart rate increasing.
They both stare bug-eyed at me. I mean, how can I even blame them? They just got me back after years of being without me. Now, I’m married to some random guy. I shoot out a sharp exhale.
Here goes nothing.
“I met Michael by chance when I escaped where I was. And the only way to protect me from the people who took me was by marrying me.”
I know that’s not exactly the entire truth, but I care about him, and the last thing I’d want is for my family to hate him.
“So this is more of a convenience marriage?” Mom furrows a brow.
“Um…” I twist the ring around, my foot bouncing. “I guess, yeah.”
Dad’s entire face shifts with anger I’ve never seen before. “The people who took you…who are they?”
“The worst kind of people, Dad.”
A whoosh of a breath escapes my throat, and I start at the very beginning from that moment we were taken, giving them pieces of the painful past, just enough for them to understand what I went through without scarring them more than they are already.
I finish with how Michael and I met, telling them I broke in and he kept me safe from the Bianchis.
Dad’s features contort with anguish and rage while Mom cries uncontrollable tears. Maybe this was a mistake. I should’ve lied. I should’ve spared them added trauma. What’s wrong with me?
I ball a fist, my nails digging into my palm.
Dad jumps to his feet. “I’m calling my friend at the police station, and we’ll get the feds involved.”
“NO!” I leap toward him, grabbing his wrist. “Dad, please!” I shake my head frantically, brows furrowing. “You can’t. They’ll kill Kayla and Jade. They have a lot of crooked cops in their pocket. Let Michael deal with it.” My tone grows shaky. “Promise me!”
His demeanor shifts into the adoring dad who’d never do a thing that would harm me. “Okay, sweetheart. Shh.”
He grabs me in a tight embrace. And I cry against him as his arms hold on to me like they used to when I was little. These hugs…oh, how I’ve missed them.
“I won’t do anything, honey. Please, just don’t cry.”
But I can’t seem to stop the endless river of tears—of heartache, of loss.
So much loss, so many years without them.
Gone. Just like that. Taken from me. From them.
And there’s nothing any of us can do about it other than to live in the present.
It’s the one thing we have left, and I won’t let it pass us by. Not for a second.