Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
Delilah
M y body rolls into something and then the movement comes to a complete stop. When I open my eyes and try to look around, it's pitch black. I try to stretch my legs but there isn't enough room.
I think I’m inside a trunk.
How did Jonah get me in here?
My throbbing head reminds me the truck crashed and then...I can't remember.
The trunk lid lifts and my breath hitches when I see the man towering over me.
Not Jonah.
"Wesley," I hiss, squinting at the blinding light above me.
"Rise 'n shine. C'mon, let's go." He digs his fingers into my upper arm and pulls me out.
"Shit, my head." I press my fingers to my temple.
"I have meds in the loft." He digs what I can only assume is the barrel of a gun into my back. "Start walkin'."
"Where're we?" I ask, not recognizing the building as he forces me through what looks like a dungeon but above ground.
It smells like oil and rust.
"That's not for you to worry about. Upstairs, go. Now."
"What's up here?" I ask weary.
Nothing good, I'm sure.
"Stop askin' questions, Delilah. Raven needs you, so do as you're told, and no one gets hurt."
"Raven's here?"
My question's answered by a loud wailing in the distance.
"What'd you do to her?" I sprint up the stairs, not worrying about him behind me, and whip open the door.
I'm greeted by a newly remodeled loft. Although it's one large space, it's separated by designated rooms. A master bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom.
But it's the room next to the bed that has me panicking.
A nursery.
Raven's on the bed, propped up on pillows, and she's sweating.
"Are you okay?" I grab her hand and scan her body for any injuries.
"My water broke," she explains, sounding terrified.
"Oh my God. She needs to go to the hospital," I tell Wesley. "The baby's early. She needs a doctor."
"No!" he booms behind me. "That's why you're here."
My head snaps toward him. "Are you crazy? I've never delivered a baby before. I haven't even been pregnant."
"Your mom's a nurse, I'm sure you know enough."
My eyes widen as I realize why he's brought me here.
"Wesley, no. Too much can go wrong. You should call an ambulance."
He shoves his gun against my cheek and my breath hitches.
"You get this baby out or you're both dead. Got it?"
I nod, drawing in a slow breath. "Okay."
"Good. Now tell me what you need."
Licking my lips, I scan the area. "Towels, dry and cold ones. Gloves. Baby blankets."
"Okay."
He heads to the kitchen area, and I kneel on the bed to wrap my arms around her.
"It's gonna be okay. Do you know how far apart your contractions are?"
"I-I think about four to five minutes."
"How'd you end up here?"
"I ordered food this mornin' and when I opened the door to grab it, he popped up outta nowhere, and shoved me back into the apartment. Then he pressed his gun against my stomach and told me to go with him or he'd kill our baby. I was so stressed, my water broke an hour later."
"God, I'm so sorry, Raven." I lean in closer so he can't hear me. "We're gonna get outta here, I promise."
Her eyes fill with tears but she nods with understanding.
"Okay, I'm sorry but I have to look down there."
She nods, and I slide my body off the bed so I can uncover her legs. Then I remove her leggings and underwear.
"Looks like the baby dropped, so that's good at least."
"At my last appointment, my doctor said the baby was head down."
"Good! That helps."
I rack my brain for everything my mom's told me and what I've seen in movies.
"Let's get some pillows propped behind you so you're ready when it's time to push."
Wesley returns with the supplies I asked and I wrap one of the cold towels around her neck. Then I put the dry towels underneath her butt and legs. Once I have the gloves on, I kneel between her thighs.
"I'm gonna check how far you're dilated." I hold up my hand. "I think four fingers is ten centimeters, so maybe it'll give us an idea how much further you have to go."
"Okay..." She nods.
"I'm sorry if I hurt you," I tell her ahead of time.
Although I don't really know what I'm doing, I want to sound confident for her sake.
"Alright, take a few deep breaths so I can...push in."
She blows out a breath and her thighs relax enough for me to slide inside. "I'd say three...and a half. I can almost get the fourth in there, so you're close."
She hisses and her body tenses as another contraction takes over.
"Do you have a heatin' pad?" I ask Wesley. "It might help her back pain."
"Yeah, one second."
I cover Raven up and readjust her pillows. "Do you want some ice to chew on?"
"Yes, please."
"I'll check the kitchen."
I walk to the fridge and open the freezer, then pull out the ice cube tray.
"What'd you think you're doin'?" Wesley pushes the barrel into the back of my head.
"She wants ice. You know you don't have to keep threatenin' me with that. I'm not goin' anywhere."
"Let's hope not. That'd be very stupid...for you and the baby."
"Do you have any Ziploc bags? I need to crush this."
"In the lower cupboard."
He backs up enough for me to open it and grab what I need. Then I pop the cubes inside and zip it.
"Anythin' firm I can use?"
"Here's a glass." He hands me one from the top cupboard.
I smack the bottom against the bag until the ice is crushed enough to eat. Then I bring it back to Raven and she shoves a handful in her mouth.
"Here's the heatin' pad." Wesley hands it to me, and I get it plugged in, then underneath Raven's body.
"How's that feel?"
"Perfect. Thank you."
"Have you picked a name?" I ask, hoping to distract her from this hellhole we're in. I also want to get her mind off the pain.
"I've narrowed it down to Bailey for a girl and Braden for a boy."
"We decided on Victor for a boy. After my grandpops," Wesley talks over her.
"Oh, right," Raven agrees, defeated.
Please, God. Let it be a girl.
"Oh shit, another one..." Her face pinches and when she can't take anymore, she cries out.
Sitting on the bed next to her, I give her my hand and tell her to squeeze.
"That was a strong one." She falls back on the pillows when it passes. "It feels like they're gettin' closer."
"They probably are..." My heart races at the pressure of making sure she delivers this baby safely. "When they get about two to three minutes, I'll check you again, or if you feel the urge to push."
"I've been so scared about givin' birth...this isn't how it's supposed to be."
"I know, sweetie. But I'm here and we're gonna get through this together." I move the cold towel up to her forehead and then wipe down her neck.
"Wesley said Jonah was supposed to bring you here. Have you seen him?" she whispers.
"Um...he forced me into his truck while I was at work and then he crashed his truck."
"Oh my God. Is he okay?"
"I-I dunno. I remember the airbags goin' off and then I woke up in Wesley's truck."
"You know he'd never hurt you," she says softly. "Wesley made him take you. He spent weeks buildin' the loft and then made a plan to take me. Me goin' into early labor fucked up his plan."
I nod, biting my lip. "Yeah, I pieced that together. He still scared the shit outta me."
"I'm sorry, this wouldn't be happenin' if?—"
"Do not apologize for that man," I order.
"I still feel awful that you got dragged into this. Jonah didn't know I was in labor."
My brows pinch together. "Then what'd he think he was bringin' me here for?"
She looks over on the couch where Wesley's sitting and watching us. She swallows hard before lowering her voice. "Wesley told Jonah he took me, and that if he wanted me back, he had to bring you to him."
My jaw clenches.
If he wasn't bringing me here to help Raven, then... "He thought he was exchangin' us."
Lowering her eyes, she nods. "I know it sounds bad, but he was put in an impossible position."
Her life for mine.
I can't exactly fault him for wanting to save his pregnant sister. But it doesn't make me any less furious that he was so willing to hand me over to Wesley.
"Do you think he's alive?"
Lifting a shoulder, I shake my head. "I dunno."
"They found him and took him to the hospital. Not sure if he made it though," Wesley bellows, then lifts up a police scanner. "I heard them talkin' about a mysterious 911 call near the location Jonah would've been drivin' and sendin' someone out to investigate, so I took a little road trip to make sure he didn't get pulled over. Imagine my surprise when I found y'all in the ditch."
That confirms they could hear me. Too bad it ended up fucking me over.
"Moron didn't even check if you had your phone before takin' you." He tsks, shaking his head.
"How'd you know I still didn't have it on me?"
"Oh, I checked."
My body shivers at the thought of his hands on me.
Raven screams, and I grab her hand. "Breathe...don't hold it in."
"Oh fuck, it hurts." She cries out, holding her stomach. "I think the baby's ready."
I jump to my feet. "You sure?"
"I dunno, but it feels like the head is right down there."
Removing the blankets, I lift her knees and drop them open. Then I feel around and fit four fingers easily inside this time.
"Yeah, I think you're fully dilated. Do you wanna try pushin'?"
She nods, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Raven, look at me," I tell her. "When you feel the next contraction, bear down and push."
"Okay."
I stack the pillows behind her, making sure they keep her upright.
"You can do this, okay?"
"God, I hope you're right."
Less than two minutes later, her face squishes and I tell her to push.
Wesley stands next to me, and although I know she probably doesn't want him near her, I need his help.
"I need you to lift up her leg and push it toward her chest."
"Me?"
"I can't deliver the baby and hold up her legs, so yeah, make yourself useful," I snap, no longer giving a shit that he has a gun. Raven's my priority at the moment.
"Raven, try to hold up your other leg. It'll give you better momentum."
She wraps her hand behind her knee and pulls it toward her.
"Good, keep pushin'."
Her body relaxes when the contraction stops and she releases the hold on her leg.
"Any chance you know how long it takes to push this baby out?"
"Everyone's different, but typically, the first pregnancy can take a while."
"How long is a while? " Wesley asks.
"My mom's had women push for upwards of three hours."
"Oh hell no." Raven's head falls back on the pillows. "I can't bare the pain that long. This shit hurts."
"Hopefully, that won't be your situation," I tell her, hopeful. Although, it can help to have meds because then the mom doesn't tire out as quickly.
But I don't tell her that.
"Another one's comin'..." She repositions, lifting her leg.
"You're doin' great. I can see the head."
"You can?" Wesley sneaks a peek, and I push him away.
"This ain't a free show," I snap.
"That's still my baby, whether you like it or not."
"That doesn't give you a free pass to look at her while she's exposed. So be respectful."
He glares, his jaw locked in place, but doesn't argue. Returning to her leg, he continues holding it up.
"Keep pushin'..."
Raven cries out for the next hour and even though she's crowning, the baby doesn't move.
"I think something's wrong. The baby should be out more by now."
"Feel around and see if you touch anythin'," Raven suggests. "It said in one of the baby books I read, if the head doesn't descend, the cord could be wrapped around the neck. If that's the case, you should be able to put your fingers underneath and undo it."
My eyes widen, thinking how the hell I'm going to do that.
"You want me to shove my hand that far up?"
"Just to feel for the cord. If you don't, then you shouldn't have to do anythin' else."
"I wish we had a heart monitor," I say, bracing myself to shove half my arm up her cooch.
"Oh shit, another contraction."
She tries pushing again, but there's no movement, and once it's over, I slide my hand up.
"Oh God, this is...there's a reason I'm not a nurse."
"What do you feel?"
"You don't wanna know..." I focus on feeling for the cord. "Okay, I think I found it. Feels like it's wrapped around the neck once."
"Slip two fingers underneath and then carefully lift it over the head."
"I hope I'm doin' this right," I murmur, gently doing what she said. Raven tries not to scream, but I know this can't be comfortable. "Okay, I think I did it."
"Thank God. That hurt like a bitch."
Sliding my hand out, I ask Wesley to get me some fresh gloves.
"The next contraction, you need to push as hard as you can," I tell her.
Wesley returns, and I quickly change out gloves.
"Okay, get ready."
Wesley gets back into position, and I help Raven keep her other leg up with one hand. The head glides out and then the shoulders.
"Oh my God, keep pushin'!" I use both hands to hold it while the rest of the body comes out.
Raven pants and then finally breathes a sigh of relief.
"Towel," I call out, and when Wesley hands it to me, I wrap it around the baby.
"Why isn't it cryin'?" Wesley asks.
"I dunno. Gimme a second."
I wipe the face and eyes, then move down to the mouth and cheeks.
"What is it?" Raven asks. "Boy or girl?"
Oh shit, I didn't even look.
"Aw...it's a girl!" I announce.
"She's still not cryin'," Wesley says, staring down at me.
"C'mon, sweetie..." I pat her butt.
"Check her airway," Raven says.
"Oh wait, I remember this." I put her on my lap and open her mouth but don't see anything. Then I stimulate her chest for a few seconds before flipping her into a head-down position and let gravity do its job.
Moments later, she starts crying.
"There we go, sweet girl." I clean the rest of her off, and then set her on Raven's chest with the blanket.
Raven cries and then mouths, "Thank you."
"You still need to deliver the placenta."
"What the hell is that?" Wesley asks.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "It's what is attached to the umbilical cord. It has to come out or Raven could hemorrhage."
"How does she do that?"
"It should come out naturally within a half hour after birth, otherwise I'll have to try to do it manually."
My mom told me a few horror stories, which I’m grateful for now.
"God, I hope not. You've been up my vagina enough for one day."
"Do you still feel contractions?"
"A little, yeah."
"That's good. It'll probably come on its own then."
I help Raven remove her shirt so she can do skin to skin. The baby's cries stop as soon as she feels her mama's warmth.
"She's so beautiful." I smile, looking at her.
Then I look at Wesley who's watching them. "I think it'd be smart to get her checked out by a doctor."
"No," he snaps.
"She needs medical care. Shots. A birth certificate. You can't actually think you can keep her off-grid?"
Wesley holds up his gun, facing it at me. "You've done what I brought you here for."
"Wes, no!" Raven pleads. "Don't hurt her. The baby and I will stay here with you. Let her go."
"So she can go tell the police? I don't think so."
"Put me back in the trunk and drop me off somewhere. I have no idea where we are, so I won't be able to tell the location'," I plead. "I won't say a word because I know if I do, Raven and the baby die."
He slowly lowers the gun. "It wouldn't just be them either. Jonah. Wilder. Your mom and sister."
My throat closes up at the mention of the people I love.
I nod in understanding. "I won't say anythin'. You have my word."
"Good. Because I'd hate for you to have to watch me kill your husband and then you next."
I know he's trying to get me to react, fall out of line so he can shove that gun in my face again, but it's not going to work.
"Understood," I say firmly.
We continue waiting for Raven's placenta to come out, and I breathe a sigh of relief that I didn't have to pull it out. Then we cut the cord.
I add another blanket over the baby and admire how happy Raven looks, even if it's temporary.
"Bailey looks like you," I whisper, then kiss her cheek and whisper in her ear, "Please be careful and remember what I promised."
She nods once. "You too."
"Alright, let's go." Wesley grabs my arm, pulling me back.
Then he holds up a set of handcuffs and grabs Raven's wrist.
"Is that necessary?" I scowl. "She just had a baby. It's not like she can run."
He snaps it into place and then attaches the other side to the headrail. "I'm not takin' any chances."
That's what he must've done when he left to find Jonah's truck.
Raven doesn't fight it and continues holding the baby with her other hand.
"Down the stairs, go," he orders.
With one more glance over my shoulder, I meet Raven's eyes, making sure she knows I'll be back for her.
When I get to the bottom of the stairs, I get a better look at what this building is.
"Was this a car repair shop?"
"Yeah, my grandpop was a mechanic years ago. He raised me and taught me everythin' I know about cars. I was the one who found him in his home garage, inside his truck with the engine runnin' and the windows down. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning."
"Oh God, that's horrible," I say as we continue walking through the building.
Wait a minute...
I wonder if that's around the time he started hitting Raven and?—
"Sugarland Creek PD! Hands up!"
A dozen officers barge through the door with guns raised. Wesley moves behind me, wraps his arm tightly around my neck, then shoves his weapon into my skull.
"Wesley, put the gun down..." Sheriff Wagner calls out. "Let her go."
"No way. You're on private property. Get out!"
"You know we're not leavin' without the girls. Surrender and no one gets hurt."
"Wesley..." I whisper his name to get his attention. "Your grandpop wouldn't want you to do this. I think you're sufferin' from PTSD and grief disorder. You can get help for that."
I learned all about that in my grief counseling sessions. And now I'm kicking myself for not seeing the signs. I wish I'd known he'd recently lost someone close to him.
"He left me behind," he grits between his teeth.
"That doesn't mean he loved you any less. Or that you don't miss him."
"Shut up."
"Wesley..." Sheriff Wagner warns.
Next, we hear a helicopter flying ahead.
"Holy shit," I murmur.
It hits me that Wilder and my family are probably going out of their minds worried about me. And I know my husband is losing his shit. I'm surprised he didn't demand to come out here.
However the hell they found us, I have no idea, but I do know Wilder is panicking.
"If I die, she dies with me..." He clicks off the safety.
Before anyone can move or say another word, Wesley jerks behind me and falls to the ground.
I scream when the weight of his body knocks me over and the officers rush over.
My heart's racing so hard, I can't breathe.
"Delilah, you're okay..." a female voice I don't recognize says, trying to lift me.
"I-I can't—" There's a piercing ring in my ears.
"Hang tight, sweetheart."
She places an oxygen mask over my mouth. "Inhale slowly."
I think I'm having a panic attack, but I've had those before and they've never felt like this.
My eyes struggle to stay open, losing the fight to see the woman in front of me.
And then the quiet and darkness surrounds me...again.