Chapter 24
Holly – Three Days Later
Mrs. Violet clears her throat as she looks at me, then glances down at her notes and carefully moves her pen so it lines up straight with her pad. I’ve noticed she always does this precise movement when she’s nervous.
I didn’t want this meeting. I’ve tried to avoid it since I returned last week but the head insisted, wanting to ensure the school wouldn’t lose funding from the club after her mistake.
“How uh, how are you settling back in?” she finally asks, and I try not to roll my eyes.
I should be taking paint supplies to my classroom right now, getting the kids' desks ready for our art lesson, something they love, while they’re outside playing, but I’m not. I’m sitting in front of the woman who acts before thinking.
My head is still a mess as it is, I miss Alex and currently regretting asking for a breather because he is all I can think about even though I know I need this time to get my head straight, I really don’t need her crap as well.
“Good,” I reply curtly, and she winces.
“I messed up,” she says, and I raise a brow.
She clears her throat, “I had angry parents and a distressed teacher, I didn’t think about the fact I’d never met Caleb’s mother, all I could think about was the possible lawsuit.
I am so sorry I didn’t get to the bottom of the story first, especially when they brought up Mrs.
Jones’ name and not yours. The woman, Cheryl, mentioned her son's name, and your daughter's, and that is what I focused on instead, and I am sorry.”
I swallow hard and look down before I ask, “Sorry because you mean it, or sorry because you’re concerned you’re going to lose funding from the MC?”
Ace, who picks up and drops off the kids, mentioned several times that all I need to do is say the word, but I won’t. As much as Mrs. Jones has angered me and upset me, I wouldn’t do it to the kids.
It isn’t their fault that the adults are idiots.
“Because you are the best teacher on the premises,” she instantly states, “I mean, your kids actually cried when you weren’t here, some didn’t come to school, and parents complained more than they have in years.
You are a valuable teacher to this school, and I am sorry that I didn’t look at the situation for what it was. ”
I clear my throat but nod before I check my watch and see the kids will be coming in soon and I say, “Look, the club won’t pull the funding, I won’t let them because I love the kids and as much as it hurt, I love my job as well so I’m not going anywhere anytime soon,” I stand as her eyes widen in shock and I give the woman a polite smile and admit, “I need to go set up the classroom ready for our art lesson.”
A small smile appears on the woman’s face, she nods and mutters, “Thank you,” and I nod before leaving her office, hoping to never sit in there again.
Shaking my head, I shut her door and give Mrs. Trivers a wave before heading to the supply closet to grab what I need, but as soon as I get to the door, I frown seeing it locked.
Crap.
Clearing my throat, I turn to head back to Mrs. Trivers when the woman herself rushes over to me, her eyes wild, and I frown again.
She was fine a second a go…
“Is everything okay?” I ask her as she stops beside me, breathing heavy.
“No,” she gasps, “Mr. Saint just came in from watching the kids and asked if I’d seen Lyra. She said she needed the bathroom but didn’t come back out, and that was ten minutes ago.”
My eyes widen, and true fear chokes me before we hear a giggle to our right, and we both look, finding Mrs. Jones leaning against the wall with a smirk as she looks me up and down, and a horrible feeling churns in the pit of my stomach, especially with the evil that shines in her eyes.
“Sandra?” Mrs. Trivers questions with confusion, and the bitch only grins wider, elation etched all over her features, and my gut tightens.
“She shouldn’t have tried to take my man, then the person who contacted me last week, demanding to know which class Lyra was in and how to access the school, wouldn’t have gotten access to her daughter.” She gloats like an unhinged woman.
She…surely she didn’t…
“Holly has barely met your husband!” Mrs. Trivers snaps, “Please tell me you did not help with a kidnapping?!”
“Not my husband,” she snaps, “Dirty, my Dirty, who I have wanted since college, but he never looked my way, and I had to settle!”
“What….” Mrs. Trivers chokes, and I feel like I can’t breathe.
She, no, she didn’t… she, please…
Sandra’s grin widens, and I know she’s not lying. She helped someone kidnap my daughter, my seven-year-old girl all over a man that never even looked twice at her.
“You assisted in a kidnapping?” I choke, and the woman’s face reddens as a scowl takes place.
“You shouldn’t have kept my man from me! He was mine!” she snaps.
No, no, no, no!
Her grin returns and she gloats, “She screamed for you, as I dragged her to the back of the school. she screamed for her mama and daddy. How pathetic is that, huh? I had to tell her all about how you stole someone that was mine, how this was your punishment.”
I’m going to kill her.
“Mrs. Trivers,” I choke.
“I didn’t see anything,” the woman growls and I storm over to Sandra, who cackles, “What? You going to hit me?”
I pull my fist back and punch her hard in the face. She screams as her body falls to the floor and my breathing intensifies. Fear for my daughter hits me hard before…
Oh no.
I turn frantically and ask, “Where is Caleb?” and Mrs. Trivers’ eyes widen.
Please tell me both my kids aren't missing.
I run over to the side door with Mrs. Trivers and look out at all the kids.
Mr. Saint raises a brow when we lock eyes, but I shake my head, causing his eyes to widen, and I mouth, “Caleb?”
He frowns and looks around the school yard before pointing the boy out, and I follow his finger.
Caleb is sitting alone on a bench, looking away from a group of kids trying to get his attention and my heart pounds.
He isn’t safe.
“Caleb?” I call, and his eyes come my way, and I nod my head for him to come, all while I try not to panic.
I need Alex. No, I need Dirty, the MC biker who would do anything for his kids. I need him now.
Caleb rushes my way as Mrs. Trivers whispers, “I’ll explain the situation to Mrs. Violet, and call the police. You go get Dirty.”
I nod as Caleb comes running up the steps, grinning wide.
"Is everything okay?" he asks.
I swallow hard and hold out my hand without answering his question because no, no everything isn’t okay.
I’m ready to break down but I can’t, I need to be strong, until I see Alex.
Caleb grabs my hand immediately and I guide him towards my classroom, where my phone is.
We pass a sobbing Sandra, who clutches her nose with bloodstained fingers and Caleb looks at her, confused but I pull him into the room before he can question what happened to her and I gently command, “Grab yours and Lyra’s things, sweetheart. We’re going to the club.”
He frowns but nods and does as I ask and I quickly bring up Alex’s number, a number I haven’t called myself in a little while, still trying to get my head around everything, and press on it.
Putting the phone to my ear but it goes to voicemail and I swallow hard as I hang up and try Ace next but again, no luck before I try Ice.
His number also goes to voicemail, and I realize they may be in church. Ace mentioned yesterday that the old timers will be joining them today, right after he tried to convince me to stop taking a breather.
Oh god.
I shouldn’t have taken the breather, I-I…
“Mama?” Caleb whispers, getting me out of my panic, and I look his way in shock, my tears falling as he eyes me. “Where is Lyra, Mama?” he asks, and I swallow thickly.
“She's been taken, baby,” I choke and he runs into me, clutching me tightly. I say, “Come on, we have to get to daddy.”
He nods, wipes his cheeks with his arm, and holds his and Lyra's things.
I grab my bag, and we both run out of the classroom and towards the door.
God, I hope he can find her…
***
Ten minutes later, I speed up to the club's gates, the prospect whose name I can’t remember, opening them quickly, seeing I’m not stopping with wide eyes, while Caleb shouts, “Open the gate, open the gate…”
I skid to a stop near the door and hurry out of the car with Caleb, and we both run into the clubhouse, the door slamming open, causing everyone to look our way, just as men spill out of the room Alex said was church and Caleb runs their way.
“Daddy!” Caleb cries, getting his attention, his head shooting up in surprise as our son slams into his body before his eyes come my way with confusion but concern soon etches from him when he doesn’t see our daughter.
“Hol?” he questions with concern.
I choke, "Lyra’s been kidnapped," and the room tenses as my legs give out as reality slams into me.
My daughter is gone.