Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Prophet
Two weeks later
She’s been gone for two weeks, and other than her initial text telling me she arrived safely, it’s been radio silence.
Oh, she’s sent me thumbs up emojis when I told her that Cami’s birthday party was well underway as far as the planning, or hearted a picture I took of my girl, but there’s been no messages, no phone calls, nothing, nada, zilch.
Well, that’s not quite true. She did send me a message asking if I could go by her house to check on a notification she received, giving me the information to get inside and disarm the alarm.
Apparently, she forgot to suspend a regular subscription service, so I brought it inside and put it away for her.
Only to find a letter she left for me. Whether or not she ever intended for me to read it is anyone’s guess, but I’m not ashamed to admit that after I made sure her house was locked up once again, I took it with me and then sat in my room while my daughter slept and read it.
Multiple times. In fact, so many times, I have parts memorized.
Dear Eli,
I’m not sure if I’ll ever even give this to you, but since I tried and failed to sleep, I figured I would write it all down to try and make sense of the stuff I spewed the other night when you came by.
When I was in college for the second time, working on my bachelor’s degree, I met a man and we hit it off rather well.
At the time, I was still spiraling from the deaths of both of my parents and had realized I was completely alone in life.
Yes, I had a handful of cousins, Rosa being one of them, but at the end of the day, I didn’t have anyone to share the highs and lows of life with outside of my best friend, Ella.
It wasn’t long before we were living together and one day, we decided to go to the courthouse and get married.
Looking back, I’m not sure we were ever in love the way a couple should be if they’re going to commit their lives to one another, but again, I was alone and suddenly, I was part of a couple.
He was doing his undergrad work to become a doctor, I was working as a nurse and completing my degree courses mostly online, so when the call came in for a traveling nurse assignment and it fit in with something on my syllabus, we made the decision that I would go, since it would put me that much closer to graduating.
Unfortunately, the weather sent me back home sooner than I was expected, and I walked into our apartment excited about being back to find him sleeping naked in bed next to a former friend.
He claimed it was a one-time thing, but after Ella and I did a little bit of sleuthing, I found out that it had been going on for most of our marriage.
Needless to say, I divorced him and was once again alone, only this time, my trust in men was decimated.
After graduating with my bachelor’s, I poured myself into my career, taking every available certification course I could to enhance my skills, going on occasional travel assignments through the hospital, and working to make my house into a home.
I had even contemplated getting a few pets, but then realized that it wouldn’t be fair to them since I was hardly ever home.
Then Rosa moved in, and you know how all of that went, so I won’t rehash it.
Suffice it to say, Cami is and was the one bright spot in my day-to-day routine.
Despite my best efforts, I wasn’t able to find out who you were before Rosa died, but I hope you believe me when I say that I tried everything so that you’d know you were a father.
The day I came into your clubhouse set things in motion inside of me that I thought didn’t exist. Meeting you, spending time with you, seeing how you were as not only a daddy to that precious little girl, but with your club made me realize that maybe I was too hasty when I swore off men for the rest of my life.
But then my personal dilemma set in because Rosa and I were cousins, and I felt very strongly that it violated the girl code.
I shouldn’t be interested in you as something more than a friend because that was wrong, wasn’t it?
Both Holly and Marnie said no, Esther fed me a bunch of hard truths, and even Ella said I was crazy to think the way I was, but I couldn’t help myself.
I’ve fallen head over heels in love with you, Eli, and that terrifies me.
I’ve never felt this way about another person in my entire life, and just being friends isn’t enough for me any longer.
Only, I don’t want to screw things up if you don’t feel the same way.
Perhaps you’re just being kind, allowing me to be in Cami’s life, and you’re not interested in me as a romantic partner.
See why my head’s so messed up? I wake up in the morning and think of a million things I want to tell you, and when it’s a bad day on the floor, you’re the first person I think of to share it with.
Being able to help you navigate your way through this daddy gig has been a privilege, one I don’t take lightly and one I refuse to lose just because I can’t see a future without you in it and by my side.
Anyhow, that’s how I feel and like I said, it absolutely terrifies me.
Will I ever have the guts to give you this letter?
Who knows? Maybe I’ll grow a set as Ella tells me to do and blurt all of it out and let the chips fall where they may.
Regardless, I do want to be a part of yours and Cami’s lives for as long as you’ll let me.
Phoebe
After reading it the first time, I set Data on the task of finding out where Phoebe went, but he’s come up with nothing so far.
While he’s one hell of a hacker and can get into systems most people only dream about, he’s hit wall after wall.
A lot of it has to do with the fact she’s a nurse, so most of her personal information is protected by certain laws or some bullshit.
I don’t claim to understand any of it, to be honest, since that’s never been in my wheelhouse of skills.
I’m a problem solver, a fighter, a mentor, a tattoo artist. I don’t have even an iota of ability when it comes to computers or finding someone. I mean, in my mind, there can’t be a million Phoebe Carters out there, right?
Sighing, I head into my en suite to grab a shower before Cami wakes up. We’re having a party at the clubhouse. Holly says it’s a prelude to Cami’s first birthday party, but in reality, we don’t need a reason to slap some meat on the grill, drink beer, and sit around shooting the shit.
“I just can’t believe you haven’t found hide nor hair of her is all,” I growl out at Data.
He shrugs then retorts, “I’ve gone through every fucking database, and I’ve got nothing. She’s supposed to come home in a few weeks, right? Why not just wait until then, brother?”
“Because she and I need to have a come to Jesus talk,” I grumble. “Seems she’s a bit clueless about a few things that several people in this very room have attempted to educate her on.”
“She’s just scared,” Holly says. “And I can see her point, because what if she shoots her shot and all you want to be is friends? Then it’s awkward for her, Prophet. So, maybe give her a little bit of grace.”
“I’m trying, dammit!” I yell. “She literally brought me the very best gift anyone has ever given me, and she tried for months beforehand to get that bi-witch,” I hastily change my word choice when I see Mina standing there, “to tell me. My anger is at that woman, not at Phoebe, and if she’d let me, I’d be happy to clue her into the fact that I feel the same way as she does. ”
“Prophet!” Data yells, pointing at the huge-ass television where I see a picture of Phoebe and a woman about the same age next to her as the reporter starts to speak.
“Our spotlight today is on a hometown hero, Phoebe Cortez, who is currently high up in the mountains of North Carolina assisting Traveling Care with the hundreds of residents who have been practically trapped by destroyed roads caused by mudslides. Today, she and a friend delivered a set of twins. While the babies were early, all have been transported to the hospital in good condition. Ms. Cortez, who holds a compact nursing license, is a highly skilled trauma nurse that is often called upon to travel to areas where natural disasters have struck. When she was asked why she chose this career, she told this reporter that her parents raised her with a servant’s heart, and helping others heal after an injury or illness gives her a sense of satisfaction knowing that another family won’t endure what she did after her parents were involved in a tragic accident. ”
I’m already on my feet, my beer forgotten as my gaze takes in Phoebe’s expression.
She’s wearing a hideous neon yellow shirt with ‘Traveling Care’ embroidered on the left breast pocket, one of those heavy-duty masks is hanging around her neck, and even though she looks tired, she’s smiling, as is the woman next to her.
I suspect it’s her best friend, Ella, based on the pictures she has around her home, and I’m glad that she’s by her side while my woman puzzles things out.
Because she is my woman, plain and simple. The day she walked through the clubhouse doors and handed me Cami, she became mine.
“What are you waiting for?” Data asks, his laptop now open as his fingers fly across the keyboard. “Now that I know her real name, as well as the company she’s working for, I’ve got an address.”
I’m halfway to the stairs when I stop in my tracks. “I can’t take Cami up there, it’s probably not all that safe,” I murmur.
“And you’re not taking her anywhere, we’ve got her and you, brother,” Rebel states. “Now, go pack your shit and get the fuck out of here. Go claim your woman, we’ll hold down the fort.”
With no further words needed, I rush upstairs and quickly pack my clothes and hygiene kit.
Since I have no clue if there are working banks, I open up the small safe I keep in my closet, grab my gun and plenty of ammo, as well as a stack of cash.
I don’t worry about packing Cami’s things.
I’m sure Rebel or Holly will come up later and get what she needs.
I head back down, my duffel bag over my shoulder, which I drop near the door so I can find Cami and give her some much-needed loving before I leave.
As I cuddle my daughter, she pats my cheeks and I lean in and whisper, “I’m going to get your Phoebe, baby girl.
Then I’m gonna make her mine so she’s gonna be your momma before you know it.
” Kissing her cheeks, I hand her off to Holly, who has tears steadily streaming down her face and say, “Thanks.”
“Not a problem, Prophet. Go get your woman,” she decrees.
The end… for now
Prophet’s Peace will wrap up Phoebe and Prophet’s story and will hopefully be out in the next few months!