Chapter 20 - Izabel
Last night’s family dinner was so amazing.
I haven’t felt this happy in such a long time.
It is a relief to see Anton fitting in and laughing with the people I love in this world.
The twins have even started to be playful with him.
Well, Kira more than Kelsey, but Kelsey always takes longer to warm up to people.
We stayed over last night because it was late when dinner ended. Besides, I wasn’t ready to leave yet.
I miss everyone.
This morning, I got up early to spend time with Kayla and Alara without everyone else around.
Kayla hands me a mug of coffee.
“He seemed to do okay last night,” she remarks about Anton.
“He’s fucking hot!” Alara blurts out with a cheeky grin on her face.
Kayla rolls her eyes, sitting next to me at the breakfast table. “You’d probably have jumped into the back of his van and gotten yourself kidnapped on purpose,” she teases Alara.
I giggle, shaking my head at them.
“He did do well last night. So did Josiah. They both kept it civil and polite,” I say.
“I would even go so far as to say that they had a few laughs together,” Kayla says thoughtfully.
“I noticed that too,” I laugh. “I wasn’t sure if I was just being too hopeful.”
“No, I also saw it.” Alara agrees.
We sit talking about the twins, and again about how no one can believe I’m actually pregnant.
They were teasing me a lot about it last night in the kitchen when we were away from the guys.
Izabel, the freedom chaser, is suddenly married and pregnant.
It is unexpected. For me, more than anyone else on the planet.
But I am so happy about it now that Anton is part of my family. My extended family.
“Well, I get to be the best aunt in the world to another cute little ball of mischief. What do you want? A boy or a girl?”
“I don’t think you're supposed to ask that,” Kayla interrupts Alara.
“Oh, I don’t mind. I would choose a boy if I could choose. But I’d be happy either way.”
Alara smirks and wobbles her head at Kayla, who rolls her eyes at her sister-in-law.
“I wish you didn’t have to leave today already,” Kayla says.
“I know. But I’ll come for a proper, longer visit soon.
Right now, my head is full of thoughts about Illyin.
I want to put a plan together to maybe reach out to him.
I just need to figure out how to word things.
What to say,” I sigh. “He tends to have a bit of a temper at the best of times, and I know he’s furious and worried. ”
“He has a right to be worried. The sooner you talk to him, the better,” Kayla says. “Anton was saying he thinks it’s better if he stays out of that situation and leaves it for you to handle.”
“I agree. There's no reason you guys should be dragged into it. It’s for me to deal with. I don’t want to tell Anton yet, either, that I plan to talk to my brother. He’ll probably worry and want to change the plan, but I know my brother better than anyone.”
“You need to do whatever you think is right. You’ve got a little baby to think of now. These men go headstrong with their egos. You need to approach it from a family perspective,” Alara says.
“Exactly,” Kayla agrees.
“I’ll make a proper plan when I get home. I’ll try and contact him within the week. The sooner the better.”
***
It’s difficult leaving everyone, but at the same time, I’m excited.
At least I have my phone back now so I can stay in touch with the girls over WhatsApp. which makes it less difficult to be so far away from them.
In so many ways, it feels like my life is just starting. Such amazing things are happening to me, and the last piece of the puzzle is getting my brother to see that I’m happy and safe.
We arrive home late afternoon, and my head is already looping with ways to make my brother understand.
Anton is being very affectionate lately. He likes to keep me close, and I realize he must also be worried about Illyin. He hasn’t said anything to me yet, and I won’t say anything to him because I’d rather avoid the conversation until after I’ve contacted Illyin.
It’s late. We are sitting snuggled on the sofa after dinner, watching the fire lick at a fresh log he just tossed in there. I reach behind the pillow and pull out a heavy box wrapped in matte black paper with a glossy silk black ribbon.
A grin spreads over my face as I set the box in Anton’s lap.
“What is this, little pixie?” he asks, sitting up a bit straighter and smiling curiously.
“It’s a thank-you.”
He has to pull me closer against him to open the box with both hands while not letting me go.
I giggle and crawl closer into his lap.
“For what?” he asks, tugging at the ribbon. “I can’t even remember the last time anyone gave me a gift,” he says with excitement flowing through his words.
“For being amazing,” I say. “You um, you didn’t keep me locked up. You have given me a lot of freedom and trust, and you’ve let me be me,” I tell him.
He pauses unwrapping the gift and wraps his hand around my jaw, pulling my face to look at his. “Pixie, you are the most incredible person, and I wouldn’t want you to be anyone but you!”
My cheeks flush pink with happiness as he presses his lips to mine and kisses me, but only briefly. He’s far too excited about his gift.
As he pulls the lid off the box, he takes in a sharp breath.
“Is this…” he stammers, lifting the glass paperweight from the box and holding it up to the light. Colors shimmer through the carefully created lines and swirls inside the heavy artwork. He stares at it in bewilderment. I wait, grinning, enjoying his reaction.
“This is Markus Lexton, one of my favorite artists. Where in the world did you find this. He only made a limited number of these paperweights,” he mumbles in shock.
“I saw it in a gallery. I knew you’d love it!” I say happily.
“Love it? This is now my most prized artwork!” he blurts out, pulling me all the way onto his lap and holding me so tight I can barely breathe. “Thank you so much, little pixie. I don’t even…I don’t know what to say,” he says tightly, caught by emotions.
“Well, you don’t have to say anything. I’m the one who's thanking you,” I whisper against his ear with my arms around his neck.
My heart is full.
There is only one last thing I need to sort out before everything is perfect.
***
It’s a beautiful morning. The garden is coated in a soft, thick layer of powdery snow.
“What are you up to today?” Anton asks, handing me my decaf coffee.
“I’m going to the mall. I want to start looking at baby things. I know it’s really way too soon, but I’m starting to get excited about it all.”
“I would come with you if I could, but I’ve got to go into the office. You’ll take a guard with you?”
“Of course,” I say, nodding, then taking a sip of my coffee.
He slips his arm around me and kisses my forehead. “I’ve got to run, little pixie. Call me later. And send me photos of the things you find for the gremlin,” he chuckles.
After coffee, I head straight to the mall.
I was lying awake last night thinking about how happy the gift made Anton, and I realized that I haven’t given my brother a gift in years.
He was always buying me things and spoiling me.
And if I can think of a gift that is very personal, very specific to him, that lets him know I was thinking about him…
I’m not saying it will fix every problem, but it will be a nice icebreaker to start the conversation.
So, yes, I am going to the mall to look at baby things, but I also plan to keep an eye out for something my brother would like, too.
Step one in my master plan to fix everything and make it right.
I want to be totally free to live my life with Anton, and this is the last hurdle to overcome.
It’s still early when I arrive at the mall, so it’s not too busy yet, which makes my bodyguard happy. He seems to be on edge. I guess I would be, too, considering everything going on.
He follows me around from art galleries to baby stores and maternity wear stores.
I take photos of baby things and send them to Anton, who comments and gives his opinion of colors and vibes.
It’s fun, going back and forth on the phone like this with him.
I look at the different maternity clothes and don’t find anything that catches my eye.
I might have to have some custom-made, or just make do with floaty dresses and sleeping in one of Anton’s oversized T-shirts. Not that they are oversized on him.
My heart is happy as I browse gift shops and bookshops and search for the perfect gift for Illyin. But nothing is jumping out. Nothing seems right.
I start second-guessing the idea, wondering if he will think I’m trying to buy his approval. That’s what I always moaned at him about. Ugh. Why does this have to be so complicated?
It’s almost lunchtime when I decide to call it a day and go home.
The guard follows me back out to the parking lot, carrying my shopping bags even though I insisted I could carry them myself. He told me Anton would have his skin if his pregnant wife had to carry heavy things.
The bags aren’t even heavy.
I pull out my phone to message Anton and let him know we are on our way home when a man steps out in front of me.
I look up, and every cell in my body wants to scream.
“Starke,” I blurt out, horrified to see him.
“Hello, Izabel. Miss me?” he muses as several more men step out from behind cars and pillars in the parking area.
“Izabel,” the guard says nervously from behind me.
“Listen, man. You can walk away now, and no one will blame you. But I assure you, you can’t take on five of us and win,” Starke tells the man.
But the guard has dropped the shopping bags and has his weapon drawn.
“I’m sorry, I can’t do that,” he says sternly.
Starke rolls his eyes and gestures for the men to seize the guard.
“Wait!” I scream in panic. “Don’t you dare hurt him. I swear I will never talk to Illyin again if you hurt him,” I demand.
Starke sneers and clenches his jaw. “You always make life so much more complicated than it needs to be, Izabel,” he huffs.
“And I can make it more complicated,” I warn him, pressing my hands to my hips and glaring back at him.
Starke looks up at his men. “Restrain him, gag him, toss him into a storeroom or some shit, I don’t care. But leave him alive.”
“Alive and unharmed!” I shout.
“…and unharmed,” Starke grumbles.
The guard kicks and fights as they drag him away, but I am at least grateful I won’t have his death on my hands.
“Now, are you going to come with us willingly, or am I going to have to force you?”
I let out a frustrated breath. “So, again Illyin sent you instead of coming to talk to me himself?” I huff.
“Is that a yes or a no, Izabel?” Starke grumbles.
“It’s a no. I am not going with you. I refuse to let my brother manhandle me and rule my life. He could have come to speak to me himself if he knew where I was…which clearly, he does. And then we could have had a conversation like normal people….”
I’m still busy lecturing Starke when one of the other guys comes behind me and lifts me right off my feet, flinging me over his shoulder.
I scream in horror, kicking and punching the guy.
“Put me down right now!” I yell.
“Should we gag her?” the other guy asks.
“Don’t you fucking dare!”
“Might be a good idea,” Starke says.
“Don’t. You. Fucking. Dare!” I scream louder.
“Bring the car around,” Stare says into a walkie-talkie. Static responds. Then someone says, "Two minutes."
Two minutes.
Two minutes to escape. To figure this out. To get away.
Two minutes until they drag me away, and Anton has no idea where I ended up, and my brother might never ever let me out of his sight again.
Two minutes.
Panic surges.
My brain starts doing wild laps trying to figure out a way to get them to put me down, but I already know they won’t.
Tears sting the backs of my eyes.
I’m not in danger. Not like that. They won’t harm me—but they will rip me away from everything about my life that I was falling in love with. They will rip me away from my freedom, from the place I was starting to view as my home…and from Anton.
“Please,” I sob. “Please don’t do this. Let me call Illyin right now. Let me speak to him on the phone.”
“Put her down,” Anton’s voice snarls from behind him.
Starke spins to face him. I look up from where I’m dangling, and my face floods with relief. Then panic.
“Anton, no, they’ll shoot you!” I yelp.
But as I say it, I see movement on my left and right and realize he isn’t alone.
I don’t know how or why, but he is here with a full team of guards. Ten, eleven, twelve men…I can’t count from where I’m dangling over this man’s shoulder.
“Starke?” the man carrying me says, waiting for orders.
“Fuck!” Starke snarls, not wanting to accept that he’s heavily outnumbered.
“Put her the fuck down,” he snaps. The man lets me slide down his body until my feet are on the ground. He steps away with his hands raised as I glare angrily at him.
A vehicle arrives behind them, and Starke starts backing up towards it. “This isn’t over,” he growls, looking at Anton, not at me.
“Yes, it is!” I blurt out. “Tell Illyin to stop this and speak to me like a normal person!”
Anton grabs my arm and pulls me behind him.
His men all keep their weapons raised towards Starke and his guys. The air is tense with anticipation. Everyone is waiting for something to happen. My heart is racing as I watch from behind Anton.
But Starke is driving away.
It’s over.
For now.
And right now, I wish I hadn’t overthought the whole thing so much. I wish I had already called Illyin.
When Starke is out of sight, Anton turns and pulls me into his arms. His voice is strained and rough when he says, “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“They wouldn’t hurt me,” I try to reassure him. “They just wanted to take me to talk to him.”
“Take you and never let you leave again,” he snaps angrily.
“Hey, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.” I reach up and touch his chest. His eyes are a dark storm of emotion as he looks down at me.
“How did you know?” I ask.
“Josiah warned me that Illyin would be coming. I had to stay prepared,” he says, pulling me into a hug again. “I can’t lose you, Izabel.”