Chapter 7 #7
Rio didn’t say anything right away. He looked at her for a long moment and really looked at her. Her trembling hands. Her soft voice as she reassured her girls. The ache in her eyes. And beneath it all, her strength, buried under fear and exhaustion, but fierce as ever.
Then he said it, firm and low, but gentle: “You and the kids are coming back to L.A. with me.”
Kylee blinked. “Rio…”
“I’m not asking.” His voice didn’t rise, it didn't need to. “It’s not safe here. He has a gun. He’s unstable. If I hadn’t walked in tonight…” He shook his head, jaw clenched. “I’m not risking it.”
Kylee’s lip trembled. “But Jake’s school. Macy’s things. My life is here. I can’t just”
“Yes, you can,” he cut in. “You can. This place isn’t your life anymore. You think your babies care where they sleep, as long as they’re in your arms? You think you can’t rebuild?” He looked down at Kayla, whose eyes had fluttered shut against his chest.
“You already survived the hardest part. Now you move.”
Her eyes brimmed with tears again. “Rio, I just… I’m scared.”
“I know,” he whispered, crossing to her.
He knelt down in front of her, one hand on Macy’s back, the other gently curling around Kylee’s knee.
“I’ve never had a family. Never wanted one.
But you… and these kids… I’ve never wanted to protect something so bad in my life.
” She stared at him, breathing in shallow pulls.
He leaned in a little closer. “Pack what you want to take. Or leave it all I’ll buy you new clothes, a new crib, a new fucking minivan if you want it.
But we’re leaving tonight. You and these kids are mine to look after now.
And I’m not letting you stay one more hour in a house where that psycho thinks he can break down the door. ”
Kylee looked down at Macy, whose breathing had started to calm. She nodded slowly. “Okay.”
Rio stood, still holding Kayla, and offered his other hand. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Kylee knelt in front of Jake Jr. and Macy in the hallway, her voice soft but full of a kind of nervous excitement that made both their eyes light up.
“Okay, listen,” she said, brushing Macy’s curls from her face.
“We’re going on a little trip, just for a while.
So I need you both to go pack a bag. Just your favorite things, your comfiest clothes, your favorite toys, whatever makes you happy. ”
Jake Jr. looked up at her, confused. “Are we going to the beach?”
Kylee smiled and nodded. “Something like that, baby. Somewhere sunny.”
Macy, clutching her stuffed unicorn, lit up. “Can I bring Sparkle?”
“Absolutely. Sparkle goes in first,” Kylee said, kissing her cheek. “Now go be my big helpers, okay? Pack quick!”
As they hurried down the hall, Kylee stood and moved swiftly to the bedroom.
Kayla was asleep in her bassinet, her tiny chest rising and falling in soft, even breaths.
Kylee stared at her for a moment, overwhelmed by a mix of emotions, fear, guilt, love, and above all, determination.
She opened the closet and pulled out the biggest overnight bag she could find.
In it, she stuffed just the essentials: a few of her own clothes, diapers, bottles, wipes,
Kayla’s sleep sack, the soft pink blanket she never slept without.
She grabbed her old worn hoodie, the one that still smelled faintly like home, and tossed in her journal too.
She paused before zipping it shut, catching her reflection in the mirror.
She didn’t look like herself, tired, pale, and shaken but her eyes.
.. her eyes were steady now. Focused. She took a breath and turned.
Rio was already loading things into the back of a sleek black SUV parked in the driveway. He had his private jet waiting at the airport and was moving like a man on a mission.
Kylee scooped Kayla into her arms and grabbed the bag. She walked down the hall just as Jake Jr. came running back out with his backpack stuffed so full it was barely zipped. “I brought my jersey, my game ball, and my Spider-Man guy!”
Macy followed, dragging her unicorn by the tail and clutching a fuzzy blanket. Kylee smiled, her heart swelling with both pain and pride. “Perfect,” she said. “You guys did awesome. Let’s go on our adventure.”
The SUV purred along the dark highway, headlights cutting through the night as they made their way toward the small private airport outside of town.
Inside, the mood was an odd mix of exhaustion and adrenaline.
Kayla snoozed peacefully in her car seat beside Kylee, and Macy leaned against her, thumb in
Her mouth and Sparkle the unicorn clutched tight. Jake Jr., on the other hand, was wide awake buzzing with energy as he bounced his legs and stared out the window. “My tummy’s growling,” he said, rubbing it dramatically. “I’m starving, like… so starving I might die.”
Rio chuckled from the front passenger seat and turned to glance back. “Good thing we’ve got a feast waiting for you on the plane then.”
Jake Jr.’s eyes widened. “Wait…what? What do you mean on the plane?”
“You didn’t know?” Rio grinned. “We’re taking my private jet. Have you ever been on a plane before?”
Jake Jr. practically launched out of his seat. “A real plane?! With wings and everything?!”
“Yup. Real wings. And snacks. And comfy seats. And movies.”
Jake Jr. turned to Kylee, face glowing. “Mommy, are we really flying on a plane?”
She nodded, gently brushing his hair back. “We are, baby. It’s gonna be an adventure.”
Jake Jr. turned his attention back to Rio. “Are you flying it?”
Rio laughed. “Not this time. I’ve got someone way better at it than me. But I’ll sit up front and look important.”
“You’re already important,” Jake Jr. said with the absolute honesty of a child. “You’re a rock star!”
“Damn right I am,” Rio said, giving him a playful wink.
Kylee smiled softly to herself. For the first time in what felt like forever, the fear gnawing at her chest eased. In this stolen moment, with her babies safe beside her and Rio holding the reins, she finally felt like she could breathe again.
Jake Jr. leaned back in his seat, already imagining the plane ride. “Do you think they’ll have pizza?”
“I’ll call the pilot right now,” Rio said, reaching for his phone. “We’ll make sure your wish is granted.”
Kylee caught his eye from the backseat. Thank you, she mouthed.
Rio gave her a subtle nod, his expression tender. This wasn’t just about escape anymore.
It was the beginning of something entirely new. The black SUV rolled to a smooth stop on the private runway, the night air warm and still. A sleek silver jet
Sat waiting on the tarmac, its lights glowing like something out of a dream. A flight attendant in a tailored uniform stood at the bottom of the steps, smiling warmly as they approached.
Kylee stepped out first, holding Kayla on her hip. Jake Jr. and Macy climbed out behind her, their eyes wide, mouths parted in awe.
“Whoa…” Jake Jr. whispered. “It’s huge.”
Macy gripped Kylee’s free hand, the stuffed unicorn dangling from her other. “Are we going in that, Mommy?”
“We are, baby,” Kylee said, smoothing Macy’s hair. “It’s okay, it’s safe. We’re all together.”
Rio came around the vehicle and placed a steadying hand on Kylee’s back. “You good?”
She nodded, though the tears threatened again. Not the frantic, desperate ones this time just quiet disbelief that this was real. That she was getting out. That someone had shown up for her, and kept showing up.
The pilot stepped forward to greet them, shaking Rio’s hand and nodding to Kylee with quiet professionalism. A staff member took their bags, assuring her they’d be loaded right away.
“Alright, let’s go meet your feast,” Rio said with a grin to Jake Jr., who pumped a fist in the air and darted toward the steps.
“Be careful!” Kylee called out, her nerves catching.
Kylee climbed the steps slowly, Macy at her side, her arms sore from holding Kayla but her heart fuller than it had been in weeks.
Inside, the cabin was warm and luxurious cream leather seats, soft lighting, and a table already set with a tray of kid-friendly snacks, drinks, and even pizza.
Jake Jr. shouted, “Best. Day. Ever!” before diving into a seat and grabbing a slice.
Macy climbed into a seat next to him and leaned close to whisper, “We’re flying like princesses.”
Kylee set Kayla down gently in the bassinet the crew had already prepared. She lingered for a second, brushing her daughter’s tiny curls back before turning around.
Rio was watching her. His expression was soft, serious. “You okay?” he asked again.
Kylee walked toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He didn’t hesitate his arms came around her instantly.
“I don’t know how I got here,” she whispered into his chest. “But thank you for not letting me fall apart.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You didn’t fall apart. You chose to fly.”
And with that, the jet doors closed. And a brand-new chapter began. The hum of the jet engines lulled the cabin into a soft stillness.
Jake Jr. was finally dozing off in one of the reclining seats, a blanket tucked up under his chin and a few pizza crumbs still stuck to the corner of his mouth.
Macy had curled up next to him with her unicorn, her breathing slow and steady.
Kayla slept soundly in the small bassinet nearby, her little hands fisted against her cheeks.
Kylee sat watching them, overwhelmed with emotion.
Safety. Quiet. For the first time in what felt like forever.
She didn’t realize Rio had been watching her until he leaned over and whispered low against her ear, “Meet me in the back bathroom.” She looked up at him, startled.
He gave her a small, devilish smirk. “Just for a minute. Promise.”