I scowl at him and shake my head. “My God, no! Shayla would never do that. We love each other fiercely. She would never cheat on me, and I would never cheat on her. I’m telling you she hasn’t left me. She’s been taken.” I insist and look at Josh, who was scowling at the detective also. “You don’t think Blake would...”
Josh looks at me, and his frown deepens. “Nah, why would Blake kidnap Shayla and Alaia? Not for the money, the guy’s loaded.” Josh states warily.
“What if it’s not for the money, Josh. They were close while Shayla and I were broken up after I lost my memory. What if he’s pissed off about us getting back together, and he’s taken them out of spite?” I clarify, and Josh blinks slowly. I can see the wheels in his head-turning.
“Cole, he seemed to care about her genuinely. I don’t think he would do anything to hurt her.”
“Exactly! Maybe he cares a little too much! He’s definitely got the motive and the resources to pull something like this off!”
“What’s going on, baby?” I hear Aimee’s voice behind me. Josh and I pull apart, and I keep my eyes cast down, tears of despair streaming endlessly down my face. Sam and Jo follow Aimee.Josh heaves a sigh and rubs the back of his neck. “Shayla and Alaia have been kidnapped. A witness saw them being dragged away into a van.” He explains sullenly, and Aimee gasps, covering her mouth with her hand.“What?” Sam stammers, staring at Josh, utterly stunned. “What do you mean they’ve been kidnapped? By whom?!” He asks angrily. “Who the fuck would want to kidnap my sister?!” He exclaims irately and looks at me. “Cole, say something?! Whose taken my fucking sister?!”“I don’t know!” I shout, lifting my gaze to his. “I don’t know.”“Oh, my God.” Jo places her hand on her forehead and paces. “What would anyone want with her and Alaia?” She asks, and I lift my gaze to the dark sky. I just kept picturing Shayla alone and frightened, and it’s killing me.“Did Sha
I groan when I feel a sudden ache in my head. My head felt so heavy, I could barely lift it, and my neck was aching terribly. I peel my eyes open and blink a couple of times until the blurriness clouding my vision clears, and look around the darkroom I was in. Where on earth am I? I wince when I feel a pinch on my wrist and my fingers felt numb. I glance down and see my arms are bound to the armrest of the chair I was sitting in. I was still in my bridesmaid dress—Aimee and Josh’s wedding. I was at the wedding. How did I end up in this dark and dingy room? Sheer panic rises inside me when I remember Alaia was with me before everything went dark around me. I look around the room frantically, my heart racing a mile a minute. Where’s my baby? Where’s Alaia?“Alaia.” I gasp and lift my eyes to the door. “ALAIA!” I scream, tugging on my restraints. I sob, trying to wiggle my wrists free, but they were bound so tight the rope burnt my skin. I try to move my legs, but they were tied
“Three days.” He mutters as he ties my ankles to the chair. Is that it? It feels like weeks to me. “You’ll get your answers shortly.” I watch him as he stands and takes a couple of steps back. They don’t leave. They just stand there, leering at me like I was a piece of meat. I frown when I hear footsteps on the gravel. I lift my gaze slowly, and my eyes go wide, almost bulging out of my head. No fucking way.“Oh, my God,” I whisper, horrified as I stare at the person standing before me. My vision blurs with tears as I watch Sophie hold my daughter in her arms. “You did this?” I ask, and she smirks icily, bouncing Alaia in her arms.“Surprise bitch.” She utters, holding my daughter's hand. “Oopsie, I should learn to watch my language in front of the baby.”I fight in my restraints as I glare at her. “Sophie, give me my baby.” I hiss, looking at Alaia, tears rolling down my face. “What do you think you’re doing? Have you lost your goddamn mind! Give me my baby!”
“COLEE!”I jump awake and sit upright, panting into the darkness. I reach over and turn the night lamp on, blinking till my eyes adjust to the light. I look back when I feel a warm hand on my shoulder and close my eyes, biting my lip.“You okay, baby?” I heave a sigh and turn my head to look at my beautiful wife blinking up at me sleepily. I pull her into my arms and hug her tight.I sigh, closing my eyes while I inhale her scent. “Thank god. I just had a horrendous nightmare that you and Alaia were kidnapped, and you were crying, pleading for me to save you.” I exhale, and Shayla pulls back a little, looking at me with those gorgeous green eyes of hers.“It was just a dream, baby,” Shayla assures me, her hand stroking my face lovingly. “I’m right here, and look—our daughter is asleep in her bed.” She says, looking over at Alaia, who was indeed peacefully asleep in her crib beside her. I take her face into my hands and kiss her again and again.“Th
That's all it’s been, but to me, it feels like four years. This house is too quiet without them, the silence is deafening, and I feel like I’m drowning slowly. My phone suddenly rings, and I jump and snatch it off the coffee table—an unknown number. I press the green button and answer it hurriedly, my heart pounding. “Hello?”“Good Morning Mr Hoult. I’m calling from the Chatham police station.” My heart rate accelerates. Oh, God. “We need you to come down to the station immediately. We found a baby, and we believe it may be your daughter.” The man on the other end says, and I feel a flood of relief wash over me.“Are you sure?” I ask, my voice barely an octave over a whisper.“Yes, sir, there's a note here to call you. If you could make your way down to the station, and you can identify the baby.”I stand up and nod, “Oh my God, I’ll be right there.” I grab my keys and run out the door. I stop when I see photographers at the gate. They start shouting and
I carry Alaia to the car and strap her into the passenger seat beside me. I kiss her hand a couple of times and close the door. I get into the car and sit there, staring ahead. I bite my lip hard, and in a rage, I punch the steering wheel a couple of times; choking on a sob, I press my head to the wheel and cry forlornly. God, please protect her, please bring her back to us safely. I don’t want anything else. Just get her back to me.Once I pull myself together, I drive back home. Alaia asleep in the car seat beside me. I sigh when I see the photographers were still camped out outside the house. The police officers usher them out of the way as the gate opens, and they snap photo after photo of me as I pull Alaia out of the car.“Tristan, is there any news on Shayla?!”“Tristan, where did they find Alaia? Where is Shayla?! Is it true that she’s been killed?!”“Get them out of here!” I shout angrily at the officers, who nod and start ushering them away from
“Cole.” I lift my gaze and look at a teary-eyed Josh and shake my head from my position on the floor. We were at the mortuary, and I had to go in and identify the body. As soon as I see a body on that table, covered with a white cloth, my back hit the wall, and I slid to the floor with my head in my hands.“I can't do it.” I sob uncontrollably, shaking my head. “That can’t be her lying there, Josh. it can't be!” I cry, covering my face with my hand as I weep. “I don’t want to remember her like that. I can’t do it.” If I see her lying there, lifeless and cold, that’s how I’ll remember her. That image will haunt me forever.“Cole, you have to. I know it’s hard, but she’s suffered enough. Let’s do this so we can put her to rest if it is her.”His words wrecked me. Put her to rest. I don’t want to put her to rest. I want her to wake up, so I can take her home with me, back to our baby girl who misses her terribly, back to her family who needs her.“I can’t, J
“What is it?” He asks quickly, and I push the door open and run across the street toward the church. I push the door open and walk inside. I’m not a religious man, but she was, and if anyone was going to help her right now, it was God himself. I walk down the aisle toward the prayer desk and look up at the statue of Jesus Christ staring down at me. I fall to my knees, lace my fingers together, and close my eyes.“God, I wasn’t raised to believe in anyone other than myself. I know, I probably have no right being here and asking you of anything, having no faith— but my wife has always had faith, and she prays and is a good person. I'm desperate, and you're the only one I can turn to for help and guidance right now. I’m begging you. Please help Shayla, please keep her safe and give her the strength to keep on fighting and find her way home to me and our baby girl. I’ll do anything. I'll come to church every Sunday. I’ll donate more money and time to those in need. I'll give up e