The week leading up to the wedding was hectic. Jo and I were running around trying to get the last-minute things Aimee needed to be done before the big day. We also had the Bachelor/Bachelorette parties two days before the wedding. Aimee wanted to do a joint one, so we all went together with our partners and a few of our other friends and got stinking drunk. It was a memorable night for sure. I had to practically rip Aimee and Josh away from one another most of the night. They were worse than Cole and me before we got married. They were ready to have sex on the dance floor in the middle of the club if Cole and I didn’t stop them. The night before the wedding, I spent the night with the girls, and Cole was with the boys.We all needed a night to relax and refresh after the heavy drinking the night before. I had Alaia with me, not wanting to leave her two nights in a row at my mum's, not that she minded, but I miss her and can’t be away from her for too long. We spent the night

“Cole, I’m telling you, it was the right move for the whole team. He’s one of the best players they’ve had in years.” Sam states, taking a sip of his scotch while he talks passionately about a football player transfer.I shake my head and chuckle. “If you say so, bro, they need more than the likes of him if they’re going to win the championship this season,” I tell him earnestly, and Sam shakes his head. I look around the room, my eyes searching for Shayla, but I can’t see her anywhere. She’s been gone for over half-hour. “I’m going to go look for Shayla; she’s been gone a while,” I say, and Sam nods, giving me the thumbs up. I wander around the marquee looking for her, but she wasn’t in there. “Mum, have you seen Shayla and Alaia?” I ask her mother, and she looks up at me.“She went to change the baby, but that was a while ago. Isn’t she back yet?” She asks, and I shake my head, scanning the room again.“I haven’t seen her if she is,” I reply, and she frowns wo

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!”

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

“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