Illusions Complete Series (71 page)

“Well,” Alexis said. “Can I stay with you three?”

Criminy.
I thought about all the possibilities. Alexis used to leave the house with the door wide open. If she did that this time, the dogs could run away. And my daughter is going to wonder what the hell is going on with all these people coming and going from the house. I can’t do that to her. And Iris…sweet Iris, with the infinite patience. Her patience could very well run out, and who could blame her?

I really hated being put on the spot like this.

“No,” I said. “You’re just going to have to go into a group home or something. I mean, come on, the last time you had a relapse, it took you like a month to get stabilized. You’re telling me that I have to ask my new wife if my ex-wife can stay with us for a month. I mean, really? Seriously?”

“Iris won’t mind,” she said sweetly. “I know that I give you a hard time about her, but she really is a sweet girl.”

“Yeah,” I said. “But you’re asking me to let you stay with us, when you know that you’re going to be staying up for days, crying non-stop, talking incessantly, and running in and out of the house at all hours of the night. You get violent, too. Not to mention you have a bad habit of sneaking in drugs. I have a new daughter at home, as well. I don’t know Alexis, it’s not a good idea.”

She pouted again. God, why does she put me in these predicaments? I helped her get stabilized the last time, but Iris and I had briefly broken up during that time, so Iris’ feelings were not a factor.

Now they would be.

Iris comes first.

I finally just said “I’ll talk to Iris when I get home.”

“That’s all I can ask,” she said.

So, I thought to myself, I have to ask my wife if she doesn’t mind if I basically adopt my ex-wife. Become her financial supporter and her caretaker.

Iris is going to love this. Just love it. She didn’t sign on for my crazy life. She signed on to be with me, and, in return, I promised to love her and cherish her all the days of our lives. Our wedding vows didn’t include her agreeing to live with my ex-wife, not to mention the fact that she lived with Natalie, who was the possible mother of my child.

She didn’t sign on for this.

On the other hand, if somebody didn’t take care of Alexis, she would never get stabilized, which would cause even more problems for everybody around her for a long time. And Nick had proved that he didn’t want the responsibility for her.

To be fair, Nick had enough on his plate.

But so did I.

“Listen,” Nick whispered. “If you don’t take in Alexis, then she’s going to be out on the streets. She can’t come back to my house. I’m pretty much done.”

Great. Just great.

At that, I turned on the phone and tried to call Iris. Her phone went straight to voice-mail again. I looked at the clock – 4:30. She said that her deposition was scheduled until 5. I turned the phone off again, and planned to call her again around 5.

But the three of us ended up watching a movie in the TV room, and I lost track of time. Before I knew it, it was 6 O’Clock. “Ok, Alexis,” I said. “I really have to get home. I always eat dinner with my wife and daughter.”

“Ok, then,” she said. “I hope to see you both soon.”

I nodded. “You’re going to be ok,” I said.

And, at that, Nick and I left Alexis’ room and started for home.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Iris

I froze when I saw Andrew in my house, holding my screaming daughter. I was too much in shock, momentarily, to do much of anything. Then, a second or two later, I noticed that he had a gun in his left hand. He was holding Dalilah in his right arm. He looked at me with an impassive look, but he was massaging his gun. Then he narrowed his eyes.

How did he get in here? What about the dogs? Then I heard them barking in the backyard. Also, I set the alarm before I left the house this morning, I know I did. Didn’t I? That didn’t matter, the fact is that he is here, and he had my daughter. With a gun in his hand. Crazy or no, I would imagine that he could cock his gun and kill Dalilah before I could take a single step towards him. Once again, my brain was able to think clearly, even in the face of the most unimaginable circumstance. I had been in such a situation before, with Rochelle, and my mind was also clear then. I knew that the situation at hand would require me to think coherently, because if I did anything out of panic, my daughter was dead.

I knew it.

“Andrew, darling, it’s so good to see you,” I said.

“Cut the bullshit, Cherry. Who is this?” he asked, taking his gun and pointing it to the screaming Dalilah. I prayed that she wouldn’t start calling for me. I had to convince Andrew that Dalilah was somebody who was not my daughter. So far, she was only screaming and crying.
Please, baby, please do not say mama. Please don’t say mama.

“That’s the neighbor’s daughter,” I said. “Her mother is Helena. What happened to her?”

“I sent her away,” he said.

Away. I hoped that her body wasn’t in the house somewhere.

“Away,  love? I have to get Dalilah back to her.”

Dalilah started going m-m-m-m-m-m, while looking right at me. Andrew looked at her, then looked at me suspiciously.

“See, honey, she’s calling for her mama. She’s wondering where she is. I have to get her back to her mama,” I said lightly.

“You’re not going anywhere, you stupid fucking slut. I know what you did. You’re gonna pay.”

“Which thing, honey?  What are you talking about?”

“You know. Where is he?”

“He?”

“Yeah, the guy you fucked before you left me. Where is he?” His face was getting redder by the second, and he was shaking. His eyes were bugging out a little, and some spittle was on the corner of his mouth.

“Give me Dalilah and I’ll tell you.”

He just looked at me, his face contorted.

“Ok, fine, I won’t tell you then. You can just guess.”

“You will tell me right now!” he raged.

“Give me the baby, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know. Otherwise, you’ll never get to know where he is.”

He looked at me, shaking, then handed me Dalilah. I had her in my arms, then I immediately felt the gun on the small of my back. I had to get out of this alive, or else she won’t survive, either. “Honey, I have to call Dalilah’s father to come and get her, since you won’t tell me where her mother is.”

He nodded, then jabbed the gun further into my skin. “No funny business,” he said.

I made my way over to my purse, with Dalilah screaming and pulling my hair, going m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m. Andrew’s gun remained on the small of my back.

Should I try to call Ryan? His phone had been turned off all morning and afternoon, probably because the hospital wouldn’t allow him to have it on. If I call him and his phone is turned off again, that would be my only chance to contact somebody to come and get our daughter. I would have blown my one chance to get her somewhere safe, because I doubted that Andrew would let me make more than one phone call.

I needed to get her someplace safe. If she was somewhere safe, then I could play more high stakes gambling here. Otherwise, I would have to play everything completely conservatively, and that probably wouldn’t work.

I had to get her somewhere safe if either of us was to have a chance.

Daniel. I called his number, silently praying. He answered on the second ring. “Daniel,” I said, my voice breezy.

“Yeah, Iris, what do you need?” he asked.

“Come and get Dalilah, please.”

Daniel knew better than to ask why. One thing about him, he’s good at following orders without having lengthy explanations. That’s part of his job description.

“I’ll be right there,” he said.

I smiled at Andrew. “Her father will be here in around 5 minutes. Then we can talk. Sorry, but it is difficult to have a conversation with a screaming brat in my arms.” I hoped against hope that I was acting like his wife. I had no idea if she referred to children as brats, but my instinct was guiding me here.

He nodded. “Ok, but after her dad gets here, you’re gonna give me answers.”

Daniel arrived after the longest 5 minutes of my life. Andrew and I were in a staring contest, with him pointing the gun so that a bullet would hit both Dalilah and me if he were to fire. Dalilah was calming down. Crap! Now that she was calming, what would happen if she started screaming again when she goes with Daniel? She knows Daniel, so maybe it will be ok. Her head was on my shoulder, and she was sucking her thumb.

I saw Daniel drive up in Ryan’s Jaguar. Andrew saw him, too, because he was looking out the window with me. “Get out there,” Andrew said. “Don’t let him come to the door. And I’m gonna know if you’re tipping him off about me being in here, so if I see any kind of body language or facial expressions that tip me off that you’re telling him about me, I will snipe all three of you in the driveway.”

“Oh, please, why would I tell him about you?” Then I walked calmly out the door, and met Daniel, who was coming up the stairs to the porch. “Here you go,” I said, giving my daughter to Daniel calmly. “Thanks for doing this.”

“Sure, Iris. I’m assuming I’ll get an explanation later?”

“You assume correctly,” I said gaily. “Actually, my hubby and I just need some alone time, if you know what I mean,” I said, winking.

He laughed. “Say no more,” he said. To my relief, Dalilah didn’t start screaming anew. She put her chubby arms around his neck, then looked back at me and waved.
It’s as if she knows how to behave.
I thanked god again that Daniel and Dalilah know one another, as Daniel made his way down the stairs into his car, my daughter in his arms.

I went back into the house, relieved that she was safe, yet devastated that this might be the last chance to see my daughter in this world.

Stop thinking like that. You’re going to get out of this.

Andrew was standing there. Then, when I came in, he jerked me back into the kitchen. Again with the kitchen. What was it with him and kitchens?

“Sit down,” he said, shoving me into one of the chairs around the breakfast table. “Now, you stupid slut, you’re gonna give me answers. Then I’m gonna kill you.”

I crossed my arms. “What answers? You gotta ask the questions, first.”

“Why’d you have to fuck him?”

“Oh, honey, it had nothing to do with you. I love you, you know that.”

That was the wrong thing to say. “Shut up, slut!” he screamed, then pistol whipped my face. “Quit lying to me!”

I was momentarily stunned, then bit my lip hard to try to suppress a scream of pain. “Ok, then. It does have to do with you. We weren’t happy together, you know that,” I said.

To my surprise, this answer appeared to please him more. “Why couldn’t we go to counseling if you were so unhappy? Why’d you have to fuck somebody else, then take my children from me?” He was now on the verge of tears. “Why’d you do it, Cherry pie? Why?” Then he had his head in his hands, his gun still clutched tightly in one of them.

I was getting somewhere. This next answer was crucial. What was he looking for? What answers would appease him? I had a little bit of time to think about this next answer, because he was now crying.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “We just grew apart, you and me.”

“What about the kids?” he asked. “How could just keep them from me? Did they get any of their birthday cards or gifts?”

Fuck. He was going to want me to call them by name. “Of course, they did,” I said. “I’m not that much of a bitch.”

“Alan, how’d he like the train set?”

“He loved it, of course. He played with it constantly.”

He looked sad. Then, in a split second, he was raging again. “You fucking bitch! I should’ve been there to see him open that up!” He brought his gun back up to my head.

Then I heard voices outside the house. Ryan and Nick. They were kinda loud, so I could hear what they were saying. “I told you, buddy,” Ryan was saying. “God, I dread talking to Iris about this.”

“Yeah,” he said. “Good luck with that. I gotta get going. I’ll call you later, huh?”

Then Ryan was coming in the door.

Chapter Sixty

Ryan came in, saw the two of us, with Andrew’s gun to my head, and he froze. I knew that he also had to leave his weapon at home when he went to the hospital with Alexis and Nick, so he was just as helpless as I was when I came in the door. Ironic, all that training…

“Who are you?” Andrew asked.

Ryan was quick on his feet. He was able to cover the panic that he was no doubt feeling, the same feeling that I had when I saw Andrew and Dalilah. “I’m Ryan. What are you doing with Cherry, there?”

“I’m trying to find out who she was fucking before she left me.”

“That’s easy,” Ryan said. “I’m the one she was fucking before she left you. And, let me tell you, she was good. The best I ever had, that’s for goddamned sure.”

I knew what he was trying to do, and I silently prayed it wouldn’t work.

If Andrew kills him instead of me, I wouldn’t be able to live.

Ryan continued. “It’s me you want, not her. I was the one who convinced her to leave you. She wanted to stay, but I convinced her to leave. I told her to stop letting you see the kids, too.”

“You,” Andrew said. “I don’t believe you. You’re way too pretty for my wife. She never liked the pretty boys.”

“What can I say,” Ryan said in a cocky tone that I had never, ever heard from him. “She made the exception, you know?”

Andrew looked from me to Ryan, and back again. I shook my head violently. “That’s not the guy. Like you said, I don’t like ‘em pretty like that. I like my men craggy and old. That’s not the guy.”

“Babe,” Ryan said. “You don’t have to protect me. The secret is out. Now, Andrew, it’s me you want. You just let her go, and you can have me instead. She never would’ve left you if I didn’t talk her into it. If it weren’t for me, she would’ve stayed with you forever.”

“No,” I told Andrew. “I don’t know this guy, I’ve never seen him in my life. Please believe me. I don’t know him.”

Andrew continued to look at me, then at Ryan, trying to decide who to believe.