Deceptive Nights (29 page)

“
Hell, that’s all the time.
We’d never get any work done.”

She burst out in laughter at his silliness as
he nuzzled her neck. “We really should get dressed,” she insisted.
“I promise we can take all afternoon together, if you get through
with this meeting although you had lunch with Desmond planned and
he might get jealous.”

“
I think I can afford to
make Desmond a little jealous.” He helped her up, agreeing to her
terms. “Go in my private bathroom and get freshen up, while I call
down to the conference room and let them know we’ll be a little
late. They know how to start without me and then I’ll meet you
downstairs in the car. Deal?”

She nodded and picked up her clothes quickly.
Before he let her in the bathroom though he gave her a fervent kiss
as a promise to what was to come in the afternoon. Phoebe couldn’t
wait.

Chapter 32

Phoebe called home about seven that night to
let her mother know she was going to be home late - as if she
couldn’t guess already. Strangely, no one answered her phone. Not
even the answering machine had come on.

Jacoby had taken her to his apartments he was
renting in Harbortown right after one of the quickest employee
meeting he had to date. His team was not worried about his strange
behavior and Phoebe knew a lot of them would be getting back to him
with questions about their reports being so messed up.

“
Let’s take my car to your
home,” he suggested.

“
Stephanie would love that.
She has asked about you.”

His face lit up. “She has?”

Phoebe nodded. “My mother says she thinks my
daughter may have a crush on you, but I’m going to have to
disappoint her.”

“
Are you jealous?” he
teased.

She giggled. “Yes, because I don’t like to
share my man with anyone.”

He kissed her gently. “Say it again.”

“
What? I don’t like to
share my man?”

Obviously that was it because he kissed her
again, holding her close. They soon dressed and made it to his
rented green Jaguar. On the way to her home, he asked, “What do you
think your mother will think about us getting married, Phoebe?”

“
After Saturday, you are
certainly looking good to her. She said yesterday she couldn’t wait
to meet you, although she is still in a bit of a shock over what
Lawrence failed to tell us.”

Upon arriving at her home, Phoebe was
suddenly reluctant to get out the car. Anyone else looking at her
home wouldn’t think anything was strange, but Phoebe immediately
sensed something wasn’t right. The front picture window curtains
weren’t opened and her mother had pulled in forwards. Patricia
hated pulling out of the driveway backwards and always took great
effort to pull in backwards.

“
What’s wrong?” he asked
seeing her reluctance.

“
Can you call my phone
inside the house?” she asked.

He used his cell phone to dial her number.
“No ones answering it. Could she be sleep?”

“
My mother never sleeps
during the day and most likely the ringer has been turned off along
with the answering machine.” She got out the car. “You stay here
and call the police.”

“
Why don’t I come with you
first, Phoebe?” he suggested worrying.

“
No, I’ll be fine. She
could have just been doing something and just forgot. I don’t want
her to get embarrassed if she’s walking around naked. If I’m not
back in a couple of minutes then come in.” She closed the door and
went up to the front door. Checking the door she found it
unlocked.

Alarm bells went off in her head, but she
still proceeded inside of the home. Patricia’s coat was left on the
stairs going up and the house was completely quiet. Rushing up the
stairs, she went straight to her mother’s room. No one was in there
so she went to the nursery to find her mother was lying face
unconscious with a lump on the right temple.

Phoebe’s heart lurched in her chest praying
that her mother was not dead and that the twins were okay.

“
Momma!” she said
frantically, moving down and lightly shaking Patricia.

Patricia slowly opened her eyes and groaned.
“H-He...he took...babies...heard you...coming.” She grabbed at
Phoebe’s arms desperately. “Go...Go get them.”

Phoebe went to the back down the stairs and
to the back of the house.

“
Stop right there!” Daniel
said as she rounded the corner into the kitchen.

Phoebe wouldn’t have stopped, but she did
when she saw the gun pointed at Stephanie’s head. Immediately she
halted and put her hands up terrified now. Stephen tried to run to
her, but Daniel was gripping the child’s arm so harshly his dark
skin was starting to turn a bright red.

Daniel looked as if he hadn’t eaten in
several days. His eyes were partially sunk into his face with dark
lines under it. She could also smell that he hadn’t taken a bath in
a while either and his clothes looked worn and dirty. He was a man
at the end of his rope and getting to her was his last option,
since he probably had no one else. This was the only way to get to
her - with the children.

She knelt down and gently ordered Stephen to
calm down. “Momma’s right here.”

“
He hurt Grandma!” Stephen
cried. “He said he’s gonna hurt Steppie, if I don’t be
good.”

It took all her strength to keep from crying
so she wouldn’t alarm either twin. Stephanie was almost the epitome
of control staying calm, but there was so much worry in her eyes
and Phoebe knew the child didn’t trust herself to speak.

“
Are you okay, Steph?”
Phoebe asked.

Stephanie only nodded and held her brother’s
hand for support.

“
Ain’t no fucker coming in
to daddy my kids!” Daniel sneered.

Phoebe stood up and seethed angrily, “Daniel,
you’re scarring the kids.”

“
Ain’t no fucker coming in
here to daddy my kids, Phoebe,” he repeated louder, pressing the
gun harder against Stephanie’s temple. The child closed her eyes
and whimpered in pain.

“
Alright Daniel. What do
you want?”

“
I want my kids! I want my
family back together like it used to be Phoebe. Why can’t you see
that?”

“
Daniel, this isn’t right.
This isn’t the way to do it.” She edge closer slowly.

“
Shut the fuck up. You
don’t care. You don’t see that you need me.”

“
What is it you want me to
do?” she asked humbly. “What is it you need me to do to make things
better, Daniel?”

“
You can shut the fuck up,
bitch! I’ll kill her. I’ll blow her fucking head off! Then I’ll
shoot him too. If I can’t have them Phoebe, no one
will.”

“
Daniel, no,” Phoebe
pleaded forcing a sob back. “Don’t hurt our babies. Please don’t.
They aren’t apart of this,” she pleaded now within arm’s length of
him. “What do you want me to do, Daniel?” She was desperately
trying to think of anything to make him stop.

He let go of Stephen’s hand and reached in
his back pocket to pull out a rumpled piece of paper and a pen.
“You sign this paper, bitch.”

She looked down at the child custody
agreement papers. It was to give Daniel full custody of the
children. He wanted her to sign over the children to him. Tears
wielded in her eyes. “Daniel, please don’t do this”

Daniel pointed the gun at her forehead. “You
sign those papers bitch and maybe just maybe I’ll let you see the
children from time to time for a price.” He looked her over
lustfully, making her skin crawl in disgust. “Even if you don’t
have the money, I’ll let you sneak a peek for a piece of you.
Sign’em!” he ordered.

Taking the pen, she scribbled her name at the
bottom and handed the paper back to him, but kept the pen.

He leered evilly as he backed to the side
door of the house with both the children. “Their mine, Phoebe, and
soon you’ll be,” he said triumphantly.

Phoebe watched in horror as he turned the
knob to the door because she had a feeling she would never see her
children again. Sobs of pain encompassed her chest. The tears she
had tried to fight now flowed down her chest as he got the door
opened partially.

Just as he was about to turn to open it all
the way, the door was kicked opened, slamming into Daniel’s nose. A
ghastly crunching noise was heard as the gun dropped to the floor.
Phoebe didn’t waste a second kicking the gun toward the living room
far away from them, while screaming for the children to run and
hide. Stephanie grabbed her brother and ran under the kitchen table
for cover as Jacoby entered the doorway of the side door.

Phoebe wanted to jump into his arms, but
Daniel was between them. Daniel held his nose in one hand and swung
his free arm at Jacoby’s face, but missed. Jacoby didn’t miss with
his hard fist as it connected to Daniel’s jaw, sending her
ex-husband across the room out cold.

She ran to the phone and called the police.
While she was giving them her address, Jacoby dragged Daniel to a
kitchen chair and tied Daniel’s hands to the chair using his own
tie.

Stephen saw what Jacoby was doing and ran to
the broom closet and found some rope. As he handed the rope to
Jacoby, Phoebe saw how Stephen glowed in pride at Jacoby.

When she got off the phone, Jacoby was done
securely tying Daniel and came over to her with the custody paper
in hand. After tearing the paper to shreds, she collapsed in his
arms for comfort for a brief moment. She didn’t realize how scared
she was until now and knowing he was around gave her so much
relief, she shook as she felt the security of his arms wrap around
her waist like a warm blanket from the cold.

Stephanie and Stephen came over to them and
hugged Jacoby’s legs in thanks. Jacoby and Phoebe looked down at
them.

“
I think you have to very
grateful children in your debt,” she said now looking at
Jacoby.

“
And their mother?” he
asked.

She briefly kissed him. “Will always be in
your debt,” she promised. “I hope to have forever to make it up to
you.”

“
You will especially when I
add all the interest,” he teased.

She knelt down to kiss and hug her children.
Stephen tugged at Jacoby’s hand for the larger man to kneel down.
When he did, Stephen hugged him tightly. Stephanie followed.

Phoebe smiled in compassion as she met
Jacoby’s confused, yet emotional frown. “They’re trying to tell you
thank you,” she explained.

Jacoby relished the feeling of having the
twins in his arms and he knew at that point besides making their
mother happy, he would enjoy giving them the world as well.

Chapter 33

The day before the New Year was Desmond’s
wedding and Phoebe was set to go to it. Patricia had suffered minor
bruising and recovered quickly, but Daniel had sustained a broken
nose and a fractured jaw. He would stay in prison until his court
date for felonious assault and attempted kidnapping.

Phoebe was in high spirits over her
engagement. Jacoby had insisted they marry as soon as possible, but
she managed to put the date late in the summer of next year.
Spending Christmas with Jacoby had been very special and now she
was going to spend the New Year with him and his friends. Lawrence
had come to the pre-wedding dinner last night only because he was
the best man. Jacoby had no hard feelings for Lawrence, so Phoebe
had to concede especially once Jacoby told her everyone really
feels sorry for Lawrence for marrying a wife that is obsessed with
him, which he doesn’t love and now, with a baby on the way by him,
he was really in deep - too deep to file for a divorce.

On the way to the church, Jacoby didn’t waste
time in the back of the limousine exploring Phoebe and became
doubly excited upon finding out she wasn’t wearing any underwear
under her peach velvet dress with matching shoes. She had to hold
him off though because she wanted to look presentable at least when
she walked in the church and had to spend a moment inside the
limousine after it arrived at the church, fixing her makeup because
he had been intent to kiss her, which was hard to avoid and even
harder to resist.

“
When we’re done saying hi,
we still have fifteen minutes before the ceremony starts,” Jacoby
mentioned. “Why don’t you excuse yourself and I’ll meet you in the
back room of the church near the bathrooms?” he suggested
wickedly.

“
Jacoby!” she exclaimed.
“You are so bad. This is a church!”

“
And? You think I’m going
to actually sit through the whole thing feeling like
this.”

“
You won’t be sitting,
you’ll be standing,” she pointed out. “You are one of the
groomsmen, remember?”

“
How can I forget in this
ridiculous tuxedo?” he grumbled.

Phoebe giggled getting out with him to go
into the church, when she had finished her makeup. She thought she
had seen a familiar face in the crowd of people as they entered the
church, but shrugged it off. Joseph and Amy were there and she was
able to meet Thaddeus and Skye Newman again. She had met them at
Christmas with Jacoby, along with their beautiful newborn named
Theona Skye Newman, who was too adorable for words.

She also learned how Skye and Thaddeus met
and couldn’t believe Skye had been so shy. Thaddeus often called
her his diamond in the rough and it had taken meeting him in order
to bring the brightness out in her. Skye would only roll her
beautiful lavender eyes that contrasted against her deep caramel
skin as her husband spoke benevolently about his wife.