Michael (15 page)

I prayed that it worked. I folded my hands together and prayed that he would be able to locate me. The music had finally stopped and I heard the door open and then slam closed. I heard the rustling of leafs before the trunk popped open.

“You’re going to have to pay for that tail light.” Charlie said yanking me by my arm from the trunk.”

“Why are you doing this to me, Charlie?” I cried. His hand grabbed tightly to the back of my neck.

“Everything was fine and dandy and then your husband had to go and ruin it. He had to come home and got between us. He just couldn’t bear to see us happy. I love you and we had a great thing going.”

“Nothing ever happened between us. We were just friends. I made that perfectly clear.” He dragged me up a driveway to a small brick house.

“Here’s the thing, your actions say otherwise. All the time we’ve been spending together; the romantic trips out of the country, I met your family for Christ’s sake. Those things meant something to me. Tell me they meant something to you.”

“They did but not in that way.” He pushed me down on a beige couch and pulled a chair up to me. “I appreciated your friendship and everything you’ve done to help me find my family.”

“But it still isn’t good enough for you, is it?” He smiled slyly pulling a black gun from the back of his waistband.

“I love Michael. I know that I told you that our marriage was rocky but I love my husband with everything I have in me. No one could replace him.” I cried. He moved the chair closer.

“Not even me? After everything we’ve been through? Michael doesn’t love you; he doesn’t care what happens to you. He was probably off having an affair instead of getting “clean”. Why can’t you see that? Why can’t you see that I’m the one for you?”

“Charlie.” I cried shaking my head as his gun drew closer to me. “I’m sorry.”

“What exactly are you sorry for? For using me? For leading me on? For making promises you knew you couldn’t keep?” The gun traced my face and down my neck to my chest where he pressed it against me. “Are you sorry for breaking my heart?”

I cried. I couldn’t do anything but. I didn’t know how to reason with the man. The only thing I was actually sorry for was befriending him in the first place, for not trusting Michael as much as I should have, for opening the back door when Charlie came knocking. All of this was my fault and I was sorry that I might not make it back home to my family. “For all of it.” I responded trying to get in his good graces. The phone was still in the trunk of the car and I prayed that it would give Michael and the police enough to find me before it went dead.

“You knew how I felt about you.” He said, the look in his eyes sincere but dark in the same right.

“I swear I didn’t know.” I promised.

“What heterosexual man bends over backwards for a woman if he doesn’t love her? I love you!” He screamed. “Everything I’ve done. Do you know how hard it was to find your mother? But I did that, I did all of that because I wanted to prove to you that there was nothing I wouldn’t do.” He stood pacing. “And how do you repay me? You just break up with me over text message because of him? He doesn’t love you, Krishna! That! That isn’t love. I would never have left you.”

“Michael does love me, Charlie. I know it’s hard for you to process but he does love me.” I was still crying, trying desperately to maintain some composure.

“He doesn’t!” He screamed. “Not like I do. I had plans for us; I wanted to take you away from this. You deserve so much more. You deserve things money just can’t buy. The kids deserve more; they deserve a father like me. My ex, she was the same way. We even had a son together. And what does she do? She murders him before he’s even old enough to really live. And then she calls me crying, from the hospital saying that he died of SIDS. I know she killed him. She didn’t want little Charlie, she didn’t want a life with me. But she wasn’t like you in that way. She was too scared to just say she didn’t want to be together.”

“And what happened to her?” I asked assuming she was the woman from Florida.

“You see, I loved Nicole and she was everything to me. And if she couldn’t be with me. She couldn’t be with anyone. And she never appreciated everything I had done for her. I thought you’d be different.”

“I did appreciate it. You don’t know how much it means to me to be reconnected with my birth family.”

“If you appreciated me, we’d be together!” He took up residence in his seat again resting the gun on his lap, his hand gently resting on it. “You don’t know what love is.”

I took a breath and wiped my eyes. They were hurting and burning and I couldn’t entertain this psycho any longer. Michael, someone, had to come through.

“So how did she gather they’d left the state?” Liam asked. I was still on the road, this time heading back north.

“She sounded pretty sure. The 911 call confirmed it.” I got on the exit towards Columbia, Maryland.

“Well, maybe he wanted to throw her off, throw us off. Doesn’t matter. We know he’s nearby. I’m looking for property listed in his real name.”

“Sounds good. Keep me posted.” I hung up. I had tried calling Krishna’s phone back but it went straight to voicemail. I didn’t have a clue what to do at this point, how could I, I had no idea where she could be. I just kept my eyes on the road waiting for Liam to call me back. I was surprised it had only taken a few minutes.

“There’s a brick rancher on about five acres of land just North of Columbia. The detective is working on getting authorities over there. I’ll send the address.” Liam confirmed.

“Got it!”

“And Michael, be safe.” Liam hung up leaving me racing against time to get to Krishna. I didn’t know how long they had been there, what he was putting her through, nothing. I only knew that it was my responsibility to save her.

***

Krishna rolled over to me in bed. It was an early morning and we had been back from Fiji for a few days. I tucked some of her wild hair behind her ear.

“You know, I think it’s time you meet my family; my brother and Jayda.” I moved closer and she rested her head against me.

“It just occurred to me that this is for real. I thought it was a dream.” Her voice vibrated against me. “I can’t even tell you how amazing these past few months have been for me. Every second of every day has restored my faith in love.”

“I can say the same. I never thought I’d meet my happily ever after.” I kissed the top of her head. “I love you.”

“I love you more!” She perked up and brought her bare body to straddle mine.

“I know you think you do.” I squeezed her hips. “Is this okay, us having unprotected sex?”

“I mean, it’s not likely that I’ll get pregnant anyway. And if I do,”

“If we do, it’ll make me the happiest man in the world.” I promised. She rubbed me against her heat before taking me inch by inch, pulling off just enough to tease me. My body did an uncontrollable jerk every time she eased off. “Stop.” I begged.

“Oh, so you can tease me but I can’t tease you?” She did it again.

“I’m sorry.” The sensation forced an apology when really, teasing her, just the thought of it made me rock hard.

“Apology not accepted!” She laughed and took all of me letting a whimper escape her lips. I tried sitting up to wrap my arms around her waist, to settle inside of her where I felt at home. She pushed me back down onto the bed and rode me to my orgasm, her breast bouncing poetically to her rhythm. I bucked beneath her but she didn’t stop, she kept going, pushing me into oblivion. And then, she shattered around me, her vice grip causing me to instantly go hard again.

I flipped her off of me after she rode her orgasm out. And then took her from behind, her body pressed firmly against the sheets, her bottom propped up eagerly in the air. I had never in my life been able to perform twice in a row but that reassured me of the power she had over me. Maybe she was right. Maybe she would be the death of me. Maybe she was my kryptonite.

Laying there, face down on the mattress, my hands tied above my head to the metal bed frame, my fear had officially kicked into overdrive. This man was going to rape and kill me and no one would ever find me. All I could see were the faces of my children and husband. I had to push thoughts of them aside to stop from vomiting. My stomach churned as I waited for him to return to the room. And then I heard it. A loud banging, the clattering of pots and pans and then a gun shot. I jumped at the loud bang and began screaming and yanking at the bed posts, I knew Michael would never give up. Charlie came into the room seemingly calm at first. He paced back and forth, massaging his temple with the loaded weapon.

“What the hell am I supposed to do now?” He screamed. A chuckle escaped his lips. “Maybe you were right. He came to fight for you. Now I’m just lost as to whether I finish him off or let him watch us prove our love to one another.” He cleaned into me taking her moist tongue and guiding it from my chin to my forehead. “What do you think?” He laughed again.

“Leave him alone! Please!” I screamed and cried. I was choking on my own tears. Knowing that Michael was just a room away, injured, bleeding. It made me sick. “Leave him alone!” I screamed over and over again. The last thing I clearly saw was the butt of his gun coming towards me. I felt myself going in and out of consciousness.

“I told you that he was…come between...you...listen. I won’t let…end the way my last relationship... I love you and he can’t take you from—”

I tried shift to see what had caused the loud crash behind me. I was coming back to but all I could see was the outline of a man. Was it Michael? Another shot fired as the crashing continued. I felt myself screaming but at this point I couldn’t distinguish reality from my subconscious. I knew Michael would save me. I thought for sure I saw him and then everything went black.

I couldn’t stop the bleeding from my arm. The son-of-a-bitch had shot me before I could get much of a blow in. And then the blow to the head knocked me out. But I knew there was nothing to stop me from saving her. I could hear her screams. Her screams are what bought me to. I heard her begging for my life, all the while I was fighting for hers. I pulled myself from the floor and looked around the room. I grabbed a baseball bat that sat in an umbrella stand by the back door. From the kitchen and through the living room I followed Krishna’s cries into a bedroom.

I could see his shadow inside and I waited for his back to turn before striking him. He caught the blow to his shoulder. He stumbled forward before he swung around and grabbed the bat. I was already dizzy and all I had left was a head butt that sent him rocketing back. As he went down the gun slid across the dull hardwood floors, I kicked him in his side several times. But even that wasn’t enough. He snatched my leg from under me and I would have fallen straight back had it not been for the bed there for me to grab a hold of. I regained my balance.

“You sick fuck!” I kicked him, this time in the face. I kicked him again and again until the light went from his eyes, until the red and blue flashing lights and the sound of sirens blared through the small window.

I went to Krishna, I untied her and pulled her half naked body to my lap. I patted her cheek trying to get a response, anything. The adrenaline was wearing off and I felt myself fading again. I used the last ounce of strength I had to stand with her in my arms. I began walking towards the front of the house. I was so close, I couldn’t slip under again; I needed to make sure Krishna was okay. She was breathing but I couldn’t get her to open her eyes. The last sight I saw was my brother following gun drawn officers into the house, him catching Krishna as my grip failed and I lost sight of everything.

“He said he was fine with being Superman and somehow, I had become his kryptonite. I knew in my heart he would give anything to save me. That’s what gave me the strength to hold on. So today, when I speak of Michael I have to talk about a man who would lay everything on the line for me, even his life. It’s been a running joke for him and me, for me to call him Superman, the hero. And until that night it was just that, a joke. But Michael, being that alpha male, he’d never let harm come to any of us. I want my children to know the bits and pieces of their father that I fell in love with. I want to draw the crazy road map that was our history and seal it in a time capsule. I want to see our boys; Daniel, Tristan, and Torrin grow up to be like their father. And for Lincoln to fall in love with her own hero. There is no better role model.” Krishna cleared her throat. She looked at all of her family, every person that had impacted her life. She looked to her brother with tears in her eyes; he gave her an encouraging nod. “I don’t really don’t know what else to say. It’s a blessing to be here right now. He risked everything to make sure that I was able to return home to my children and I will never be able to pay him back for that, not that he’d ever expect me to.” She rubbed her hand across her protruding belly. “But still, I try.” She laughed. “So everyone, raise your glass to the man of the hour, Michael Joseph Scott Jr.” She raised her glass up high. “Happy birthday, Superman! I love you!”

“Happy birthday, Michael!” Everyone cheered in unison.

“Beautiful, babe.” I said standing and embracing Krishna. My hand went across her stomach joyfully awakening our little girl.

“Only the best for you.” She pressed her lips to mine. I grinned feeling the heat of everyone’s eyes on us. But she didn’t care and neither did I. We promised that we would never again miss a moment to be in each other’s embrace. To have my lips pressed against hers. Not after our ordeal.

Chatter had spread across the room but instantly ceased when Lim stood.

“
I’m not sure who says it,” Liam began, “but there’s a quote that says ‘the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy’. I feel like my brother perfectly embodies that. As I look back over the years, all the way back to that confident teen standing before our father, up until this very second, I see a man. The years have dealt Michael more cards than any man should ever have to play. But he has this unfathomable ability to rise to the occasion. Even if that means permanently disfiguring the man who kidnapped your wife and still having grace enough not to kill the son of a bitch. So while good ole’
Charlie
is serving life in a maximum security prison, we are blessed to be celebrating another wild year that ultimately defines us as Scotts. And there is no better person for us to honor than our family’s patriarch, Mr. Michael. Joseph. Scott. Junior! I love you, Brother!” Liam raised his glass.

I looked around the table. I couldn’t help but to feel overwhelmed for everything that I had; my wife, our children, our large family. I knew that I was who I was because of the pieces themselves that each and every one of them had given me.

I looked at my sister-in-law, Jayda. My friend. The reason I had my brother. The mother of my nieces and nephews. She smiled as a tear rolled down her face. “I love you.” She mouthed. I mouthed the exact words back.

I looked at my sister Leah and her husband Eric. I thought about the first time she embraced me. I knew that it was her acceptance that made the biggest transition in my life that much easier to get through.

I looked at Nathan and Mackenzie. He sat whispering in her ear as she held their newborn son. If he wasn’t a reflection of me; I don’t know who could be. It’s funny how a complete stranger can become family in the blink of an eye. I had to love the man for never listening to a damn word I said when it came to my niece.

And my wife, she laughed at the faces the twins made as they sat on her father’s lap. Our story was poetic, every stanza breathing life into the next. She was everything to me and she was right, I’d have given my life to send her back home to our kids.

I looked back to Liam who had taken up a seat next to our step-mother Patricia. I promised her that we’d never leave her out and it didn’t take much convincing for her to move to D.C. where she helps Krishna with her fund raising and charities. And Liam, I thought about the confrontation we had years ago, the one that bought us here. A lesser man would have probably walked away, but he fought for us and if we did nothing else for our father in all his years on earth, he died knowing that his children loved each other and would always have each other’s backs. After all, we are Scotts.