Rose In Bloom (23 page)

“Everything is going to be all right, I promise, Skylar. Now, let’s get moving so we can listen to my daughter’s heartbeat,” he says, climbing off me to stand up. “Besides, I’m dying to see how much weight you put on. You really killed my back carrying you up those stairs last night.”

“Shut up!” I say, tossing a pillow at him.

Catching it, he throws it down and charges towards me, earning a loud squeal as he takes me into his arms. My stomach picks the perfect time to growl.

“How about you go ahead and get dressed while I go fix us something to eat?”

“No way! You almost burned the kitchen down last time. I think there are some fresh bagels and fruit in the kitchen. I’m good with that for now. We can grab an early lunch after my appointment if you want.”

“You got it.”

“Are you excited?” he asks, squeezing my hand as we walk to the doctor’s office.

“Yes, I always love getting to hear it. It makes everything seem so real.”

He smiles, releasing my hand to open the door for me. Just as I’m signing in, his phone rings. Looking down, he frowns and immediately walks outside. Sitting down in the waiting room, I try to busy myself by looking through a parenting magazine nearby. Over and over, I try to read the article about breastfeeding, but my mind is too much on Sebastian and that phone call. Finally, he returns inside, looking very upset. He sits in the chair beside me, turning to face me, so I sit the magazine back down and look at him.

“Baby, I’m sorry, but that was Lucas. Maverick just messaged him about a meeting that is about to go down. I’ve got to go.”

“What? No, you can’t go to that meeting alone. He’ll kill you!”

“I’m taking Harrison with me. Will you be all right, doing this alone today?”

“She’s just going to do a quick check on things. I’ll be fine,” I say, trying to sound convincing. I’m not fine. I won’t be until all of this is over.

“Calvin is already outside in the vehicle, waiting for you when you are done here. I love you, sweetheart. I’ve got to go, but I’ll meet you back at home. I promise you a romantic dinner before you leave tonight,” he says, cupping my face and kissing me.

Letting go of his hand is harder than I ever imagined possible.

What if I never hold it again?

Brandon

Goddamn, she is so fucking beautiful
!

It’s been almost a year since I’ve laid eyes on her and I can’t drink her in fast enough. Fuck me, the way her long legs look in that dress and those boots. So many nights I’ve dreamt about them wrapped around me. Soon, that will no longer be a dream. It will be a reality. I wish she wasn’t wearing that damn red coat, but I remember everything hidden underneath. Trust me. No one can forget the way that tight body looks once they’ve seen it for themselves.

Sitting in the SUV, I can’t help but laugh at the crumpled body in the floorboard. Thorne’s hired bodyguard for her was a freaking joke. Caught off guard when I sat in the backseat, it took me all of five seconds to slit his throat. With the windows this tinted, no one saw a damn thing. I opted to park on the side street that has virtually no traffic to wait for her.

I’d been waiting for the perfect time to get her alone. For a week now, I’ve followed them, but it has never been the right moment. Today felt different. When I received a text from Lucas Drake about Sebastian wanting to meet with me, everything fell into place. Texting Lucas back on my father’s phone, I indicated that I wanted a meeting immediately. His reply had been virtually instantaneous and only sealed my plans. When I watched Sebastian leave the building, I knew he’d be all the way across town, leaving her vulnerable and alone. Alone for the taking.

Fighting the cool wind, she tightly hugs her body as she scampers across the street. No one is around. This can’t get much more perfect. My heart pounds in my chest, watching her get closer. Licking my lips, I can taste her skin from here. I will never forget how delicious those lips are. Shit, I’m getting turned on just by thinking about all the other parts of her that I want to sample. Adjusting my hardening cock, I know it is time. Grabbing the plastic bag beside me, I step out of the SUV and tip my hat down. I’m ready to take back what is mine.

Skylar

Grinning like a fool, I can’t stop staring down at the ultrasound pictures in my hand.

Our beautiful baby
.

With everything laying on the line, I refuse to let all this drama take away from the one perfect thing going on in our life. This baby. When I’d arrived for the appointment, I thought she’d just do the normal checkup routine, but she’d surprised me today by offering to take a quick look at our baby. I’d wanted Sebastian to be with me when we did this, but I wasn’t going to pass this opportunity up. After she reassured me that everything looked fantastic, she’d asked if I wanted to know the sex of the baby and I caved in. As soon as I heard her say the words, I swear my heart about melted in two. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when the baby is born. That is, if I can’t taunt him to give in before then.

Dr. Brantley scheduled our next visit for a month away and gave me a list of recommended doctors in LA just in case I need to see someone in between our next visit. Hopefully, I won’t be in LA that long.

The cool wind hits me as I step out onto the sidewalk from the doctor’s office. Now that I know what we are having, I can’t wait to make my first purchase at Sweets, a new children’s boutique just down the street. I wave to Calvin at the SUV, motioning that I’m walking down the street. Thankfully, the outfit that I’d been eyeing last week is still there. I’m so excited that I just can’t resist getting the matching blanket and socks, too. Smiling, I watch as the lady wraps my items up in their fancy trademark tissue paper. I simply can’t wait to bring our baby home from the hospital wearing this.

The lady hands me the bag and waves to me, bidding me a good day. Reluctantly, I step back outside into the cool wind, this time wrapping my arms around my body to fight the chill. I see that Calvin already has the door open waiting on me. Carefully crossing the street, I’ve just reached the Range Rover when I catch a familiar sickening smell in the air. It grows stronger before the realization hits me.

Brandon.

“Hello, Beautiful. I’ve missed you,” he says, pulling me back against him.

Immediately, I open my mouth to scream for help, but a white cloth covers it. The hand over my mouth muffles each desperate cry for help.

“Shh. I got you, baby,” Brandon says, kissing the back of my head. He pulls me back to the side alley where a dark black Tahoe is parked. Panicked, I breathe even harder, tasting the cloth’s unusually sweet flavor on my lips.

NO!

The world begins slowing down around me.

Please God. Someone help me… the baby.

I try to fight it, but it’s useless. The last thing I see before shutting my heavy eyelids is my baby’s outfit fall to the ground.

Sebastian

“The son of a bitch has stood us up,” Lucas shouts.

“Why would he do that? I don’t understand.”

We look at each other in realization as her name escapes our lips at the same time.

“Skylar!”

Pulling out my phone, I can barely dial the numbers.

“Please, pick up. Dear God, please, pick up!”

“Where is she?” Lucas demands.

“She had a doctor’s appointment.”

“Calvin should be with her.” Harrison tries to reassure as he begins dialing him.

When he doesn’t get an answer on the third attempt, I know something is wrong.

“Harrison, why isn’t he picking up the phone?”

“I don’t have an answer, sir. Perhaps they are in a bad location.” He tries to calm me, but it’s not working.

“Let’s go. I’m driving,” Lucas screams, ignoring Harrison’s words.

Knowing I’m fucking pissed at him, Harrison steps back, allowing me to follow Lucas out of the building. He shouts that he’ll follow in his car behind us, as we waste no time skidding out onto the main road. We’re all the way across town and it’s going to take forever to get to her. Larson had done this on purpose to make sure we couldn’t get to her in time.

“Damn, look at this traffic!” Lucas roars angrily, hitting his steering wheel.

“Take this turn. It’s quicker,” I shout as I continue dialing her.

We are only a couple blocks away, and the torture of not being able to get to her is killing me. Without even telling Lucas what I’m doing, I just jump out of his car and run down the sidewalk. Each step closer to her sends me into panic. My stomach twists and turns when I spot the Range Rover up ahead.

Why is that back door standing wide open?

“SKYLAR?” I scream, running to the open door. My heart sinks as I look down. Right below my feet is a shopping bag with a fancy pink blanket hanging out the side.

Pink? She’d bought pink?
Without hesitation, I reach down and pick up the bag, pulling out the soft pink woven blanket and holding it close to me. I need something to hold to me. Right now, I need any hope that they are okay.

“SHIT!” Harrison screams as he opens the driver’s side door. I hadn’t even noticed that he and Lucas had gotten here.

“What?” I ask, trying to find my voice, and refusing to let go of the blanket. Stepping around Harrison, I peer inside and spot Calvin slumped over in the floorboard.

“Someone’s slit his throat,” Harrison adds.

“Not someone. Maverick Larson. And now he has my everything.”

Lucas looks at the pink blanket in my arms and sees the agony on my face. His face matches mine, and it’s at that moment that I finally see how much he loves her.

“We’re going to get her back, Sebastian. We’re going to get both of them back.”