Stealing Grace (28 page)

Alex walked back over to Elena, hugging her around the waist to give them some space. They were both smiling too.
I can’t believe she didn’t tell me. Amy’s going to be a mom!

When Roger and Amy finally lost some steam and slowed down, Alex walked over to shake Roger’s hand.

“Guys, this is so great. I can’t believe it,” Alex started the congratulations.

“Thanks,” Roger said, dazed and glassy eyed, “I can’t believe it myself.”

Elena secretly did the math in her head and realized Amy had gotten pregnant right after Roger’s turn-around. She wondered what had happened before that; what Roger felt so bad about but was happy that the baby wouldn’t be a reminder of that time. He was conceived out of love.

They all hugged and kissed and smiled and laughed and playfully berated Amy for not telling anyone. They didn’t want to think about anything else right now. They had done their part and now needed to just wait. Nothing could put a damper on tonight’s twilight.

* * *

The next couple of days everyone pampered and catered to Amy, which she hated and constantly rebuffed, telling everyone to stop immediately to which no one listened. She didn’t like being treated like she was breakable, but Roger was so elated, he wouldn’t hear a word of her protests.

He was so happy and you couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. Elena was happy too for them, thinking it was a little too soon of course. Them having known each other only a few months and only really knowing each other a couple months, but happy known the less.

Alex and Elena tried to give them some space. The house was pretty good sized and each couple had their own bedroom and bathroom so it wasn’t too hard but not knowing how long they’d be rooming together, they wanted to be a little spacious with each other.

Sometimes they would watch a movie together after dinner but for the most part, each couple kept to themselves. Elena liked their bedroom, it was comfy and had a nice view of the street and neighborhood. Most of the neighbors had kids.

They rode their bikes up and down the street and played basketball in their driveways. Made shapes and played games with chalk on the sidewalk. It was just like the movies. What she thought suburbia would always look like. Even if you couldn’t see the kids, you could hear them. Elena didn’t think that was a bad thing either.

She liked kids, she assumed. Alex seemed to like kids as well or want them anyway. Elena hadn’t thought too much about kids before but now that the issue had come full circle to their little group, it seemed like every baby and child she saw was staring at her everywhere they went. She wondered what was wrong with her. She didn’t even have this ‘baby fever’ she’d heard so much about, but why couldn’t she stop thinking about them?

After Elena and Alex cleaned up from dinner that night and had taken a shower, they relaxed together in their room. Alex had been complaining some about his shoulder hurting lately, which was weird, he never complained about anything, Elena thought.

Once they were laying on the bed that night, she rolled him over, with no protests from him. She pulled his shirt off and began rubbing his arm and shoulder for him. He loved it that she wouldn’t ask him if he wanted a backrub. She just knew he did and just did it. And she liked taking care of him and making his feel better if she could.

Alex, though enjoying his backrub, was always very perceptive.

“You got something you wanna talk about, El? You’ve been kinda in your own world today.”

“No, I’m fine. Just thinking about some things, nothing for you to worry about.”

“Are you thinking about Amy and the baby?”

Her hands stilled at his words.

“Yeah, some. Why, have you?”

“Yeah, I have. I been thinking I would love to be a dad someday but, I’m just a little bit selfish of you right now. I’m not ready to share yet.”

Elena chuckled and resumed her circular rub of her palms over his shoulder, surprised by her relief of his words.

“I know what you mean. I’m not so sure about being a mom myself though. I mean...I wanna be but I just didn’t have a very good model ya know but, yeah...” She couldn’t think of the right thing to say. She didn’t want him to think she didn’t want kids but didn’t want him to think she did either. “I want to wait a little bit too.”

“You are gonna make a great mom someday. I don’t doubt that at all. All right, your turn.” He pulled himself up and pushed her playfully on the bed. There was no need to pull up her tight camisole. He straddled her, rubbing his hands to warm them, then he started to massage her lower back first, loving her little groans and noises of contentment.

“Mmmm, you’re really good at that...and the flattery,” Elena said trying to get the subject back.

As much as she wanted to let the kid subject go, she wanted to know why he thought she would make a good mother.

“I’m not flattering you, I’m serious. You were already the mother hen back at the community, and you do such a good job of taking care of me. Plus... I don’t think God would give someone a kid without also giving them the knowledge to care for it. I think it’s up to us to use that knowledge or not.”

“I guess I agree with that.”

“So you don’t need to worry about whether you’ll be good or not. It’s your choice to be good or not.”

“Yeah, makes sense but, that makes me feel even worse about my own parents. I don’t know. So you believe in God then?”

“I do now. There’s no way that all this happened, especially you being here with me, without a higher calling of some sort. You were sent to me, El. I know it, without a doubt.”

She smiled into the pillow and chose her words carefully.

“You want to, maybe, go to church on Sunday? Try it out?”

Elena remembering her grandmas’ pleas for her to go and now she was actually trying to persuade someone else to.

Ironic.

“Yeah, I’d like that. We can see if Roger and Amy want to go as well. It’ll be good for all of us.”

Elena turned over on her back, Alex still hovered over her.

“You are going to be an awesome dad, I can see it already,” Elena said softly, biting her lower lip.

He smiled, looking at her with a smirk, then leaned in to kiss her. It was amazing to her how her want for him hadn’t dwindled at all in these past months. He was so perfect to her and for her; his tan square jaw, the curls laying on his forehead, his strong arms over her.

She always got lost in his big blue eyes that seemed to know her. The way he looked at her, like he was dreaming and still not believing what he was seeing, made her knees weak and shaky. He could persuade her to do anything with those eyes.

He rolled over to lay beside her and face her, twining their arms and legs together.

“So, I’m wondering why I haven’t heard from Agent Wright yet,” he said with a sigh.

He put one hand over his chest with her hand under his. He was rubbing the back of her fingers with his thumb doing fantastic things to her skin and heartbeat.

“I’m sure everything’s fine. Probably just getting all their ducks in a row,” Elena reasoned just as Alex’s cell phone rang out with “Another One Bites The Dust”.

“No one has this number but him, it’s past 10:00 at night already... Hello?” Alex answered, a wary look on his face. “Yes, we’re all here. What’s up? Any news?...Uhuh... ok...so now what?...hmm...ok...ok...oh...ok, yep...talk to you soon. Thanks.”

Alex hung up and began telling Elena what had been said before she could even ask.

“He said they are pretty sure they have located the traffickers that supply the women to the community, but can’t move in on them yet. They are hoping to get more information to make sure so as not to scare them off and lose them again. If they move where they are taking the girls now, they’ll have a heck a time finding them again. But they are planning a raid on the community in five days. They are sending a mole tomorrow to scope out everything. He’ll let us know when they know anything.”

* * *

The next two days flew by as rainy, sleepy, couch and movie watching days. It was getting a little tense, all four of them stuck in the house all day and night. The guys were anxious to do something, anything, maybe even work part time somewhere. They all got along well, but stir crazy turned into cranky.

Everyone was so quick to apologize for any slightest bit of squabble and no disagreement lasted more than four minutes. Elena quite enjoyed the humor of it all and felt blessed to be ‘stuck’ with such wonderful people.

They heard a knock on their front door late one night. Agent Wright stood there, hair beaded with rain. He shook off his coat before coming inside, a less than enthusiastic look on his red face.

“Have you heard from anyone but me?” he asked impatiently as he took his coat off and set his umbrella to lean against the foyer wall. “Has anyone called you or have you seen anyone parking in the street near the house?” he demanded, glancing around the room like he was looking for something.

“No, no one. What’s this about? What happened?” Alex too sounded worried now.

“Where were you today?” he asked tersely.

“We were here, all day. Why?” Alex answered with a frown creasing his forehead.

“I’m sorry. Alex...we have a mole.”

Everyone froze, wide eyed, holding their breath.

“What? How?”

“I’m sorry, we don’t know what happened but they knew we were coming. My agent is dead.”

The girls gasped and Elena covered her mouth with her hands. Amy curled herself into Roger’s chest, whose face was shocked. Alex sat down on the couch edge and watched Wright, thinking that he must have known him personally as well as professionally. The twinge of guilt crept up as they watched Wright fight for composure over his dead agent.

Wright cleared his throat and straightened himself before going on.

“We don’t know who or how but somehow, there is a mole in my operation. We are still gonna do the raid, even though they may know we’re coming then too. We’ve got no other choices at this point. We’re going in the morning instead, in two days. I’m not giving any orders until we are heading that way so hopefully, they won’t get a heads up about it. This has never happened to me anyway. I know my guys. I can’t believe…I can’t imagine who it could be.”

“I’m so sorry about your man,” Alex began, getting up and placing a hand on Wright’s shoulder. “I can’t believe this. I knew they were viscous but...Agent Wright, I’m so sorry. I feel responsible. I didn’t stress enough their intense protection of their community.”

“No, it’s not your fault. He was well trained, we aren’t sure what went down yet. His bug was removed and destroyed, maybe that’s how they found him out. Listen, don’t talk to anyone but me, I don’t care what they tell you, or who they say they are, until we get this figured out. I know it’s late, I’ll get going and let you back to your evening. I just wanted to let you know in person, didn’t want to call you so you’d know it was me for sure. I’ll be in touch.”

He waved sullenly at the girls, before he went out the door.

Alex walked him out to his car. When he came back in everyone was stunned by what they heard, that night the four of them didn’t talk much. They zombied through dinner and dishes and sat silently in front of the television, no one paying attention.

There really wasn’t much that anyone could say or do.

Eventually, they all went to bed. Alex and Elena lay, awake, looking at the ceiling, Elena lying on his arm as a pillow.

Suddenly they heard a noise, loud like breaking glass. Alex jumped up, throwing on some pants.

“Stay here,” he ordered as he buttoned his jeans.

Elena sat up further and covered herself with the sheet.

“Alex, be careful.”

She decided it best to get up and throw on a shirt. Alex’s button up oxford was on the foot of the bed so she grabbed it, wrapping it around herself. Alex carefully peeked out the room door, Roger was already in the hall, same as him, barefoot, jeans and shirtless.

They crept slowly down to the kitchen, the girls slowly came into the hall as well, walking and holding each other’s arms, scared but not wanting to miss anything and more than anything else, not wanting to be left alone.

There were glass shards all over the floor and the kitchen door windows were broken out and the wood splintered and hanging. Alex slowly opened the door holding an umbrella as a weapon he had grabbed in the hall earlier. He blew out a sigh of relief as he picked up a large broken branch off the porch.

“The storm must’ve blown it. It’s ok. I’ll get something to put over the window.” Alex went to the garage to get some cardboard and Roger began sweeping up the glass.

“Girls, go on back to bed. It’s ok now. We’ll take care of this,” Roger said turning to look at them and looking away even more quickly.

Elena, remembered what she was wearing and practically ran down the hall.
I forgot to button the shirt! Jeez!
She had just pulled it together in her haste and stood there holding it shut with it barely covering her thighs.

She ran to her room and grabbed her jeans and buttoned the shirt. Her and Amy and sat on Amy’s bed together until Roger came back, then Elena headed to her own room.