I hear some shuffling, and assuming Camden is back, I go downstairs. Only it’s not Camden… it’s David and Felix.
“Oh my God!” I cry, running toward my son, but before I make it to him, David raises a gun, stopping me in my place. “What are you doing?” I screech. “Put that thing down!” Faintly, I hear my phone ringing upstairs, but I ignore it, focusing on David with a gun in one hand and my son, standing in front of him, sobs wracking his little body.
“He won’t stop crying!” David yells. “The fucking kid won’t stop crying for you.” He shoves Felix forward, and he goes straight into my arms. I hold him tight, inhaling his scent.
“He can’t have him,” David barks. “And he can’t have you! He took everything! My wife and my son and now he’s having my baby!!” David says, his eyes manic while he waves the gun in the air. “If I can’t have you, he doesn’t get you either!”
His words seep into my pores like gasoline. “David…” He can’t mean what I think he means.
“You’re supposed to be mine!” he hisses. “Felix is supposed to be mine. That baby in your belly is mine! He took it all, and now he’s going to lose everything.”
“Please don’t do this,” I beg. “Please. I’ll do anything!”
“It’s too late.” He takes a step forward, and instinctually, I take one back. “It’s okay,” he says, his voice now soft. “Because soon we’ll all be together, happy again.”
He raises his gun, aiming it directly at me, and I shove Felix behind me, hoping to at least save him. Then I close my eyes and do the only thing I can do: pray.
There’s a scuffle, some shouting, and then a gun goes off. And when I glance up, what I see causes both relief and heartbreak deep inside me.
CHAPTER THIRTY
CAMDEN
EARLIER…
“Any news?” I ask my contact at the NYPD as I get into my SUV and pull out of the garage.
“Nothing. Not a damn peep.” I can hear it in his voice. He’s concerned. It’s been days, fucking days since they’ve disappeared. If David did it for money, he would’ve made contact by now. Every day they’re gone means they have the chance to get farther away. At this point, they might not even be in the state. We know he hasn’t left the country since Felix doesn’t have a passport, but anywhere within driving distance is game. And every day we don’t find him statistically decreases the chances of ever finding him. Daniel was able to get a warrant to search David’s accounts, but nothing has been flagged, which means he’s using cash.
“All right, thanks. If you hear anything…”
“Of course.”
We hang up, and after making sure the gate is closed behind me, I head toward Layla’s favorite deli so I can get us breakfast. Traffic is a bitch, like always, and it takes me a good twenty minutes to get there. As I’m parking in front of the deli, my phone pings with an alert: gate access granted. That can only happen if someone knows the code.
A few seconds later: front door open.
This can’t be right. I click on the camera mode and damn near lose my shit when I see Felix…and David inside the house. Somehow, David must’ve found out the gate code, which wouldn’t be hard since he’s been stalking the hell out of us based on the threatening images he’s sent. And Felix knows where we keep the spare key because he was with us when we hid it after Layla got locked out by accident.
There’s no Layla, which means she’s either upstairs sleeping or somewhere else other than the foyer since that’s the only part of the house with a camera. I dial her number, but she doesn’t answer. I call again. Still no answer. I send a quick text to Simon, letting him know the situation since he’s closer, then call the police, giving them all the info I have—all while driving like a bat out of hell back to our house.
I’m almost home when I get a text from Simon: deactivated all alarms. He’s armed. Come around back.
What the fuck. My heart pounds behind my rib cage the rest of the drive, praying to fucking God that David isn’t crazy enough to actually use the gun. I park outside of the gate and jump it so I don’t make any noise. The cops aren’t here yet. When I spot Simon around back, he puts a single finger up to his lips, and I nod once in understanding.
He’s got his gun in his hand, and I trust he knows what he’s doing. He knows his only priority is to protect Layla and Felix—at all costs.
With the door cracked open, we can hear David speaking.
“You’re supposed to be mine! Felix is supposed to be mine. That baby in your belly is mine! He took it all, and now he’s going to lose everything.”