Tall, Dark & Lonely (Pyte/Sentinel 1)

He nodded towards the front of the pharmacy. “Oh….no….is that Mrs.-“

“Stevens? Yes, we need to go somewhere else or she’ll spread the news of your purchase everywhere by dinner time. She most definitely will call Grandma immediately after she leaves the store.”

“Oh no,” she groaned and looked over at him. “Do you feel like a drive out of town?”

He started the car again. “I rather like long drives. We’ll make a day of it. Shopping, peeing on a stick and probably a little hyperventilating,” he said brightly.

“Brat,” she muttered.

******

“Well?” Chris yelled from the side of the road.

Madison jumped. “I haven’t done it yet. Give me a minute. It’s not easy to pee on a stick in the woods you know.”

“Oh sure it is, you just unzip, pull it out and-“

“I meant for me, you jackass!”

“Ouch, I hope you don’t use that language in front of the baby.”

“Little brat,” she muttered. After one last look back to make sure Chris still had his back turned she emptied her bladder on the stick.

“Please be positive,” she whispered, surprising herself. A baby with Ephraim? She thought about it, not seriously. He wasn’t even sure they could have a baby together. It was possible, she guessed, but she never took it seriously. She never even considered birth control in the last few months they’d been sleeping together.

She replaced the cap and fixed her clothing before walking back towards the Jeep. Chris was walking around anxiously and when he saw her he came right to her. “Well?”

“It will take another minute.” She held up the stick. They both watched, waiting for the digital test to indicate her condition.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes, I think so. I just want to know.”

He put his arm around her shoulders. “It will be okay. Ephraim is a good Dad and you’re a really good big sister and you’re all motherly so you’ll both be fine.”

“Thank you.” Damn it, he was going to make her cry.

A small beep had them both sucking in air. “I guess we know our answer,” Chris said.

“Excuse me?” a man said behind them.

They both jumped and turned around to see a large man with menacing dark eyes standing in front of a black van. Chris automatically pushed Madison back.

“Can we help you?”

He smiled. “Are you Madison Soloman?”

“How did you know that?” She took a step back, dragging Chris with her.

“Oh, no need to run, sweetheart. We’re here to give you a ride,” the man said.

“Chris, run!” she yelled.

Instead of running, Chris crumbled to the ground next to her. “Chris!” She dropped to her knees next to him. Blood trickled from behind his ear. She looked back to see what caused the injury when a sharp pain shot through the back of her head and everything went black.

******

Madison was pregnant. It took every last ounce of his willpower not to tell her the morning he left. She looked so beautiful sleeping that he hadn't wanted to disturb her.

He woke up with the alarm at three in the morning and to the change in her scent. It took him a good ten minutes to be sure. He ran his nose over her stomach repeatedly afraid he’d made a mistake. It took her swatting him away in her sleep to get him to move. He hated leaving her like that.

Now he was rushing back to her. He left the conference early this morning so he could surprise her. He needed to do this right. This was their first baby together he had to make this right for her. She was marrying him that was all there was to it. He’d been waiting for months to ask her.

He’d been patiently waiting for her to be comfortable with him. Madison was comfortable with him where her body was concerned, god was she ever, but it was her heart that he wanted. Not once had he ever rushed her, never even asked her to say the words or how she felt. He didn’t need to hear it, he knew she loved him. He hoped at least. Now he couldn’t wait any longer.

As soon as he saw her he was going to drop to one knee and propose before she found out about the baby. He didn’t want her to think that was why he wanted to marry her. It wasn’t. He loved her. Worshiped her. She was everything to him. Now if he could only get her to see that.

Speak of the devil. His cell phone rang and he couldn't help but grin seeing her name on his caller ID. “Hey, baby, you miss me?”

“My my my, Ephraim, I don’t remember that being your pet name for me,” a teasing sultry voice said.

Cold fear ran through him. “What are you doing with this phone?” he made his voice sound normal.

“What no ‘I miss you Caroline’, ‘I’ve been nothing without you’, not even 'I miss f**king you’?” she said in a pouty voice followed by a shrill laugh. “Uh oh, seems Madison didn’t like hearing the last part. Seems you forgot to tell her about us.”

“You know me, I lose interest quickly.”

“Tsk, tsk, such a shame.”

“I don’t think you have her.”

“Don’t you trust me?” She giggled.

“Hell no, you could have any number of minions snatch her phone. Put her on if you want me to even consider your plans.”

“Very well, just for a minute mind you, we’re not exactly done having our fun with them.”

“Them?”

“Two for one roadside snatch job. I’m really rather proud of my boys.”

“Prove it.”

“Very well, just don’t hang up afterwards I wouldn’t want you to miss out on the fun.”

He waited for what seemed like an eternity for her voice. “Ephraim?”

“Madison?”

“Ephraim, they have Chris, too!”

“Shh, it’s okay, baby. I’m coming to get you.”

“No! Ephraim, that’s what they want. It’s a trap don’t do it!”

“Madison, I’m not leaving either one of you with those sick bastards. I love you and I’m coming for you now. Put that bitch back on now.”

“Please Ephraim, don’t-“

“Time’s up,” Caroline said. “If you want them then come to the old mansion on Drewberry Street. Do you know the one?”

“Yes.”

“Good, now remember the faster you come the faster our fun can begin.” The phone went silent.

“God damn it!” He threw the emergency lights and sirens on and floored it.