Ripped Away

License Notes

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All characters, events, and locations are fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental and unintended.

CHAPTER ONE

Late Sunday night, August 4, 2013

She slipped through the inky blackness toward the window. The night light created a faint outline of the window between the blinds and the frame, making it easy for her to see. Distant thunder rumbled, but the threat of a summer storm hadn’t caused the homeowner to close the windows. The blinds rattled in a sudden gust of wind before settling back into position.

She reached up and quickly popped the screen out and hefted herself up and over the sill into the small nursery. Once inside the room, she quickly latched the screen back in place before turning to face the room. The orange glow from the night light by the door showed her the crib in one corner, the changing table directly opposite it in the other corner. The small dresser was situated near the door, a rocking chair in a third corner. Everything matched, all painted a pretty cream color. Winnie the Pooh graced the wallpaper, the rocking chair padding, the changing pad, and the sheet and small blanket in the crib.

The sleeping baby looked so peaceful. Her tiny lips formed a small circle, and every now and then, she would make sucking motions and noises. Her small fists were resting near her head, clutching and releasing at times. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

Wrapping her in the blanket, she peeked out of the bedroom doorway. Seeing no one, she stole down the hallway and through the small but neat living room to the front door. Carefully, she flipped the lock. Slowly, she twisted the doorknob and pulled the door open ever so slowly. When it was open enough for her to slip through, she flipped the lock back into position, and once on the porch, pulled the door until it quietly clicked closed behind her.

She moved quickly, nearly jogging down the porch steps and then forced herself to slow down when she reached the sidewalk. It was nearly two in the morning, but that didn’t mean someone couldn’t be up watching. The last thing she needed was for someone to remember seeing a woman with a baby walking down the street in the middle of the night.

She reached her car. Rather than use the remote, which would make the car beep, she used the key to unlock the door, then reached in and hit the button to unlock the other doors. She gently placed the baby in the infant car seat. The beautiful little girl still hadn’t woken up. What an amazing baby, she smiled.

She placed a soft kiss on the baby’s forehead, inhaling the scent of baby powder, lotion, and that new baby smell. Even at three months old, the scent was still there.

She forced herself to quit smelling the baby and slid into the driver’s seat. Time to go, before anyone saw her. Before anyone knew she’d taken the baby, so they couldn’t take her back. She turned the key in the ignition, and pulled smoothly away from the curb, taking a deep breath and pretending that she had every right in the world to be here.

No one would ever suspect a thing.

Friday night, May 24, 2013

Laurel wriggled her hips and shook her hair out of her face. She laughed when her friend, Susan, bumped her butt against the crotch of the man she was dancing with. Susan wouldn’t be going home alone tonight.

She scanned the nightclub, throbbing with bodies and smelling like a mixture of sweat and a thousand different perfumes and colognes. She had yet to meet anyone that appealed to her, and unlike Susan, probably would be going home alone.

But that was okay, she mused as the song ended and she threaded her way through the crowd to the edge of the dance floor. The pulsating lights in multiple colors, the thrum of the loud music, the cheesy pick up lines and waking up with hangovers were getting old. She’d started doing it as some kind of weird affirmation of life, after she was shot, but even she had to admit that at this point, it was just pathetic. She was thirty-six years old, too old for this.

She could always call Maddix. He was always ready and willing. But it wasn’t fair to continue to mislead him like that, she reminded herself. He was still hoping that they would get back together one day, and every time she slept with him, she got his hopes up again.

It was time to call it a night. She weaved back through the bobbing mass on the dance floor and found Susan, wrapped around yet another man. She tapped her friend on the shoulder. When Susan’s half open eyes swiveled toward her, she leaned in close.

I’m heading out, she shouted near Susan’s ear.

The woman nodded. Okay.

Do you want a ride?

Susan shook her head. Nah. I’ll find someone who’s good for a ride.

Her friend winked and Laurel rolled her eyes. Are you sure?

Susan nodded again.

All right. I’ll see you later, then.

Stepping outside finally, Laurel took a deep breath. Even the humid night air, still at a whopping eight-five degrees, felt cool and refreshing after the club’s stale heat. She walked to her car and sat behind the wheel for a few minutes with her eyes closed. Then she started the car and headed for home.

Her stomach growled about halfway there. She knew her kitchen was bare but for a couple of boxes of cereal and some orange juice, neither of which appealed to her at the moment. So when she saw the sign for her favorite burger place, she flipped on her turn signal and swung into the turn lane.

Inside, the fast food joint was quiet. Soft Muzak floated down from speakers in the ceiling and a few customers sat at tables spread out around the building. She ordered a burger and fries, and a chocolate shake, and scarfed the food quickly at a table. She took the rest of the shake with her when she left.

She was backing out of her space when she felt the thump and heard the crunching of metal.

Oh, shit! she groaned. Just what she needed tonight. An accident.

She put the car in park and took the keys out of the ignition, then got out of the car.

I am so sorry, he said, climbing out of his own car. That was entirely my fault.

Yeah, it was, she grumbled, looking at the dent on her Honda’s back bumper where he’d backed into her with his black Audi as he backed out of his own space.

I apologize, he said again. It’s been a long day, and I’m exhausted. I wasn’t paying nearly enough attention.

Yeah, well, that’s just great, she mumbled.

Look, I see no reason to call the police and wait around on them. I admit it was my fault, so why don’t we just exchange information. Get an estimate, or two, and I’ll cut you a check for the damage.

She sighed. He was pretty cute, she realized, as she looked up at him. Broad chest beneath a still crisp white button down shirt. Kissable lips, gorgeous blue eyes, and brown hair that was only a little on the shaggy side.

It’s fine. Don’t worry about it, she said.

I insist. By the way, I’m Alexavier Parrish, he said and held out a hand.

Laurelynn Bailey, she said as she slipped her hand into his. When their skin connected, she felt a little spark. His eyes looked into hers, and she could swear she saw something there.

Laurelynn, please-

Just call me Laurel, she interrupted.

All right. Laurel, he continued, please let me pay for the damage. It’s my fault. I want to do the right thing here.

Fine. Whatever, she said, with a wave of her free hand. Give me your phone number and I’ll give you a call once I get the estimate.

Excellent, he said, pulling out his wallet. He thumbed out a business card and handed it to her. She glanced at it and noted he was a family law attorney. Interesting. But not her type, she decided. Cute, but she didn’t do lawyers.

I’ll give you a call within a week or so, she said as she started to turn back to her car.

Laurel?

She turned back. Yeah?

Can I get your number?

She frowned. Afraid I won’t give you the chance to hand over your hard earned cash to me?

He laughed and the sound made her stomach swirl. He had a damned sexy laugh.

No. I’d like to ask you out. But this isn’t the time or the place. So I’d like your number so I can call you up and properly ask you out.

She ought to say no. She reminded herself she didn’t date lawyers. Maddix was a vivid reminder of why. But dammit, this guy was just too damn good-looking to turn down. Besides, it would just be a fling, right? Right, she told herself. Just a fling. Get her car fixed, a few weeks of fun, and then bye-bye, Mr. Alexavier I’m-a-lawyer Parrish.

All right, she said. She bent into her car and dug around in her purse for one of her own business cards and then stood back up and handed it to him.

A detective, huh? he said. He glanced up at her. I’m impressed.

Alex was exhausted when he got home. He’d spent the morning in court with two divorces and one custody battle. Then he’d spent the afternoon dealing with a previous client who was hysterical that her ex-husband was remarrying and she was convinced that he was going to steal the children away from her.

He’d thought his day was over until he got a call from Lucy DeSantiago’s mother. That divorce had been finalized a few months before, and Alex had thought he was done with Lucy and her ex-husband. The two had gotten along really well for a divorcing couple and had been able to come to civil agreements on almost everything, including custody of their unborn child. He’d heard from Lucy two months ago, when she’d given birth to the baby, and that was it.

But tonight, her mother was convinced that Lucy was on the edge. She’d insisted Lucy was suicidal and planning to take her baby with her. No matter how many times Alex told the woman to call the police because they would be better equipped to help her daughter, she’d insisted that Lucy wanted to see Alex.

He’d finally gone over there, determined that if he felt that Lucy was suicidal as her mother claimed, he would call the police. When he arrived, Lucy was clearly unhappy, but she didn’t strike him as suicidal. He’d sat with her for several hours, discussing how unhappy she was as a single mother, how unfair she thought it was to her daughter.

He’d eventually realized that what she really wanted was to be relieved of the responsibility. She wanted to hand over full custody of her daughter to her ex-husband and let him raise the child. Alex didn’t think it was the best idea, but then, neither was living with a mother who was unstable. So he’d agreed he would try to work something out so that her ex-husband could have custody.

As if that wasn’t all enough, he’d had to go and run into a woman’s car when he stopped for a late night, very unhealthy dinner. But that, he smiled, actually turned out all right. The woman was gorgeous. Wavy blonde hair about halfway down her back, intense hazel eyes, and a smile that just stunned him. She’d been dressed in a skirt that barely reached mid-thigh, showing him a beautiful long length of tanned leg. Her sparkly silver sequin top had managed to cover her upper body nicely while still being sexy, and put the whole thing together with tall black heels, and she’d been a knock out.

He’d wanted to ask her out right then and there, but he knew it wasn’t right. Too cheesy to try to pick up a woman after you dinged her car with your own. Besides, he wanted something real, something lasting, and he didn’t see that coming from asking her out in a burger joint parking lot.

So he’d gotten her number. He’d call her in a day or two and ask her out properly, the way a gentleman should ask a lady out. Dinner and a movie, and take it from there.

He stood under the hot water of the shower, letting it ease the stress of the day. His mind drifted, and he had a moment of doubt about asking Laurel out. She was the complete opposite of his usual type. She reminded him of-

No, he thought and firmly slammed the door shut on those thoughts. He never, ever allowed himself to think of her, and he wouldn’t now. It was enough that he dreamed about her every night. He wouldn’t deliberately think of her. He couldn’t.

But when he went to bed that night, he didn’t dream of her. For the first night in sixteen years, he didn’t dream of the night that changed his life forever. The night he’d done the unforgivable.

CHAPTER TWO

Monday morning, August 5

Laurel stepped into the station, yawning widely. The clouds outside were dark and heavy, the thunder already booming at seven in the morning. Lightning bloomed, and even with her back to the outdoors, she winced.

Morning, Laurel, Macy, the secretary, said.

Morning, Macy. Anyone else in yet? she asked, yawning again.

Macy shook her head. Nope. You’re the first. As always. Late night?

Laurel grinned. "Do I ever not have a late night?"

Macy laughed. Fair enough. What were you up to?

Watching my neighbor’s marriage go up in smoke. Apparently, she offers entertainment to bored sailors when her husband’s working nights.

So she was cheating on him? Macy asked, her eyes wide.

Laurel laughed. Cheating? Honey, she was her very own brothel.

Oh my God!

Yeah. It was certainly entertaining, but I could live without that kind of excitement at home. I get enough at work.

Macy grimaced. I don’t blame you.

A few minutes later, Laurel was settled behind her desk, but her head was already starting to pound and she knew she wouldn’t get any work done until she took some aspirin. She swallowed two pills with a sip of water from the bottle she’d left on her desk last night.

She leaned back in her chair. Closing her eyes, she began to drift. Then she heard her phone begin insisting she check her text messages. Groaning, she reached for the phone and held it up above her, slitting open one eye to peer at it.

Come by tonight.

It was Maddix. As usual, a demand for her presence rather than a request. And as usual, when he did that, she gave her ex-husband her typical answer.

Sorry, sweetheart. I’m not a dog. I don’t come on demand. A fact you should be well aware of.

She waited for his response. It wasn’t a long wait, and she snorted when she saw his reply.

Damn it, Laurelynn! You know what I meant. Why must you persist in being so stubborn?

She put the phone down after reading his answer, and closed her eyes again. After a moment, the phone chimed at her again. Picking it up, she glanced at the screen.

Laurelynn, may I please have the pleasure of your presence at my home tonight? Is that better?

She laughed out loud this time.

Much. But the answer is still no.

She was setting the phone back down when she heard the commotion in the lobby. She moved quickly, heading for the reception desk and Macy.

Are you a detective?

The man speaking was tall, probably at least a foot taller than Laurel’s five foot one. His hair was dark, and very long. His skin was tan, but it was washed out and pale, and his hands shook as his eyes darted around the room, bouncing off of Laurel to look at Macy and then back to Laurel.

Yes. What’s wrong?

My daughter’s missing. I need your help.

Okay. I need you to calm down, though, okay? Why didn’t you call 911?

Please, I need your help, the man begged.

I’ll be happy to help you, but I need you to take a minute to calm down.

The longer we wait, the further away my daughter gets. Or the more danger she might be in. I don’t even know, he wailed, running his hands through his tangled hair.

Laurel took a deep breath, and shot a glance at Macy. 

Laurel bit the inside of her cheek for a moment, then blew out a breath.

Sir? she said, turning back to the grief-stricken man pacing in front of her. Why don’t you come on back?

––––––––

By early evening, Laurel had gotten the details from Rob DeSantiago about his missing daughter, Amelia. She’d seen his house, which was just a block from the station, and stopped by his ex-wife, Lucy’s, house. DeSantiago was convinced that Lucy didn’t take their daughter, but everything Laurel had seen so far pointed to the also missing Lucy as having absconded with their child. DeSantiago insisted that his ex-wife had given him custody of their daughter, but he had no paperwork to prove that, claiming that the lawyer was holding onto it.

Lucy’s house had a half eaten breakfast still on the table, along with a half empty baby bottle. Though a playpen and playmat were still in the living room, Lucy’s bedroom had clothes thrown everywhere. The neatness of the rest of the house led Laurel to think that Lucy had packed in a hurry to get out of Dodge.

When she’d left Lucy’s house, she’d talked to a woman with greasy hair and bad acne on her chin and forehead, wearing clothes two sizes too small. The woman claimed to have no idea where Lucy was or when she’d be home. Laurel wasn’t sure she believed the woman. Her eyes had looked everywhere but at Laurel and she’d bounced from foot to foot like a child that needed to go potty.

Laurel wasn’t sure what to think at this point. Her gut told her that Lucy DeSantiago had taken off with her daughter, but the father’s determination that she hadn’t was too sincere for her to just discount it.

She was finally heading home. Her entire body ached and her mind was beginning to feel foggy. All she could think about was climbing into her huge, comfortable bed and getting a good night’s sleep. Her cell phone rang and she groaned. She groped for her headset and slipped it on before thumbing the green light on the screen to answer the call.

Bailey.

Laurel?

Alex? She was surprised to hear from him.

Yeah. Hi.

Hey. What’s up?

I was just thinking. It’s been a few days since we last got together. I was wondering if you were free tomorrow night?

Tomorrow night? she repeated. I think so.

I’d love to cook dinner for you.

She bit her lip. Alex had been starting to drop a few hints lately about stepping their relationship up to the next level. She had a feeling that this dinner tomorrow night was going to be the make or break point for their relationship.

All right, she finally said. She’d figure out what to do if he asked her to step things up. 

Wonderful. See you at six? Does that work for you?

Absolutely.

After a few minutes of conversation, she hung up only for her phone to immediately ring again. This time it was Maddix.

Hey, Mad.

My name is Maddix, Laurelynn. A fact of which you are very much aware.

Whatever. What’s up?

His deep sigh echoed through the phone.

I’d like to see you tonight, Laurelynn. I’d like to talk.

And I told you, no.

Laurelynn, I don’t understand this sudden about face you’ve had about our relationship.

There is no relationship, Mad. We’re divorced. We used to hook up now and then, scratch an itch. Now we don’t. Pretty simple to understand.

It was more than just sex. You know that.

She rolled her eyes. Look, maybe you thought it was more than that, but I was pretty clear that I had no romantic feelings toward you anymore. I was also pretty clear that if and when I ever found someone new, this arrangement would end.

So, you’re saying you found someone new?

She bit her tongue, hard. She hadn’t meant to let him know that. She’d intended to just let the arrangement slip away. She was pretty sure she was not the only woman Maddix was sleeping with, and had hoped that he’d be distracted by the others and just sort of forget about her.

Laurelynn, answer me. Are you seeing someone else?

That’s really none of your business.

I have a right to know.

No, Mad, actually you don’t. We’re divorced. My life is my own.

We were sleeping together. I have the right to know why that’s ended.

See, Mad, this is why we got divorced. Your outrageous demands, your stupid expectations that have nothing to do with the reality of our situations.

Right. Your refusal to have children, plan anything for our future, or quit your job had nothing to do with it, he said.

Actually, they didn’t. Because I didn’t refuse to have children, I simply refused to get pregnant on command. And I also didn’t refuse to plan anything for our future, I just refused to go along with all your plans blindly. And it’s not a job, it’s a profession. Just like yours. I’m not coming over tonight. Or ever. Deal with it.

Laurelynn-

She hung up before he could continue.

At home, she dragged herself up the shallow stairs to the porch, let herself in and walked straight through the foyer and living room, directly to her bedroom. As she stripped out of her clothes, she glanced into the bathroom and considered a shower, but opted instead to slip beneath the sheets and lay her head on the pillow immediately. Within moments, she was sound asleep.

Maddix was stunned. What was going on with Laurelynn? She’d always been independent, determined to do her own thing, but this was beyond that. This was almost as if she didn’t want to see him anymore.

But that just didn’t make sense. He knew she still loved him. She’d only decided they should divorce because she’d been shot. She’d gone through some kind of crisis when she was shot, and decided that the life she was living wasn’t the one she should be living, or some crap like that. He hadn’t really listened to everything she’d said.

He hadn’t needed to listen, because he knew she’d be back someday. It was only a matter of time before she realized she still loved him and that they were meant to be together. A matter of time and a little nudge. The shooting had nudged her away, surely she could be nudged back.

He’d known she was seeing someone. And though he’d waited it out, the other man hadn’t gone anywhere. He had to convince her to drop that loser.

He couldn’t lose Laurelynn like he’d lost another. The pain was too great.

CHAPTER THREE

Late Monday night, August 5

Joshua woke up in the darkness. His night light had burned out again. He heard scratching noises, and saw shadows moving on the wall in the white light of the moon. He was getting ready to cry out for his mom when suddenly she appeared above him.

The woman was very pretty, with dark eyes and long, dark hair. She was dressed all in black, and though Joshua knew he should be scared, he wasn’t. She looked so nice and so kind.

Shh, she whispered, placing a finger over her lips. He nodded.

She leaned down very close to his ear. He could feel her breath on his skin when she whispered.

You have to come with me. Something has happened to your mommy and daddy and they’ve asked me to take care of you until they get better, okay? But we have to be very, very quiet. No talking, and we have to walk extra, super quiet.

Now he felt a little scared. What had happened to Mommy and Daddy? How could something happen to them together? They were never together anymore, unless he was going from one house to the other.

But the woman was being so nice, and he knew that if she was in Mommy’s house, it must be okay. So he sat up and climbed out of bed when she pulled his covers back.

I have to go to the bathroom, he whispered and she nodded. Taking his hand, she led him to the bathroom. The night light in there was still on, and she stood just outside the door while he did his business and then washed his hands.

When he came out, she was standing just outside Mommy’s door, which was closed like it was at night when she was sleeping. He reached for the doorknob, wanting to open it and see if she was in there. Maybe the nice lady was wrong.

But she took his hand again and tugged him past the door. They walked through the rest of the hallway, then through the kitchen and into the living room. She led him to the front door. Before she closed the door behind them, she locked it.

She led him down the sidewalk toward his friend Joey’s house, then stopped at a small black car. It was shiny under the streetlights, and when she opened the door, it was clean inside. She had a car seat on the other side of the back seat, and a booster seat just like the one in his Mommy’s car on this side. She patted the booster seat.

Hop in, Joshie, she said, calling him by the nickname his dad sometimes used for him.

He clambered into the car and she helped him buckle in.

Don’t I need clothes? he asked as she was about to close the door.

Another sweet smile crossed her face and he couldn’t help but smile back.

Nope. I’ve got everything you need.

Tuesday, August 6

Laurel woke up just after six the next morning. She stretched in the light that was just beginning to stream in through the windows of her bedroom, and then got up and went to the shower.

After a lengthy, hot shower, her muscles were nicely relaxed and she felt wide awake and ready to face the day. She dressed in a pair of jeans and light blue blouse. She went to the kitchen to start coffee, then headed back to the bathroom to blow dry and style her hair and put on her make up.

Forty-five minutes later, she was sitting at her desk, a steaming cup of coffee next to her laptop. She flipped on the local news on a small TV and half watched as she checked her email. The TV got her full attention within minutes, though.

"There’s