Chapter 45

CHAPTER 45

AMARA

“Wait, he took you to an actual sex club?” Lilith stares, open-mouthed.

Emily and Patricia both appear as though their eyes are about to pop out.

“Yep…”

“And you liked it?” Emily can’t believe it.

“I did.” My lips purse. “It was scary at first, but fun after I stopped caring.”

Picking up my soda, I drink a few sips at the restaurant we all decided to meet at. It was pretty last-minute, but after a series of texts, Fionn arranged for me to come meet them for brunch since I had no classes today.

“You know that feeling right before you go up on the roller coaster and you’re terrified, but after it’s over, you can’t wait to go again?”

They nod.

“Well, that’s exactly how it felt for me. I’m actually excited to try it again.”

“And it’s okay while pregnant?” Patricia whispers, a flush creeping on her face.

“Yeah. Apparently he asked my OB about it before he took me. She said as long as I don’t put pressure around my stomach and don’t lie flat as I progress, then I’m fine.”

“Wow, who knew you’d be the freak amongst us girls?” Lilith laughs. “But now I wanna try it.”

My other two friends grimace.

“Meh, I’ll pass.” Emily pops a tortilla chip into her mouth. “I don’t think screwing around in public is my thing. The rope sounds cool, but I’m too chicken to try it.”

“Yeah.” Patricia scratches her temple. “I’m with Emily on this one.”

“Never actually thought I’d see the day you two agreed on something regarding sex.” Lilith stares between them with a laugh, her attention bouncing back to me. “So, think you can ask Fionn how I can get into this club?”

“Uh, well, you need ten grand and you need to be approved.”

“Whoa!” She jerks back with shock. “Now that’s crazy.”

“I know, right?”

Glancing at my cell, I check the time, knowing I need to get Fia from preschool soon. Luckily, the flight is only forty-five minutes. Fionn would’ve done it, but he had to attend a meeting with his brothers at the last minute, and that’s a few hours from home.

“I’m gonna run to the ladies’ room,” I tell the girls. “If the waiter comes back, can you guys get me another Coke?”

“Sure,” Lilith says.

“I’ll come with you.” Emily rises, heading down to the restroom with me. She throws an arm around my shoulders. “I’m really happy for you. Fionn has really proven to be good for you.”

“I know.” My body grows taut at the mere mention of him. “I can’t wait to see Fionn love on this baby.” I cup my small belly, loving this child already.

“I can’t wait to be an auntie again!”

Just as we head inside, I accidentally slam into a woman. “I’m so sorry!”

She smiles, heading out while Emily walks into an empty stall.

As I’m about to head into another, I notice that the woman dropped something.

An envelope.

“Excuse me!” I call for her, picking it up, but when I rush out onto the restaurant floor, I don’t see her anymore.

Crap. I’ll have to pass it to the manager.

Intending to go there after I’m done, I start for the stall, and as I do, something slips out.

“What the…” I look down at a photo printed on plain paper, and it takes a few long seconds for my brain to catch up to my eyes.

My heart gallops up to my throat, my skin turning ice-cold.

Because in the photo is my daughter sitting on a chair, holding a teddy bear, fear in her eyes.

“Oh my God,” I pant.

Someone has her. Someone took our baby!

When I turn the photo around, I read the words, unable to make sense of any of it.

We have her. Come alone. If you tell anyone, she’s dead. 746 Tavern Lane. Boston.

“Oh my God!” I stumble, bracing myself on the wall so I don’t collapse.

Panic grips me, and I’m unable to breathe, my hands shaking as I get my phone and call her preschool.

The phone rings and rings just as Emily comes out.

“Amara? What’s wrong?” Concern hits her features instantly, while I lift a finger in the air, indicating for her to hold on.

“Hi, may I help you?” the secretary asks.

“Hi, this is…uh, Amara Quinn.” My voice shakes, the phone almost dropping from my jittery clasp.

“Oh, yes. Hi there, Mrs. Quinn. Is there a problem?”

“My daughter, Fia. Is she there?”

Silence.

Nonono !

“Uh, she’s not… She was picked up about an hour ago.”

“What! Oh my God.” I collapse onto the ground, the phone falling out of my grasp while flickers of light erupt before my eyes like stars.

“Amara! What’s wrong?” Emily helps me up, getting the phone for me, while the photo of Fia is tight in my palm.

I can’t let her see it. I just can’t. Whoever they are, they told me no one can know. I can’t let anything happen to my daughter.

Oh my God, my baby!

I start to cry.

“What do you mean, she was picked up?! By who?” I holler through the tears, swiping at them.

“Uh, let me check that for you.” She pauses. “Is everything okay?”

“No! It’s not okay. I don’t know who picked up my child.”

I dig a fist into my chest, unable to pull in air, my left side heavy like I’m having a heart attack, but it’s panic. I felt this before growing up, panicking every time my mother was high.

“So, the ID of the person who got her is Desdemona Edwards.”

I choke on a gasp.

“Should we call the authorities?” she asks.

“No!” Terror grips me.

No cops. My mother is unstable, especially when she’s high. She could be with someone who wants to get money from me for Fia.

“I’ll take care of it. Thanks.”

Hanging up, I try to slip the phone into my bag, but it jitters and crashes on the ground again.

Emily picks it up, alarm in her gaze. “What’s going on? Does someone have Fia?”

Someone walks into the bathroom, and that has me keeping my tone low as I pull Emily out. “I need you to do something for me.”

“Of course! Anything.”

“Stay here for five minutes so I can sneak out from the back without Roy finding out. Can you do that?”

“Amara, you’re really scaring me. If Fia’s in danger, you should call Fionn.”

“NO!” I grab her wrist, showing her the photo and the words on the back so she understands that she can’t say a damn word.

She gasps, cupping her mouth.

“My mother has her.”

“I swear…” Her voice breaks. “If she hurts that girl, I’m gonna kill her.”

“Me too.” My heart feels like someone’s carving it out.

And it’s right at this moment that I realize maybe I’m not so different from Fionn. Maybe Konstantin was right about it all.

When those you love are hurt, there’s nothing you wouldn’t do to stop it.

I pick up my cell from the cup holder for the third time, wanting to call Fionn, wanting to tell him. But I chicken out at the last minute. Countless thoughts go through my head.

What if I call him and she ends up dead? What if not calling him will do the same?

I don’t know what to do!

“Ahhh!” I let out a wild scream, gripping the steering wheel tight in my hands.

A woman in the car beside mine glances at me like I’ve lost my mind as we both wait for the red light to turn green. As soon as it does, I accelerate, gunning down the road, hoping the cops don’t stop me. But I can’t waste time.

All I have is this address. Some house on a residential block. Not a bad area, either. Why would my mother be there? Maybe her boyfriend lives there?

My pulse beats through my temples, my heart ready to give out. This woman has taken so much from me. She won’t take my daughter too.

The phone rings, and I find Fionn’s name staring back at me.

My body breaks with hives, my heartbeats shuddering in my chest. I click ignore, but he calls again. And again.

By the time he finds me, I’ll have Fia back. He can be mad then. At least that’s what I hope happens. In the back of my head, though, I fear we may both end up dead.

Twenty minutes later, and I’m in front of a red brick two-story home, the white picket fence open, obviously waiting for my arrival. With my body trembling, I step out, holding my phone in my hand, my legs weighing a million pounds as I rush up the steps, trying the door.

It opens instantly.

Silence greets me at first—so thick, I suffocate on it.

“Fia? Where are you?”

Silence. Until…

“Mama! Mama!”

“Fia, I’m coming!”

Running toward her voice at full speed, I make it only a short distance before I register pain in the back of my head and collapse on the ground, the world around me spinning.

I don’t know what happens next, because everything goes black.