Chapter 26

26

A s I open my eyes, the house is silent. This is the opportunity I've been waiting for.

Leaping out of bed, I don't turn on my light—I only use the flashlight on my phone.

I silently go to the closet and grab my prepacked backpack. When I retired to my room earlier, I made the excuse that I was tired. Instead, I'd packed my bag to clear out of here tonight. I'm going to get my mother and hopefully not get killed while trying to get to her.

I've left the patio door slightly ajar, so after slipping on my runners, I take my phone and order an Uber. It tells me that it will be about twenty minutes before it's supposed to arrive. Slipping on my backpack, I silently open the door.

Hooking one leg over the patio railing, I bring my entire body over, then make a jump. Landing on the dirt, my shoes crunch, and I cringe. It's like I'm walking on a bag of potato chips in a silent church.

It's a cool night tonight, and glancing at my phone, it reads two a.m.

Without thinking, I run toward the driveway, not looking back. It usually takes about five minutes to drive this driveway, so I should make it to the gate before the Uber arrives. My breaths are even, and it's times like this that I'm thankful for being an active person.

Fifteen minutes later, I make it to the gate. Turning back, I don't see anyone following and puff out a huff of air that I'd held onto.

Headlights come over the little ridge, and I step back into the shadows, hoping it's not someone who might be keeping an eye on me or something. When I see the indicator come on for the driveway, I step out and wave to them.

They stop themselves from going down the driveway.

Pulling the door open, I lean down. "Hey."

"Are you Aelina?"

"Yes."

"Hop in." The driver seems focused on his job as he pushes some buttons on his phone. "So you're heading into the city? You've put in a bakery that I know doesn't open for another few hours." He eyes me in his rearview mirror.

"Uh...yeah. I'm meeting my friend there. She's showing me the nightlife of New York."

He shrugs, seeming to accept my lame response. I only knew of the bakery because it had been mentioned to me once. I've never been to New York, so I'm stepping into a place I know nothing about.

Here's hoping Thomas finds me.

I swallow my anxiousness.

This is something I need to do.

You can do this.

Forty-five minutes later, we're in the big city. I can't get over how busy it is at this time of morning. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, considering it's a Friday night. Finally, the silent driver pulls up at the bakery I'd seen on my Google search.

"Where's your friend?" he asks.

"Oh, she said she's running five minutes late." I pretend to read a message on my phone.

"Do you want me to wait with you?"

My heart's racing. "No, it's fine, thank you. She'll be here any minute." I climb out of the car, giving him my thanks. He lingers, and I pretend to get a call, hoping he leaves. After several minutes, he does just that.

Thank goodness.

I glance down the street. One way leads me toward a dark alley and the other toward the busy nightlife. Being around people right now looks like the better option, so I make my way toward the busy streets. Across the street, there's a twenty-four-hour shop, and my stomach growls.

All right, I'll get some food.

I step inside, and only a handful of people are in the store. I make my way up and down some aisles, grabbing a prepackaged sandwich, fruit, and sweets. I stop dead in my tracks when I get to the toiletry aisle. Mulling over numbers and dates in my head. When did I have my last period?

"Damn." I hiss, and my heart slaps against my chest.

I go straight for the pregnancy tests, glancing up and down the aisle to make sure no one sees me grab it and shove it deep in my basket.

This can't be happening.

I can't be.

What am I going to do?

Walking to the cashier, I place my things on the counter. My hands shake as I grip the test and practically throw it.

"Good evening, young lady," the elderly man serving me greets.

My smile wavers. "Hey," I answer breathlessly. "Uh...do you have a restroom I could use?"

When he sees my test, his facial expression doesn't change. I can only imagine that he's judging me. All those insults are probably running through his mind.

What am I going to do if it's positive?

I'll have to tell Hunter.

My stomach twists at the thought.

"There's one at the back of the store."

I nod, pay for my stuff, then head straight for the restroom. Why wasn't I more careful? I push the door open and lock it, my fingers still shaking. I release the heavy breath that was stuck in my lungs as I stare at the toilet bowl like it's going to jump out and bite me. Placing my bag on the floor near the door, I dig out the pregnancy test box and rip it open.

I'm sick to my stomach as I follow the directions. My chest tightens, waiting for either the second little line to show or not to show. Unable to sit still, I place it on the back of the toilet, then clean myself up and wash my hands.

Tears fill my eyes as I approach the test, my body trembling with nerves. Rubbing my hands together, I try to calm my already over-the-top anxiousness.

I stare down at the test.

Positive.

I'm pregnant...

... with Hunter's baby.

A quiver rolls over my stomach, and I dry retch into the toilet bowl. Perhaps I should go back to May's and tell her. How am I going to tell Hunter?

I walk to the sink on shaky legs and wash my hands, splashing my face. I can't believe I'm pregnant. A baby hasn't been something on my mind, and now I'm frightened to bring it into this world. My arms wrap around my stomach, unable to stop another dry retch into the sink.

I could put the baby up for adoption, and no one would need to know. Oh goodness, what if it's twins? My stomach fills with piles of dread that keep landing on top of each other.

I need to save my mother. That's what is pressing right now.

Splashing my face with water again, I take a slow cleansing breath, then dry off with a paper towel. "Pull yourself together, Aelina. We'll get through this. Everything will work out how it's supposed to."

When I step back into the shop, everything feels different. Even my body feels different. It has a little person growing inside it. I need to protect him or her at all costs. This is my baby. My blood. It won't get taken away from me. It won't have the life I've had.

Things are the same on the street—people walk past me as though they don't have a care in the world. It's me who is not the same.

A loud shot rings through the night. I scream, dropping my body low to the ground as do others around me. Another shot soon follows. Something hits the brick wall near me, and I scream again.

Suddenly, there's a man by my side. I look up and nearly die. "Landon?"

He looks at me with sadness in his eyes, but there's also anger. At that second, I know. He knew I was planning to leave and has been watching me ever since.

Which means ...

"Does Hunter know?"

He nods.

Another shot, and I scream again.

Landon takes my arm and pulls me into the back seat of a nearby black SUV—Hunter's car. I half expect Hunter to be there waiting for me, ready to chew me out.

Landon leaps into the car and tears out and down the street. "Keep your head down until I tell you it's safe," he grumbles.

After a short moment of lots of turning and swerving away from that place, he says, "You can sit up now." And when I do, I know where we are heading—back to May's. Only this time, there's a plus one that only I know about.

"What was the outcome?" Landon asks once we are clear of the city.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"The test. I went in after you to see if you'd left it there."

Wow, he is really good at being stealthy. I should take a few of those lessons with him.

I'm silent for a moment, then look up into the rearview mirror. "It was positive."

I watch as his eyes shut for a brief second, then meet mine again. "It'll be okay. We'll tell Hunter, and he'll take care of it."

Take care of it? "Excuse me? I'm not getting rid of this baby." My voice rises with each word, my hand falling to my stomach.

"Oh, no, that's not what I meant." He sighs. "I'm terrible at this soft stuff. Give me running from bullets any day. Soft, mushy, lovey-dovey crap isn't for me." The words come out in a rush.

This is the most uncomfortable I've seen him. And he's right. I have never seen him with gentle eyes, the kind he's looking at me with right now.

I can't help but laugh, and Landon finally cracks a decent smile. I probably shouldn't be laughing, considering I've just been shot at three times, but it's somehow therapeutic.

"Congratulations," he finally offers.

"Thanks. How do you think Hunter is going to take this?" I chew my lip, waiting for his response.

"Any news on you makes him the happiest."

"Landon, I don't want to tell him right now."

Landon's brows pull together, apparently not happy about that. "He needs to know."

He's right. Hunter does need to know, but not right now. Anything can happen, and leaving my mother with the likes of Hunter's father isn't something I can chance. As soon as I tell him, he will ensure I'm on lockdown, which does me no favors.

"No, he doesn't. Not until I get my mother back safely with us. He'll bench me if he finds out I'm pregnant. I'm key to getting my mother back. You know this. I need to be in this. Please don't tell him. Not yet."

Landon runs a hand through his hair. "I can't say I'm happy about this, but you're right on all accounts. I'll look out for you, Aelina." There's promise in his words. And from everything he's shown me, he's loyal and someone I can fully trust.

Now, how am I going to hide this from Hunter and May?