Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Kati

Lucien and I were on our way back from picking him up from school. It had taken a lot of convincing on my part for Easton to allow me to go without one of his teammates following. Alejandro was dead. The biggest threat to our lives no longer existed, so it was time to start living life again.

"What are the chances of getting ice cream before dinner?"

I thought about the week we had. Hell, the last month or two if I were being honest, and then I glanced over to my son's hopeful expression.

Why the hell not? He deserved it. I deserved it. And it wasn't like we made a habit of having dessert before dinner. I knew I was trying to rationalize with myself, but really? What was the point? If someone wanted to judge me for indulging my son after the week he had, they could go to hell. And I would gladly send them there in a handbasket.

"Pretty damn good."

"Yes!" Lucien punched his fist in the air. "I feel like it’s been forever since we stopped to see Ms. Edela over at Glacial Delights. She probably misses us."

She probably did. Edela was a sweet sixty-year-old woman who had been good friends with my mother. She treated Lucien like he was her grandson and it had been so long since we stopped in. Mostly because life had been hectic, but that was no reason to neglect the person who treated us like family.

"We’ll have to be sure to stop more often."

I was just coming up to the only light in Willow Creek. It sat at the intersection before Tim's Service Station and Main Street downtown. The town wasn't big enough to have an official downtown, but considering all the businesses in town were located on the one-block strip, it had been coined that.

The light was green, and I spotted the sign for the ice cream parlor just ahead. I was focused on looking for a parking spot when my body was jarred forward and my head bounced off the steering wheel. I could feel my seat belt lock into place a little too late and slam me back into the seat.

"Lucien?" My son's name was barely more than a hoarse whisper. I lost control and had to watch like an outsider as my car slid into a parked vehicle. The airbag pounded out of the steering wheel with such force that my head snapped back against the seat. White powder filled my mouth and nostrils making it hard to catch my breath. I tried to punch down the semi-deflated bag and look around for my son.

"Lucien?" I coughed out.

I could barely make out the sound of a car door opening over the ringing in my ears and the pounding in my head. Someone was coming to help. Relief consumed me. Until I heard Lucien scream.

"Mom!"

That wasn't the sound of a boy being rescued by people he knew. That was sheer panic filling the one word.

I fought like hell against the airbag and seat belt for what felt like hours, but I’m sure it was probably mere seconds. Once I had them both out of my way, I threw myself over the center console and used my forearms to drag myself across Lucien's seat. Glass cut into my skin but I refused to stop.

A menacing voice outside gave me the courage to continue.

"You think just because your father was Alejandro, you deserve to take his place? I'll kill you before I let that happen."

"No!" I couldn't be sure if I screamed the word or if it came out as just a whisper. My throat was raw. Tears streamed down my face. I was trying desperately to get to my son but something was holding me back. I kicked my foot frantically to dislodge the offending obstruction but it wouldn't budge.

"I have no idea what you're talking about! My father is Easton Welch, I don't know an Alejandro!"

I froze at my son's confident words. There wasn't a hint of uncertainty as he said the words I wished more than anything were true. Easton would make the perfect father. He wasn’t the leader of a gang or spent my son's entire life locked behind bars. Easton was who I should've met that night in college when I was struggling with the anniversary of my parents’ death.

"It's true! What he says is true!" I did my best to scream.

I was able to move just far enough that I could see my son spread out on the road, and watched in horror as the man held a knife to my son's throat. I wanted desperately to get to him, but once again, I was failing as a mother. My foot was stuck and I could only pray that I wasn’t going to witness my son's death.

"For your sake, I hope it's the truth," the man spat. "If you want to continue to see more birthdays over the years, forget my face. Don't ever breathe the name Los Cangris, or I’ll be back to find you."

Lucien nodded his head quickly in agreement. Before either of us could do anything, the man pushed away from my son and took off down the road. Completely abandoning the smashed-up car. It was then I heard the other footsteps headed our way. There were shouts to call 911 and multiple people started talking over one another.

I couldn't focus on any of it. My eyes were zeroed in on the tiny drop of blood nestled on my son's throat. That's how close he had come to death. That crazy son of a bitch had held a knife to Lucien's throat and drew blood. I wanted to hunt him down to make him pay, but I knew I couldn't.

Something Easton told me last night came rushing back to me. Manuel Ortega. That had to be who the man was. He had come to end my son's life because he thought Lucien wanted to take over Los Cangris. My son's quick thinking had saved him.

"Kati?" Tim Jr.'s voice filled the car. "Your leg is wrapped up in the seat belt. I'm going to cut it off you so we can get you out."

The pressure that had been holding me back was suddenly lifted and I scrambled forward until I was crawling out of the car on my hands and knees to get to my son. As a nurse, I knew it wasn't smart to be moving so much after an accident but the mother in me didn't care. I needed to hold my son, to know that he was truly safe in my arms.

"Lucien!" As soon as I was close enough, I pulled his head into my chest. My son didn't delay in wrapping his arms around my middle.

"I'm okay, Mom. I'm okay." The tremble was enough to tell me he was putting on a great front but deep down my teenage boy was scared. Rightfully so. It was okay that he wasn't okay.

"I was so damn scared." The words tumbled out of my mouth. "I saw the knife and I couldn't get to you. I was stuck in that damn car, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get to you."

Tears poured down my cheeks and splashed onto Lucien's hair. Every emotion I’d bottled up for weeks suddenly burst out of me. My son could've died. I couldn't get the picture of the knife out of my head, or the little voice in there screaming at me that I almost lost my son.

We are going to need so much therapy after this.

"Kati? Lucien?" Nolen skidded to a stop next to us and dropped down onto one knee. "Are you two okay? I was eating at the diner when someone told me the two of you were in an accident."

"Ran off the road was more like it," Tim Jr. huffed. "My father saw the whole thing. He yelled for me to come out, but by the time I got out here, the guy was running away."

"An ambulance is on the way." Ms. Edela from the ice cream parlor joined our little crowd on the side of the road.

Seconds later the screaming of sirens filled the street. I begged and pleaded for them to let me ride with Lucien. I had to promise not to sue anyone, and acknowledge that I was taking my own safety into my own hands. I would've signed anything at that moment. As long as they let me stay with my son.

When we got to the hospital, Dr. Williams was the attending.

"Ms. Whitlock, we need to stop meeting like this." His grandfatherly smile put me at ease. I knew my son was in good hands but I still refused to leave his side. "The nurse tells me you would prefer if I treated you both in the same room."

"Yes, please,” I begged. “I can't be separated from him. Not yet."

Dr. Williams didn't get a chance to respond before the door was slammed open.

"Kati! Lucien!" Easton charged to where I was sitting on the chair next to the hospital bed. "Nolen told me what happened. Why the hell are you sitting in a chair and not a hospital bed yourself?"

"It's good to see you again, Mr. Welch." Dr. Williams put out his hand and waited for Easton to shake it. "Ms. Whitlock here requested that she and her son be seen together. Based on the report from the EMTs and nurses, I don't see that being a problem."

I wanted to throw my arms around Dr. Williams and squeeze the crap out of him. It felt so damn good to have someone on my side.

It didn't take Dr. Williams long to look us over. Other than some bruising from the seat belt and a minor concussion from slamming my head off the steering wheel, I was fine. Lucien fared far better. He would have bruising from the seat belt as well, and some whiplash that would likely cause him pain later, but overall, we were both lucky.

"I'll just go let the nurse know she can start your discharge paperwork. I hope the next time I see you, Ms. Whitlock, it is under normal working conditions." He gave me a sweet smile to soften the words.

I waited until the doctor was gone before turning to Easton. I knew, based on the look on his face, I was going to get the third degree.