Chapter 26

Mia

Her neck…

WEDNESDAY EVENING THE following week, just three days before Mac's parents are set to arrive, has Mac, Trent, and me sitting in the living room watching Once Upon A Time while eating dinner. Mac and I are on the couch, while Trent has his back to us sitting in front of the coffee table. I bribed them into watching the show with me by promising to make them their favorite meal, spaghetti and meatballs.

I've finished my plate and have been waiting patiently for the past five minutes for a commercial so I can go grab some more. Did I mention spaghetti is one of my favorites as well?

When a commercial finally comes on, I turn to the guys. "I'm going to get some more. Do either of you need anything while I'm up?"

Trent jumps up off the floor like it just burned him, but I think it's probably because he's trying to get out of watching the show, and announces, "I'll get it for you. I'm done and was going to the kitchen anyway."

Thinking it's incredibly sweet of him to offer to make me another plate, I smile at him and hold my plate out. "Thank you, Trent. Not too much, please."

He walks to me and grabs my plate, all the while avoiding my eyes. He's once again been acting strange today. Trent's been fidgety and even more withdrawn than usual. I tried getting him to loosen up earlier and play a video game with me, but nothing's worked. He comes up with excuse after excuse to stay away from both Mac and me. The only reason he is out in the living room with us now is because Mac forced him.

When he walks away with my plate, I look over at Mac, who is watching him walk away. Trent rounds the corner out of sight and Mac turns his worried eyes to me. I wish I knew the words to make him feel better, but I know there's nothing I can say. Only Trent can do that. He needs to learn he can come to his dad.

A few minutes later, Trent comes out with a plate of food and hands it to me.

"Thank you, Trent."

He mumbles a "welcome" and turns to his dad. "Can I go get in the shower?"

We both watch Trent shift from one foot to another before Mac says, "Sure, kid." But before he can walk away, Mac calls his name

"Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah," he mutters, before walking off.

Mac sighs and scrapes his hair with his fingers. I set my plate down on the coffee table and scoot over to him. I curl up to his side with my feet tucked in and wrap my arms around his waist.

"I know you're worried, Mac, but he needs to come to you in his own time. I know it's hard not to force him to talk to you, but doing that could make it worse. Give him a bit more time, and if he doesn't, then worry about what to do."

He leans down and places a kiss on my lips before pulling back. "I just hope it's the right thing to do, to not sit down with him and make him talk to me. I hate seeing him so down. He's acting the complete opposite to what he normally acts. I want my son back."

"I know, baby."

We sit in silence for a while, before Mac reaches over, grabs my plate, and hands it to me. "Eat, Pix."

No longer having much of an appetite, I mix the noodles and sauce together and twirl some on my fork. I only take a few bites before I can't eat anymore. It just doesn't taste as good as it did before, and is turning my stomach slightly. The stress of the situation with Trent is getting to me.

I gesture for Mac to hand me his empty plate, and I get up off the couch to take them into the kitchen and grab another beer for the both of us. When I make it to the kitchen, I barely have enough time to set the plates down on the counter before a wave of dizziness hits me. I grab on to the counter to keep myself upright, my legs going all wonky and not holding me up anymore.

What the fuck?

As I stand there trying to get my bearings, my head begins to pound harder than I've ever felt before, and another bout of dizziness hits me. My stomach starts rolling, and I'm worried I'll lose all my supper. My legs turn to jelly and can't hold my weight anymore. I try to grab on to something, but my arms feel heavy as well. On my way down, my hand hits the pitcher of tea on the counter, and it comes crashing down to the floor with me.

My heart is beating rapidly to the pounding in my head. My head is fuzzy, and I swear I feel vibrations underneath my body. I briefly register the taste of almonds in my mouth.

Strange.

I can't see that well because of all the blackness starting to creep in. I know I'm about to pass out. Right before my mind goes blank, a thought occurs to me. One that has my chest aching and desperately wondering why.

Trent.

Mac

THE LOUD CRASH COMING from the kitchen has me jumping up from the couch and racing that way. When I round the corner into the kitchen, I skid to a halt for a split second as panic tries to make its way into my body. Mia is sprawled out on the floor with the glass tea pitcher shattered all around her.

"Oh, fuck, Mia!" I yell, and barrel my way toward her. Just as I drop down to her side, her body starts convulsing and foam starts leaking out of her mouth. My heart freezes in my chest at the sight.

I immediately roll her to her side so she doesn't choke on the shit that's coming from her mouth. Her body continues to shake and seize for a few seconds before stopping, scaring the living shit out of me. I reach for the pulse in her neck and barely feel it against my fingertips. I lower my head to her mouth and barely feel the warm air coming out between her lips. I smell a faint hint of almonds, and I know exactly what this is. My jaw clenches, and I have to force my breathing to stay calm.

"T," I yell with a tortured voice.

Fuck! This can't be happening.

I gather Mia in my arms just as T comes running into the kitchen. His eyes go wide when he sees Mia and the mess on the floor. The guilt in his eyes is plain to see, but it's something I will have to deal with later. Mia needs me right this minute.

"Grab my keys on the table and open the door for me," I tell him, rushing toward the front door. T's there before me, opening it. With Mia in my arms, I rush to my truck and wait a second for T to open that door as well. After gently depositing her in the front seat on her side, I rush around to the other side and get behind the wheel. T's already in the back seat.

I look down at Mia and check for a pulse again, relief hitting me hard when I feel the faint thumping. The beat is there, but it's weak, and I know I don't have much time to get her to the emergency room. I pull my phone out of my pocket and peel out of the driveway.

I call the emergency room to let them know we're heading their way. I give a brief, discreet description of my suspicions so they'll have everything ready by the time we get there.

I grip the steering wheel and squeeze my eyes closed for a second. Why in the fuck would Trent do this? Is this why he's been acting even more strange today? I thought he was getting better. I thought his feelings for Mia were changing. I just don't understand. T is not a violent or hurtful child. There has to be a very good reason for this. Once I know Mia is okay, I'm getting to the bottom of this shit. No more avoiding it. No more putting it off. This shit ends tonight.

Twenty minutes later, we're skidding to a stop in front of the emergency room doors. I fling open my door and rush around to Mia's side. I tell T to run inside to let them know we're coming in. A nurse pushing a gurney meets us halfway to the counter.

"Mia Walker, right?" the nurse asks.

I lay Mia down on the gurney, and the nurse starts wheeling it toward a set of double doors.

"Yes. She stopped breathing about three minutes ago," I tell her, the words coming out raw. When I reached down in the truck and couldn't find her breath anymore, I nearly drove us off the road. The only thing that kept me sane was the slight flutter I found in her wrist. Her heartbeat was getting weaker but, thank God, it was still there.

"Okay, we've been informed of the situation and have everything prepped and ready, Sheriff Weston. I need you to stay out here. As soon as the results are in and she's been treated, someone will come speak with you."

I nod, unable to form any more words because of the lump in my throat. I look down at Mia and see her face is red. I quickly give her forehead a kiss before the nurse wheels her away.

I turn from the double doors and scrape my fingers through my hair. I see T hunched over in a chair in the waiting room, his eyes red rimmed and tears leaking down his cheeks. I turn my head away from him, not able to deal yet with the fact that my own ten-year-old son poisoned the woman I love. Tears prick the back of my eyes thinking about it.

I pull my phone from my pocket and dial Jaxon's number. I half explain what's going on. We hang up with him yelling for Bailey to get ready to leave. I have no idea how I'm going to tell him that T is the reason Mia's in the hospital.

Not looking forward to this conversation, but knowing I need to have it, I walk over to Trent and take a seat beside him. How in the fuck do you ask your ten-year-old why he poisoned someone? How in the hell did he even know how to do it in the first place?

I lean forward in my chair and rest my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. I sit there in silence for a few minutes, trying to gather my thoughts.

"Dad?" Trent asks with a tremor in his voice.

"What, T?" I turn my head to him, wanting him to see the torment in my eyes.

More tears gather in his eyes and spill down his cheeks. "I-is she going t-to be okay?"

I take a deep breath before answering. "I don't know, son. It all depends if they can get it out of her system fast enough."

I watch as his face crumples. I want to gather him in my arms to reassure him, but I can't. Why is he acting this way when he put Mia in the hospital in the first place?

"Why, T?" I ask him quietly.

"Why what, Dad?" he asks in return. Fuck if we're going to play this game. He knows damn well what.

Forcing myself to stay calm, I look him right in the eye and say, "I know what you did. I know you put something in Mia's food."

The anguish and fear I see in his eyes almost breaks me, and I have to fortify my resolve. I need to get to the truth.

"Because I was scared," he whispers, so low I barely hear him. "They said they would hurt you and me."

What the fuck?

"Who, Trent?" I ask him calmly, when I'm anything but calm. I want to rave, rant, and punch something. Who in the fuck has the balls to threaten my son? Somewhere in the back of my mind I already know who. It's the only explanation. I would have never thought that Tessa would threaten our son, and it makes me sick to my stomach to think I never knew how sick and twisted she is and that T's been living with her for years. How can a father not know his son has been in danger?

Trent doesn't say anything for a few minutes. His expression says he's scared to. I reach over and grab his shoulder. "Trent, son, I need you to tell me who threatened you. I promise nothing will happen to either of us."

Relief floods through me when I see T come to his decision to trust me. He says the one word that has me boiling with rage.

"Mom," he says quietly, and then shocks me with the next name. "And Shady."

My head rears back. What in the fuck does Shady have to do with this? I never even knew Shady and Tessa really knew each other. Yes, there were some parties when we were younger where we all happened to be at the same time, but Shady is four years older than us and normally didn't hang out with the younger crowd.

"Are you sure it's Shady?" I need to make sure he's right and not mistaken.

"Yeah, Dad. He's been coming around for a few years now. He really scares me."

"What did they say to you?" I ask through gritted teeth.

"They just said they wanted me to do some things for them. I didn't want to, Dad. I swear I didn't. They said if I didn't, they would hurt you and me."

Shame laces his teary voice, and I can't hold back anymore. Knowing Trent didn't want to hurt Mia, that he was only doing it to protect himself and me, lifts a huge weight off my chest. Also knowing that we now know the person who's been helping Tessa eases some of my worry. At least we know who we're looking for.

I pull T into my arms and squeeze him tight. The fear he must have felt guts me. I should have protected him better. I should have made sure he knew without a doubt that he could come to me with something like this. No child should ever fear for his life, and it pisses me off that my child did.

"I'm so sorry, Dad. I didn't want to hurt Mia, but I was so scared," he cries against my shoulder.

My heart squeezes at the anguish in his voice. "I know, T. It's okay." I pull back from him and meet his frightened gaze. "Everything is going to be okay. I understand why you did what you did, and so will Mia and everyone else. When was the last time you talked to your mom?"

"Yesterday, while you were out in the barn taking care of the horses. She made me go to the kitchen and look under the sink for chemicals. I named off some kind of bug spray, and that's what she told me to put in Mia's food."

"So she's contacted you since she disappeared? Has she told you where she is?"

I hate to involve T even more in this because she's his mother, and I know he loves her. But I have no choice. She needs to be found. I'm hoping that once Shady gets called in, he'll turn on her and tell us where she is.

"I've talked to her a couple of times," he says, looking down at his lap. I know he feels bad for the part that he played. I also know he wouldn't have if he felt like he had another choice. "She hasn't said where she is though."

A noise off to the left has me turning my head. Jaxon and Bailey come rushing in. When they spot us, they quickly head in our direction. Bailey's face loses all color when she sees my and T's expressions, thinking the worst.

I get up to meet them and let them know Mia is in the back getting tests and treatment.

"I'm still waiting on someone to come tell me how she is."

"Oh, thank God." Bailey says. "I thought…" She doesn't get the chance to continue before Jaxon drags her into his arms.

"Tell me what the fuck happened," Jaxon growls over Bailey's head.

"Bailey, do you mind sitting with T while I speak with Jaxon? After I explain everything to him, he can tell you."

Bailey pulls her head away from Jaxon's chest. "Yes, of course." She takes a seat next to T and takes his hand. "How are you holding up, Trent?"

Trent quietly answers her question with, "Okay, I guess," and looks at me with scared eyes.

I reach over and squeeze his shoulder. "Don't worry, son, everything's going to be okay.

At his nod, I gesture for Jaxon to follow me. We stop just outside the double doors leading to the back where Mia is, and I turn to face him. I tell him what Trent told me about Tessa and Shady and that he felt he had no choice but to do what they said.

"Are you fucking telling me that Trent poisoned Mia because Tessa, his own fucking mother, and Shady threatened him?" Jaxon hisses, barely holding on to his control. I know how he feels. The only reason I'm not out hunting down the bastard is because Mia's here, barely holding on to her life.

"Yes. As soon as we're done talking, I'm calling the station to have someone bring the fucker in."

"Not if I get to him first. I'll kill the bastard. What the fuck does he have against Mia? And why in the hell has your ex hooked up with him?"

I ignore the comment about Jaxon killing Shady, because I know damn good and well that if I see him, I don't know that I'll be able to hold myself back, let alone Jaxon.

"I have no idea, but I intend to find out," I tell him.

"How's Trent doing?" Jaxon asks.

"To be honest, I think he's terrified. Terrified that Tessa and Shady will hurt him or me and terrified that we're going to blame him. He's been acting so weird lately, and now I know why."

"That bastard Shady and your bitch of an ex-wife are going to pay for what they've done to Mia and Trent. Mark my words, Mac."

Before I get a chance to reply, the double doors open and out walks a doctor. Jaxon and I both turn to face him. Bailey and Trent come up beside us.

"Are you the family of Miss Walker?" the older doctor asks.

Jaxon and I both say "yes" at the same time.

"I'm Dr. Scott. She's going to be just fine. We were able to get her heart rate up to speed. After running some tests, we confirmed that there was indeed cyanide in her system. We've pumped her stomach and given her the antidotes and some oxygen. We'll keep her overnight to monitor her. She should be waking up soon. We'll send someone down when she can have visitors."

"Thank God," Bailey murmurs, and sags against Jaxon.

"Will there be any lasting affects?" I ask the doctor.

He turns my way when he answers. "I don't believe so. The amount found in her system was minimal. But just to be safe, I want her to go see a neurologist to rule out any potential delayed-onset problems with the brain or nervous system."

After we thank the doctor, he leaves. We all take a seat and wait for a nurse to come get us. Jaxon pulls Bailey aside and explains what happened. I see Bailey throw her hand up to her mouth and glance at T with sympathy and sadness. When they're done talking, Jaxon steps in front of Trent and kneels down. He grips his shoulder and pulls him in for a hug. I can't hear what he says, but he murmurs something in his ear. T nods and pulls back. Bailey steps up next and reaches down to give T a hug as well.

A few minutes later, a nurse comes out and tells us that Mia is awake and can see visitors. She tries to tell us only two at a time, but when I pull my badge out, she relents and lets us all back.

I ask Jaxon if he minds me going in first so I can explain what happened with Trent. He nods, and I push through the door. Mia has her head facing the window when I step through the door, but turns it my way when she hears me enter. She looks a hell of a lot better than what she did when I brought her in, though there are dark rings around her eyes and her cheeks are still red.

"Hey," she says, in a low voice.

I walk up to the bed and grab her hand to bring her wrist to my mouth. At her wrist, I murmur, "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Not too bad. I have a slight headache and I'm tired."

I lean down, rest my forehead against hers, and close my eyes. "I've never been so fucking scared in my life as when I saw you on the floor. Your whole body was convulsing, Mia. Shit!"

She puts her hand on my cheek. "I'm okay, Mac."

"I know you are, but there for a minute, when you stopped breathing… fuck… Mia, I thought I was going to lose you."

"What happened?"

I pull back from her and sit on the edge of the bed, still gripping her hand. I explain to her what I told Jaxon earlier. Surprise and some other emotion enter her face when I mention Shady's name. Her face turns hard with anger when I tell her that he and Tessa threatened T and me.

"Who in the fuck does that to their own child?" she asks angrily.

"Someone who's completely fucked in the head," I tell her honestly. There's obviously something mentally wrong with Tessa. "I've got someone heading over to Shady's place right now to pick him up. With any luck, he'll be there, and we can get to the bottom of this."

She looks at me skeptically, as if she doesn't believe it'll be that easy. I don't blame her. Nothing's ever that easy.

"Trent, Jaxon, and Bailey are outside waiting. I wanted to talk to you first. T's really scared and worried about what he did."

Mia grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze before saying, "I hope you know I don't blame him. I could never blame him for trying to protect himself and you."

I give her a tender smile, not surprised at her words in the least.

"I know you don't. That's just one of the reasons why I love you."

After bending down and giving her a lingering kiss that has my blood pumping and my cock twitching, I get up from the bed to let the others in. Jaxon and Bailey quickly step through the door and immediately go straight to Mia's side. T's steps are slower, like he's unsure he's welcome. The uncertainty in his movements has me angry all over again. Tessa did this to our son. She's made him scared and feel unwanted. That woman better pray to God I have the strength to hold back from killing her when I get my hands on her. Shady as well.

"Trent," comes Mia's sweet voice.

T's frightened gaze flickers to me, and I smile and nod in encouragement. He takes a tentative step toward the bed. I watch as Mia gives him a smile and holds out her hand to him.

"It's alright, Trent. Come here," Mia says.

T walks the rest of the way to the bed and places his shaky hand in Mia's. Mia sits up in bed and pulls him into her arms. I see T shut his eyes, tears leaking out the corners. She pulls back and puts her hands on both of his cheeks, wiping away the tears.

My heart swells even more with love for this woman as she says, "Please don't be scared or worried. I understand. We all understand, okay? I don't know you that well yet, but I've heard a lot about you. I know you would never hurt anyone unless you felt you had to."

"I'm so sorry, Mia. I didn't want to do it," T says, his voice breaking at the end.

"I know you didn't, sweetie." She pulls him forward and kisses his forehead.

Fuck. How in the world did I live the last ten years without this woman in my life?

I have no answer to that question. But the one thing I do know is that I will do whatever it takes, take out who ever I need to, before I let anyone take her away from me again.