Knights lady, p.17
Knights Lady, page 17
I’ve never been a fan of meeting the family, but I suppose it has to be done. I’m lucky enough that Nicolai already knows mine. He gets away with those awkward encounters.
A knock at the door sounds, and I excuse myself from Tommy, telling him not to move too far, and rush over to get it. It’s Suzie. She’s standing at my door with a bottle of wine and a huge smile on her face. Like she’s just won the damned lottery. Is she always this happy? Does she always just show up and people’s doors with bottles of wine?
I stare at her, a little shocked. I mean, it’s only about five in the afternoon, but still, she just shows up whenever she wants. There is something about her that’s a little off putting, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. She’s just ... I don’t know, missing something. She’s so friendly, maybe that’s the problem, she comes across as a little too friendly, and sometimes that’s equally as alarming as if someone is acting strangely.
“Hey.” I smile, trying to be polite. “How’s it going?”
She smiles back, flashing those perfect white teeth. “It’s going good. I have a date later, but I thought maybe you’d like a drink before I go ... Ohhhh ... Who is this cute little guy?”
I look down and see Tommy coming up behind me. He grabs hold of my legs, wrapping his little arms around them, and then peers around at Suzie. She smiles and waves, leaning down so he can see her better.
“Oh, this is Tommy. My partner’s son. Come in, I can’t really drink but I’m up for a coffee before you go, if you like.”
She smiles. “Sounds great to me. Hi, Tommy, my name is Suzie. Aren’t you just adorable?”
Tommy waves shyly, and then I get him back up to the table to finish his dinner. Shania told me he has to eat at five, and then bath at six, bed at seven. I’ve been given those instructions over and over again, I’m pretty sure I’ll see them in my sleep. I’m not game to do anything but what she’s told me, to be honest.
“How are things going?” I ask, scooping another spoonful of food into Tommy’s mouth. “Are you settling in well?”
“I am, I suppose,” Suzie says, her eyes zoned in on Tommy, just watching him.
There’s this look on her face, I can’t really put my finger on it. She’s just studying him, almost with glee. It’s creepy. I don’t feel right about it. It’s as if she knows him, has seen him before, maybe even wants him. My stomach is twisting, almost as if alarm bells are going off, and I don’t know why. Something just doesn’t feel right.
Should I listen to my gut?
Perhaps I should tell her to leave? That might be the best option here.
“Ah,” I say, moving into her line of sight so she stops staring at my nephew like some sort of creeper. “Who is your date with?”
She shrugs. “Some man I met online, I don’t know really. It gets me out.” Her eyes lock onto mine, and she says, “Honestly, that boy looks just like Pierre.”
Did she just say Pierre? As in Nicolai’s old name? How in the hell does she know his name? Her head snaps up when she realizes what she’s said, and her eyes widen. I don’t think that was meant to come out of her mouth, but there’s no way she can take that back. She knows Nicolai, and she knows him by his old name.
Who the hell is this woman?
“What did you just say?”
She fidgets for a second, then almost as if she just gives up, she composes herself and says in a calm, rational voice, “I said, he looks just like Pierre.”
“What the hell?” I murmur. “What’s going on here?”
She exhales. “This isn’t exactly how I wanted this to go, to be honest, but here we are, and I have to say, this is better than I thought so I’m not going to complain.”
“What are you talking about?” I demand again.
“Pierre is my husband. Does that clear things up for you?”
I blink. Once. Then twice. Her husband. But Nicolai said his wife’s name is Chastity, not Suzie.
“I’m sorry, you’ve lost me,” I say, shaking my head. I must be hearing this wrong. It can’t be right, no way in the world. Perhaps I’ve missed something. “What are you talking about?”
She stands, laughing. “I’ll give you something, Lucy, you’re really accepting of people. You just let them in without question. You’ve made this far too easy for me. Although I did think this would be harder than it has been.”
“Made what easy? What the hell are you talking about?” I demand, moving closer to Tommy, feeling incredibly uneasy. This woman has lost her mine. I honestly don’t know what’s happening right now?
She puts her hands out, rolls her eyes and says, “What, he hasn’t told you about me?”
“He did tell me about a wife, named Chastity. You’re not her.”
She snorts. “Not the smartest cookie in the pack are you. You’re taking a while to catch on. Suzie is just a name I made up so I could get close to you. It is a brilliant plan, really. I didn’t even think I’d get so lucky, if I’m being honest. I just happened to see you and Pierre in town one afternoon during my search for him. It was as if you fell into my hands. I followed you both back here and came up with a plan. I pretended to be your neighbor. You gave me everything I needed. It worked, though, didn’t it? I thought it would take a lot longer, but then I walk into today and you’re here, but not only that, so is his son.”
What?
What the hell?
What the ever loving hell?
Is this woman out of her freaking mind?
I move closer to Tommy, grabbing his shoulders in my hands. Something is very wrong, and it’s about to get a whole lot worse, I can feel it with every single inch of myself. This lunatic has planned this? All of this? She befriended me, made up a fake name, even went as far as to say she’s my neighbor, all to get back at Nicolai?
This is bad. Very fucking bad.
“Get out of my house,” I grind out. “Right now.”
She smiles even bigger, completely unfazed by my words. “I can’t do that, honey, I need something from Nicolai and I’m not going to get a chance like this again. You and his son, in one place. I had no idea it was going to be this easy. I thought for sure I’d only have you to work with, now I’ve got the both of you. I can’t let that pass me by.”
It’s time to leave.
Now.
I grab Tommy out of his chair and he whines at the strength of my grip, but I’m frantic and I need to get him to safety. I pull him toward this woman so I can rush past her and get out the damn door, and she reaches into her purse, pulling out a tiny little gun. She aims it at me. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I honestly don’t want to hurt you, but I will. So you need to stop and do as I’m asking.”
She can’t be serious.
This isn’t happening.
This isn’t something you’d even read about.
My whole body freezes and my blood runs cold. I stand there, my feet numb, my mind racing a million miles per hour. How dangerous is this woman? I can’t think about that question, all I can think about is getting Tommy somewhere safe. But how? How the hell am I going to get him to safety when she’s standing there with a gun pointed at me?
“What the hell do you want?” I growl, holding Tommy close.
“Pow pow,” Tommy cries happily when he sees the gun.
He has no idea. No idea.
I don’t want to traumatize the poor kid for life. I don’t want to be the reason anything happens to him. I don’t want this woman to get her mitts anywhere near this boy. I can’t allow anything to happen to him, only right now I don’t know how I’m supposed to get him to safety.
She has a gun pointed at me.
“I want him.” She waves the gun toward Tommy. “Pierre, oh, sorry, Nicolai, will give me exactly what I want if his son is on the line. I thought it would be a lot harder, I thought I’d have to use you, but here is his pride and joy ready for the taking. He won’t even hesitate.”
“You’re not laying your filthy hands on his son,” I growl. “I’d rather die than let you near him.”
I need to think. A safe place. Somewhere I can put Tommy where she can’t get to him. My doors all key lock from the outside, but she could break into any one of them. She could probably break into anything. Except maybe my garage. If I got Tommy into the car, locked it, and then locked my garage, it would take some time for her to get into it, at least without making some seriously loud sounds. The garage door is fairly sturdy. Still, it wouldn’t buy me much time.
My eyes flicker to the table, where my car keys are sitting.
It’s honestly the only option I have right now.
If I can just get those keys.
“That can be arranged.” She laughs. “Now, sit down, while I organize what I’m going to do.”
“No,” I grind out.
She steps toward me, loading the gun with a hostile click. “Sit. Down.”
I do as she asks, only because right now if I try to fight her, I’m going down, too. I tuck Tommy close to my side, telling him to do everything I say and nothing that she tells him.
“Oh, don’t listen to her.” Chastity laughs. “I’m a nice lady. I won’t hurt you honey.”
Her voice is soft.
Her words caring.
He’s just a child.
He’d just as likely believe she won’t hurt him, because he’s innocent, and I want to keep him that way. I don’t want him to think that people are bad and untrustworthy. I don’t want her to hurt him or scare him. I don’t know what to do right now, my chest is clenching with pure fear and my body is tingling as I try to go over every possible scenario to get out of this.
I could try to fight her, but again, I’m trying to protect Tommy’s innocence. If he sees something like that, it could scar him for life. It’s also risking him getting hurt, and I can’t let a hair on his gorgeous little head get touched.
I don’t know what options I’ve got.
Keeping her gun pointed at us when we’re seated, she pulls out her phone and dials someone.
“Hi, baby,” she croons. “You’ll never believe the day I’m having. I thought this would take a lot longer, but it turns out, miracles do happen. Guess who I’ve got sitting right in front of me. His girlfriend and his son.”
She laughs at whoever is on the other line. I cringe, because whoever she’s talking to, is obviously as sick as she is. What chance have I got of getting us out of here safely if she’s bringing in backup? Panic grips my chest, and I glance around to see where my phone is. It’s over on the kitchen bench—I’ll never be able to just grab it. I’m starting to think I’ll have no options here.
I look to Tommy, and he’s staring at Chastity, just watching her. I wonder, even at a young age, if he knows. Can he tell she’s a bad lady? Can he tell I’m so damned scared? Does he know what’s going on at all?
I really hope not.
“The door is unlocked, come over, this is our only chance. He’ll guaranteed sign it over if I have his son, without a doubt.”
She hangs up the phone after whoever it is must say something, and then her eyes meet mine, before flicking toward Tommy. “He really is a lovely child, isn’t he? I’m sure Pierre adores him.”
“It’s Nicolai,” I grind out.
She laughs, and shrugs. “I don’t care what he goes by now, so long as he gives me what I want.”
“Are you really so hard up for cash, that you’d honestly go to these lengths to get it? He’s a child. A little boy. How can you honestly consider using him to get what you want?”
“I’m not going to hurt him, I’m just going to keep him until I get what I want.”
“And if your plan backfires?” I growl. “What if he just calls the police, then what? Did you think of that? Eventually you’ll have to give Tommy back and you’ll be arrested and get nothing.”
Her face changes a little, like she just assumed Nicolai would give her what she wanted without question if she has Tommy. Did she honestly not consider that he could go to the police?
I mean, if I’m being honest, I can’t see Nicolai going to the police either, but still, in this situation he might not even give it a second thought. Plus, there’s Shania; she’s just as likely to go to the police.
“He won’t,” she finally says, her voice a little less chipper and confident now. “He doesn’t do police, he has enough in his past he wants kept out of it. He’ll give me what I want, I now he will.”
I shrugged. “He’s changed. I wouldn’t be so sure.”
She bites her lip and looks away, only for a second. But it’s enough for me to see she probably hasn’t thought this little plan of hers through. I mean, if I were to bet on it, I’d say Nicolai will just give her what she wants if it comes to Tommy, but you never know. He could very well have her locked up, too.
I hope he does.
I hope she suffers for this.
Slowly and painfully.
IT HAS BEEN AN HOUR and a half.
It seems like forever, if I’m being honest.
I’m stuck here, Tommy is restless and hungry, and he’s crying. I don’t want him to feel this way, and it’s making everything so much harder. My chest is aching, my heart racing, and I feel sick. I don’t know what to do. Not only is she here, but her boyfriend is now, too. I don’t know if it’s the same one Nicolai spoke about, but he’s covered in tattoos and incredibly gruff. He also has a gun. So that’s two guns pointing our way.
They’ve been discussing their little plan, arguing over it, deciding what to do. I guess I ruffled her feathers when I said Nicolai would call the police. I bought us some time, at the very least. I have a bit of a plan in place, if I can get Tommy out of the way, somewhere they can’t get to him easily, then I can fight. I’ll fight. I’ll take that risk. If it means this little boy doesn’t get taken by them, I’ll do anything.
I could never, ever live with myself if they took him, and I didn’t stop it.
No, I’ll fight for my nephew.
Chastity and her boyfriend, I don’t even know his name, are talking amongst themselves. Then she says to him, “I’ll go and get our things, pack a bag, then I’ll come back and we’ll go ahead and stick to the plan.”
A bag?
Where the hell does she think she’s going to take Tommy?
No.
Over my dead body.
I clutch him closer. He’s sleepy, the poor darling.
“Twenty minutes, no longer. People will start to figure this out. Go.”
Chastity rushes out, and the ugly, bald, scary man she is obviously infatuated with, turns and grins at me. “Well, I guess it’s just me and you for a while.”
“Stay the hell away from me,” I snap.
He laughs, showing me his mouth, with two missing teeth. She went from Nicolai, to this? What the hell is wrong with her? Is she on drugs? What?
“What are you going to do?” He chuckles. “Fight me. Go ahead, try. I’m taking that boy. You’re going to go and get his things.”
“Absolutely fucking not,” I hiss, feeling so sick I want to scream.
I’m terrified, but I will not let them take Tommy.
I will not.
I’d rather die.
“Oh, you will. I’ll make you, if I have to. You wouldn’t want him to see me shoot you, would you?”
Would he? Would he shoot me?
I have studied every inch of my living room in the last hour, I’ve looked for anything I can use as a weapon. The only thing I can think of using is the lamp, which has a really solid base, and it’s close. I could hit someone hard over the head with that. As for Tommy, I know exactly what I’m going to tell him to do, I can only pray he’ll do it. Pray with every inch of my body he’ll listen.
A phone rings, and the man so stupidly turns and walks to get it. Answering it. He starts auguring with what is clearly Chastity. This is possibly my only chance. I turn quickly to Tommy, making him face me, then I whisper, “Do you remember today when we played hide and seek, and you got into my car and hid on the floor, and Aunty Lucy couldn’t find you anywhere?”
He nods, grinning.
“I want you to go and hide there again. No matter what you hear, I want you to stay there, okay. Be really quiet. Don’t let them find you. I want you hide the best you’ve ever hidden. If they find you, I want you to run as fast as you can, and hide somewhere else, okay? You can’t let them catch you, no matter what. We can’t let them win the game. If we win, I’ll take you to get that big awesome red truck you want!”
“Red truck.” Tommy claps.
“Yep, red truck. But you have to do as I ask, okay, honey? Can you hide and be so so super quiet?”
He nods, smiling.
“Go, run really fast and get into the car. Make sure the door is closed, and you lay on the ground, just like you did today, okay?”
He nods and stands, running.
I pray, oh, do I pray he does exactly as I’ve asked. He’s old enough to understand what I’m asking, I only hope he doesn’t think it’s too much of a game. Please, oh please, stay on the floor of that car. It’s cool enough that he should be okay on the floor of the car, and honestly, it should take them sometime to find him. Enough time for me to call someone, or fight, or do something.
I hear the car door close, and I look to see if creepy dude heard it, but he’s too busy telling off Chastity to hear. Thank god. Thank you god. I grab the lamp cord and tug until it unplugs. Then I slide the lamp closer and let go just as he turns around. His eyes flick to the sofa, to where Tommy is no longer, and he roars, “Where the fuck is the kid?”
“I told him to run to the neighbor’s house, he’s gone. You’re done for. You better get out of here because she will call the police.”
It’s a lie, but it’s a believable lie. Tommy could have gotten out and run to the neighbor, after all I do have a back door.
