Page 52 of Knot Letting Go
We got into the restroom and stood to one side as a mom and three kids squeezed by leaving. The stalls were occupied, so I grabbed a paper towel and squatted to coax as much water out of Lillianna’s shirt as possible.
She let out a puff of air. “Whew. It’s really crowded here. I’ve never been to a place so crowded except an airport, and then Daddy carried me.”
“Yeah, popular places can get like this, especially on rainy days like today. Parents want to do fun things with their children, and there are only so many places to go.” Satisfied I squeezed as much as I could out of her shirt, I tapped the air dryer. “Here, sweetie. Stand under this to dry it the rest of the way.”
Lillianna nodded and put the damp spot as close to the dryer as possible. A woman and a girl came out of two of the stalls as another woman with a stroller came in. I smiled and gestured that she could go ahead of us. She went into the larger handicap stall.
An older woman came out of the final stall, washed her hands, and left with the others.
My mind drifted, still soaring on the happiness and relief from Callista’s reaction to my news. She was ecstatic for me. It made my heart ache for it to work out even more. If everyone was supporting us, and Quill and Konstantin could share, I was going to do my damnedest to make it work. My very own pack. A life with those two gorgeous men and this amazing child here.
The dryer stopped and Lillianna inspected her t-shirt. “I think it’s dry now.”
Before I could respond, the brunette in the big stall peeked her head out. “Excuse me, miss. Do you think you can give me a hand? I think one of the buckles on the stroller is stuck or something.”
I gave her a sympathetic smile and went into the stall with her. Going around to the front of the stroller, I moved the sunshade up and bent down. It was some foreign brand I didn’t recognize with a thick black canopy and a plush seat with a few blankets and no child.
No child.
Furrowing my brows, I stood to find the woman pointing a gun at my face.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - Aubrielle
The world spun. I raised a hand and pressed it to the side of the stall to keep myself balanced. Outside of a movie, I’d never seen a gun before. Never mind having one aimed at me.
My first thought was Lillianna. I opened my mouth to tell her to run, but the brunette shook her head. She spoke in a hard and quiet tone. “If you scream, I will shoot you. If you do anything that I don’t tell you, I will shoot you. Do you understand me?”
I nodded numbly.
Lillianna. I had to get her away.
“Put your phone into the feminine products bin, and then reach into the basket under the seat and take out the jacket. Put it on and put the hood up, hiding your hair. Finally take the sunglasses out of the pocket and put them on.” Her expression didn’t change. It remained cold like she was void of emotion.
“Aubrielle?” Lillianna’s angelic inquiry echoed in the bathroom.
“Lillianna,vieni qui.” The stranger didn’t take her eyes off me as I slowly did as she asked. My hands shook as I tried to think of any way out of this. Surely whatever this woman was planning wouldn’t work. We could only leave the bathroom by going into the hall. Talis and Levi were out there. They would see…
Then it dawned on me. I was being made to wear a disguise. Shit.
Lillianna walked into the stall, saw the gun, and squeaked with fear. She went immediately to me and buried her face against my side. “What’s going on, Aubrielle? What’s happening?”
“Tranquillo,” she hissed at Lillianna. It suddenly clicked that the woman was speaking Italian. Oh God. The Pacettis. No. “Sedetevi nel passeggino e copritevi con delle coperte.” When Lillianna didn’t move, she barked, “Now!”
“Don’t yell at her. She’s frightened.” No matter what was going on, I refused to let anyone treat Lillianna badly. I crouched down to hug her and managed to keep my voice calm so as not to scare her anymore. My heart was racing and my stomach twisted. “What did she tell you to do, sweetie? We need to do as she asks.”
“She wants me to get into the stroller and put on the blankets.” Lillianna’s chin trembled. Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes. “I’m too big for a stroller.”
“Oh, baby.” I hugged her again and kissed her forehead. If anything happened to her, I would never forgive myself. “We’ll be okay just as long as we do what she says. You really are too big for a stroller, but you’ll fit in this one, and it won’t be for long.”
I helped Lillianna get in and tucked the blankets around her.
“Cover her face.” The stranger instructed, and I gave Lillianna one more reassuring look before I did so.
Standing up, I found the sunglasses and fumbled with them as I put them on. They were big ones and covered half my face. I swallowed a whimper and faced the stranger again.
“You are going to push the stroller. I will walk beside you with the gun always pointed at you. So don’t say or do anything. We will go the opposite way than your security. Got it?”
I nodded, feeling a few tears slip free behind the big glasses. Sniffling, I pushed the stroller out of the stall just as another woman and her toddler came into the bathroom. I could say something, but that would put the innocent people in danger too.
