Now I’m carrying her. I don’t know how long I will be able to carry her before my back starts screaming for relief, but her little legs are tired.I really wish I’d gotten the stroller anyway.
“I gots to go potty,” she whispers in my ear as she begins to squirm.
I get Matthew’s attention, letting him know we’re heading for the restrooms.When we start to go in, he looks a little nervous.He has followed us every step of this trip. Never for a second hashe been more than two feet away from us.
“It has to happen,” I tell him, “or we’re going to have another set of problems. Unless you want to join us.”
That gets me a horrified reaction. “Pretty sure I’d lose more than just my job,” he grimaces.
I laugh. “We’ll be right back.”
I pick Lyra up once her business is handled and her hands are washed to exitthe bathroom.I walk straight into a wall. Except it’s not a wall. It’s a person, and the hairs on my neck rise.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter as I attempt to get around the very large person without looking up.
“Been looking for you,” he murmurs.
My brain screams at me to run, but his large body blocks my path.I squeeze Lyra closer to me. The action tells me this is not some sort of weird flashback. It’s real. Very real.
I maneuver a bit, still not looking up to get around him. Relief floods me when he allows it. Relief that is short-lived when I bump into another man.
A woman steps from behind him, bring another shot of hope that she will help us. Until she reaches for Lyra. “Give me my baby.”
I take the woman in with shock.Bright, familiar blue eyes stare at me. Long blond hair hangs over each of her shoulders.
I look at Lyra, then back to the woman. There is no doubt who she is, but those eyes– Lyra’s eyes – are the exact same as the man I refused to look at.“I said give me my baby,” she demands again, stepping forward.
Instincts I didn’t know I had kick in. I squeeze Lyra even tighter tomy chest with a growl I don’t expect bubbling in my chest. “Keep your hands off of her.”
“That’s my baby,” she steps forward again.
“The one you didn’t want,” I remind her with a hiss, backing away from her until I hit the man behind me.
His hands land on my shoulders, making my entire body go rigid.Lyra begins to cry in my arms,and all I want to do is run. But there’s nowhere to go.
“Don’t worry, little sister.They’re coming with us.”
I gasp. Sister? How is that even possible?
I don’t get to ask. A hand reaches around me, covering my nose and mouth while Lyra is ripped from my arms.I struggle, fighting to hang on to Lyra and get away from the man, but it’s pointless.
He wraps his arms around me, holding my arms in place as I kick and scream. The edges of the past threaten to take me under,but I will it away. I try to keep my focus on the little girl crying, reaching for me.
My vision starts to fade. Consciousness seems to be slipping. I fight with everything I have until the world around me goes blank.
Jake
Rehearsal is finally done.It’s my fault it’s taken so long. Between stopping to check on Cara and being distracted by theheavy feeling in my chest, I've played like crap.
I know I’ve had objections to Cara and Lyra going out before. Objections that were unfounded, butthis time feels different. Ihave a really bad feeling in the pit of my gut.
Maddox catches me by the shoulderas we walk off the stage. “You going to be okay to play tonight?” he asks. To some,it might sound like he’s worried about the show, but I know he’s worried about me.
“Once they’re back, I’ll be good,” I tell him. “You think I worry too much?”
“Normally, I’d say yes, but we both know who’s out there. You’re not worrying too much.”
“I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse,” I grunt.
