Chapter 29

I was obliged to stay put inside our confined room for hours. Not a single message. Not a single phone call.

Ethan kept himself busy with the search for the girls whilst keeping a bunch of men around our house.

I highly doubted if I needed, since Jake would never pull an ordinary stunt like that. He is smart. He is capable of doing something that no one expects. Not even us, who know him better than anyone else.

If Jake is really obsessed with the idea of pursuing me, he will have nothing to do with the girls. He will set them free, but it will have a price to pay.

All I want is for Ethan and his men to find the girls before he hurts them and uses them against us. His actions will do no good for anyone. Not even to himself, at a point.

I sighed and rested on the couch. Right then, I got a call.

“Yes?” I answered into the phone.

“Where are you?” Ethan asked.

“I am still here in the place you locked me in.”

“Can you elaborate?”

“No.” I replied.

“Skylar.” He called out my name in a warning tone.

I sighed again. “I’m home. In the living room. On the white couch. With a pillow under my head and with another on my tummy.”

I heard Ethan repeat the same to someone, leaving the latter part. Few moments later, he spoke to me again.

“Skylar, listen to me carefully.” He said. “We tracked the location. We know where the girls are.”

“You mean, Owen did it.” I said, a relieved smile spreading on my place.

“Yes.” He said. “We’re going there now. But listen,” his voice grew dangerous low. “Do not step out of the house at any cost. Do you hear me? We figured that Jake is behind all of this, and his primary and only target is you. We’re sending more men to our house in an hour. But until then, it’s crucial time for us. Do not step out.”

“Okay.” I said. “Are the girls alright?”

“We don’t know yet.” He said. “But I don’t think he’d hurt the girls. He wants you. The girls will probably work like a bait to trap you. That’s why I’m asking you to be safe. Please, don’t fuck this up.”

“I won’t.” I said. “Don’t worry about me. Just be safe.”

“I will.” He said. “I’ll have to go now. Will you be safe?”

“Yes.” I said, nodding to myself.

“Good. Take care.” He said.

“I love you.” I said, but he already cut the call. I don’t think he heard me, though.

I sighed and shook my head, putting my phone to a side. Just seconds later, I heard my phone buzz with a notification.

I frowned and took it. I read the text. When I did, a smile crept up my face.

I love you too So he heard me, after all.

Ever since then, I had been waiting for another call from him. The night started to show in the sky, casting away the dusk. Yet, I hadn’t heard anything from him.

When hours passed after his last phone call, I decided to text him myself. But then, he would be busy. I can’t just interrupt him when he’s obviously having better things to take care of? Or what if he needs a call to bring down his stress? Maybe I should just call.

Right when I was about to dial his number, a surprise came to me in a phone call. I frowned and answered it.

“Yes?” I asked, without any formal greetings.

“Hello, sweetheart.”

***

I gripped the phone tightly in my hands. I knew that voice very well. It wasn’t something that I could possibly forget in my life. At not at this point of it.

“Jake.”

“Well, you did recognize me. Saved me from the disappointment of having you forget me.” He said.

My forehead creased to form a scowl. “You are so horrible. You took the girls.”

“Well, I thought I made t pretty obvious to come back for you.” He said. “Or, did you, for a second, just think I will give up on you that soon?”

“I never took you for someone who’d give up just yet. I took you for someone who had the balls to fight my husband. For someone who wasn’t a coward to abduct young girls to get to me.”

“Your words mean nothing to me.” He said. “Call me a coward or an abductor. The truth is, I did everything in my power to get you.”

“I don’t belong with you!” I said, in anger. “If we were meant to be together, we would have! You broke my relationship with Ethan years ago and you had no luck through them. We’re together now. Nothing that you can do will break us apart.”

“If, by coming together with him makes you think that you won, then let me tell you - you’re wrong.” He said. “You would have if you didn’t break up in the first place. You would’ve won over me if you had married out of love and not because of a stupid situation. And if you really won, you would’ve cleared your difference long before that wedding ever happened. But yet, you didn’t. Which means just one thing. You lost.”

“So you were behind all that.” I said. “So you made sure nothing happened between us in these years. It was because of you that Ethan never came to me after our breakup!”

“Yes.”

“How dare you!” I yelled.

“Stop it.” He said. “Stop living in a dream. Not everything you want comes to you. You can’t have everything in life.”

“Are you listening to yourself right now?” I rose my voice up in anger. “I should be the one saying that to you! You can’t have whatever you want. Most definitely not someone else’s wife!”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He said. His voice was almost contrasting to mine. Too low. But yet, it sent a shiver down my spine. Although I convinced myself that I wouldn’t be affected by his words, it was almost impossible for me to ignore the rush of adrenaline in my body. “I can have what I want. Even a married woman like you. And you’ll be the one coming to me when I tell you what I’m going to do with these girls.”

I widened my eyes in horror. “Don’t you even lay a finger on them, Jake. They are not involved in this. They have nothing to do with us!”

“Well, they’ll pay the price for you if you don’t.” He said. I could hear noises coming from wherever he was, that of rustling of metal.

“Jake, don’t hurt them!” I said. “They’re merely kids. How could you-”

“I don’t care.” He said. “If you do not do what I ask you to do now, I swear, I will not think twice before-”

“No!” I said. “No! You can’t do anything. You-”

“Then listen to me.” He said. “Tell me you’ll do what I want you to do.”

“Okay.” I said. “Okay, I will do whatever you want me to do. Please, please don’t hurt them.”

“Are you sure? I can-”

“I am sure.” I said in a hurry as the noises in the background were getting me worried. “I will do whatever you want me to do. Just, don’t hurt them.”

“Very well.” He said. “So Skylar, I want you to come to me.”

She wasn’t surprised. She was prepared for this. It was obvious to know that he’d seek something like this.

“Okay.” She said. “But let me tell you, it is not easy for me to trick all the security outside and-”

“That’s your problem.” He said. “Moreover, there aren’t a lot of men around. It won’t be that difficult for me. But if you delay any further, Ethan is going to send in more people and your task is going to be difficult. So I suggest you hurry.”

“Fine.” I said. “But where do you want me to come?”

“Two blocks away, I have my men waiting for you. They’ll bring you to me.”

“How am I ever going to recognize them!”

“They know you.” He said. “That shouldn’t be a problem. Once you go to them, you should obey whatever they say. You cannot-”

“Fine.” I cut him off. “But how can I trust you?”

“You simply will have to.”

“That’s not going to be enough reason.” I said.

“Well, I see you have something in mind. What is it?”

I drew in some air. “I want you to send one of the girls to Stella. Only then, I’ll come.”

“Bloody hell. That’s not-”

“That’s the only way I can trust you.” I said. “I’m just asking for you to send one of them. You can still have one girl to use against me, don’t you? I will come for her.”

There was a long pause.

I gave him the time to think. I knew that what I was doing is not right. I knew I should be trusting Ethan, but I can’t risk the twins’ life on this. What Ethan can’t find them soon enough? What if Jake hurts them? I could not let that happen.

I also knew the twins needed each other at that time. They could be there for each other. But if anything happens, I would be able to save on of them. Ben and Stella would’ve had one kid at least.

“Fine.” He said. “I just asked had one of them sent to Stella’s house. As soon as you receive the news about her, you should be on your way here.”

“Okay.” I said. “I promise.”

“Good.” He said. “And one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“If Ethan or anyone else find out about our little conversation, you know what I’m going to do.”

“I swear I won’t say anything.” I said.

“No one can know that you’re coming with me either. I will not hesitate to kill her.”

“I said I won’t.” I gritted.

“Good.” He said. “I’m hoping to see you in an hour.”

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