Chapter 243

Chapter 11 – Chelsea POV Too much, my mind went blank, frozen, the information Marlon was giving me about Anya, not making sense in my head. Sweetheart, Gabriel said in my mind, it’s okay, just relax, his words making me realize I was holding my breath. Releasing that breath I sagged against him, but everyone else so caught up in his words hadn’t noticed this little moment of panic. I’m not sure what brought it on, but I’m guessing it was probably the reverent tone that Marlon used when speaking of my mother. “Our mom killed three people?” Oakley asked interested, bringing me back. I glanced at her, that’s why the bad guy wanted her dead… he didn’t even let her speak about the Violins, just killed her. “Wait,” I stopped Marlon turning to Oakley completely, “you heard when – the people that murdered her you saw them?” I asked in disbelief; they left Oakley alive? She shook her head, walking to the kitchen and returning with a small recorder, “They didn’t see me, but I was home with momma, Daddy and Ben were out. We were just playing, singing songs for daddy and – and then…” Oakley whimpered her hands shaking as she held the player out to me. I took it unsure, “there wasn’t much memory left but after she – she left me in the crawl space in my room she went out there, y-you can listen… she uh – she even talked about you, and your mate Gabriel, and Jay,” Oakley said shocking me, but blushing crazily when she eyed Gabriel. I smiled inside; he had that affect on people, on the female population… even a few males. He growled behind me, don’t deny it. Rolling my eyes, I hold the recorder ready to press the play button, “Maybe you should go outside Ben,” Oakley whispered, I don’t want him to get sad or afraid… she thought to herself, but Ben just stood his ground, going to her side, reaching for her hand, looking back at me and nodding. I glanced at Grant, he was eyeing the kids himself, a shoulder shrug given as a response when he caught my eyes on them. Nodding I pressed play, not sure what to expect, but ready. Or so I thought. “You want to make a tape for daddy baby?” the woman – my mother her voice was nothing like I imagined, and it hurt hearing it but also it made my insides clench, uneasy. Years of wondering what she sounded like? What she looked like? Was she kind? Sweet? “Ya momma.” I bit my lips at how utterly happy Oakley sounded in the recording, I was transformed back to the time when I would watch shows on TV and the kids seemed so happy. Or when we went outside and children were with their families, giddy, happy and all smiles. My chest was rising quickly, and I felt Gabriel wrap his arm around me torso, anchoring me. He was my relief, the buffer I never realized I would want or need, but did. “Okay ready, lets sing for daddy… A – b – c – d – e – f – g – h – I – j – k…” Oakley and Anya continued until they reached the letter Z, giggling, “Now I know my ABC’s next time won’t you sing with meeeeeeee! Do you like that daddy?” “What else should we sing for daddy Bumblebee?” “If wou’re wappy an wou kwnow it cwap wour hwands!” “If wou’re wappy an wou kwnow it jwemp up and dwown!” They continued singing, happily, breathless from singing and laughing, Oakley screeching out, before suddenly the pep and excitement Anya had in her voice just vanished, turned into panic. “Oh no… Oh god… how – how did they find me…” Anya mumbles and for a minute my heart thuds against my chest uncomfortably, I would worry about what I was feeling later since I couldn’t understand it now. “Come on Bumblebee you need to hide and be really quiet okay, no matter what you hear don’t come out Bumblebee, you understand?” Anya’s voice frantic now. “I love you Bumbleebee okay, I love you to the moon and back you hear?” “Yes momma,” Oakley said confusion in her tiny voice. “Pat – Pat I love you okay, don’t think I don’t – I’m sorry I thought – I thought I got away from them Pat, I thought I could have my happily ever after with you, I loved you Pat, you were everything I ever wanted and I didn’t think I would ever get a chance at love. I love you deep in my heart, and my secrets, I kept them to protect you and the kids, don’t forget that, tell them about me, love them, cherish them for the both of us you hear?” Anya’s talking faster now, and without having been there, my own heart is beating, pounding against my chest. And Gabriel’s arms around me hold me tighter as tears reach my eyes, for her for this situation but also because I’m reminded of being locked away. That panic in my chest, my body shaking because I knew Leo was coming, I could hear his advance but I was trapped, knowing something was coming, that pain was coming but not being able to do anything about it. I’ve got you, love, it’s okay, and Gabriel’s breath is right against my neck, my love, my anchor. “Ben – Ben I love you too, I wish I had more time with you, I wish you’d remember me, but ask your daddy about me, he’ll tell you how happy I was to be your momma.” “Pat don’t go looking for these men okay, you can’t win with them, not yet… but when the kids are older, you need to find my daughters, I’m sorry for the secrets baby, I thought I’d get to tell you everything myself. I’m so sorry, so sorry,” Anya sobbed, “Momma what’s wrong?” Oakley whispered, the atmosphere in the room tense and strange, Marlon crossed his arms against his chest, they killed Elder Bellamy right in front of a child? “Pat – you can’t trust just anyone – if you need to get help go to Gabriel Gavino or Jay Colt… take the kids to him, he will be able to keep them safe, my daughters will be there too, they’ll protect you guys, no body else but them Pat, do you understand?” Anya’s voice becomes rough; lower even, the recorder picking up ever little sound, the worried pants of Anya, the slow breathing of Oakley, “Bumblebee don’t come out okay, stay here, even after you don’t hear nothing, stay here. You understand baby? Wait until daddy finds you here, you hear me? Say you were outside Bumblebee… came inside and you hid here… don’t tell anyone I put you here… not even daddy, don’t tell daddy right away, you understand?” “Ywes momma,” the innocence in Oakley voice burned inside me, Anya knew she was going to die. “Now I need you to listen real careful okay? Real careful…” Anya doesn’t say anything, there is a beat of silence, and the only sound we can hear is a hum, its faint, there is a ruffling sound – movement. “I wistening momma…” “Don’t give this player to anyone okay Bumblebee? People are gonna ask you if you saw anything or heard anything, but I want you to lie and say you didn’t, say that I left, don’t give them this player Bumblebee, just keep it to yourself until later – then show it to daddy okay? Do you understand?” The loud shudder, distinct compared to the hum that was continuous on the recorder, “I love you Bumblebee, I love you Benny and I love you Pat. I love my other girls too, Pat let them know that I loved them too.”