Chapter 241 Smoke, Mirrors, and Burner Phones
Chapter 241 Smoke, Mirrors, and Burner Phones
Baby frowned, tapping his feet on the floor.
"Why should we let you stay?" Baby asked.
Kora smiled sadly. "I just said it. I'm tired," she murmured.
"If you let me go, she would find a way to make me come back to you guys. I will always come back. But, if you let me stay, she will probably think I succeeded in laying with Saint and she would let us all be..." she trailed off quietly.
"I love Saint, or I used to think I loved him because my mother has always said he was the only man I'll marry. But," she paused and looked at them.
"I see the way you two look at each other. I might be spoilt, evil, crazy, but I'm no fool. I know love when I see it, and it's not in the way Saint looks at me..." she met Baby's eyes at the door.
"It's in the way he looks at you, Baby. I know I can't compete with that. I hate losing, but I'm starting to feel like a stranger in my own mind and body... I give up, I'm done chasing Saint, just let me stay for a while... please," she whispered.
Baby rolled his eyes. "So... let's say I really died in that car accident a year ago. Would you give a fuck? No. You would have been with your second or tenth child by now, living your dream life with Saint. I'm sorry, Kora, but some things are unforgivable," his tone turned deadly serious.
"This isn't my house. If the owner of the house says you can stay, then you stay. Excuse me," Baby muttered and turned away from them.
Saint sighed, running a hand through his hair. He turned to Kora, his voice firm but gentle. "Wait here. Let me speak to Baby first."
Kora nodded quietly, still sitting on the floor, looking smaller than he'd ever seen her.
Saint stepped out of the room and headed toward the living room where Baby had stormed off to. He hadn't even made it halfway down the stairs when he heard soft footsteps behind him.
He turned, blinking at Kora in confusion. "What?" Saint whispered.
Kora bit her lip. "Can I speak to him?" she asked softly.
Without waiting for Saint's response, Kora walked past Saint and toward Baby, who was lighting a cigarette in the living room.
"Hey," Kora spoke quietly behind Baby.
Baby ignored her, smoking leisurely.
"I know I'm the worst. And I know I'm not supposed to blame my mother for the way I turned out... I still wish Saint could marry me for real..." She chuckled, shaking her head.
"I'm jealous of what you have. But I think I understand why I wanted Saint now. I want happiness," she took another step closer.
"Sloane..." She smiled. "She told me to get a life, and I was so mad back then, but I think I understand now. Waking up in Saint's room and hearing all I did earlier..." she shook her head, sadness returning to her eyes, "I don't like that version of me."
Baby was listening, trying hard to decipher if Kora was being a bitch or not.
"I want happiness because I've never truly felt it, Baby. I thought Saint would make me feel it, I thought he'd be my home... honestly, I wanted to marry Saint so I could finally have somewhere else to be. I can't go back there." She slowly stepped around to stand in front of Baby, locking eyes with him.
"Yes, you're right. I would have probably manipulated Saint into marrying me a year ago. But I would never have been happy, for Saint's heart belongs to you." She lifted her hand to touch Baby but withdrew it slowly as Baby's eyes narrowed.
"I'm sorry for everything I put you through, Baby Danvers. But I'm being insensitive right now by asking you to help me. I think my mother is stepping into something really bad. It gets worse every day—the things she tells me to do to Saint when I move in with him... to our children... it scares me." She suddenly lowered herself to her knees, surprising both Baby and Saint.
"Don't make me go back there or I'll really end up in an asylum... please." She lifted her teary eyes to Baby.
Baby frowned, feeling helpless with the situation.
"Get up, you're embarrassing yourself," Baby murmured, blinking as he glanced at Saint for help.
"It's alright, Kora. You can get up," Saint walked over to them, his shoulder gently brushing against Baby's.
"No," Kora shook her head. "Not until Baby tells me to," she said.
"This is so cringe," Baby whispered to himself.
He sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. "Get up, crazy Kora. Just so we're clear, I'm never forgiving you. You'll be out of here once your crazy mother is behind bars," he said and turned away.
Kora stood and followed Baby. "Behind bars? What did she do? She did something bad, didn't she?" she questioned, following Baby into the kitchen.
Baby shrugged, pulling a bottle of water from the fridge.
He was about to shut the fridge door when Kora slid her hand in and grabbed a bottle too.
He cocked his brow at her, wondering why she couldn't just open the darned fridge herself.
He watched her gulp the whole bottle of water down like she was from a desert. He had almost forgotten that she slept for almost a day; she must feel so thirsty.
But he was no one's servant by any means.
"Oh. My. God..." Kora groaned, throwing her head back to belch loudly.
When she straightened, she found Baby staring at her with a grimace.
"Oops... sorry," she smiled shyly.
"Cringe," Baby said and turned away.
Kora followed him. "What did she do? She's cheating on daddy, right?" she asked, keeping up with Baby as he walked toward the patio.
Saint blinked in confusion, watching Kora completely ignore him to follow Baby like a fly.
He had honestly thought he would need to lock her up in a room for peace to reign, but, it turns out he was worried for nothing.
Wait...
He frowned, staring at Kora, who was also pulling out a chair to sit across from Baby on the patio.
Why wasn't she looking at him anymore?
For the first time since they'd met, Kora barely acknowledged him.
Could she have suddenly changed her interest? Was it Baby she wanted now? Her mother liked blondes, and maybe she had suddenly realized she loved blondes too.
Doubt never believed he would think something like this, but... he was anxious... jealous.
He slowly headed toward them—just security measures; one never leaves a monkey alone with a banana.
"Can you pick another table?" Baby asked, opening the water he'd gotten from the fridge as Saint walked toward them.
"Oh? I thought we were chatting... or not..." Kora pulled away, hugging herself with her arms as Baby glared at her.
Baby gulped down his water and looked right at Kora. "Listen, crazy Kora," he said, "staying here does not mean we're friends. You will stop trailing me like some homeless puppy—"
"I am homeless," Kora blinked.
Baby gritted his teeth and continued, "I don't like you, I won't like you, so stop trying," he stated firmly.
"But—"
"I think Baby is right," Saint walked over, placing his hands on Baby's shoulders from behind. "Perhaps you should just stay locked in the room until we're done handling your mother," Saint suggested, hoping his voice didn't give his insecurities away.
"Really?" Baby tilted his head backward to look at Saint.
"Yes, Saint, really?" Kora murmured.
"I'm not supporting you," Baby pointed out.
Kora sighed and stood. "Fine. I'll just go in then... even though I'm dying to know what my mother did. I hope dad's not too hurt in the end." She slowly turned away and started to walk toward the house.
Saint waited until Kora disappeared into the house before turning Baby fully toward him. He cupped Baby's chin, tilting his head backward just enough, and claimed his mouth in a deep, hot kiss.
There was nothing soft about it—hungry, desperate, full of the tension still sitting heavy between them. Saint's other hand slid to Baby's waist, holding him possessively against the chair as he kissed him harder, his tongue sweeping in to taste him thoroughly.
When he finally pulled back, both of them were breathing hard. Saint rested his forehead against Baby's, his voice low and rough.
"I love you," he whispered. "More than anything. More than this mess, more than my own damn pride. I'm sorry about Kora. I'm sorry I put you in this position. You're the only one I want. The only one I've ever really wanted. Don't doubt that. Not for a second."
Baby's fingers curled into the front of Saint's shirt. He didn't pull away. Instead, he let out a shaky breath and leaned into the kiss when Saint pressed their mouths together again—slower this time, but just as intense, pouring every apology and promise into it.
From the living room window, Kora stood still, watching them.
Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself. A single tear slipped down her cheek, catching the soft patio light before it fell. She didn't wipe it away. She just stared at the way Saint held Baby's face like he was something precious, the way Baby melted into him even while still angry.
Kora reached into her pocket and pulled out a cheap burner phone she had managed to keep hidden. Her fingers trembled slightly as she typed a short message to an unknown number.
Kora: I'm ready.
She hit send, locked the screen, and slipped the phone back into her pocket. Then she turned away from the window and walked quietly toward the guest room, the image of Saint and Baby burned into her mind.
Baby was lying on Saint's lap in the living room when something harsh forced its way into their nostrils.
"Fuck, what's that??" Baby asked, standing up immediately.
"Shit... kitchen," Saint quickly stood and hurried over to the kitchen.
Baby followed him.
He was sure he hadn't left anything on in there; they had ordered food in the morning, and no one was in the mood to cook, so what could be burning inside the kitchen?
Saint slammed the door open and froze. Kora was using a towel to fan a tablecloth that was burning angrily.
"You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered and quickly went to grab his fire extinguisher.
Baby stood by the door, watching Kora with serious concern. Maybe she really should be in an asylum... why the fuck would she stand there fanning an angry flame?
"Step aside!" Saint ordered and immediately extinguished the fire from the hose.
The smoke went up in an icy cloud, a whitish substance coating the whole table.
No one said anything; they simply stared at Kora in disbelief.
Kora blinked, biting her lip nervously.
"I..." she glanced at Baby. "I was trying to cook some stakes for Baby... sorry," she muttered.
"You've really gotta be kidding me," Baby repeated Saint's words.