I scowl at him and shake my head. “My God, no! Shayla would never do that. We love each other fiercely. She would never cheat on me, and I would never cheat on her. I’m telling you she hasn’t left me. She’s been taken.” I insist and look at Josh, who was scowling at the detective also. “You don’t think Blake would...”
Josh looks at me, and his frown deepens. “Nah, why would Blake kidnap Shayla and Alaia? Not for the money, the guy’s loaded.” Josh states warily.
“What if it’s not for the money, Josh. They were close while Shayla and I were broken up after I lost my memory. What if he’s pissed off about us getting back together, and he’s taken them out of spite?” I clarify, and Josh blinks slowly. I can see the wheels in his head-turning.
“Cole, he seemed to care about her genuinely. I don’t think he would do anything to hurt her.”
“Exactly! Maybe he cares a little too much! He’s definitely got the motive and the resources to pull something like this off!”
“What’s going on, baby?” I hear Aimee’s voice behind me. Josh and I pull apart, and I keep my eyes cast down, tears of despair streaming endlessly down my face. Sam and Jo follow Aimee.Josh heaves a sigh and rubs the back of his neck. “Shayla and Alaia have been kidnapped. A witness saw them being dragged away into a van.” He explains sullenly, and Aimee gasps, covering her mouth with her hand.“What?” Sam stammers, staring at Josh, utterly stunned. “What do you mean they’ve been kidnapped? By whom?!” He asks angrily. “Who the fuck would want to kidnap my sister?!” He exclaims irately and looks at me. “Cole, say something?! Whose taken my fucking sister?!”“I don’t know!” I shout, lifting my gaze to his. “I don’t know.”“Oh, my God.” Jo places her hand on her forehead and paces. “What would anyone want with her and Alaia?” She asks, and I lift my gaze to the dark sky. I just kept picturing Shayla alone and frightened, and it’s killing me.“Did Sha
I groan when I feel a sudden ache in my head. My head felt so heavy, I could barely lift it, and my neck was aching terribly. I peel my eyes open and blink a couple of times until the blurriness clouding my vision clears, and look around the darkroom I was in. Where on earth am I? I wince when I feel a pinch on my wrist and my fingers felt numb. I glance down and see my arms are bound to the armrest of the chair I was sitting in. I was still in my bridesmaid dress—Aimee and Josh’s wedding. I was at the wedding. How did I end up in this dark and dingy room? Sheer panic rises inside me when I remember Alaia was with me before everything went dark around me. I look around the room frantically, my heart racing a mile a minute. Where’s my baby? Where’s Alaia?“Alaia.” I gasp and lift my eyes to the door. “ALAIA!” I scream, tugging on my restraints. I sob, trying to wiggle my wrists free, but they were bound so tight the rope burnt my skin. I try to move my legs, but they were tied
“Three days.” He mutters as he ties my ankles to the chair. Is that it? It feels like weeks to me. “You’ll get your answers shortly.” I watch him as he stands and takes a couple of steps back. They don’t leave. They just stand there, leering at me like I was a piece of meat. I frown when I hear footsteps on the gravel. I lift my gaze slowly, and my eyes go wide, almost bulging out of my head. No fucking way.“Oh, my God,” I whisper, horrified as I stare at the person standing before me. My vision blurs with tears as I watch Sophie hold my daughter in her arms. “You did this?” I ask, and she smirks icily, bouncing Alaia in her arms.“Surprise bitch.” She utters, holding my daughter's hand. “Oopsie, I should learn to watch my language in front of the baby.”I fight in my restraints as I glare at her. “Sophie, give me my baby.” I hiss, looking at Alaia, tears rolling down my face. “What do you think you’re doing? Have you lost your goddamn mind! Give me my baby!”
“COLEE!”I jump awake and sit upright, panting into the darkness. I reach over and turn the night lamp on, blinking till my eyes adjust to the light. I look back when I feel a warm hand on my shoulder and close my eyes, biting my lip.“You okay, baby?” I heave a sigh and turn my head to look at my beautiful wife blinking up at me sleepily. I pull her into my arms and hug her tight.I sigh, closing my eyes while I inhale her scent. “Thank god. I just had a horrendous nightmare that you and Alaia were kidnapped, and you were crying, pleading for me to save you.” I exhale, and Shayla pulls back a little, looking at me with those gorgeous green eyes of hers.“It was just a dream, baby,” Shayla assures me, her hand stroking my face lovingly. “I’m right here, and look—our daughter is asleep in her bed.” She says, looking over at Alaia, who was indeed peacefully asleep in her crib beside her. I take her face into my hands and kiss her again and again.“Th
That's all it’s been, but to me, it feels like four years. This house is too quiet without them, the silence is deafening, and I feel like I’m drowning slowly. My phone suddenly rings, and I jump and snatch it off the coffee table—an unknown number. I press the green button and answer it hurriedly, my heart pounding. “Hello?”“Good Morning Mr Hoult. I’m calling from the Chatham police station.” My heart rate accelerates. Oh, God. “We need you to come down to the station immediately. We found a baby, and we believe it may be your daughter.” The man on the other end says, and I feel a flood of relief wash over me.“Are you sure?” I ask, my voice barely an octave over a whisper.“Yes, sir, there's a note here to call you. If you could make your way down to the station, and you can identify the baby.”I stand up and nod, “Oh my God, I’ll be right there.” I grab my keys and run out the door. I stop when I see photographers at the gate. They start shouting and
I carry Alaia to the car and strap her into the passenger seat beside me. I kiss her hand a couple of times and close the door. I get into the car and sit there, staring ahead. I bite my lip hard, and in a rage, I punch the steering wheel a couple of times; choking on a sob, I press my head to the wheel and cry forlornly. God, please protect her, please bring her back to us safely. I don’t want anything else. Just get her back to me.Once I pull myself together, I drive back home. Alaia asleep in the car seat beside me. I sigh when I see the photographers were still camped out outside the house. The police officers usher them out of the way as the gate opens, and they snap photo after photo of me as I pull Alaia out of the car.“Tristan, is there any news on Shayla?!”“Tristan, where did they find Alaia? Where is Shayla?! Is it true that she’s been killed?!”“Get them out of here!” I shout angrily at the officers, who nod and start ushering them away from
“Cole.” I lift my gaze and look at a teary-eyed Josh and shake my head from my position on the floor. We were at the mortuary, and I had to go in and identify the body. As soon as I see a body on that table, covered with a white cloth, my back hit the wall, and I slid to the floor with my head in my hands.“I can't do it.” I sob uncontrollably, shaking my head. “That can’t be her lying there, Josh. it can't be!” I cry, covering my face with my hand as I weep. “I don’t want to remember her like that. I can’t do it.” If I see her lying there, lifeless and cold, that’s how I’ll remember her. That image will haunt me forever.“Cole, you have to. I know it’s hard, but she’s suffered enough. Let’s do this so we can put her to rest if it is her.”His words wrecked me. Put her to rest. I don’t want to put her to rest. I want her to wake up, so I can take her home with me, back to our baby girl who misses her terribly, back to her family who needs her.“I can’t, J
“What is it?” He asks quickly, and I push the door open and run across the street toward the church. I push the door open and walk inside. I’m not a religious man, but she was, and if anyone was going to help her right now, it was God himself. I walk down the aisle toward the prayer desk and look up at the statue of Jesus Christ staring down at me. I fall to my knees, lace my fingers together, and close my eyes.“God, I wasn’t raised to believe in anyone other than myself. I know, I probably have no right being here and asking you of anything, having no faith— but my wife has always had faith, and she prays and is a good person. I'm desperate, and you're the only one I can turn to for help and guidance right now. I’m begging you. Please help Shayla, please keep her safe and give her the strength to keep on fighting and find her way home to me and our baby girl. I’ll do anything. I'll come to church every Sunday. I’ll donate more money and time to those in need. I'll give up e
Twenty minutes later, the house smelt sensational with home-cooked goodness. Cole strolls into the kitchen while his wife cooks pancakes. He wraps his arms around her from behind and kisses her pulse. “As good as this food smells, I can’t wait to eat you later,” Cole growls in her ear hungrily, making her grin. “Shh, baby, the kids are going to hear you,” Shayla whispers back, looking up at him, and he matches her grin leaning close. “They’re not even in here.” Cole chuckles, kissing her softly. Shayla wraps her arms around her husband’s neck and parts her lips when his tongue silently requests permission to meet her own. “Oh, barf. Mum and Dad are making out again.” RJ grumbles, walking into the kitchen, followed by Alaia, who grimaces as they take their seats at the dining table. Shayla and Cole laugh as they pull apart. “Now you know how we feel watching you slobber all over your little ‘friends’ you keep bringing over.” Alaia retorts, making air q
Sixteen years later…On a beautiful Saturday morning in the month of August, Shayla Hoult rolls over in the bed she shares with her gorgeous husband Tristan Cole Hoult and smiles contently. At the tender age of forty-six, he was still every bit as handsome as he always was. She lay on her side and admired him while he slept. He still looked the same—but older with fine lines that came with maturity, which made him even sexier. The stubble of his beard had specks of grey, which she loved.“Why are you staring at me?” Cole mumbles, his eyes still closed, causing his wife to start while she was lost deep in her thoughts. Shayla smiles, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly, and reaches over to brush her fingers over his cheek. Cole smiles, peels his eyes open, and blinks, looking at his beautiful wife smiling at him lovingly.“How long have you been awake?” Shayla giggles when he wraps his strong arm around her waist and drags he
I exhale slowly, and Cole sits up and turns the night light on, blinking a couple of times till his eyes adjust to the light. “My water broke,” I tell him, and he shifts and pushes the covers off himself and gets out of bed. I watch him walk around the bed to my side, and he takes hold of my hand to help me sit up.“Are you having contractions?” He questions, brushing my hair away from my face, and I nod. “What do you need me to do?”I exhale slowly when another contraction comes. I wait for it to pass before I speak. “Call my midwife, then my mum. Tell her I’m in labour, and we’ll drop Laia to her.” I instruct him, and he kisses my forehead before he grabs my phone. While Cole was on the phone, I take off my wet clothes and change into a pair of grey comfortable tracksuit bottoms and one of Coles oversized hoodies. The pain was getting worse by the minute, and I was worried we wouldn’t make it to the hospital. “Cole, we have to go. Like right now.” I whimper, and he l
“Shay.” I lift my gaze from staring at my huge baby bump and look at my husband, who rolls over when I turn the night lamp on. “You okay?” Cole questions drowsily, and I glower at him.“Why won’t this baby come out.” I hiss angrily, and Cole groans, leaning up on his elbow and looks at me, his green eyes narrowed.“Maybe he likes it in there and isn’t ready to leave just yet.” He smiles, rubbing my bump, and the baby squirms inside me at his father’s touch. My due date was six days ago, and this stubborn child is showing no indication of arriving anytime soon.“I’ve had enough.” I whimper, agitated. “I’m uncomfortable. I haven’t slept a wink in days, and I’m swollen like a beached whale. Look at me.” I complain, gesturing to myself, and Cole lets his eyes wander over me, and he smiles. “What are you looking at?”He blinks, bemused.“You just said—”“You get this baby out of me right now.” I huff, and Cole scratches his forehead, his brows fu
Shayla pulls back and looks up at me, tears flowing from her beautiful eyes. “Did you...” She trails silently, asking me if I had something to do with her killing herself off, and I shake my head.“No, I had nothing to do with that. She obviously couldn’t handle being locked up. The warden did say girls like her are like fresh meat to a hungry lion.” I explain, brushing her tears away.“I did.” I turn and look at Sam, and Shayla frowns. “I may have visited the prison. A guard there is a friend of mine, and when he found out you were my sister, he did me a favour.” He explains with a shrug, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his jeans. “It wasn’t enough that she was locked away, I wanted her to suffer, so I had my artist friend paint a photo of you and Cole kissing on the wall opposite her cell, she’d be forced to stare at it, be reminded every second, of every day that she didn’t break you,” Sam tells her. Shayla pulls away from me and runs into her brother's arms.
“That was a great party. I’m a grown arse man, and I had a blast.” Josh chuckles, sitting back on the sofa, taking a sip from his beer. I smile and nod, looking over at my mother and Shay’s mother directing the kitchen's cleaning crew. Sam comes across with baby Trey in his arms and sits on the sofa with a tired sigh.“It really was. Shayla did a great job with organising everything.” I tell him, and Josh nods, looking over at the baby in Sam's arms.“How’s fatherhood treating you, bro?” Josh questions putting his beer bottle down and taking Trey from Sam.“Tiring man, but I wouldn’t give it up for the world,” Sam admits looking over at Trey curled up on Josh’s chest. “To think I was terrified of ever having one of those, now I can’t picture my life without him.”I smile in understanding. “Yeah, they really do change your life, especially if it's with the right woman,” I state, and both men nod in agreement.“I feel so left out. I can’t wait to hol
“Happy birthday, princess.” I croon, looking down at Alaia, who just rose from her sleep. She smiles up at me as soon as she sees me, displaying her two teeth. She’s always so happy in the morning, and this morning was no different. She’s just lying in her crib, kicking back with her hands behind her head. “Good morning, my sunshine.” I pick her up and kiss her cheek affectionately. “Is my baby girl one-year-old today?” We walk out of the nursery back to our bedroom, where Shayla was still asleep. “Let’s go wake up, Mummy,” I whisper, kissing her temple and smile when I see Shayla lying on her front, peacefully sleeping. I crawl up on the bed and lay Alaia down on her stomach, and she immediately crawls over to her mother. I lay on my side and watch as she makes cooing sounds, pressing her hand to Shay’s face, who stirs from her sleep and smiles.“Mm, good morning, birthday girl.” She sighs, lifting her arm and wrapping it around Laia, who tries to crawl over her. She looks o
We see Josh and Aimee in the waiting room, along with Jo’s father, “How is she doing? Any news?”Aimee shakes her head. “Not yet. We got here not long ago.” I sit beside her, and Cole walks over to Josh, talking to Jo’s dad, Phil. “Did you look in the mirror before you left the house?” Aimee grins, her blue eyes raking over me.“No, why?” I ask apprehensively and look down at myself.Aimee laughs, “You look fucked out, girl. You could have at least run a brush through your hair.” I stare at her dumbfounded and reach to comb out my hair with my fingers.“We left in a rush,” I whisper, unlocking my phone and loading up the camera. “Do I really look that bad?” I look at my reflection in the camera and gasp a little. My face was all flushed, my hair a tousled mess, my lips were swollen, and I had love bites all over my neck. “Oh shit.” I curse, pulling my hair over my shoulder to cover up the love bites.Aimee nudges me, grinning wickedly. When I look
Later that evening, Cole and I were sitting on our bed, me on my tablet and him on his, looking through emails. “Do you not think we’re going a little overboard with this birthday party?” I ask, looking away from the tablet to him, staring intently at a document on his device.“No,” Cole utters, typing away on the screen. “What my baby wants, my baby gets.” I frown.“Cole, she’s turning one, she doesn’t have a clue what she wants. She’s not even going to remember this.” Cole looks at me and shrugs.“She’s aware of more than you realise.” He replies, his brows lifting to his hairline. “Don’t you see the way her little face lights up when she sees Moana on the screen?” I smile and nod, “Or the way she sways side to side when she hears the song.”“That is adorable.” Cole nods, smiling, and leans over, puckering his lips for me. I lean in and kiss him softly.“Let’s give our baby girl the birthday she deserves.” Cole mumbles against my lips, and I grin