Emilia admitted to herself that she was scared. He hadn't talked to her about anything or asked if she was okay with him going to see that woman. He'd decided to go whether she wanted him to or not. Why now? If he'd never visited her, why would he go now? What did he talk about with TC yesterday? And was she just being paranoid or was that guy on the bike trying to run her over? She had so many questions but no one to give her any answers. She couldn't call Thea because her friend would overreact. What if she was wrong and it was one of those crazy teenagers like Doug had said? She didn't want to scare anyone. But then again, if she hadn't taken things lightly the first time, would Zander still be alive? If only she'd listened to Thea and hired more people to protect them would she have been able to save him? God, the what-ifs were what had kept up most of the nights. What if she'd done this or that? What if she hadn't gone back? What if they'd stayed in Hawaii? What if... She could
Max stood outside the large gate wondering if he was making a mistake. Should he have listened to Emilia and not gone there? What he was about to do wasn't easy. Not because he still had any feelings for her but because seeing her would remind him of what she'd done. Her betrayal had led to his son's death and destroyed his life. Could he ever face that woman? Did he have the guts to do so? Why not? She'd ruined their lives and he hoped she was suffering. Squaring his shoulders, he went in. "I'm here to see Lisandra Martinez," he told the guard at the front door. They conducted a mandatory security check up then he was told to empty his pockets into a tray, and write his name on the visitor's log book before he was led to a room with a couple of benches and tables where he was told to wait. He looked around, taking in the stained white and grey walls. This could have been avoided if she hadn't been so wicked. They wouldn't be here and Zander would still be alive if Lisandra hadn't d
Fury, unlike anything thundered through him. Max reached over the table, wrapped his fingers around her neck, and squeezed. Cutting off her air."I will never allow you to hurt her. Do you hear me? I will fucking kill you before you get the chance to touch her you fucking bitch" With each word his grip tightened so that by the time he was done talking, her eyes were rolling to the back of her head. Catching himself, Max dropped his hand and sat back down. It didn't escape him that two guards were standing beside their table but hadn't moved to stop him. Lisandra coughed, a wheezing sound that made him realize he would have killed her if he hadn't let go "You touch my family ever again and you'll see just what I'll do to you, Lisandra" He trained his eyes on her until she looked up. Max hoped that she saw the hate he felt towards her and the determination to do anything to protect his family. He'd been too nice to her. Maybe that was why she'd taken his kindness for granted because sh
"Are you ready?" "No. Can we do this tomorrow? I feel..." "You'll be fine. I'm right here with you, aren't I?" "Is that supposed to make me feel any better?" he'd been there last time too. What good had it done? "Gwen" "I'm sorry. It's just... I don't think I'm ready. I don't know if I'll ever be ready, TC" "Do you want Trent to come along? Will you feel safe with the two of us then?" Safe. A word hadn't existed in her vocabulary for a long time. What did it mean to be safe? Was it not looking over your shoulder every time a car approached you? Or was it being able to walk on the streets without worrying about someone shooting you? It was absurd how pathetic she'd turned out. The woman who used to spend her nights in clubs partying and her days around the city was no more. In her place was someone who ran to the store and back to her house because she was scared of being shot again. Two years ago she'd woken up in the hospital to news that Zander had died. Gwen thought
"I woke up at the hospital alone. Everyone was busy with Zander's funeral so I looked for you. I even asked the nurses where you were and they said I'd come in alone" When he didn't immediately answer, it occurred to her that she shouldn't have asked. What if he'd also blamed himself for Zander's death? Had her voice sounded accusatory? She didn't mean to make him uncomfortable. She was just really curious. "I went after the guys who shot you. I'm sorry for leaving you alone Gwen, I didn't want to but I had to. I couldn't let them go" Okay, not what she was expecting but it was acceptable "Did you catch them?" he nodded "Yes, it took me a while but finally I managed to catch them" "Good. I would have been really disappointed if you hadn't" "I know. It was the reason I went after them as hard as I did" That made her feel a little better. She didn't want to know if he'd caught all of them because it would make her more nervous than she already was. What if one of them had escaped
Max called to say he was going to spend one more day in New York. Emilia asked him why but he wouldn't answer. His lack of response put her on edge. Why did he need another day? Had he changed his mind after seeing Lisandra? She couldn't stop wondering about that. It was silly of her to think her husband would go back to the woman who'd killed their son. He wouldn't do that to her. But she couldn't help thinking that manipulative bitch had said something to change his mind. They'd known each other for a long time. When she had first gotten married to Max, Lisandra had told her how protective her husband was of her because she was his sister's friend. She'd gone ahead to prove to her what he was capable of doing for her. One time they'd gone out -Gwen and Lisandra- then an hour later, Lisandra had called, hysterical because some guy had tried to force himself on her. It was probably a lie she'd concocted just to prove her words. But Max didn't know that, and he'd left the house like
Apparently, that was easier said than done. As if out to ruin her plans, Gaby kept them awake all night. She slept at three in the morning but even then, she kept waking up crying. Mel asked her to sleep because she had to wake up early but she couldn't. Not when her child wouldn't settle down. By the time the sun came out, they were all exhausted. Luckily, she finally decided to sleep, giving her the chance to leave quietly. She wouldn't cry as long as she didn't see her leaving. It was too early to head to the prison so she took a detour to Zander's grave. Max had buried him beside his father. Since she had been in shock, he hadn't consulted her in anything concerning the funeral. Not that she minded the place he'd chosen. It was a large square plot where Edgar Carter had been alone until Zander had arrived. The long, coffin-shaped stone graves had a headstone with their names clearly spelled out. Edgar Carter Father, Husband, Friend, Died 5th July 1991
Lisandra still couldn't believe it. She'd spent all night turning and tossing, replaying her conversation with Max over and over again. She had never seen him so angry with her, there was even hatred in his eyes directed towards her. The man she'd loved all her life now hated her and wanted to kill her. If that wasn't punishment enough, what was it? Him living happily with Emilia. Above everything else, that was the one thing she couldn't stand. It was okay for him to hate her, maybe she deserved it, but she wouldn't let that bitch be happy with him. No one was allowed to be with him. Scrubbing the toilet she was cleaning with vigor, she thought of ways to make that bitch pay. Even from behind bars, she could still do something. Isn't that why she'd asked her aunt to find a job in that house? So she could find a way to hurt her? What was the easiest way to get rid of her? Poison? That would surely kill her but it wasn't a guarantee. If someone took her to the hospital, they could giv
EMILIA & MAX He didn't have to worry about the kids. They loved staying with the Jennings, especially now that they'd adopted a little girl. Zander was fascinated by Blossom while Gabby treated her as her doll. Soon Max was sure they were going to have sleepovers and joint parties. He had an hour before his flight so he called Darren. Gwen's outburst had reminded him how he'd neglected them over the years compared to when they were young. He thought they were grown-ups and didn't need him anymore but they were still his siblings. Even when he was grieving, he still had to remember he wasn't the only one who'd lost a mother. They both had. Now three of them only had each other. There was also the fact that his girlfriend had lied about who she was and her actions had led to their mother's death. He couldn't imagine the kind of pain Darren was going through. "Hey, what's up?" "I brought the kids to the Jennings for the weekend and I have an hour. Wanna have a drink?" "No thanks. I
HENDRIX & SAWYER "Hey, have you seen..." "Shut it" Hendrix whispered "I finally managed to put her down for a nap. If you wake her up with your big mouth I will push you off the balcony" Sawyer bit back a laugh "My watch, I'm looking for my watch" "You have more than twenty watches, babe. Why do you bother looking for one?" "The one Em and Zander gave me when he was two. Remember?" "You lost it?" He screeched in a whisper. "I misplaced it. That's why I'm asking if you have seen it" "Why are you so careless? Have Cosima help you find it. I'm going to catch some sleep before that little devil wakes up" Sawyer watched him head to their bedroom thinking that he was thriving as a parent. It suited him. He loved being a dad and every time Blossom made a sound, he'd rush to see what their daughter wanted. The adoption process had been hard but it was worth it. He couldn't ask for anything more out of life. Well, except for having his friend back. No one could have expected t
THEA & PRESTON Thea looked around sighing. While newly married women were on their honeymoon, she was busy at the office trying to solve the latest crime which just happened to be a breaking and entering case. Because she'd held her wedding out of the blue, her boss had told her to first tie up some loose ends before taking her vacation days. She'd never wanted to punch the man so bad. It wasn't as if she was the only cop in the building and she was only taking two weeks off. At one point she'd even thought of resigning but she loved being a cop. So she was busy debating whether to ask for a transfer to another division. Could she be better at something else? Say traffic police or... The thought of it had her shivering. She would rather quit than join another division and start all over again. But as much as she loved her job, it wasn't fair to Preston. He was the one who had convinced her to get married hastily in an attempt to cheer up their friends. They'd only been engaged for a
DARREN Even though he knew the streets of New York like the back of his hand, Darren felt lost. Every time he looked up, it took him a moment to remember where he was and why he was there. Sometimes he'd find himself in a place but not recall how he got there. If he'd listened to Preston and not rushed to fall in love, he wouldn't be in that situation. A few days after his mother's death, Nadia, no, Oksana had gone to him and confessed everything. She thought he needed to know who she was and why she'd approached him. As if knowing she was the one who got Lisandra out of prison would make him feel better. If he had known what she was going to say, he would have chosen not to listen. He would have decided to only know his Nadia and not the woman she claimed to be. He didn't want to believe she was capable of lying and killing. Or that she had family ties to a Russian criminal organization. He'd fallen in love with her because she was different from the women he'd known. Innocent, c
GWEN & TC "Am I allowed to ask where you're coming from?" "I would tell you but then I'd have to kill you" TC replied. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her, a light peck on the mouth, and then deciding it wasn't enough, he pried her lips open with his tongue. Gwen sighed, opening up to him. He needed to come up with new ways to distract her from asking about his job. Although she wasn't complaining. He had a way of making her forget everything with only a simple touch. She tried to remember if anyone had ever made her feel that way. Was there anyone before him? She couldn't recall. No one could compare to the way he made her feel. "How long until we can go on that vacation? I want to be able to do this all day without worrying about..." Her phone rang. He jerked his head back smiling but she knew he was annoyed. "Damn phone calls" "What happened to being a supportive partner?" He drew his lower lip between his teeth. A sign that his patience was thinning. She answ
It was easy to picture them having a girls' day out together with Gwen and Thea. Gabby too. They would go to spas, have their hair and nails done, and do all the girly things she'd missed out on doing with her mother. Her mind conjured the perfect family gathering. With all her friends and family. Wouldn't that be something? "I felt the same way about Max. He looks so much like his father. I couldn't believe it" "Honestly I always feel proud whenever people tell me how much Gaby resembles me. It's so satisfying to know she at least takes after me and not her father" "She does. Down to the shape of your nose. She will break a lot of hearts when she grows up" "Hush, don't let Max hear that. He's embraced this Texan lifestyle. Next thing you know he's going to buy a shotgun to keep boys away from his daughter" Emilia had no doubt he would do that in a few years. The thought of him fighting with teenagers over his daughter excited her. She couldn't wait to see who would win. "I don
Seeing that man had made her feel uneasy. All throughout yesterday she was nervous and kept jumping at the smallest sound. Sleep evaded her because she couldn't stop worrying about her children. What if someone broke in and hurt them? She just got Zander back. Losing him would destroy her. Max must have noticed how on edge she was because he took the kids and Mel out, telling her to relax. It was his way of giving her a day off. But all it did was give her more nerves. Instead of resting, she went around the house, looking for something out of the ordinary. A broken window or door. Anything to indicate she wasn't overreacting. Her search stopped outside Genevieve's door. Since Gwen went off on her, she hadn't left her room. Emilia wondered if the woman was repenting. That was if she was capable of repenting. She wasn't a saint but she knew she couldn't ignore her child, especially if he was in the hospital. How had she done it? Genevieve sure was one of a kind. Emilia couldn't believ
Lisandra's heart skipped a beat just as realization dawned on her. She wasn't free. Those guards had known the police were on their way and they had left after getting rid of any evidence that could point to any of them being there. That was why the house was so clean. They'd scrubbed down every inch of it, probably getting rid of evidence like fingerprints and stray hairs. Son of a bitch, her benefactor had really called the police on her. But why? Their deal was to distract the Carters while she took her revenge. Had she had a change of mind? Damn that bitch to hell. Spinning around, she ran the other way, swearing she would rather die than go back to prison. When she got to the road, her legs quickened, hoping the police cars wouldn't catch up with her. The second they realized the house was empty, they would know she had escaped and start chasing her. As she speed walked, she tried to think of reasons why her benefactor had cast her aside. Had she done something to change her min
The guards were acting strangely. Lisandra had been keeping an eye on them and that's how she knew something was up. Ever since she stepped foot in that house, they hadn't let her out of their sight. Everywhere she went they followed. Kitchen, living room, bedroom, and even the bathroom. Their excuse? Her benefactor had told them to keep an eye on her so she wouldn't escape. It didn't make sense that she'd want to escape when she had nowhere to go but that bitch had insisted on having her men there. But before going to bed she noticed how they all sat in the living room watching TV. She had never seen them all together in one place so she thought maybe they were celebrating something or they had come to trust her. However, before she could get to her room, one of them got up and made it there ahead of her. He checked the windows to make sure they were locked then stood outside her door, telling her to hurry up. Normally they just let her do whatever she wanted. Lisandra dragged her