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Chapter Twenty Two - June 13

“Do you want spaghetti or tacos?” I asked Nick. He was doing laps around the kitchen, feeding Brooklyn. For the past four days I had eaten normal food. It felt good.

“Hmm,” he said thoughtfully. “Tacos.”

I laughed. “Muy buena.”

I was frying up the hamburger when the phone rang. Nick kept Brooklyn’s bottle straight with his chin and grabbed the phone.

“Yel-lo?” he said awkwardly before getting a better grip. “Hello?”

I couldn’t make out the words, but I could tell that the voice on the other end was in hysterics. I looked at Nick; he motioned for me to take Brooklyn. Turning off the stove burner, I walked over and scooped her up. The voice on the other end of the line continued to practically scream.

“BJ…BJ!” Nick finally yelled out forcefully. “Calm DOWN. I didn’t understand a thing you said.”

I sat down and began to pat Brooklyn’s back waiting for the burp. Nick frowned; I heard BJ’s voice slow but still remain incredibly high-pitched. The more she talked, the paler Nick got.

“Okay, take a deep breath. What time did he call you?”

Nick walked over and grabbed the pad I used for making grocery lists. With pen poised, he began to take down notes.

“Did he say where he was?”

Nick listened for a moment.

“No, I don’t think you’re crazy.”

He listened again.

“BJ, that’s crazy. Ouija boards are all in good fun. They can’t bring people back from the dead.” He sighed. “Yes I knew. Angel told me. Of course we didn’t tell you. Why? Why do you think? You’re hysterical.”

The rest of the conversation continued in pretty much the same way. Finally Nick hung up. He smacked the phone against his forehead.

“I wish I was an only child,” Nick said. I had a feeling that was putting it mildly.

“I’m going to guess that was BJ?”

Nick looked my way. “Aaron called BJ.”

My eyes widened. “Are you serious? He called BJ?”

“I know. Of anyone in the whole family to call he had to get in contact with BJ. She blamed me and Angel for playing with the Ouija board. She swore he was calling from beyond the grave.”

In ordinary circumstances, that would be really funny, but knowing how crazy Aaron was, I couldn’t even break a smile.

“What did he say?”

Nick looked like he didn’t want to answer.

“Nick?”

“He asked BJ about Brooklyn.”

My eyes widened. “What? What about her?”

“He told BJ all he wanted to know was her name.”

My heart began to pound in my chest. Nick picked up the phone.

“Who are you calling?”

“I think I’m going to put in another friendly call to the police station.”

-------------------------------------------

“Mr. Carter, I understand your concern and I’m going to add it to the previous report. I’ll also follow up with Miss Carter to get a preliminary statement. But, I’m sure you’re aware that you’re in the public eye. Until we have concrete information that you or your family is in extreme danger, all we can do is follow sources.”

Nick shook his head. “So what you’re telling me is that my family has to be dodging bullets before you’ll act? This is ridiculous.”

I was sitting next to Nick; his hand was squeezing mine tightly. We had put Brooklyn down for a nap just as the officer had arrived. My faith in our law enforcement system had officially hit rock bottom.

The officer stood and offered a hand to Nick. Nick didn’t take it. Instead his cool blue eyes studied the uniformed man. The officer coughed nervously and tucked his notebook into his breast pocket.

“I’ll just show myself off,” he said. Nick and I heard his hard soled shoes hit loudly on the foyer floor.

Nick stood up. “Liv,” he said quietly as we heard the front door close. “I want you to set the alarm system and make sure all the windows are locked.”

I looked at him in confusion.

“Where are you going?”

Nick cracked his knuckles. “I can’t sit around any longer. I’ve got to find out what’s going on and I can’t do that sitting here.”

“But…”

Nick shook his head. “I’m only going to be gone a couple days. I want you to call your mom and have her stay with you.”

He began to head towards the stairs. I stood and followed his; I grabbed his arm.

“Nick, I’m not going to let you do anything stupid.”

He gave me a crooked smile. “I’m not going to do anything stupid. But we’re getting married in less than three weeks. I’m not going to have this hanging over our heads.”

I argued feebly for the next hour as he packed a duffel bag. He wouldn’t tell me where he was going; instead he pulled me into his arms and gave me an urgent kiss.

“I love you, Liv,” he said. “Don’t forget that.”

I followed him to the nursery, blinking back tears. Nick leaned over the railing, stroking Brooke’s blonde hair. He kissed her soft cheek and sighed.

“Nick, you’re a singer. You’re not Rambo,” I reminded him.

“I’m not going to be a hero,” he said again. “I just want to stir up enough trouble that the police will finally take notice.”

With that he took off. An hour later my mom arrived, adding to my cluttered thoughts with bits and pieces about her mystery man. She was positively glowing. Her ‘mom-dar’ wasn’t even picking up on my stress like it usually did.

That night as I crawled into bed, I stared at the blinking red light indicating that the security was on through the whole house. I had checked the lock on every window; I had the video monitor propped on my nightstand so I could watch Brooklyn sleep.

I was scared, but I was even more terrified for Nick.

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June 17

Four days passed without a word from Nick. After the first day, my mom finally realized how upset I was. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her what was going on. For anyone that wasn’t living it, the whole premise seemed absurd. I just told her that Nick was having family issues. Mom’s mind automatically went to Jane.

“There’s something mentally imbalanced about that lady,” mom commented. I just nodded; my mind was elsewhere.

Thankfully Brooklyn seemed to sense the urgency of the matter. I couldn’t have asked for a better baby. Mom was absolutely in love with her and I had no problem stealing away for a few moments when I needed to calm myself down. If Brooklyn wasn’t sleeping, she was either in my arms or my mom’s. On the fourth day without Nick, I watched as Brooklyn kicked her pudgy legs while she sat in her little tub in the sink. She squealed happily as mom poured water over her head. She was a water baby through and through.

Just like her dad.

Mom had just wrapped Brooklyn in a soft green froggy towel when I heard the security system being disarmed. I quickly walked down the hall and peeked into the room next to Nick’s studio. It housed a monitor that showed the views from our outside cameras. My shoulders slumped in relief when I saw the top of Nick’s head.

I raced back down the hall, past the kitchen, and slid into the foyer just as the door opened. Nick caught me before I fell on my ass.

“Nick,” I said breathlessly. His five o’clock shadow was more like a twelve o’clock shadow. He smelled like smoke and perspiration. He grabbed me and held onto me tightly.

“Everything okay here?”

“Absolutely fine.”

I waited for him to say something else. I was waiting for a “Hey, we caught Aaron and he’s never going to bother us again.” Or a “Hey, Aaron’s really dead and Hunter’s full of shit.”

I didn’t get either. Instead Nick nodded towards the hallway.

“I need to speak to you. In the studio.”

At that moment, mom walked into the foyer, still holding our little froggy girl.

“Welcome home,” mom said. I saw a look of surprise cross her face; Nick looked like crap. Nick smiled.

“Thanks. I appreciate you staying with Liv.”

Mom nodded; Nick took my elbow.

“I just need a few moments alone with your lovely daughter,” he added. I felt mom’s eyes on my back as Nick and I headed towards the studio. We walked in and Nick closed the soundproof door.

“You’re going to want to sit down,” he said calmly. It was a fake calm, one that seemed to be taking every ounce of control. I sat down on his drum chair and looked up at him.

“Aaron’s alive,” Nick stated. That was something I had already pieced together.

“He’s a little pissed at me for screwing things up in Cozumel.” Yet again, this came as no surprise.

“And he’s involved with the baddest mother fuckers I have ever seen in my life. He’s trying to get back on their good side by becoming a trafficker. But until he gets the targets they really want he’s still as good as dead.”

I felt my mouth grow dry. I was desperately hoping a director would jump out of the shadows and yell ‘Cut!’ and we could all have a good laugh.

No such luck.

“Who are the targets?” I asked quietly. Nick didn’t take his eyes off me. He had hardened himself from the revelation, but I could still see the pain etched in his face. Before he even spoke, I knew the answer.

“You and Brooklyn,” he said quietly.

“And how does Hunter play into all of this?” I asked.

“Aaron made him an offer he couldn’t refuse,” Nick said his voice breaking.

“A lot of money."

"A chance to get back at me.”

“And a little private time with you.”