The Love Triangle (BWWM Romance) (52 page)

She heard the click. “Frank... Frank!!” she was yelling and she sobbed as she slid to the floor.

The cops scrambled to trace the call but they couldn’t. She had never felt so helpless in her life. She needed to do something… anything. She knew it wouldn’t be long before he called her and made some demands…demands she couldn’t meet. She was at a loss. She swallowed her pride, there was only one thing she could do.

Chapter Seventeen – Derek

He was having a hard time. Ciara was on his mind all the time and he couldn’t keep the terrors in his dreams at bay. All the progress he had made so far seemed to have been lost the minute he let go of Ciara. She always gave him a sense of peace and calm. He had accepted she was out of his life, but it still didn’t change the fact that he was in love with her.

He knew it like he knew he needed air to breathe. She had become a part of him but she didn’t want him, didn’t want the same things. He wasn’t even sure he knew what he wanted, all he was sure of anymore was that she was a part of it. He knew she was apprehensive, afraid of fitting in to his world but what she failed to realize was that she was his world, she was all that mattered.

Over the last few weeks, the lack of sleep was taking its toll on him. He knew work was rough and he was also worried he wouldn’t be able to give the quality of care people deserved, so he had gone home to his mother’s for a week. He was hoping the break would at least give him time to rest, and time to heal. He walked up the steps of his old house and his mother opened the door and swept him up in a hug.

“Well now, Derek, look at you, it’s been too long since you’ve been home to see your mother.” She frowned at him and he kissed her on the top of her head.

“I know, Mom, I’m awful.” She elbowed him and laughed as they walked into the house together. He inhaled the familiar scent of home; yes, if anywhere could help him heal it would be home.

He walked with her into the kitchen.

“Go ahead and put your stuff up, dinner is almost ready.” She gave him another hug and he climbed the stairs to his old room.

It was amazing how everything was just as he left it… but clean. He had called ahead and she had made sure he came home to a clean room. She was right, he didn’t visit enough. She had pushed him into medical school to become something, someone to do well. He owed her so much. He made his way down the stairs an hour later having gotten settled into the room. He made his way into the kitchen just as she was putting dinner out for the two of them. His youngest sister was out and the others lived nearby.

“Alright, Derek, sit down and eat.” She settled in and they made small talk as he savored the food she made for him. Soon he was done and wiping at his mouth.

“Mom, I swear it never ceases to amaze me how you manage to take a slab of meat and make it taste so good. I’ve missed it.” He patted his stomach.

“Well, maybe that will bring you home to visit your old mother a little more often then.”

She sat as he gathered up the plates. He settled back into his chair.

“How are the nightmares, dear?” She knew something was wrong, and she knew he looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks.

“Truth is, they had gotten better for a while then bad again. I’m worried about my career… so I took a week off to get it together.” He took a sip of water.

“Well at least you knew when to stop, are you still going to see the doctor about them?”

“Yes, and she’s very good… most of the time. I know I’m not as detached from people as I use to be, right after I came back. But it seems as things go topsy turvy in my life, the sleep is just as erratic.”

“So fix what’s wrong, that will help make things right.” She said it very matter-of-factly and he gave her a look.

“Oh, now I understand.” She gave him a smile.

He looked at her confused. “I’m sorry, what does that mean?”

“It’s a woman, isn’t it?” She smiled at the shocked look on his face. “Oh dear, I have to say it certainly is about time.”

He looked down at the table. “I wish it was that simple, Mom, she drives me crazy. I don’t know one minute from the next if I want to spank her like a child or hold her close to me.”

He went on to tell her about Ciara in more detail. It felt good to tell someone about it, to share what he was feeling. He told her the funny stories about Tony in the park and how he had found her again after seeing her sing. He told her everything and she listened, not once interrupting him. Finally after what seemed like forever, he sat back in his chair.

“Well, that certainly is one heck of a story now, isn’t it, dear?” She smiled at him. “You remind me so much of your father. He was just like you. One minute ignoring me, the next telling me what I could and couldn’t do. He was a mess and I loved him for all of it. Ciara sounds like quite a woman to me. She also sounds proud and maybe a little worried about getting too involved for some reason. Have you actually told her yet?”

He frowned. “Told her what?”

“Well that you love her of course.”

“I never said I loved her, Mother, you know how I feel about romance and love.” He stood and ran a hand through his hair.

He heard her chuckle behind him.

“Oh, honey, you got it bad,” she giggled as she cleaned up the kitchen and he sat back down with a thump.

Maybe part of him refused to face it for so long because he was scared. Whatever the reason, he knew he had to tell her, when the time was right. Nothing mattered anymore except them being together. She was a big part of him. They talked a while longer and he made his way upstairs to his room. He fell into a deep sleep, his resolve about Ciara not firmly intact. He hadn’t even thought to check his phone; if he had, he would have realized that there was nothing about the situation that was simple.

The sun was high in the sky the next morning. He smiled to himself as he heard the sounds downstairs and the smells of breakfast. He had slept all night. It was the first time in a very long time and he was ready to face the truth and be honest with Ciara about it. He made his way downstairs and helped finish up breakfast. They laughed and talked about old times. He really did miss it. He looked up at his mother and she smiled at him.

“Go home, Derek, and find your lady.” She gave him a smile. “You have to promise you will bring her and her son back for a visit. I don’t mean in a year or something either. Bring her soon.”

“I can’t do that, Mom, I just got here, it’s not fair to you.” He moved uncomfortably in his chair.

“Okay then, suit yourself.” He laughed at a joke she told him and they enjoyed the rest of the afternoon on the porch. Near dinner, he went upstairs to change and happened to see his phone blinking in his bag.

He cradled the phone in his ear and listened to the voicemails. He was fine until he heard her voice. He wasn’t sure what happened next, only that he was down the stairs with a bag in hand in mere moments. He stumbled into the kitchen and his mother stopped what she was doing.

“Derek, what’s wrong?”

“It’s Ciara, her son is missing and they know who has him but can’t…he is missing,
Mom, missing!” 

“Go on, Derek, go on home, can you drive?”

“Yes, yes I can drive. I’m sorry, Mom, but I have to go get him home.”

“It’s alright, honey, I know, just get him home safe.”

“Come with me, I may need help, can you?”

She gave him a smile and grabbed her purse before she joined him in the car. It was only a few hours away. She may be of some use.

The drive seemed to take forever but they pulled up to an old apartment building. He made his way up the stairs quickly and without thinking, he threw open the door of her apartment.

Chapter Eighteen – Ciara

She jumped up when the door opened. She had hoped it was Antoine but when she saw Derek there, she ran to him. He scooped her up in his arms and held her tight. After a long moment he sat her back down.

“Tell me everything, Ciara.”

She spent the next hour telling him everything that had unfolded in the last two days. She sobbed as she told them about the phone call she had received from Frank. She noticed the older woman there with him. She could only assume he knew her.

“I’m sorry, Ciara, this is my mother, Adele.” She took a step towards the round and smiling woman, stuck out her hand and the women pulled her into another hug.

“I’m here to help in any way you may need, Ciara, Derek has told me a lot about you, and one thing I know for sure is that you’re a strong woman. We will help you through this, I promise.”

“Thank you so much.” Ciara wiped at her eyes and smiled weakly at the older woman.

“I’m going to take Mom to my place and let her get settled in there. Then I’ll be back, Ciara.”

“Absolutely not, Derek. I’m fine right here. Besides, that bad man may call and we need to be here for it when it happens.” They watched as she unceremoniously curled up in the chair in the corner of the room.

“Fine then.” He took Ciara’s face in his hands. “You will be okay, Ciara, I’m here, whatever you need, it’s yours.” She touched his hands with hers.

“Thank you, Derek. I’m so scared.” She let him pull her to him and she closed her eyes to feel the strength in him, hoping she could have some of that. When the phone rang, she almost jumped out of her skin. She put it on speaker as the officers told her to do.

“Frank, please, Frank, tell me what you want.”

“There’s my girl. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it, Ciara, and I don’t think I want the kid after all. He cries too damn much, probably not even my kid. No, I think what I want is you… and money.”

“Fine, I’ll give you whatever you want, just bring him home.”

“Oh no, baby, you’re going to come to me. Meet me, alone with 500Gs or so help me, I’ll kill him, Ciara, I know you know I mean it.”

“Fine, when?”

“Take the phone off speaker, Ciara, I’m not stupid.” She looked around and Derek was shaking his head no. She knew she had no choice and she took it off speaker.

“Where, Frank, yes, fine, when?” She paused. “Let me hear him, Frank, just let me talk to him for a second.” She paused longer.

“Antoine, baby, it’s Mommy, I know you’re scared, baby, I’m going to come get you real soon, okay?” She let the tears fall down her face. “Yes, I understand.” She closed the phone.

The officers and Derek both walked over to her at once. “We need to know the details, ma’am, if you want us to get your son back.”

“Ciara, please tell them.”

She lifted her head up to look at him. “I can’t tell you, I have to go alone or he will kill him.”

Derek moved to sit by her. “Ciara, you can’t go alone, he will just kill you too. You have to know that.”

She touched her hand to his face. “I don’t have a choice, Derek.” He stood and angrily walked out of the apartment. He stopped by the officer outside the door.

“I’ll go get the money. She wants to do this herself, don’t let her leave or he will kill her. I need some air.”