Young Truths (Young Series) (10 page)

“Just open it,” he instructs quietly.

Slightly wary, I do as I’m told and pull out a thick folded piece of paper. When I unfold it, I frown in confusion. “Tyler’s birth certificate?” I question. “I’ve seen this before, you know.”

He nods, looking completely serious. “I know you have. But I also know it’s been a while since you’ve seen it quite like this.” When I just stare at him, he gestures for me to look at the document in my hands. “Look closely. Believe me, it’s different.”

It takes me a few minutes to figure out what he’s talking about and when I do, I almost can’t believe what I’m seeing. Matthew’s right, I haven’t seen Tyler’s birth certificate like this in years. When Matthew and I divorced, he went to great lengths to cut ties with me and our son to ensure our safety. Of all the things he did, this is the one that broke my heart. I’m not sure how he pulled it off, but he managed to switch Tyler’s birth certificate with a fake one on which no biological father was listed. Every time I had to use it for something, I had to force myself not to look at that blank line, knowing it was because of me that this had been done. Now, though, the line has Matthew’s name again. I stare at it in shock, then look up at Matthew who is watching me closely. “What...?”

He smiles slightly. “I started the process of replacing the fake birth certificate I put in place after the plane crash. This came last week and I thought I’d hold onto it until today. It seemed fitting.”

I look back at the certificate and nod. “Very fitting,” I whisper, dazed. “Thank you.”

“It killed me to switch those in the first place, you know,” he says quietly, scooting closer to me on the couch and looking down at the paper in my hand. “I mean, I always knew Tyler is my son and really, that’s what matters—a piece of paper isn’t going to change that. But it felt like I was denying both of you and it felt wrong. I did it because I wanted you to be safe and I didn’t want any loose ends that might lead anyone or anything to you.” He rolls his eyes. “Not that it mattered, given the events of the last nine months or so...”

“I tried to avoid looking at it at all costs,” I admit suddenly. “Anytime I needed it for whatever reason, I never looked at it.”

“But you’ll look at this one, right?” he asks teasingly, sliding a hand around my waist.

I chuckle. “Yes, I will look at this one.”

“Good,” he says simply, pulling me against him and leaning back on the couch. I don’t know how long we sit like that, but eventually we get up and stumble sleepily up the stairs to bed, and I can’t remember having a more wonderful day.

Monday arrives and finds us rushing around the house in an attempt to get to work and school on time. I’m not entirely sure why we’re all three running around like it’s the end of the world, but even Bandit is going full speed as we scramble. Every time I think we can finally walk out the door, Tyler remembers something he forgot in his room or Matthew gets a phone call or I remember something that needs to be done. At long last, we’re making our ways to the cars and Matthew hurriedly kisses me, reminding me he’s going to be late tonight because of some brainstorming meeting with his department heads. Once we’re on the road, I notice we’re actually on time with our normal schedule.

I drop Tyler off at school and head into town towards the bookshop, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling I’ve got in my belly. I’d probably be a little more concerned if Claire hadn’t told me it’s normal to feel like this towards the end of a pregnancy. Reminding myself there’s only a month to go, I pull into the parking lot beside the bookstore and waddle my way to the door, waving at Dave who takes his place across the street. Bonnie isn’t here yet, but that isn’t surprising. Lately she’s been sleeping in later than normal, as her doctor’s appointments seem to be taking a lot out of her. Though I’ve tried not to connect the dots, mostly because I don’t want to face this again, I think I’ve pretty much worked out what’s wrong with her. Matthew knows; he can deny all he wants, but I know him better than he thinks and I know he’s only not telling me because he doesn’t want me upset so close to the end of my pregnancy. I can’t even find it in myself to be annoyed at him for keeping it from me.

As I pull open the door, I immediately know something isn’t right, though I can’t pinpoint exactly what that might be. I glance over my shoulder towards Dave who has apparently noticed my hesitation to go inside and immediately jumps out of his car to cross the street.

“What’s up?” he asks briskly.

“I don’t know,” I answer. “Something doesn’t feel right...”

He nods. “Stay here. I’ll check it out...”

Stepping back, I hold the door for him and watch him move slowly through the building, checking behind bookshelves, and head up to the second level before returns and makes his way towards the backroom. I realize I’m holding my breath as he disappears from my sight and I’m listening closely for any noise. It feels like half an hour passes before Dave returns, shaking his head. “I didn’t see anything, but the alarm has been disconnected. Maybe whoever was here last night forgot to set it?” he suggests.

I really hope that’s all it is. “Yeah, that’s probably what it was,” I tell him, smiling. “Thank you.”

He smiles back reassuringly. “Anytime. Let me know if you need me, alright?”

With a nod, I enter the store and begin my day, subconsciously looking all around me for signs that someone had been here who wasn’t supposed to be. By lunchtime, I shake the morning off and convince myself it was all paranoia brought on by knowing someone has been following my family around over the last week, perhaps even longer
. The day is surprisingly busy, so much so that when Matthew calls to check-in on me, I don’t even have time to talk to him for more than a few seconds. I still haven’t heard from Bonnie when the evening shift arrives to take over, so I send her a text message, to which she immediately responds, telling me she’s fine, but managed to sleep through the morning and afternoon and she apologizes for not being there to help me out today. I don’t mention the odd feeling I had this morning or that the alarm apparently hadn’t been set the night before.

The rest of the evening is uneventful, at least until Tyler’s bedtime comes around. I hear my cell phone ringing downstairs and, assuming it’s Matthew calling to check-in again, I let it ring until Tyler is tucked in before waddling down the stairs to call him back. To my surprise, it wasn’t my husband, but the security team who called. My brow furrowed, I start to call them back, jumping a little when someone bangs on the front door.

I begin to smile at Dave, but the inclination is gone in an instant when I see his face. “What’s wrong?” I ask.

He enters the house and closes the door. “I need you to get Tyler and head into the panic room,” he informs me calmly.

I raise an eyebrow. “The
what
?” I ask slowly.

“The panic room.” Sighing, he runs a hand through his hair, apparently having not assumed he’d have to explain it to me. “Matthew had one installed a few months ago in the basement,” he says hurriedly. “If an intruder gets onto the property, we’ve got instructions to get you in there until the coast has been cleared. Samantha, I really need you to cooperate with me on this. Now.”

Trying not to think of the implications, I nod, leading Dave up the stairs to Tyler’s bedroom where he picks my son up from his bed without waking him. I grab Bandit and follow Dave back downstairs to the basement and into the home gym. I watch in interest as Dave expertly slips between the weight bench and starts pressing buttons into a keypad I’ve somehow never seen before. Part of the wall pops open and Dave uses his foot to open it further. I look inside warily as the lights turn on with a hum. Inside are a comfortable-looking couch, a bed, and even a refrigerator. Once this is over, Matthew and I are going to have a very long conversation about doing things like this without having the decency to tell me.

“You’ll be fine in here,” Dave assures me, placing Tyler on the bed. “I’ll be back when we’ve checked the property.”

I nod, giving him a tight smile. “Thanks,” I say quietly.

With that, he heads out and closes the door and I hear a bolt snap in place, which probably signifies that the door has closed, leaving me only with my thoughts and a puppy curled up beside me. I understand why Matthew had this thing installed—it’s been proven that people can get past all his defenses—but I can’t deny I’m currently freaking out. I have no idea what’s going on outside or what caused the security team to get us in here. This room is probably soundproof, so it’s not like I can strain my ears and listen for noises of fighting or anything. There’s nothing.

I glance down at my cell phone with the sudden urge to call my husband, but there’s no signal. I’m completely cut off until Dave comes to let us out. Thankfully, I’m not claustrophobic or I’d really be having a panic attack right now. In order to keep myself from getting worked up, I spend my time playing games on my phone until I finally hear the locked bolt click again. My eyes shoot up and I hold my breath until the door is opened, and I feel my entire body sag with relief at the sight of Matthew looking in at us.

“Are you okay?” he asks quietly. I’m possibly the only person in the world who could pick up on the anger hidden just beneath the surface of his concern, though I know that anger is not directed at me in the slightest.

I nod. “We’re fine,” I assure him.

He nods back and enters the panic room, sitting beside me on the couch, not hesitating to pull me into his arms. “I just got home and all the yard lights were on and security was scattered all over the place...” He squeezes me a little more tightly. “It was like the night Marcus and I got here only to find you and Tyler had been taken. I couldn’t get down here fast enough.”

Wrapping an arm around his waist, I try my best to assure him Tyler and I are here and we’re safe. “What happened? Did they find anything?”

He sighs heavily. “They’re still searching, but whatever set off the alarms is probably long gone,” he tells me. “They think whoever it was came in from the lake. Unfortunately, there’s only so far our surveillance cameras can see and so many blind spots...”

“And when were you going to tell me about building a panic room in our home?”

He cracks a small smile. “I was getting around to it,” he says. “It’s a precaution, one I hoped we’d never have to actually use. Obviously I didn’t take into account people slipping through the cracks.”

I watch him steadily. “Are we safe?” I ask quietly.

He hesitates rather than immediately assuring me we are indeed perfectly safe, whether it’s a lie or not. Somehow that actually
does
make me feel safe... “We’re as safe as we can be right now,” he says cautiously. “Let’s get Tyler upstairs and back in bed. I need to go get a status update from security; I didn’t bother finding out anything more than where you two were when I got here.”

“Can the status update wait until morning?” I ask quietly. Right now all I want is to curl up in bed with my husband and pretend everything is absolutely normal. I’ve never been the needy sort that clings to anyone for protection or comfort and neither has Matthew, but all things considered, I think this is something we both need.

After a moment, he nods, realizing I need him more than I need answers. “Of course,” he whispers. “I’ll call Dave and let him know. Let’s go to bed.” He stands, lifting Tyler into his arms, while I take Bandit and follow him out of the room. Neither of us speaks again, not counting his phone call to the security team. We both lie awake for what is probably hours before I finally drift off to sleep with my husband curled up behind me.

My eyes snap open suddenly and I’m staring at the ceiling, uncertain what it is that woke me. Taking a careful look around the bedroom, I don’t immediately see anything that’s out of place. Beside me, Samantha is still sound asleep, curled up on her side and hugging her pillow to her chest. It’s a relief to see her actually getting some rest; the baby has decided nighttime is the best time to practice gymnastics, which has been keeping Samantha from getting more than an hour or so of sleep at a time. I smile slightly at the thought that in less than a month, our daughter will be here. I have no delusions that either of us will manage a full night’s sleep for the first few months, but at least then I’ll be able to do something to help my wife get the rest she needs.

Now that I’m awake, my mind is running a million miles a minute. The panic I felt when I arrived home to find my property under lockdown is only now starting to fade. I still want answers—who or what set off the alarm? Why were they here in the first place? How safe is my family? I think if I had my way, Samantha and Tyler would still be in the panic room until I had answers. She’d put up a hell of a fight, though, and I know that’s not really an option. Maybe we ought to get away for a while. Take a vacation until things calm down. Again, unfortunately, that is not an option. Not at this point in Samantha’s pregnancy. She needs to be near her doctors, just in case.

Still, it’s tempting.

I sit up in bed when I hear a faint scratching noise at the bedroom door followed by a tiny whimpering noise. Rolling my eyes, I realize the thing that woke me up was a puppy probably in dire need to be taken outside. Carefully, I slide out of bed so as to not wake Samantha, slip on a robe and slippers, and go to the door. The moment it’s open, my stomach flips and Bandit is trying to climb up my leg.

“Shit...” I whisper, ignoring the dog for a moment as I rush back to Samantha, shaking her shoulder urgently. “Sam, wake up.”

She mumbles something incoherent in her sleep, but doesn’t stir.

“Samantha,” I say a little louder.

“What?” she grumbles irritably, cracking open one eye.

“Do you smell that?”

She frowns sleepily. “Smell what?” she murmurs, taking a sniff of the air around us. A moment later, I know I’m not imagining things and her eyes widen. “Something on fire?”

I nod. “We need to get outside. Grab a sweatshirt and shoes. I’ll get Tyler and meet you in the yard,” I instruct her hurriedly. Thankfully, she doesn’t hesitate to obey and a few moments later, she’s rushing out of the bedroom as quickly as she can with Bandit right on her heels as though he’s herding her to safety. I go in the opposite direction to our son’s bedroom. I don’t bother trying not to wake him; the more alert he is, the easier this will be.

“Daddy?” he mumbles sleepily. Under normal circumstances, I’d smile at his resemblance to Samantha, but this is far from being the time to think of anything else. The smell is getting stronger and I think I’m starting to see a haze of smoke filling the house. “What’s wrong?”

“We need to go outside,” I tell him, hastily grabbing his coat and shoes. “Come on, I’ll carry you.” I scoop him up and start out of the room.

“Wait! I need Pablo!” Tyler exclaims, looking over my shoulder.

I’m half-tempted to tell him to forget the damn penguin and I’ll buy him a new one, but before I know it, I turn back to his bed, bending so he can grab his stuffed animal. Out in the hallway, I know it’s not my imagination that makes me see smoke building up. It’s worse the further I move towards the downstairs area and I desperately hope Samantha got outside before it got this thick. I press Tyler’s face against the crook of my neck to avoid him inhaling anything and hardly glance around my house, despite my curiosity. I don’t want Tyler to notice how unnaturally bright it is behind me or feel how hot the house has become.

I stumble out onto the lawn, coughing from the smoke and holding onto my son for dear life, terrified to look behind me and see what’s happening to my house, my family’s home. Somewhere nearby I hear Samantha screaming for help and Bandit is barking and Tyler is crying. I can barely think straight as I set Tyler on his feet and tell him to run to his mother. He doesn’t hesitate. I take one look at my wife and see that security is arriving—they’ll take care of Samantha and Tyler. Before I rethink it, I duck back inside, holding my shirt over my nose and mouth as I move through the smoke towards a closet near the basement staircase. I pull open the door and hit a button hidden behind all the spare coats, grabbing my leather jacket and a fire safe that sits on the floor.

I start to open the basement door, but the smoke is pouring through the gap between it and the floor, and I can feel the heat coming from behind it. That’s the source of the fire—the basement. Briefly, I think about the panic room, but I know it’s fireproof along with a few other rooms in this house. It was something Leo suggested when the place was being built and I’m suddenly grateful I took his advice. I hear something crack behind me and look around, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the flames break through the basement ceiling to the rest of the house.

Faintly, I hear sirens outside somewhere and I know I need to get back to Samantha. I start grabbing for random things—photos off the walls, my and Samantha’s cell phones that are charging on the table next to the door, Bandit’s food, Tyler’s school backpack. With my arms full, I make my way back outside, trying to hold my breath for as long as I can and end up falling to my knees on the snow covered lawn, all the stuff I’ve grabbed scattering around me.

“West warned us you were difficult, Young,” I hear Dave mutter as he grabs me by my arms, “but that was one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen.”

He pulls me to my feet and I see Samantha approaching me, looking pissed off and worried. “Not now,” I tell her. “I need back in there, Dave. There are things in that house than cannot be destroyed!”

“Sir, I really can’t allow—”

“No one is asking permission!” I snap, twisting my arm to force him to let me go. There’s only one more thing in that house I need to get and I know I can get to it before the floor collapses.

“Matt! No!” I turn back at my wife’s voice. “Please don’t go in there!”

“Sam, I’ll only be a minute,” I say as calmly as I can, considering the situation. “Trust me, please. Get back to Tyler and go with the security team. I promise I’ll be there with you soon.”

I don’t wait for her to reply; I know if I do, I’ll give in, and this is too important. Again, I’m inside the house and the smoke is thicker than it was just a minute ago. Even through the thick fog, I know where I’m headed—I could find it blindly. Right above the fireplace is our original wedding portrait. The new one is still being framed—it took us a while to choose the right photo and Samantha wanted a custom frame. I grab a chair and climb up, trying to ignore the fogginess in my head and the heaviness in my lungs. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea... Regardless, I can’t go back out there empty-handed or I’ll never hear the end of it. As it is, I know Samantha is probably going to smack me for this, but this portrait isn’t something I can just let burn.

It takes me a few tries and I’ve seem to have forgotten how heavy this thing is, but I’ve finally got it in hand and I head towards the front door, my eyes burning from the smoke. The moment I get to the door, it opens, revealing Dave who grabs my arm with one of his hands and the portrait in the other, pulling me out into the fresh air. I gasp as I breathe it in, and then fall to the ground
, coughing so hard I’m expecting to see a lung come up. Before I can do anything or even ask about Samantha and Tyler, a couple paramedics have reached me and covered my mouth and nose with an oxygen mask and urge me onto a stretcher. I try to resist, but my strength is waning and all I want to do is sleep. Before my eyes close, I have a brief glimpse of Samantha and Tyler standing beside an ambulance.

They’re safe, that’s what matters.

“I’m going to kill him, Claire.”

I’m sitting at my husband’s bedside while he sleeps. He was admitted for acute smoke inhalation and will remain here at least a day for observation. Luckily, he didn’t sustain any permanent damage. He’ll probably be coughing for a while, but that’s certainly preferable to what could have happened to him. Not long after Matthew was loaded into the ambulance, there was an explosion somewhere in the backyard that caused a huge fireball to erupt in the sky. I’m told the source was the generator located near the lake and the sparks and heat from the fire met a leak in a gas line. As for the fire itself, I still don’t know what caused it. Anything from faulty electrical wiring to arson could be the cause; I’m not naïve enough to believe it was anything as innocent as wiring. I’m sure Matthew has a hundred theories, though until he wakes up, I won’t hear any of them.

“Can’t say I blame you,” my sister-in-law replies. “But even I have to admit, his reasoning was incredibly sweet.”

I smile slightly in agreement. The moment I saw our wedding portrait being loaded into an SUV by the security team, I understood what he was doing. Yes, it’s sweet, but even that portrait wouldn’t have been worth his death. “He could have really been hurt, though, and the idiot didn’t even hesitate to rush in that house. Twice.”

“For someone so incredibly smart, he doesn’t always think things through, does he?” Claire says. “Anyway, what matters is all three of you are all right. Four, if you count the baby.”

“But our home is gone,” I remind her sadly. “Everything we own is gone...”

She sighs. “It’s just stuff, Sam,” she says reasonably. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now and I know anything I say will be empty words, but that’s the truth. You can replace the clothes and the furniture; you can’t replace your husband and son.”

“I know that. Believe me, Claire, I know that. Matt’s going to feel differently, though; not that it’s not a good thing we all got out, but it’s no secret how much he loves that house,” I tell her. “And this is just one more thing on the list of bad things he’s been dealing with lately.”

She nods and I wonder suddenly whether Matthew has told her about knowing what is wrong with their father. “And he hasn’t had a nervous breakdown yet, has he?” she asks. I shake my head no. That’s something I’ve been waiting on since the night Tyler was kidnapped and Leo was killed. Despite how well he seems to be handling everything on the outside, I know it’s only a matter of time before something in him snaps and I honestly have no idea how he’s going to react. The fire might be the thing that puts him right over the edge. “Sam, he’ll be fine.” I can’t help but hear the uncertainty in her voice.

We sit in silence for nearly a half hour until a doctor enters and begins to examine Matthew. She confirms he’s recovering quickly from the smoke inhalation and as long as he doesn’t develop any sort of infections, he’ll be released tomorrow morning. Part of me is dreading him leaving the hospital, because I don’t know whether he really comprehends the fact that we don’t have a home to go to right now. Claire has offered to let us stay with her until we find something else, but that’s not exactly going to be stress-free. Four adults, four children under the age of eight, and a puppy will make for a very cramped house. Not to mention the daily commutes to work for Matthew and me, and school for Tyler.

“Well, good morning, sunshine,” Claire says brightly.

I look up and find Matthew’s green eyes locked on me, and I try to smile at him. “About time,” I grumble. “I was starting to wonder if I’d need to start searching for a new millionaire husband.”

He narrows his eyes at me in a glare. “Not funny,” he says hoarsely.

“I don’t know,” Claire comments. “I thought it was pretty damn hilarious.”

“Fuck off, Claire.”

Claire beams at me. “See, told you he’d be perfectly fine,” she tells me, patting her brother’s leg as she stands. “I’m going to call home and check on everyone. Behave while I’m gone; I’m really not in the mood to come back in here and see you two in any sort of compromising position.”

Matthew and I roll our eyes at each other as she leaves, though I can see traces of a smirk on his lips. The moment the door is closed, he reaches up to remove the oxygen mask from his face. Despite my insistences that he needs to keep it on, it’s only a matter of seconds before he’s grabbing my hand and pulling me towards him for a kiss. The kiss begins slowly and sweetly, but quickly evolves into something more heated as we both express our relief that the other isn’t hurt. “You’re okay,” he whispers when we part and I shift to lie beside him as best I can.

I nod into his shoulder. “I’m okay. And so is Tyler.”

I hear him exhale a sigh of relief. “Baby?”

“
Everyone
is fine,” I reassure him, lifting up my head to look at him. “And while we’re on the subject, if you ever do something so fucking stupid like that again, I’ll kill you myself.”

His eyes widen at both my cursing and the threat. “I’m sorry,” he mutters.

“I begged you to stay, Matt, and you ignored me,” I go on. “You could have died tonight, and for what? A picture?”

He furrows his brow. “A
picture
?” he repeats indignantly, his voice growing stronger. “Sam, that
picture
means the world to me. When I didn’t have you to look at every day, that’s what I had to convince myself you weren’t a dream. Nothing else ever came close. So yeah, I went back into a burning house for a
picture
. I’m sorry I scared you and I know you’re upset with me, but I sure as shit wasn’t going to let that
picture
burn down to nothing.”