The tears couldn't stop.

It was like a river that was tilted and couldn't stop flowing. The sadness she felt made her heart heavy. Her mind was numb. Her whole life was crashing right before her.

Her baby boy had been taken.

When thoughts of the gruesome things that could happen to him while in the custody of the kidnappers, pain welled up in her heart and fresh tears filled her eyes. She sank to her knees and prayed, in between bitter tears and gurgled words.

Let my boy be safe, please God.

If Susan had known the day was going to end that way, she'd have done a lot of things differently. What exactly?

She'd woken up by six and had prepared Alex for school, taken him to school with the guard, Adam that Cody had made mandatory. She was a stay-at-home mom and so had spent the day reading and watching TV. When it was time to pick Alex, she'd gone with Adam again.

When she got to the school, Alex had thrown a tantrum about a play date he wanted with his friend to which she'd refused. Susan has been angry and had scolded him so much that he started crying aloud. She'd yelled at him to be quiet seconds before Adam screeched to a halt.

Susan looked up. "What's the matter?"

"We've been ambushed." He said quietly and five seconds later, yelled, "Get down!" And a hail of bullets rained on them.

Susan's first instinct was Alex. Cover Alex! She grabbed him, threw him to the floor of the car and covered him with her body. He was screaming his head off, scared too.

"Shh!" She whispered to him and as if sensing that the situation was dire, he fell silent and clung to her, shaking like a leaf. She clung back, vowing with all her might to protect her son, even if she died trying.

Her eyes were shut tight but she could hear Adam firing back. The exchange went on for one full minute before it fell silent. She waited for some time then carefully and fearfully took her phone from where it was on the seat. Cody's number was on speed dial.

He picked on the first ring with a tired, "Yes?"

"C-c-cody. We're under attack!"

"What do you mean? Susan?! Susan! Where are you?! Hello?!"

Susan wished she could answer him but she couldn't because two bulky men carrying big guns were walking towards the car. Their eyes locked with hers and her heart skipped. They were heading for her! She looked at Adam and saw that his head was on the stirring wheel, silent. Was he dead?

"Susan!"

She was jarred back to focus. "Our car was ambushed as we went to pick Alex from school." She could hear sounds of things clattering over the phone. Cody was probably getting dressed in a hurry. "They-they shot us and I think Adam is --" She screamed and dropped the phone in fright when Adam rose suddenly as the men approached and shot one in the gut. The second one shot Adam on the head. He fell back in the car and Susan screamed. She clutched Alex tighter to her chest with a death grip.

The back door was then yanked open and she looked up at the vicious man that towered before her. He had a burn scar that covered almost half of his face and it made him look evil and menacing.

He reached for Alex but she held on tight. "Leave my son!"

Alex, seeing he was about to be pulled by a scary man started to scream and cry. The man reached for his gun and aimed it at Susan's head.

"Let go!" He shouted.

"You'll have to kill me first!" She yelled back and meant every word.

He laughed sneeringly and slipped his gun into his waist band. "Nah. Someone has to take the message to the big guys. Tell them they messed with the wrong guys and so we're out for blood."

"Leave my son out of this!" Susan cried as he reached for Alex again. "Leave my son out of this!!"

She continued to scream, just as Alex screamed. She kicked at the man, scratched his hands just as Alex did. The next instant, she felt a blow to her head and blacked out.

She was in the hospital when she came to. It took her mind a second to recall everything that had happened. She bolted to an upright position.

"Alexander!"

Cody was suddenly beside her. One look at him and she burst into tears.

"My son!" She cried. "My baby. My poor baby. They took him!"

Cody took her in his arms. "We'll take care of it, I promise. I will bring him back to you."

She wept into his shirt. "Cody, please do everything you can I beg of you."

He patted her back. "I will. I will. I swear on my life."

"Oh Cody." She sobbed. "Cody, I have wronged you." She wept harder.

"No, you haven't."

She shook her head vigorously in between heavy sobs. "I have to tell the truth. I lied all those years ago. I thought I was doing the right thing. Oh, I lied. I do not deserve your help."

He held her face in his palms. "I don't understand."

"Alex is your son."

Shocked, he let go of her and walked calmly to the single window in the room. He stood, watching the setting sun casting a pinkish-red glow on the hospital grounds.

Susan continued. "I lied. I lied he was your brothers' because I had convinced him that we both should disappear from this whole life. We were going to leave after the invasion." She waited for a few seconds. "Cody please say something."

"Why him?"

"He promised me safety. When I found out I was having a child I was happy but then I realized you were too loyal to Sir Devlin that you would never leave him no matter what. The next best person was your brother. He wasn't you but he promised to take us out of the drug world, to a place we would be safe. I'm sorry."

He said nothing but walked back to where she sat. He stared into space for a while before saying, "My brother died thinking he had a child. That's unforgivable."

"I'm sorry." She sobbed.

"You could have said something after the whole thing. Why didn't you? I held your hands as you gave birth, happy for my brother and jealous in the same breath. I was jealous of a dead man, of a person who was taken unfairly. I wished I had a kid too. I spend time with Alex, wishing he could call me Dad, wishing anyone could call me Dad. You robbed me of that!"

"Cody --"

"And now he might never call me Dad."

"No! No!" She jumped from the bed, eyes red and swollen. She held Cody's shirt. "Don't say that! You will bring my baby back. Please! Please..." She cried. "I deserve to die. I deserve the worst punishment, but not my son...our son. Please Cody." She buried her face in his chest and wept.

He placed his hand on her arm and pulled her up, then led her to the bed. "You should rest. I have to be on my way."

He picked his jacket and started for the door but he stopped and turned. "I didn't tell my boss about this before because I thought I had no right. I wanted you to make that decision. But now that I know I have a right over Alex, I will. That's the only way we can ensure his safety."

She nodded and wiped her face with her hand, then she paused, remembering. "Cody,"

He turned.

"He left a message."

"Who?"

"The bastard that took Alexander. He said 'tell them they messed with the wrong guys and so we're out for blood.' What does that mean? Does this have anything to do with Sir Devlin?"

He didn't reply.

"Your silence confirms this. This was what I was trying to avoid years ago!" She shouted.

"That does not in any way excuse your lying to me!" He shouted back, breathing heavily, his features contorted in rage.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm just -- I'm just a mother who wants her baby back."

"And I am a father who wants his boy back!" He sighed and drew his hand down his face then walked towards her. He held her hands. "I swear on my brother's grave I will bring Alex back, even if it's the last thing I do. I will."

Susan believed his every word.

~

Through the whole night, Pamela couldn't sleep. She tossed, turned, changed sides, did all she could. At a point she gave up trying and sat, waiting for Devlin. He didn't get back till the next morning. When she heard the revving of a car's engine and the door opening, she held her breath, praying it was him and not someone coming to give her bad news. But it was him that came in through the door, even though it didn't look like it was.

Devlin looked like something a cat spat. He was bruised and bleeding. Band-aids were on various parts of his body. His shirt was torn and it had been used to tie his arm. She gasped in horror. When she hugged him, careful as she might, he grunted in pain.

"The boy?" She held her breath as she asked.

"Back in his mother's arms."

"Oh, thank God."

"His father didn't give up without a fight." He said and sat gingerly on the couch.

"His father?"

"Turns out Cody's the real dad."

"Now that's surprising. Who would have thought? Have you seen a doctor?"

"Yes."

"You still need one."

"He's on his way."

She kissed his forehead. "I'm so relieved you're safe. I'm happy Alex is too. I pray this never happens again."

"Cody will take Susan and the boy out of town. Turns out the person who orchestrated the kidnap was a drug lord who was pissed because we had taken his customers." He stood and headed for the door.

"Where are you going? You should rest."

He didn't reply and so Pamela followed him to the sitting room. She watched him pour whiskey. His movements were angry, forced.

"Isn't it to early for that?" He didn't reply. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing."

"Something definitely is."

"I said it's nothing, Pamela. Please."

"Why are you shouting?"

"I didn't shout." He bit out. "Look, I'm battered, tired. I narrowly escaped death. Give me a fucking break."

"I'm sorry I'm just worried. Should I prepare a bath for you or something?"

"I don't need a fucking bath. I need peace." He swallowed his drink and refilled it.

"Devlin, please talk to me."

"You want to talk? Fine I'll give you a talk. I do not ever want to be in this situation."

She reached for his hand. "My love, you will not. You said Susan and Cody will take him out of town. They'll be safe. Right?"

He freed his hand from her grasp. "You don't get it do you? This is what I was trying to avoid when I had a vasectomy. Weaknesses."

"I'm not following."

"A child is a weakness!" He yelled and she jumped, startled. "A wife, a mother, anything that you love is a weakness! I never wanted kids because of this." He stood and paced the room. "You should have seen Cody. You should have seen how desperate he was. He would have done absolutely anything to save that kid. Chances that if he died and the kid would be returned was nil. He would have died like a fucking chicken."

"Devlin --"

He pointed a finger at her. "Don't say a word. I don't want kids, period. Tomorrow, I'll go get my vasectomy redone and this time it'll be irreversible."

His words cut through her like a knife and tears gathered in her eyes but they hadn't dropped when the door bell rang. She walked towards the door while Devlin poured himself another drink. Pamela shut her eyes briefly, trying to regain her composure; prepare herself for whomever was behind the door.

She wasn't halfway ready for who stood there. It was a beautiful black woman, smiling brightly. What took Pamela by surprise was not her beauty nor was it her bright smile, it was her big belly. If she wasn't wrong, the woman would be in her third trimester.

"How may I help you?"

"Forgive me but is this the residence of Mr. Devlin Gusev?"

Pamela hesitated, gave Devlin who was looking curious a quick glance and said, "No."

The woman laughed and rubbed her hands on her belly. "Relax. I know he died and came back from the dead and is now Leonid. So, let me say I'm looking for Leonid Chernyshevsky."

From the corner of her eye, Pamela could see Devlin pulling a gun. He sneaked close to the door and gave her the signal to keep talking.

"Uh, who's asking?"

Devlin suddenly emerged from the back of the door, his gun aimed. The moment he saw her, he lowered his gun, shock evident on his face. "What the hell?"

"My thoughts exactly! What the hell are you doing pointing a gun at me?"

"Devlin?" Pamela asked, unsure.

"Let her in. This is Sarah Dwayne. Art's daughter."

"Oh! Hello." Pamela smiled at her and let her in.

"Hello ma'am. It's nice to finally meet you and hello Devlin."

"Holy fuck, Sarah." He sat and sipped his drink.

"Don't swear my baby can hear." She snapped, gingerly sitting.

"What are you doing here? And shit you're pregnant?"

"What? Pregnant? No. I swallowed a giant watermelon and can't seem to get it out. You don't believe that? Okay then let's just pretend it's a giant pimple that's gonna burst real soon."

"I'm not in the mood for jokes."

"Me neither, idiot. I'm due in two weeks. I took the risk to come here because I wanted to have the baby here."

"Why? Everything alright with Art?"

"Yes. I just wanted his father to be present that's all."

Pamela felt shortness of breath as she and Devlin echoed incredulously.

"Father?"

"Yes, Devlin Gusev. You are going to be a daddy in two weeks."

~

Hello! Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and what a cliff hanger that was!

Next chapter is coming soon. Thank you!