The Broken Parts Of Us (11 page)

“Wait. My bag.” River says. “You’ll have to drive. My keys are in my bag.”

I smile and snatch up her bag. I hate driving and told people I couldn’t just so no one ever asked me too. I rarely do it, but this isn’t about me. I need to get River to the hospital. If she loses this baby, it’ll be devastating for her and Sammy, and impact all the lives I had come to care about.

When we arrive at the emergency room they ask River to fill in an insurance form. I stare daggers at the receptionist, but she seems oblivious to the fact.

“I really think you should call Sammy,” I say, although River still looks dazed.

Michael shakes his head, tears in his eyes. “He won’t love me no more if you tell him. I’m not like him. I swear I’m not.”

I reach for him, swiping at the tears. “Who, sweetie? Who are you not like?” 

The little sobs that come from him make his frame tremble and I pull him into a hug, my own body struggling to keep my emotions for spewing out. My heart aches for him. “He won’t love me like Mommy doesn’t. Mom cries to Dad about that man being my real dad. She says I’m like him and his mom stopped loving him and that he done really bad things because he was evil.” He stutters between sobs. My insides have coiled; every maternal instinct in me is humming with need to comfort him.

“Calm down,” I say, softly. He hyperventilates and River holds a hand over her mouth, shaking her head. Her tears bring forth my own. The agony in her eyes from what she’s hearing is soul breaking to witness.

She grabs Mikey from my grasp and crushes him to her chest. Her strong overpowering love for her child emanates from her in waves.

“Mommy loves you baby. I would never stop loving you. I didn’t mean those things. You weren’t supposed to hear that stuff, baby. I’m sorry, and I love you.”

“I was projecting my fears and he was just reacting to them,” River mumbles. Mikey has fallen asleep in the chair next to her bed. Dehydration, the doctor said, and spotting are normal in some pregnancies. She’s healthy, just needs to drink more. We both cried and hugged when the doctor gave her the results.

“Ma’am, there’s a Detective Jefferson outside demanding I let him through.”

My eyes bulge as do River’s. “Yeah let him in,” she says.

“How did he know?” she asks.

“Because it’s my job to know this stuff, Riv, and I shouldn’t need other means of finding this shit out. What happened and why didn’t you call someone?” Derek asks, skimming past me to stroke River’s hair.

“I’m fine. I fainted. Dehydration.” She shrugs. “I actually feel fine since they put this in.” She holds up her hand with the drip in to hydrate her. “I can leave soon; they’re just doing the discharge papers.”

Derek looks over to Mikey. “I’ll take Mikey back to my place, to Jasp, and come back for you two.” 

“I can drive us to your house,” I speak up, raising my hand like a child. He holds such authority, I actually feel like one sometimes; I think we all do when in his presence.

He looks between River and me and nods. “Okay, great. I’m guessing by the fact he hasn’t called me and isn’t here, Sammy doesn’t know about this?” He narrows his eyes at River and she squirms.

“I didn’t want to worry him with more stuff until I had to.” 

“Fair enough.”

My mouth pops open and River’s is a mirror image of mine. “Really? No lecture?”

He folds his arms, making the muscles bunch his suit jacket. “I agree that sometimes it’s best to keep things from those we love if it’s in their best interests.” She eyes him suspiciously. He drops his arms and collects Mikey up, leaving us.

I
got a call from Hans while setting up the barbecue to tell me they found the car and driver of the Mustang. It was involved in a car accident and the driver fits the description of the suspect from the lady who sold the car. But according to his driving licence, it says he is Matthew Roy. They found notes in the glove box that matched the ones found at the scenes of the crimes, but the driver is in critical condition and can’t be questioned. I needed to see him; I needed to see if it was Evan going by a different name.

I didn’t know what I wanted more: for it to be him and finally have him in front of me, or for it to be just a coincidence that I knew these women and these were random acts with no one but the sick fuck to blame for the crimes he inflicted.

I left things even more strained with Jasper and I hate the way things are between us at the moment, but know it’s my doing.

When I got to the hospital and saw that it wasn’t Evan, I was a little relieved. I wasn’t responsible for these victims, after all. I didn’t recognise this guy; his name was never in my arrest files. This was just coincidence.

“Officer Greer, who was watching Twinkle Toes, is outside. He said he couldn’t get your cell, but he followed your girls here,” Hans says behind me.

 My stomach hits the floor and I swear my vision clouds. “What?”

“It’s okay, I found out from the nurse they’re both okay, but she couldn’t share more details than that.”

I push past him into the corridor and locate a nurse, demanding they take me to them. I ask Hans and Greer not to leave the hospital until River and Kyra have left.

Mikey jumps from the car as soon as I pull up, he seems in high spirits which is a vast contrast to the last couple of weeks. I follow him into the house, and go through to the patio and find the birthday banner up, the barbecue set, and everything ready.

“Humph, woo buddy!” Jasper stutters, catching Mikey as he leaps into his arms. “Hey,” he coos, stroking his hair.

I feel relaxed for the first time in weeks. Jasper’s eyes find mine. “How come you’ve got Mikey?” 

I open my mouth to speak, but quickly close it at the commotion of Sammy coming in with Jase. We don’t get to see him as often as everyone would like and each time he seems to grow a foot.

I offer my hand to him and smile at his resemblance to Blaydon. “How you doing?” I ask, patting his shoulder.

He shrugs and nods his head, then looks over to Jasper and holds up a game. “Jasp, the new one, you up for some Xbox?”

Jasper lowers Mikey to the floor and clasps his hand. “Sure we are, silly question, little man.” 

Jase scoffs and jabs him in the stomach as he walks past him. “Less of the little, I’m nearly taller than you.”

I roll my eyes and nod a greeting to Sammy who chuckles as he watches the squabble ensue with Jasp, now holding Jase in a head lock and Mikey pulling on both their trouser legs.

I pull my cell from my pocket when I feel it vibrating, and gesture to Sammy that I’m taking a call. I move towards the pool house. “Jefferson.”

“Hey, Derek. It’s Maggie. I have the results to those DNA tests you wanted put through. Do you want me to tell you now, or shall I leave the mail on your desk?”

“No, tell me.”

I end the call and release the breath I was holding. River comes into view, followed by the vision that is Kyra, her red silky locks hiding her face from my view, and I take a few minutes to compose myself. I hadn’t realised how much I actually cared either way about the results. To me, Mikey is Sammy and River’s son regardless of the DNA that runs in his makeup. River was being irrational about the Danny business; she was proof that just because someone’s parent was dark and evil it doesn’t define who their children will become. It was the fact that Danny could take such a claim, such a great thing that came out of this that burned and stoked the fire of hate that always burned inside my gut for him.

I make my way towards them, each step matching the heavy thump in my chest.

“I’m fine, Sammy. I just needed water.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t call me. What if something bad
did
happen? And where was Mikey? He was with you when I left the studio this morning and yet was here when I arrived.”

“I went and got him from the hospital,” I say, and cringe when Sammy’s hard stare turns to me. Not many men can effect or intimidate me, but where River was concerned, Sammy was an alpha male king of the jungle not to be fucked with.

“You fucking knew about this and didn’t call me?”

“I didn’t know until later and by then she was fine and being released, so no point in phoning and worrying you while you were driving.”  I watch him digest what I’ve told him and the logic behind it. “Listen guys, about the DNA.”

“No!” River shakes her head and rests her hand on my chest. “I don’t want to get the test done. Mikey is our boy, mine and Sammy’s, and nothing can change that.”

Sammy looks to me with a furrowed brow and then to River, confused by her change of heart. “Nothing can change that, Riv.”

She smiles. “I know. So I don’t need to get the test.”

I rest my hand on her shoulder and gently grasp the nape of her neck. “I already ran the tests, sweetheart.” I chance a quick look to Sammy; his breathing has increased and I see pain flash in his eyes. “He’s your son.” I refocus my gaze on her. Her green orbs have filled with unshed tears and her bottom lip quivers.

“What?” she whispers, faintly.

“Confirmed. Sammy is his father, Riv.”

A strangled, choking sound comes from Sammy and he drops to his knees.

W
hen I met Sammy in college, he was broken, heartbroken. We bonded over some frat girl who was sticking her tongue down my throat all night at a college bar. When I went outside to take a call, I came back to find her on her knees in a corner booth with Sammy throat deep in her. I bought him a beer, took a seat, and waited my turn. I didn’t even have to ask her, she just finished Sammy off and moved on to me. Turned out her boyfriend had cheated on her and she was rebelling to teach him a lesson. He tried to teach me one when he caught her under our table with my dick in her hand. Sammy had my back and I had his from that day on. We’re like brothers, and hearing Derek tell him Mikey is, in fact, his washed relief through me like never before.

Watching him fall to his knees and sob nearly made me come undone. River pulls from Der and throws herself at Sammy, climbing into his lap and they cry together. I sense the ache, the joy and love for them that I feel reflected in Derek. I grab him into a hug; this is huge for our family. River needed the peace of mind and Sammy had a right to know, no matter how he felt either way.

“I’m so fucking happy for them,” I breathe into his ear.

His arms come around my back and squeeze. “Me too.”

I pull away and reach for River, pulling her into me. Sammy gets to his feet, swipes his face and grins. “Time to celebrate. Apart from his birth, this is the happiest day of my life. I knew he was mine, but fuck, this feels good. Where is he? Go get our son out here, Twink, he needs to know this too.”

We share a chuckle and move inside to get drinks. Kyra’s beautiful cheeks are flushed, her eyes glistening from the tears. We all felt the power from the relief for Sammy and River; she hadn’t been a part of our lives long, but she was quickly becoming a member of our family.

The evening wore on, and after food, we all came inside to give Jase his gifts. I kept sensing River’s and Derek’s eyes on me, and was beginning to get paranoid that they were planning something. I was on guard whenever Der came near me, but neither said anything to me and I was relieved. With Hannah still away, all this shit with Mikey aired out, I was feeling fucking happy for once. All my favourite people were in the same room and there was birthday cake.