Page 3 of Blood (A Killer’s Love #4)
CHAPTER THREE
Samantha
“Baby, go to bed.”
Blinking sleepily, I smile over at my mom. “I’m okay,” I whisper, tugging my blanket higher.
“You can hardly keep your eyes open, Sammy.” She tuts from the chair next to my sofa.
I smile at the nickname. My family rarely uses it. “I know, but Kaleb will be here soon, and I want to be down here when he gets here.”
“He never texted me back, sweetheart. He was probably already sleeping and won’t see it until he wakes later,” my dad adds from the kitchen.
“He’ll be here. Pauline said if he was on schedule, he should have been parked up and around four hours away from home, remember? He’ll be here,” I repeat. “Besides, I don’t want to leave Shelby on her own.” I nod at my best friend curled up on the sofa opposite the one I’m stretched out on.
“She’s hardly alone, baby. Your mom and I will be down here, and we’re definitely not sleeping.
” Dad chuckles, walking into the living room and over to my mom.
Joining her, he sits on the arm of her chair, passing her a bowl of chopped strawberries.
“My love.” He smiles down at her, and it makes me melt.
I want that. I want a man to look at me like I’m his whole world. Glancing down at my watch, I check the time again.
“Mom?”
I chuckle at Michael’s voice floating out of the cell on my mom’s quilt-covered lap. The sound of voices and movement coming from the phone has become a part of our night, with my mom and Michael refusing to end the call.
“Oh shoot.” Mom jumps, grappling to pick up the phone. “How’s Charlie? Any progress? How’s the baby?” she rushes, bombarding my older brother with questions.
His deep sigh rings out over the loudspeaker. “The baby’s heart rate has dropped a bit more. They’re getting Charlie ready for a C-section now. We’re heading down in a minute.”
“We? They’re letting you go in with Daniel?” Dad asks.
“Err, yeah.” Without seeing him, I know Michael is cringing.
“Let’s just say after the panic attack Daniel had when the heart monitor started beeping loudly, the hospital staff isn’t willing to separate him and Michael anytime soon,” my brother’s wife, Lara, explains.
“Daniel freaked out, and Michael calmed him down?” my mom asks.
“Yes, ma’am,” Lara confirms.
“And then, you calmed Michael?”
The sound of a kiss comes out of the phone before Michael confirms, “She always calms me.” We hear him kissing his wife again.
“Gross,” I call out, earning a chuckle from everyone on the call.
“I’m going to tell Kaleb not to give you any sugar while you’re with him,” Michael taunts me.
“Oh please, like I need that man’s permission. I’m a grown woman. In fact, he does as I tell him,” I lie.
Michael’s laughter is loud and contagious, and everyone else joins in.
Rolling my eyes, I huff a chuckle. “Whatever.”
“Have you explained to Charlie and Daniel why your dad and I aren’t there yet?”
“It’s fine, Mom. They understand. Given what’s been happening in town lately, they wouldn’t have it any other way,” Michael reassures her.
“I know, I know. I’m just worried and really want to be there. How’s Belle?”
“Asleep,” Lara says. “The little lady has been happy to hang with me in the waiting room. We colored our hearts out until she fell asleep.”
“You’re only an hour and a half away, so as soon as Kaleb gets here, your dad and I will be on our way. We’ll get a couple of hotel rooms before coming to get Belle,” Mom relays the plan.
“And by that, she means I’ll watch Belle while she frets over Charlie and the new baby,” Dad corrects.
“Sounds like a plan.” Michael makes a sound of confusion. “I’m surprised Kaleb hasn’t contacted you yet. Protocol is to call. He should have at least text to confirm he’s on his way.”
“Maybe he was asleep,” Dad defends.
“Doesn’t matter,” Michael disagrees. “He should have responded anyway. Are you sure he hasn’t called?”
Mom, Dad, and I look between us for a second before Mom shrugs.
“It wouldn’t matter if he called me. I have all numbers on Do Not Disturb so that this call wasn’t affected.”
Dad settles his hand on her shoulder. “My phone hasn’t rung.”
“Are you sure?” Michael asks.
“Pretty sure,” he mumbles, but he’s already up and moving.
“I don’t even know where my phone is.” I shrug.
Michael sighs. “You need to stop doing that. What happens if you have an emergency?”
“I’m always with one of you. What kind of emergency am I going to have?” I argue.
“Oops.” Dad walks back into the living room, his phone held high and the screen black. “It died,” he confirms as he crosses behind the sofa where Shelby is sleeping.
“Oh fuck!” Michael curses through the phone.