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Chapter Thirty

Jolie

The guys have been working for the last twenty-four hours straight to narrow down where Ziyon could have taken the babies. They have ruled out a lot of nearby areas, but we don’t seem any closer to knowing for sure. He has managed to move around like a ghost—not popping up on any traffic cameras or CCTV, but why would he when he knows what we have access to?

I leave the nursery and walk down into the kitchen, but the last thing I want to do is eat. Petra is brutal, though, and won’t take no for an answer. I have never known her to be so pushy, but she is making me eat to keep up my strength and trying to get me to sleep, even though I’m filled with dread.

She figured out one of my weaknesses and uses Creed to make that happen. He is like a syphon for all the negative energy that keeps me awake. Exhaustion has wrecked my body so badly that whenever he holds me, my eyes can’t stay open. Avoiding him only works for so long, especially since I don’t want to hurt his feelings, but right now, I need to be awake.

What if we need to leave quickly? There is no way I’m not going. I refuse to be left behind or kept in the dark to spare my feelings. I’m not fragile and was born into this life just like them, making me just as capable. I want my babies back, and no one will stand in my way.

I needed a break from feeling like we take ten steps forwards and twenty steps backwards, so I have hidden away and haven’t seen any of my guys for a few hours. As the days move on, I feel like all hope is lost. Regret builds over not involving the police, but that’s not how Olympia works. Besides, we have more resources than they do.

My phone rings, and I see Grace’s name on the screen. Feeling guilty that I haven’t even checked up on her, I let her call go to voicemail. I send Petra a message to see if she can send her some flowers.

I just can’t deal with talking to anyone right now. Sinclair and Blayne stopped calling and now send me messages instead. Even though I don’t reply, they keep telling me they are thinking of me and ask if there is anything they can do. I miss them, but I just can’t handle the pity in their voices. Jimmie hasn’t left here in days, and it makes me feel bad that he is missing the end of Betty’s pregnancy right when she needs him the most.

I look around the empty living room with disdain. Creed worked hard to have this house done for us, but staring at the same four walls is driving me bat-shit crazy. Something has to give soon before I can no longer keep up appearances and have a full-blown breakdown. I’m being strong for the babies and for the guys, but I don’t know how much longer my strength can hold out.

“Hello?” I hear the word echo through the foyer. “Someone, please help me.”

My ears prick up, and I’m on my feet instantly. I know that voice, but it can’t be her. There’s no way. I push myself as fast as I can, running through the house. Tears spring to my eyes at the sight before me. Melinda stands in the foyer, two baby capsules in her hands, and her body covered in copious amounts of blood.

“Guys!” I scream at the top of my lungs. “Help me!”

I take the capsules from Melinda’s hands, and the second they are secure, she collapses on the ground. The awe I feel at seeing my babies sleeping soundly before me is astounding, and I place them safely on the ground. Then I rush over to Melinda’s crumpled form and lift her shirt. Blood pours freely from a hole in her side. I cover it with my hand, putting as much pressure on it as I can to try and stop the bleeding.

Suddenly Case is kneeling at my side. “Here, let me take over. You take the babies into their room.”

I nod, wiping my hands on my shirt. “Come on, Star. I will help you get them upstairs. Creed needs to look over Melinda.”

“I need to know if she is okay,” I whisper as Trace helps me to my feet.

“Little Angel,” Chester growls, pulling me away from Trace. “She’s in shock and she has lost a bit of blood. We will fix her and set her up in a guest room. Then you can speak with her.”

I nod, moving out of his arms towards Trace and Marlow, who have each picked up a capsule. Brennan is at my side in an instant and takes my hand as we follow behind them. I leave the others to take care of Melinda and find out exactly what happened. We stop at the bathroom so I can wash my hands, before heading into the nursery.

“What do we do?” I ask the guys. They have placed the capsules on the mat in the nursery, and the babies are strapped in and sound asleep. The four of us stand around them in a circle and look down.

“Should we take them out?” Marlow suggests.

“Mum used to say ‘never wake a sleeping baby’ when Boston was born,” Brennan adds.

“Does it apply to babies this small?” Trace asks.

“I texted a red alert to the babies’ medical team, and they should arrive soon. Also, I messaged Mum, so she should be here soon too.”

Laughn walks into the room, and he looks between us and the babies. “Why are you all just standing around?”

“Because we don’t know what to do,” Marlow answers. “They’re sleeping.”

“We need to check them over,” he says, walking towards us. He takes the lead and squats down, unlocking one of the seat belts. “Jolie,” he chastises me when I just continue standing there dumbfounded.

I startle and move to his side instantly, and he lifts a tiny baby in a blue onesie out of the capsule and hands him to me. My heart beats like crazy as I hold my son for the first time.

Laughn moves to the other capsule and does the same, pulling out our daughter, who is dressed in a light-pink suit. She looks so small cradled in his tattooed arms. “Let’s lay them on their change tables, and I will make sure they have no injuries.”

I feel like an idiot since I don’t know what I should do, but I don’t think they’re hurt. Once the babies are down, Laughn snaps at Brennan to take my place. I step to the side and hold Zadom’s tiny little hand, and Trace does the same to the little girl we haven’t named yet.

Laughn unbuttons the suit, and Brennan follows his movements. There are no bruises, and everything looks fine. Relief washes over me at the sight of them unharmed. I don’t know what I would have done if something was wrong, or they were hurt and all I did was stare at them.

A knock at the door has us all turning around to see Grace walk into the room, followed by the babies’ paediatrician.

“What are you doing here?” I ask Grace. “You should be resting.”

She shrugs. “I hate staying in bed. When I got the message, I was out of there. Now, let us check those babies over,” she gushes and pushes through the guys. Seeing her assert herself like that around them makes me giggle. I already love her and her “take no shit” attitude. Most people would be too scared to look at Laughn, let alone push him aside.

Laughn steps back and leans down to whisper in my ear. “Do we like her?”

“We love her. If she says jump, you ask how high. I want her here, around them as much as possible. So, make that happen.”

“Whatever you want, baby.”

One by one, the guys fill the room surrounding me while the doctors check every inch of the babies’ bodies. They cried a little, but Grace linked their hands and they stopped.

It all feels surreal, like none of this could possibly be happening.

“Tenshi,” Creed whispers, and I take a step back.

“How is Melinda?” I ask quietly.

“Fine. She was shot, but it was just a flesh wound. Melinda is refusing to talk to any of us, though. Do you want to try to talk to her?”

I hesitate, nibbling on my lip, glancing between the twins and the door. I don’t want to leave the babies, but she saved them and brought them to me. The least I can do is see her.

“Where is she?” I ask.

“She is in Boston’s old room,” he says, and I nod.

“None of you take your eyes off them, do you understand? Not even to blink.”

No one argues with me. Good boys. As I leave the room, I’m grateful both wings are now accessible. Crossing the new walkway that was added in the remodel, I walk towards Boston’s old room. Pushing the door open, my gaze scans the room until it lands on Melinda. She is lying on the bed, hooked up to a drip. For a moment, I wonder if she is sleeping, but her eyes open when I walk in.

“Hey,” she croaks.

“Hi, I need you to tell me what happened, please. I’m a mixed bag of emotions. I’m not sure if I need to break down and cry or hurt someone.”

“First off, I have my memories back,” she says.

I move over to the chair next to the bed and sit to listen.

“He must have known, somehow. So much happened, but when he started talking about the babies, there was nothing I could do. He took my phone almost immediately and had me watched. I’m so sorry I couldn’t warn you,” she says, her voice trembling badly. “We had a fight, and I told him I was bringing the babies home to their mother, but he didn’t want to hear anything I said. Ziyon told me I was their mother now. He kept telling me that over and over again. He even shot me when I refused to listen. I had them in their capsules, ready to bring home to you. Once he shot me, that security guy Paul tried to tackle Ziyon, but the gun went off and it fell to the floor.”

“Paul went down, and I don’t know if he is dead or not. I picked up the gun and shot Ziyon. He told me you didn’t deserve them, but I couldn’t let him take them away from you. I lost Zhavia and then you, so I couldn’t let that happen again.”She pauses, biting her bottom lip and taking a deep breath as her eyes turn glassy. “I remember your sister’s birth. She was a fighter and I wish I could remember yours, but that sweet little girl reminded me so much of your sister. Does she have a name yet?”

Zhavia... I wonder how Melinda would feel about me naming her after her aunt.

“I was thinking maybe I could call her Zhavia.”

“I would love that,” she whispers as tears fall down her cheeks.

“Can you tell me where you were? We will need someone to collect the bodies before the police get involved.”

She nods. “I can, I’m so sorry. I did everything I could.”

“It will all be okay now that the babies are home. Just rest, and one of the guys will come in and get the location. I will come back and check on you once I spend some time with my children. I feel like I have missed so much.”

She nods and starts to sit up further, in hopes of what, I don’t know, but I leave the room. Right now, I can’t feel bad for her—I need to focus on the babies. We have plenty of time to catch up, and she can tell me the whole story then.

The soft cries of the babies have me walking at a fast pace. The closer I get, the more my boobs start to tingle. What sort of alien crap is this? I look down at my shirt, and the front is completely wet.

I walk through the nursery door, and the guys are preoccupied with the babies. Grace is showing them how to hold them the right way. I lean against the wall and listen.

“So you mean I can’t pick them up by their legs?” Laughn questions. Grace’s head whips over to him and she cuts him a glare. He laughs, and she realises he is just stirring her up. “Chill, we’ve got this.”

“That isn’t reassuring, especially after that buffoon asked what he can plug their face with to stop the noise.”

Boston shakes his head. “Don’t they have plugs for their faces?”

“Dummies or pacifiers, but not plugs, Boston.”

“They’re just pulling your leg, Grace. These idiots have read every book on babies you could possibly find.”

“Thank god you’re back—I can’t deal with them. How do you not hurt them?”

I laugh at her.

“Because she has a special way to take her anger out on us,” Creed whispers in her ear, and she shivers. I grit my teeth because most women would fall to their knees over Creed and beg to suck his dick, but not Grace—she pushes him in his side and flips him off.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asks me. “I can’t imagine screwing them would make up for their personalities. Though these cute babies do help their cause.”

“You will love us in no time,” Kai says, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “We will be the best of friends.”

“I doubt it,” she throws back. “I have my own friends.”

“Burn,” Case snickers at his brother.

Zadom starts to cry, and Boston holds him up like he is poison. “Someone take it please, it smells bad.”

Grace swoops in and takes him. “Jolie, did you want to change him?”

I nod and walk over to the change table, where she places him down. “How hard can it be to change a nappy?” I state.

Boy, did I eat my words quickly. He pissed on me and Grace, and then he got shit everywhere and needed a complete outfit change. The guys all left me and Grace to get the babies changed. They needed to send a team in with Chester to retrieve Ziyon and Paul. I’m not sure who is going, but I’m just grateful they are dealing with it quietly.

“Knock, knock.”

Annabella and Grandma Betty walk into the nursery with tears in their eyes. They didn’t get a chance to meet the babies before they were taken.

Grace steps back and starts cleaning up the poopsplosion, giving us some space, and I’m extremely grateful that she doesn’t leave the room.

“Look how little they are!” Annabella coos.

“Did you want to hold them?” I ask her, and her face lights up.

Annabella takes a seat on the other rocking chair while Grace rushes over and takes Zadom, helping place him in Annabella’s arms.

“Be careful with that one, it’s butt likes to explode,” Boston says, coming back into the room and squatting down beside his mum.

Grace helps me up so Grandma Betty can sit and hold Zhavia. Even though I haven’t spoken to the guys about her name yet, in my head I can’t call her anything else.

“I can’t believe it,” Annabella says to Boston. “I never imagined you or your brother could create something so precious. Look at his little nose.”

“I’m still on the fence about it all. The smell that came out of that tiny body was absolutely disgusting. I don’t know if I’m cut out for a baby.”

“You will be fine. Lucky for you, there are lots of able hands.”

Boston laughs at her. “Mum, we had Petra and nannies our whole lives. Did you even change a nappy?”

“A couple,” she admits with a laugh.

“Look at the Emmerson ears on this little poppet,” Betty says. I’m not sure how much they know about the genetics of our kids, but the guys would have explained to them what happened with the babies, or at least what we expected to happen. “They have that slight little point at the top, like pixie ears.”

As I lean down to look, I smile because they do, and while I never paid any notice to Marlow or Chester’s ears before now, I think I need to.

“It just amazes me they have so much DNA running through them. How is it even possible? Brennan tells me they are no closer to knowing anything yet.”

“They are working on getting your daughter to work for Olympia again,” I say to Betty.

She chuckles. “Good luck with that. That girl is so damn stubborn. If it’s okay with you, can I send her some photos? Maybe when she can see how precious they are, she might change her mind.”

“Of course you can,” I tell her.

Photos. I hadn’t even thought to take any since they have been back. I’m such a terrible mother.

We spend some time with Grandma Betty and Annabella before they excuse themselves, giving me privacy to feed the babies.

After trying for half an hour, I managed to get Zhavia to latch on and feed for a little bit. Grace even convinced Boston to sit and bottle-feed Zadom some breast milk.

Everything seems to be working in our favour—finally. I really hope there are no more surprises waiting for us, so we can now just relax and focus on being a new family.