REUNIONS
"Hey…can I get you anything?"
Kara looked up from her perch on the window seat to see Jake Shaw gazing down at her with a perplexed look on his face. "No, I'm fine," she lied. She knew his question had made him uncomfortable. What could he get her? Her children? Take back all those hurtful things she had said to her husband? No, there was nothing he could get her and he knew it as soon as the words had left his mouth.
"Why don't you try to get some sleep," he suggested.
Kara sighed heavily and nodded as she stood. She had no intention of sleeping, but if she pretended, she could escape his presence. She had nothing against him; she just didn't want to be around anyone. She knew he would stay with her if she didn't leave the nursery. Monica had probably spotted her in the babies' room and sent Jake to coax her into leaving. It was as if they all believed that reminders of her children would make things worse, and that almost made her laugh. Did they not realize that there were signs and memories of the twins in each and every room? It wasn't something she could escape from; nor did she want to.
Where could she go? Another deep sigh escaped her as she made her way to the master bedroom. Without a word to Jake, she slipped inside and closed the door, clicking the lock into place. She would not find peace within the walls of the room, but she knew no one would venture into her solitude.
Crawling onto the large bed, she curled up in its center and hugged a pillow to her chest. Farron's pillow. She closed her eyes as she drank in his scent. The spicy, masculine smell gave her a sense of comfort and her thoughts drifted to happier times. Frolicking at the beach, the gentle touch of his hand on her belly when she was swollen with his children, the tender way he would make love to her when her world was upside down. A deep sob wrenched from her throat. How could she have lashed out at him so easily? She knew he loved their babies, she knew he loved her, and yet she had taken all her grief and terror and thrown it at him.
She had no idea how long she lay in bed thinking of their life together when her thoughts were interrupted by the determined chirping of a cell phone. Brushing the tears away, she sat up and half expected to see an annoying federal agent standing beside her bed with his phone held to his ear. But the chirp continued and she realized it was coming from the cell phone Farron used for work.
Thinking it was more than likely one of Farron's CPD buddies, she reached for the phone and pressed the send button. "Hello?"
"Who is this?"
Kara frowned at the heavily accented male voice. "Who is this," she returned.
"I would like to speak to Mateo Luis," the man demanded.
Kara felt as though her heart stopped. She rose gingerly to her feet and walked slowly to the door. "There is no one here by that name," she insisted firmly. She made her way down the back stairwell.
"Of course, my mistake," the man chuckled haughtily. "I believe he goes by Farron Donovan these days? Yes? Your husband, perhaps?"
Kara crept silently across the kitchen and made her way out the back door undetected. She was on autopilot; she had to reach her husband. "Yes, my husband. You have my babies?"
"Of course, I have those annoying creatures. I do not know how you managed to trap Mateo; he cares nothing for entanglements," Raphael spat hatefully. "He was always so careful with his putas."
Kara ignored his biting comments as she made her way across the lawn and through the path in the woods between the two estates. "How are the twins? Is someone taking care of them?"
"Please, I do not care about those sniveling, spoiled brats. I wish to speak to Mateo. You tell him…you tell him…I shall call again. If he is not there when I do call, I shall wrap those infants in a burlap bag, like the unwanted kittens they are, and toss them into the river myself!"
Kara stopped dead in her tracks as the line went dead. "NO," she screamed, running for Donovan's house. "Faaarrrrrrron," she called desperately, over and over, until she reached the house.
Farron sat bolt upright at her first cry. He was imagining things; it couldn't be her. He shook his head and immediately regretted the action. He had been so foolish to consume so much bourbon and now he was reaping its cruel reward. His eyes rose slowly to the den's closed door when he again heard his name cried out. "Oh, Shel," he groaned, stumbling from the bed. Somehow, he managed to make it to the back door as she began pounding on it and calling out his name. In the background, he could hear the wails of the suddenly awakened children and the hurried footsteps of their parents. He pushed that aside and threw the door open, catching his wife in his arms when she fell forward.
"Farron, oh Farron," she cried, hugging him tightly.
"I'm so sorry I hurt you, querida," he apologized, believing that was the reason she had come to him. He sank his fingers into her soft hair as he cupped the back of her head and covered her face in delicate kisses. He was never so happy to feel her in his arms.
Kara pulled away slightly, but only enough to see his face. She never wanted to be apart from him again. "That's not important now," she replied. Before she could say another word, his lips covered hers and she melted against him, losing herself within his kiss.
"Farron, Farron," she broke away, breathless. When she brought a hand up to his chest, she realized she still clutched his phone firmly within her grasp. From the corner of her eye, she saw Frank standing in the doorway with Loralei. Just as Farron believed, they thought she was only there to reconcile with her husband. And though she had every intention of doing that if he would have her back, it was not the reason she was there at all. "He…he…" she stammered, pressing the phone into Farron's hand.
"Shel, what is it," he questioned, looking down at the cell phone and then back to her terrified face.
"The man…from the note…he called," she explained through the hitch in her throat.
"What did he say," Donovan asked, as he reached for the phone and began dialing. "Cody, check the incoming calls on Farron's cell and see where the last call came from."
"He said," she began and turned her focus back to her husband's face. She pressed a gentle palm to the cheek she had smacked in anger hours before. "He would call back, but he didn't say when. If you don't take the call, he will see to it personally that our babies are thrown into the river and drowned."
Farron closed his eyes as he clutched his distraught wife to him. He gently rested his chin atop her head and stroked her back tenderly. "He will do no such thing, my love. I will take the call and I will meet his demands."
"Farron, you don't know what you're saying," Donovan interrupted.
Farron shook his head and handed his cell phone to his brother. "I know exactly what I am saying. When that phone rings, please, come get me," he said, nodding to the phone. "I will be ready."
Without another word, Farron gathered Kara into his arms and led her back to the den. He wasn't up to taking her back to their house. Instead, he took her to the one place in his brother's house that made any sense to him. He set her down gently on the uncomfortable mattress and knelt before her. Burying his face against her breast, he wept. He wept for the loss of his children and the return of his wife.
Kara lovingly stroked his hair as she cried along with him. They had yet to share their grief and they both needed that release. "Can you ever forgive me," she whispered when her throat would finally allow her to form words. She felt the softest of kisses pressed to the hollow of her throat just before he pulled away from her.
"There is nothing to forgive, Kara. I love you," he assured her as he wiped her tears away. He closed his eyes momentarily when she returned the gesture. He caught her hands in his and pressed a kiss into each palm. "There are not enough words to tell you how sorry I am that my past…"
Kara tenderly pressed a finger to his lips. "I was so wrong to throw that in your face. You've never done anything to deserve that treatment," she explained, cupping his face lovingly. "You're a wonderful husband and father, my darling Farron. No one or nothing can touch that; not even your past." She kissed his lips softly. "I lost sight of that for a moment."
A groan escaped him as he pulled her into his embrace. "I don't deserve you, querida," he insisted, burying his face in her hair.
"I won't listen to that, baby," she whispered. "I love you. The only thing missing from our lives is our children and…"
He pulled back and gazed intently into her eyes. "Whatever it takes, whatever it takes, I promise you that I will get our angels back." He was not a fool and he knew his wife was not one either. What he was telling her was that Raphael Ortiz was not a man who would simply accept payback; he wanted revenge for his father. There would be no coming back from this. It was something that Farron accepted without hesitation.
Kara whimpered, pressing her forehead against his. It was all she could manage to vocalize. She didn't want to let her mind process what he was trying to tell her. If she did that, then she would be accepting his absence in her life. She wanted her family back, and that included him.
His lips sought hers, conveying in his kiss all of his love and heartache. When he felt her response, he stood and eased her up from the bed. Slowly, without words, without the slightest of noises, he removed her clothing. Inch by inch, he studied every line, every curve, as if burning her image into his memory to take with him, wherever he might go.
When Farron reached for the buttons on his shirt, Kara covered his hand with hers as she shook her head. It was her turn, and she treasured every moment as she discarded garment after garment, placing tender kisses over his exposed flesh. Once her task was complete, she held her arms out to him, wrapping him in her embrace as they sank down onto the very bed where they had made love for the first time.
Their eyes locked onto each other's as Farron propped himself up onto his elbows, positioning himself between her legs. There was no need for words, no endearments, no promises exchanged. What was between them was timeless – it was love. A physical act that said more than words ever could. As he buried himself deep inside her, she ran her hands along his forearms until her palms pressed against his and their fingers entwined. As their bodies moved together as one, each kiss, each touch, was cherished as though it would be the last. When release came, along with it came a flood of tears that neither could prevent.
* * *
After composing themselves enough to face the world, or their small part of it, Farron and Kara dressed and left the den, making their way to the living room. Settling down on the loveseat, Farron pulled Kara close to him. He knew it was strange, but he just could not let go of her. From the way she snuggled up against him, he knew she felt the same way.
Farron's attention was drawn to the couch where Donovan sat with his wife and children. Although he had been too preoccupied to notice when Kara first arrived at the house, Farron would venture to guess that his twin had been seeking the same solace with his wife that he had with Kara. In their haste to get to the children and then downstairs to a distraught sister in-law, it appeared as though they both threw on whatever was handy. Donovan wore a pair of ratty pajama bottoms and robe, while Loralei had managed only to slip into Donovan's shirt, which was buttoned crookedly. It would seem that he had just one more thing in common with his brother. He found just the slightest amount of comfort knowing that his brother, who was most likely riddled with his own guilt, felt the need to make the world disappear within the arms of his wife.
Kara's eyes followed Tristan as he made a path in the carpet with his favorite truck until he ran into his favorite speed bump – his sister, Rachel. She stomped over to her mother, protesting her brother's actions. Kara watched as Loralei comforted her daughter, wishing with all she had in her that it were her son and daughter that were safe at home. In that instant, she hated Donovan and Loralei for having what was ripped away from her. She also hated herself for feeling that way toward two of the best people she had ever known, but mostly, she hated herself for allowing her children to be abducted right before her eyes.
Her eyes locked with Loralei and sighed. She had to have known that her husband had been checking into the whereabouts of Farron's former associates the entire time. It cut deeply that they kept this information from her, so deeply she did not think the wound would ever heal. Yet, she could not find the strength to be angry with her sister in-law. Kara's mind drifted back to the night Farron and Donovan had cooked them dinner and recalled the unease she felt between Loralei and Donovan that night. Was that the issue that had caused the friction? Kara suspected it was and that Loralei had argued with Frank until she was blue in the face. Kara sighed again, wishing futilely that they had thought enough of her to share their concerns. Chances were, if they had, she would have been much more careful where the twins were concerned. She offered Loralei a weak smile, hoping to convey that she understood that sometimes, no matter the objections, one just had to support her husband.
Happily oblivious to the tension in the room, Rachel wandered from her parents over to her uncle. She tapped his leg to get his attention and waited impatiently for him to help her into his lap. Not happy there, she immediately scooted over to her Aunt Kara and gazed questioningly between the two. "Is laytah, Unka," she insisted, glancing around the room.
Farron stiffened, instantly aware of her demand. It was later, and he had said Brittany and Bryce would be there. He focused his eyes on Kara's grief-stricken face for a moment before answering. "Not tonight, Rachel."
"Bitt and Bice…laytah," she repeated, turning to Aunt Kara and throwing her little arms around her neck.
"That's right, angel," Kara whispered, hugging her niece tightly. "Later." Her tear-filled eyes met Farron's and she struggled to keep from crying again. She poured every ounce of longing for her children into Rachel's hug and pretended, for just a tiny moment, that she was hugging her babies.
Loralei stood, straightening out her husband's shirt as she did, and moved silently to where Tristan was playing with his truck. When she picked him up, he let out a frustrated cry, but refused to release his beloved toy. "Come on, kiddo, I think you should sleep for a few more hours."
Donovan made moves to stand. "I'll help you put them down. It might take a while."
Kara shook her head. "No, Frank. I already have Rachel. I'll help. Do you mind, Loralei?"
She shook her head. "No, I don't mind at all."
Neither child was happy about having to go back to bed. They refused kisses from their father and uncle. Uh uh. This wasn't fair and they were letting the world know it. The two women took the children upstairs and went about the chore of getting them to bed. As it turned out, Tristan was harder to coax to sleep than Rachel. It was usually the other way around. Loralei watched as Kara sat with Tristan in her lap, rocking him gently, quietly humming to him. Watching her nearly broke Loralei's heart. She couldn't fathom the idea of losing her children in such a way and had no idea how Kara was holding it together. Loralei was certain that by now, she would have gone stark raving mad. Eventually Tristan gave in to the grasp of sleep, but he wouldn't release his hold on his toy. Kara carried the little one to his bed and laid him down. Only when his back hit the mattress did the truck fall out of his tiny fist. Kara took it and placed it gently on top of his toy box. Any noise louder than that would set him off again. The two women left Tristan's bedroom, and Kara had started back downstairs. Before she could touch the first step, Loralei pulled her back.
"Come with me," Loralei said.
The two women entered Loralei and Donovan's bedroom. Quietly, Loralei turned on the light and dug around for a robe. In the rush of activity, she didn't realize that all she had on was her husband's discarded shirt. Loralei slipped into the robe and turned to face her sister in-law. "Kara, we haven't spoken since this…this happened. I don't have words to express what I'm feeling inside right now. I just know that if it were Tristan and Rachel, I wouldn't have lasted as long as you. Another thing, I knew what Frank was doing. He and I had our fights about it, but I ultimately…"
Kara shook her head, lifting her hand at the same time. "No, Loralei. Please. I know what you're about to say, and it's all right. I just…just don't have it in me to be angry anymore. It was misguided and misdirected."
Loralei nodded. "Okay. I just want you to know that I'm here for you in whatever capacity I can serve. You and Farron were a great help to me when Frank was…was in the hospital. That's something I'll never forget." The two women exchanged a brief hug. Loralei pulled back first. "There's something else I'd like to discuss with you. When you go back home, I'd like to come along to be there for you and my brother in-law. I'll have to bring the kids with me, of course, and I want to make sure that you're going to be okay with that."
"It's okay. I'd love for you and the kids to be there."
Downstairs, Donovan noticed that his brother looked a little worse for wear. He had his wife back, and that was something, but he still wasn't complete. The son of Jesus Ortiz had kidnapped the twins, had made his initial demand, and all that was left was to await the phone call. He wasn't sure that Ortiz would call back on Farron's work cell, but he refused to turn off the phone. Donovan glanced at his brother again and saw that he had begun to stare straight ahead at an object only he could see.
"This isn't about five million dollars," Farron spoke suddenly, nearly making his brother jump. He didn't think Donovan was so stupid to assume that it was about money, but he had to get this out in the open, because he knew what he had to do. "Men like Ortiz can make five million dollars in half a day. It's nothing to him. Pennies. He wants my hide, Frank. He wants me to pay for his father and no amount of money in the world will do that. I want to face him, Frank, face him and do whatever I can to see an end to this. Look out for my babies, would you? My life may be a horrendous thing for them to grow up with, but with your influence, they'll thrive."
"Farron, what the fuck are you talking about," he demanded. "You will be here for your babies. They will thrive within your arms. You have the team and me. I will not see them anywhere but in your arms. Do you understand? Whatever you're thinking, drive it out immediately. I won't hear it. I just got you back in my life and I don't want to lose you again. Do you understand?"
"I understand," Farron said, nodding his agreement. However, would he keep his promise? He sincerely doubted it.
"You and Kara sleep over. Keep the cell phone handy in case Ortiz calls back. In a few hours, we'll go back to your house to await further instructions."
Farron nodded, but very few words actually got through to him. He knew what he was going to do, regardless of what he told his brother. It didn't matter. He was going to do it his way or no way at all. He looked up when he saw Loralei and Kara descending the stairs. At the sight of his wife, Farron's heart swelled. He still couldn't believe she was back in his arms. For one more night, he would sleep with her against him. He didn't know how many nights he had left. Once Kara and Farron retired, Loralei joined her husband on the sofa.
"What do you think," Loralei asked.
Donovan kissed the side of her throat. "I think if I don't keep my eye on Farron, he's going to do something stupid. Later, after the sun rises, we're going back to their house to await Ortiz's call. I'm not sure he would risk another cell call. Surely by now, Cody has it traced. Unless he's a blithering idiot, he'll call straight through to the main line, but I doubt he'll call back tonight. He wants to torture them. It's the Colombian way."
"God, Frank, I can't believe this is happening. It doesn't seem real. I wish I could do something for them. Every time they see the children, their hearts break. What if…"
Donovan placed his fingers over her lips. "No, my love. We're getting them back and that's that. Go with Kara, she needs you. Farron is a good support system for her, but he's going to be focused on revenge and his need to meet Ortiz face to face."
She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I love you, Frank." She took his hand and stood him up. "Come on, get a few hours sleep at least. These next few days are going to be hell."
He willingly took her hand and followed her upstairs. He couldn't help but think: Hell isn't the word, my love.
--To be continued…