Chapter 18

P O V: Leslie Shay

Tell Anyone anything about your past, your son dies,"

I've stared at the letter a million times since I received it two months ago. My heart hasn't stopped racing since the day we found the boy, the mysterious boy who's name I haven't bothered to learn. Despite the fact I've visited his ICU hospital room almost every day. He's been in a coma for the last two months until this week. I know who sent this letter, I know he isn't playing either.

He's the reason I am up every night with these damn nightmares, I can't sleep. I can barely eat, all I do is worry about Cashel's safety. I know I am driving him crazy but if anything would to happen to my son because of me, I would nerve forgive myself.

The nightmares change each night but they end the same with Cash laying in a grave, his voice haunting me waking me up "Mamma you could of saved me, why didn't you listen mamma?"

Every-time I end up waking up shaking tears pouring out running to his room to see him sprawled out in his boxers, legs hanging out, snoring slightly. He's always fine, yet it never stops me from worrying or locking each door multiple times. Checking his windows, texting him in the day, calling his school to make sure he's in his classes. Thankfully his teachers, his principle are pretty cool about overprotective moms or he'd probably be kicked out of school.

The only saving grace I have is that Gabby is so distracted with Sylvie and Brent she barely notices anything that is going on with me lately. Even if they did how would I explain to them? No one knows about my past. My parents made damn sure of that. I was taken when I was eleven, held for nearly three years, made to believe my parents didn't care. They drilled it into my head that I was a kid who's imagination was too big, that I dreamed my parents cared enough to look for me, when the reality was they declared me dead a long time ago.

They did everything to convince me that I was better off with them, they threatened Megan on a daily basis till I was so terrified to even think about calling for help. It wasn't all bad all the time. They fed me, gave me clothes, helped me with my homework, I never stopped going to school. We just moved all the time every few months, they said it was because his job kept him traveling. They dyed or cut my hair each time, got contacts for me or glasses. Now I understand it was because the police were closing in. I use to see posters of me in towns when we would go into town, I always kept hope inside that someday somewhere. Someone would recognize me call those numbers. Yet I never voiced it out loud. I knew what would happen. He'd get mad really mad than the beatings would start, the stravation. It would continue till I was a good girl, till the lesson was learned.

He took pleasure in it I know he did, I learned quickly to not show fear. He thrived on weakness. When I was good I was his little buddy, he used me to scout kids, god I hated it. I knew if I didn't do it though I would pay the price. So I did it, he taught me the right kids to look for. Each town we went to, we scouted the schools I attended I looked for the kids from broken homes, the ones who's parents were distanced. I got good at it, a skill I learned which benfits me now as a paramedic. People observation. Back then though it made me sick. I knew what awaited them, when Rae and Teddy got a hold of them. They would be used as their little expertiments once the grooming was done. They'll call them into their rooms, tell them that since they're so nice to them. They excepted payment back. They would take turns raping them, making them preform for them. Rae was always the nice one, the one who would apologize as she was forcing you to do the most vile things to our little bodies. Teddy was rougher stronger, he'd laugh and tell us he was making us into men, women. He scared me but I never showed it.

When I was rescued three and half years later I was shocked to discover how much money my parents spent searching for me. I truly thought they didn't care. They did though my story made national headlines, reporters we're all over us, excepting interviews, wanting to know what happened, why I didn't leave. It got so bad we were forced to leave Beverly Hills, change our names. I took the name of my then best friend Elizabeth Leslie and switched them. I picked Shay as a last name because I loved the singer Shay who was from Ireland. We moved to St. Lois. No one there knew who we were what we had been through, it did our family good to start fresh. I thought my past was behind me, till now.

"Scream and you die Lizzie, I promise you that adorable son of yours will be next," His voice was cold calm which was more unnerving than if he had been panicked, the cold metal blade was pressed against my throat. I saw his face in the mirror, his body was pressed to my back, his arm wrapped around my waist. I never even heard him come into the restroom, nor did I see him till he was on me. I'm losing my touch, I should have been aware.

"Listen to me carefully Lizzie, I will not repeat myself, failure to do as I say will result in Cashel's death, and to make sure you always remember just how powerful I am, I will make sure Sam pays the price for your stupidly as well, guess you'll never have Gabriela's love then will you?"

How did he know? His accuracy was uncanny and quite scary "I know you Lizzie remember that, I own you. Now move don't scream, don't try to warn anybody just walk, you will get me into the PICU with your badge, you will get me into his room and help me get him out of this hospital, no funny business or I'll kill those kids your so crazy about, I know you can do this Lizzie don't let us down," for the first time I saw he was dressed in scrubs. "My son is coming home with me a son's place is with his father, No one will tell me that Ashe isn't mine,"

He shoved me hard I had to grip the wall for balance my chest was tight sweat dripped down my face. If he killed me it would be forever before anyone even noticed I was missing, everyone I loved was up in the maternity unit with Sylvie who is in active labor.

Please god don't leave me now please watch over my boys and I.