Chapter Twenty
Finnick called the detectives and they thought his Mother should be notified. Finnick doesn't want his Mom going anywhere near John and I don't blame him because we know his end game. John wants to kill Linda.
Our front door opens and it's Linda. She hugs me and then Finnick.
"You should've called earlier." She says.
"We didn't know what he wanted." Finnick says.
"I'll make sure to get my grandson back." She says.
"Mom… no." Finnick says.
I leave the room. I don't want to be apart of this discussion.
"Finnick you know he'll get his way in the end." She says.
I walk upstairs and sit in Nick's room pressing his teddy bear to my chest. I feel a tear roll down my cheek.
"I just want my baby back." I whisper to myself.
I can hear the conversation getting heated downstairs. The detectives are getting involved as well.
"I'm sure Annie thinks so too." Linda says.
I close my eyes and feel the tears leak out.
"I'm sure she doesn't right Annie?… Annie?" Finnick says confused.
"She went upstairs dear." Linda says.
I breathe in and out deeply knowing Finnick will come running up here trying to get him to convince his Mother to see John is a stupid choice.
"Annie?" Finnick says and sits next to me. He wipes the tears away and I open my eyes.
"Anything?" I whisper.
"They're deciding what to do when John calls with further instructions." Finnick says and I nod.
"You were fighting with your Mom." I say.
"That's because she wants to see him." Finnick says.
"She'll have police detail though." I say.
"He doesn't want that." He says.
I sigh.
"They'll make sure she's safe." I say.
I hear the doorbell go off and Finnick and I both rush downstairs.
The police only want Finnick or myself to answer the door or phones.
I open the door and feel fury.
"Ding dong." Christina says with a smirk and shoves past me.
"Where is he?" I say. I don't know if I mean Nick or John.
She rolls her eyes.
"John is right you are predictable." She says and looks towards Linda.
"Don't you think it's a little stupid to come when you know cops will be here?" Finnick says.
"Just consider this my confession." She looks towards the detectives and smiles.
They start to walk towards her, probably to put her in handcuffs but I stop them.
"Why else did you come here?" I ask.
"I'm here to deliver the message." She smirks.
"What message?" I ask.
"Where John wants to meet." She says. She looks towards the detectives. "He doesn't want any police and if he spots them, which he will, he'll take Finnick Junior and make sure you'll never see him again."
"And where does he want to do this?" One of the detectives ask.
"A very public spot. He wants an exchange." She laughs to herself. "Linda for the kid after you have the kid you don't go looking. Well you could but you'll never find them." She says.
"When is this supposed to take place?" Linda asks.
"An hour to give you some time to think." She smirks and gives us the place which is a local cafe. It's only fifteen minutes away. He'll probably sit outside. One of the detectives arrests her and one stays behind.
"We should go." Linda says.
"Mom." Finnick says harshly.
"Finnick, I'll be fine and this is what's right." She says.
"We will have police watching close by." The detective says.
"But he doesn't-" Finnick starts.
"Does John seem like the person who doesn't want to be dramatic?" I say.
"He likes to show people he's smarter than them. He wants the police to come Finnick." Linda says.
"If something happens to you-" Finnick starts
"Don't worry Finnick, I won't get hurt." She says.
Finnick and I were originally instructed not to come. The police think Finnick will get involved and I don't blame them, however I did convince them to let me come.
I get to watch from afar in one of the police cars. I can see just enough to see John sitting outside with Nick on his lap. I also see Linda start walking to the table.
John POV.
Linda sits down at the table across from me.
I smile.
"I was almost concerned you wouldn't show." I say but she isn't looking at me, she is looking at our grandchild. "He looks like, Finnick doesn't he?" I say and bounce him on my lap causing him to cry slightly. "Oh that's right, I wouldn't know." I say.
"Just give Finnick and Annie Nick back." She says gently and reaches for the child but I turn him away causing him to start crying.
"Give him to me." Linda says.
"So you can steal him away. I can see the police all around us Linda." I say.
"I'll go with you John, but you have to give Nick back first." She says.
"I don't see either of his parents here." He smirks.
"Annie's here, she's just hiding." Linda says nervously.
"Then I want her hear now!" I say loudly.
Linda makes a movement and I see a car door open. I see Annie. The police shouldn't be doing this so easily. It's almost sad. It's also insane how they think they're going to catch me.
Annie comes up close. I remember her from her college days. She still has that nice smell about her. She looks less innocent, but that isn't surprising. She still looks beautiful though. I still wonder how Finnick brought a girl like her to bed and I wonder how she tricked him into staying around. I watched Finnick long enough in college to know he bedded many women and they didn't stay very long. I don't understand why Annie's so special. When I spent that time with her she didn't seem all that special.
I look her up and down, sometimes I regret the fact that I didn't take her forcefully because she's so beautiful and I could feel what Finnick does. I almost want to change the deal for Linda and Annie, but I know that wouldn't work. I can't have them both because it would make it easier for them to escape, besides a child needs its mother and father.
"You look lovely." I say to her but she is just looking at her son. "Look at me Annie." I say demanding.
She does and I can see fear and sadness in her eyes.
"Don't worry I took perfect care of him. Fed him. Changed him. Burped him. My grandson is such a good sleeper." I say. I can tell she feels sick that I used the word grandson but she won't say anything she isn't the type. "I wanted to make sure he was safe because of what happened to my granddaughter." I say. I can see Linda's body stiffen at these words and it looks like Annie wants to yell or breakdown into tears.
"I see." Annie says and keeps gazing at her son.
"Yes, he did call out for Mama and Dada." I say which makes her expression worsen. I smile. "Where's Finnick?" I ask. I don't really care but am surprised he didn't come.
"He didn't come." She says vaguely.
"Obviously that's why I'm asking."
"Can I just have my son back?" She says and is reaching for him. I can see tears start to form in her eyes.
I roll my eyes.
"No need to be overdramatic Annie." I say.
She looks at me confused.
"You can have him and after this I will be out of your life for good." I say.
A crease forms between her eyebrows. She thinks I'm lying and she should, but after I get rid of Linda I will have no point to see the Odair family again. Besides, I know Finnick will have to live with the grief of what has happened to his Mother.
"Okay." She says softly.
"You can take your son and I can take Linda and we'll all be on our merry way." I say.
Annie swallows hard she doesn't like this deal, but she loves her son too much to just walk away now.
She takes him from me slowly. He stops crying instantly knowing he's now in familiar hands, safe hands. She presses him to her chest and he leans his head against her cheek.
"You're okay baby." She whispers and kisses his head.
"Mama." He whispers.
"You can go now Annie." I dismiss her. She looks at Linda for a few minutes. I shoud've known she wouldn't leave easily. I take the gun I had in my jeans and point it at her from under the table. I don't like using weapons. It's usually a last result but I need Annie to leave. "Go." I demand. I can tell by her face she saw the gun.
"It's alright Annie." Linda says.
Annie nods slowly.
"Thank you." Annie says softly and I think I see a tear roll down her face.
Good lord. I think to myself.
Linda nods and Annie walks off with her son safely in her arms.
"What do you think will happen with her relationship with Finnick now? I mean she left you to die, do you think Finnick will forgive her?" I ask.
She looks at me disgusted.
"I wish I never laid my eyes on you." She says.
"Then you wouldn't have Finnick." I say.
"There never was supposed to be a Finnick." She says softly. She technically isn't wrong. She never wanted a kid, but, it's not like I raped her… although she reported differently.
"So you wished he was gone now?" I ask.
"No, I just wish he had a different Father, a better Father." She says.
"Well without me he wouldn't be here." I smirk. "But without him we wouldn't be in this position." I say.
"What?" She says confused.
"You would've never left me." I say.
She scoffs.
"I would've eventually John, having Finnick just made it happen faster."
I roll my eyes.
"Stand up." I tell her.
She does without question.
"Looks like I still have you trained." I say with a smile.
She doesn't say anything. I stand next to her and place the gun at her side making sure she won't run away. Although I know she won't because she knows I would just go back and take Nick or even Annie.
"You know there are police here." She says.
"Oh yes which is why they're going to have fun watching me walk off into the sunset with you."