Chapter 14

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Chapter 14

Georgia

"Beckett!" Aubrey called for her husband, gripping firmly onto his arms as the contraction hit her.

"Oh shit!" Leo's eyes widened in surprise as he saw what he would be in for in several months.

"Push?" Beckett whispers, not sure what he's supposed to say or do.

You would think the boy hadn't been preparing for this moment. He was with Aubrey for every doctor appointment, he even took a daddy class to get him ready. I know good and well that boy has a stack of baby books in his bedroom. I bought most of them for him. And he still stands there in shock.

"Push? Now?" Aubrey looks up at Beckett, pain in her eyes.

"No!!" Leo, Quinn and Cole all exclaimed at once.

"No! Don't push!" Blake moved in to help his brother. "You don't want the kid popping out here.! Aubrey, can you walk?"

"Are you serious? She's in the middle of a contraction! Breath, honey. Nice long breaths, in and out. That's it." Emma moved Blake out of the way and took her other arm.

As the contraction eased, Emma helped Aubrey to a chair. Sitting, holding her ample belly, Aubrey watched the shock and wonder on Beckett's face. His mouth closed and lifted into a smile as the shock wore off.

"We're having a baby." He grinned at Blake getting a chuckle for his comment.

"I think that's more Aubrey right now, but yeah, you're about to be a daddy." Blake congratulated his brother.

It is nice to see that bond between them finally grow. There was a time I wasn't sure this day would come. I think getting married and having a family of their own has settled the strife between them.

"Beckett, I think we should go." Aubrey cradled her tummy as the next contraction began.

Oh, I remember that feeling so well.

It was a moment full of humor and love for me, a bit of fear and concern for Beckett. The look on his face as his eyes dropped to the watery mess at Aubrey's feet to her eyes that was filled with pain from the contractions. He couldn't react but stared helplessly at his wife.

"Move boy!" I nudged him aside and went to Aubrey, wrapping my arms around her and held her as she breathed through the pain. "That's it, sugar. Long slow breaths."

"You're up, Beck! Get the car." Blake pushed Beckett into gear.

Emma grabbed the overnight bag Aubrey had ready to go. Quinn and I went to the kitchen and got the mop and bucket to clean up the mess. Leo and Cole helped get Aubrey out to the car. With everyone in gear, we gathered our things organized who was riding with who and loaded up.

Mia clutched the book to her chest, obviously unsure what to do. It is her first time dealing with an emergency with this family. She's going to need directions. With the subject of Lindsey and her horrific plans forgotten for the moment, I gave Mia her instructions.

"Mia, please call Paige and Will. Tell them to meet us at the hospital." I requested of my new assistant who stood frozen, her mouth gaping as we moved into action. "Call Matt and Chelsea. They will activate the calling tree. Then get yourself to the hospital. I'm sure you'll have plenty to help with there."

"Huh? Oh, yes. Of course." Hauling her massive bag to the table, she quickly dug out her phone and got started with the calls.

We moved fast. With Aubrey's water now broken it won't be long now. The cars were brought around, one by one we loaded them up and with Beckett and Aubrey in the lead, we caravan to the hospital.

I love weddings and babies. To me they are the greatest gifts, the most wonderful moments that put everything into perspective. Traumatic events and happy occasions tend to do that. Unfortunately sometimes those two things happen at the same time. I wish that wasn't as true as it is today.

The drive between the Inn and the hospital is a winding road. A lot of tight curves on a one lane, each direction highway. I feel like I'm on a bit of a rollercoaster with each car being a part of that ride. With the speed that Beckett is driving, I'm beginning to worry about how nervous the boy is.

He's been preparing for this day from the moment he found out Aubrey was pregnant. He has been calm and careful with her and keeping her safe. As much as she allowed him to at least. But this, the way her contractions started so quickly, caught him off guard.

A man as cautious and calm as Beckett doesn't handle surprise situations well. Add the whole Lindsey problem and the man's nervous system is on overload. It's too late for me to help. But I should have had him use my limo.

A cooler head behind the wheel would have been better than this.

"He's driving too fast." I murmured, watching the car in front of us speed up.

"He's okay, Ma. He's just trying to get there quickly." Blake tries to put me at ease.

It's not working. The car in front of us begins speeding up as we head down the hill.

"Blake, she's right." Emma agrees with me. "As many curves and dips on this road, he's liable to flip the car if he doesn't slow down."

There was nothing we could do, but watch in horror as the car sped up, squealing its tires around a curve. I considered calling Aubrey but felt it could distract Beckett and make matters worse.

Emma must have had the same thought but she decided to act on it. Calling Aubrey we learned the horrible truth of the situation and panic began to rise for all of us.

"Aubrey, tell him to slow down!" Emma blurted out as the call connected.

"He's trying! The brakes aren't working!" She exclaimed in a frightened voice. "Beckett, watch out!"

The car swerved around the next turn, leaning precariously on two wheels before it fell back down to four. Bouncing on its shocks. It is a good thing Beckett is a good driver. He's one of the few people who can handle a car at this speed.

It doesn't make me feel any better. If the brakes aren't working, then no matter how well he drives, this isn't going to end well. We were helpless, watching this scene. There's nothing we can do to help them.

"Ma, call an ambulance, get Charlie out here. If he's lost control, we're going to need them." Blake orders quietly so Aubrey wouldn't hear him.

"Beckett, use the emergency brake!" Aubrey pleads, fear and pain of another contraction in her voice.

As they sped around the turn, we saw the obstacle but it was too late to stop any of us.

Beckett, following Aubrey's plea, tried the emergency brake. The car rocked from one side to the other before we saw the smoke from the tires. They weren't going to get through this without crashing. I knew that.

"Oh good lord, help us." I whispered, closing my eyes and holding on tight.

I heard the sound and felt the impact. We weren't getting out of this unscathed. None of us.

I don't know if it was Emma, Aubrey or me who screamed. Possibly all of us. The high pitched sound was all I could hear as Blake slammed on the brakes and we watched the car in front of us ram right into a fallen tree.

The pain shot through me. My neck, my head, right down my body. I knew I was alive but only because of the pain. I heard Blake yelling and felt a hand take mine right before I sunk into darkness.

Lindsey

It was beautiful. Absolutely perfect. Who would have thought that I would be able to get all of them at once. It did end in a very abrupt fashion and was over much too fast. But the way the car swerved and still hit the tree as it skidded, losing traction right before it hit and went airborne. Absolutely perfect.

I couldn't have planned it better.

Who'd have thought that a downed tree could have such a powerful ending. The car landed on its side and flipped over and over several times before it finally stopped, balancing, just barely, on the edge of the cliff.

I couldn't get closer to be sure that there weren't any survivors. The second car hit another tree, when the third rammed into the second and set the engine on fire. It was thrilling to watch knowing that one tiny little cut to the brake line did all this.

Maybe just maybe, I'll be rid of the Bradford's once and for all. They have been the bane of my existence since they came to town. I was about to have everything I wanted before they got here, but those people ruined everything for me. Now they have to pay the price for it.

Slipping back into the trees, I weaved my way through the dark forest to my hiding place. No one can find me. No one can blame me for the little mishap.  I'm free. Almost. I still have two more to get rid of.

Going into the old hunting lodge, I smile walking in and seeing what is waiting for me. Tied to a hard dining room chair, the limp body didn't move. I might have hit them a little harder than I intended but I was upset. It's their fault after all. They did this to me.

"You should have done what I said." I whisper, going into the kitchen and straight to the refrigerator. Pulling out the bottle of champagne, I popped the cork and hummed softly as I poured myself a celebratory glass of bubbly.

One more call ought to do it. One more time should push her over the edge. Dialing the familiar number, I wait for him to answer.

"Hello?" The female voice only enraged me again.

How dare she answer his phone. How dare she get in my way after she lived through my first attempt to kill her. The woman just doesn't understand that she's in my way.

"Two little monkeys fucking on the bed.

One ran off and bumped her head.

Tried to call for help but she is dead.

One lonely monkey, waiting in my bed.

You'll be mine before the night's to end.

Then no more monkeys, they'll all be dead!"

Laughing as I hung up, I know that will get his attention. At long last, he will come to me. Alone and with a push, he will give everything up for me. One final blow and it's all mine.

Spinning around to look at my guest, I tilted my head watching her wake. "You should have done what I asked!  You could have lived."

"What have you done?" Her voice trembled in fear, feeding my soul.

"Only what was necessary. Don't worry, it'll be over soon enough." Smiling, I kneel down in front of her. Taking a good long look at my work. "If you had done what I said you could have gone on with your life. Instead you tried to get me taken away. This is your fault."

"You won't get away with this. They'll figure it out. They will put it together and then they will hunt you down like the crazy animal you are! They'll find you and kill you." She warned me, making me laugh.

"Silly girl. I've already gotten away with it. Everyone thinks you are the crazy one, remember? They think everything I've done was your doing. I've already won." Satisfied, knowing that everything that happened to me is being avenged at last, put a lift to my mood.

"Then let me go! If I'm going down for you, let me at least try to run away from them." She begged.

It was nice to hear her beg for a change. It was always me who begged, for food, for time, for forgiveness for my ways. She never gave me anything. She will give me everything now.

Walking to the fireplace, I kicked the limp body on the floor with my toe. No response. He was a useless father anyway. His death, like the others, are on her. I'll have to drag the body out to the falls. The blood needs to be cleaned up, and the body is beginning to stink.

The animals will take care of the rest. They will eat the flesh and keep his identity a secret a little longer. When the sun goes down, when the cars are cleared from the road and the police go home tonight, that is when I'll toss the body out.

One short stop in town. One quick flick of the knife and it will be done. She'll die where she started, in Ethan's hands. She'll be a memory for him and we can finally live. No one will know the truth. I'm finally going to be free.

And I'll move on. A new life, a better future, all for me, is waiting out there beyond the house of horrors I've spent my life in. Away from the people who tortured me for years. Away from this town and back on the Comeback Route to a life without pain. One more kill and it's done.

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