CHAPTER 4: THE DEAL

Jackson Pierce—Jason's father—sat beside his son's bed, holding his hands together.

"Maria left me almost immediately you were born, don't leave me too Jason. You are all I have left," tears rolled down the old man's cheeks.

Alexander McQueen—Cara's father—watched his friend tear up beside his son's bed.

" Let's go Jackson, he will be fine," he helped his friend up.

It's been 3 years since Jason was found almost dead on the street. The killer was unknown and still believed to be on the run, so he was taken care of at home.

Cara was still nowhere to be found. Private investigators found nothing on her and it's like she never existed.

"Are you sure he'll be fine? Both our children, Alex, both of them. It's been 3 years since we heard anything about Cara last," Jackson cried in his friend's arms. 

"It's alright, everything will be fine."

The monitor started beeping rapidly, both men turned to look. The doctor rushed in and checked him. Jason started to shake vigorously, he opened his eyes and lifted the first finger. 

"He's awake," the doctor said to both men. "Please be careful of the things you say around him or else he might relapse."

Jackson rushed to his son's bed. "Jason, can you hear me?"

"Dad?" His voice came out as a whisper and his eyes roamed his body, various tubes passed into his body.

Jackson faced Alexander. "He's awake."

"Dad, where's Cara? Where's my wife?" Cara was the only thing in his head, the only thing he had been seeing ever since he slipped into a coma.

"Let's talk when you are discharged, for now you need to rest."

Cynthia rushed in as soon as she could, a petite lady with blonde hair.

"Mr Pierce, I heard he's awake. I came as soon as I could. How's he doing?"

"Calm down young lady, he is," his face beamed up.

"Oh thank goodness," she sat beside him. "Mr Pierce, hope you stIll remember our deal from 3 years ago?"

"He's just woken up not quite long, let's talk about this some other time," he cajoled her.

"Well I don't care Mr Pierce, make it happen as soon as possible," she threatened and stormed out.

Jackson lowered himself in his seat. What kind of problem has he brought upon himself?

Cynthia was the lady who rescued Jason 3 years ago. She said she found him almost dead on the street.

Jackson tried to reward her but she wouldn't take any form of payment as compensation. She only asked to get married to him. All that mattered was his son, so he agreed to it. He hadn't even thought about Cara not until now.

He picked his phone and called Andrew, his private investigator.

"Andrew, get me everything on Jason and Cara's sudden marriage that happened 3 years ago in the next hour."

"Yes sire."

His phone beeped in the next hour. A document containing everything about their marriage was sent to him.

He read through and his lips curved into a beautiful smile. "At least Cynthia can be off my neck with this and Jason would have no choice but to agree. Afterall she saved his life."

He dialed Cynthia's number. "Don't worry, Jason will be yours," he said into the phone.

"He better be," she dropped the call on him before he could say another word.

*****

Cara relocated 3 years ago to a remote village, in Bana, just outside of New York.

The atmosphere was one she fell in love with.

"Mason, stop running around the house, you will slip," Cara chided her 2 year old son.

"No, I won't fall, mother. You want to catch me but I won't let you," his tiny voice filled the air.

He kept running without looking at where he was going.

"Mason, Mason. Stop running." Cara kept screaming, trying to catch him before he fell but he wouldn't answer. He ran straight into the glass center table.

He hit his head hard, sustaining cuts. Blood dripped from his head, he passed out. Cara rushed to him but he had passed out already.

"Mason, baby, baby. Please wake up," she kept tapping him with no response from him. She rushed out of the house in tears with her child in her hands, she flagged the nearest cab she could find.

"McAngel Hospital please, hurry, hurry," she shouted. Her tears flowed freely whilst she rocked her unconscious child in her arms.

She ran into the hospital as soon as the driver pulled into the driveway. The nurses helped her with the child and she sat impatiently in the waiting room.

"Mrs Pierce, please see me in my office," the doctor said and she followed him.

She bombarded him as soon as they settled down. "How's he doing, doctor? Is he fine? Will he be alright?"

"Calm down ma'am. He'll be alright. For now, he's stable," the doctor said. "The only thing is that we need to do a blood transfusion and we don't have his blood type in our blood bank here in Bana. It's a small city, you know."

"I can donate mine," she interrupted him before he could say another word."

"We've run a test for your son and his blood group is one which is not very common. O-. I've seen very few people with that blood group."

She sighed, her two hands supported her head. "What do you suggest I do?"

"I can say you get the father of the child, I'm sure he would have the same blood group or…" he trailed off, waiting for her response.

She looked at him. How could she tell the doctor she has no idea who Mason's father was?

"That's not possible for now. Any other option?" "You would have to fly Mason to New York, our main headquarters would definitely have. It's a huge city, so they would."

Her face drained and her voice shrieked. "New York? Do I have to go there?"

"I'm afraid that's the only option we have and we have to do it as soon as possible. At most 5 days, after that we won't be able to sustain him. Please make up your mind, as soon as possible."

She dragged her feet out of the office and went to her son's room. She stood at the transparent window and watched him.

"He'll be alright, don't cry," a man stood beside her. She touched her face and wiped the tears away, she had no idea she was crying.

"Thank you so much," she said.

Whatever it was going to take, her son was her first priority. She was going back to New York, she was going to face all her fears.

As she started packing her bags, she found the picture she and Jason had taken one of their good days. Oh how much she still loved him, even after so many years that the contract had been called off, she still used his last name.

Her sim card laid in the compartment she had kept it in ever since she left.

She fixed it inside her phone. Just like it was planned, Jason's call came in almost immediately. After so much thought, she picked it up without saying a word.

"Cara, Cara. Can you hear me? Please say something, please talk to me. I'm sorry for how I treated you…" Jason's voice boomed from the other end.

She dropped the call and removed the SIM, breaking it into 2.

"I'm coming back to New York and I refuse to let anyone break me again," she said to herself, in a different voice, scared of what she sounded like herself.