Chapter 4. Tell You to Come Home

BELLADONNA

I dashed out of the apartment in a panic outburst. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my vision blurred with fear. Mary, Iris, and Andy were gone. I’d checked every room, every corner, and I found nothing. Nothing but their absence.

This couldn’t be happening. This shouldn't be happening!

I raced to Mrs. Cooper’s door next door, banging on it like a madwoman. The frail wooden door rattled under the weight of my desperation.

“Mrs. Cooper!” I shouted, my voice cracking. “Mrs. Cooper, please open the door!”

Each second felt like a punch to the chest, time dragging painfully slow. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door creaked open, revealing her kindly face—though now laced with concern.

“Oh, Emerie! What’s wrong, dear?” Her voice was as gentle as ever, but I could barely register it over the pounding in my ears.

“My children... the triplets... they’re not in the apartment. Please, do you know where they are? Did you see them leave?”

The blood was roaring in my ears, but I could feel my chest tightening, squeezing the air out of my lungs. My babies. Where were they? How could I have let this happen?

Mrs. Cooper frowned slightly, a touch of hesitation in her gaze. “Oh... There was a man. Said he was your brother. He came by and mentioned he wanted to take the kids to the park down the street. They seemed excited, so I assumed you knew—”

Her words crashed over me like cold water. I stumbled back, my mind racing.

“My... brother?” My voice wavered. I grabbed the doorframe, trying to steady myself. “Mrs. Cooper, I don’t have a brother!”

Her face paled, and she clasped her hands in front of her chest, shaking slightly.

“Oh my goodness... I-I thought… He seemed to know you so well, dear. I’m so sorry!”

Without saying another word, I turned and sprinted down the stairs, my heart pounding in my throat. Whoever that man was, he had my children, and I was determined to find them.

I sped toward the park, my feet scarcely touching the ground as my mind raced with possibilities.

What if he were not a stranger? What if Ryder has sent someone? The thought triggered a new wave of horror within me. My hands shook so terribly that I could barely get my phone out of my pocket to ring the school.

“Hello, this is Emerie Scarlett, mother of Mary, Iris, and Andy. Are my children still there? Are they at school?”

The voice on the other end paused for a moment, then replied calmly, “Let me check for you, ma’am. One moment.”

One moment? Second after second seemed like an eternity. However, my hopes collapsed instantly when she returned with an apologetic voice.. “I apologize, Mrs. Scarlett. The children were released on schedule. They are no longer here.”

The world crumbled around me.

“Thank you,” I whispered, the words barely audible, before ending the call. My fingers hovered above the screen. I could not breathe. My chest tightened as if the air had been squeezed out of the earth.

The next number I dialed was 911.

“Emergency services, how can I help you?”

“My children... they're missing!” I choked out, trying to hold back the tears that were about to burst. “There was a man who claimed to be my brother. He took my kids away, and I don't know where they are now!”

“Ma’am, we need you to calm down. Where are you right now?” the dispatcher said, her voice steady, a stark contrast to my panic.

With trembling in my voice, I gave her my address. She assured me she would send someone right away, but I felt like I was losing forever every second I waited to find out where they were.

I paced outside the apartment, waiting for the distant sirens to come into view. My heart was about to burst from how hard it was hammering in my chest.

Suddenly, the sleek black SUV that I knew all too well pulled up to the curb. My blood turned cold. Ryder stepped out, his face as stormy as the emotions tearing through me.

“Bella, what the hell is going on?” His voice was sharp, cutting through the air with that familiar commanding tone.

The last person I wanted to see right now was Ryder. I whirled on him, anger fueling the panic in my chest.

“You need to leave, Ryder. You have no place here. You’ll just make this worse!”

Ryder’s jaw clenched, and he took a step closer.

“Not until you tell me what’s happening.” His voice dropped to a cold edge, but there was something else in his eyes—worry. But I couldn’t care less. Not now.

“Ryder, please,” I snapped, tears burning behind my eyes, threatening to spill over. “I don’t have time for this. My kids are missing!”

The police arrived moments later, stepping out of their cars and coming toward us, looking confused as they caught the tail end of our argument. The lead officer approached me with his notebook out, ready to take down details.

“Ma’am, can you describe the man who took your children?”

I shook my head, feeling the weight of hopelessness crash into me.

“I didn’t see him. Mrs. Cooper said he claimed to be my brother, but I... I don’t have a brother.” My voice was barely holding together. “You have to find them!”

The officers exchanged glances, and just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, Ryder, stubborn as ever, raised his hand in a gesture of surrender.

“Fine,” he said, his voice low but dripping with tension. “I’ll leave... for now.” He gave me one last look, hard and unreadable, before climbing back into his SUV and speeding off.

God damned me.

The next morning was like a dream. Not the good kind. The kind where everything was heavy and slow, like the world was collapsing in on itself, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

I sat at the kitchen table, my phone lying in front of me, silent. No updates from the police. No leads. The silence was torturing.

A knock on the door made me jolt. From the scent of vanilla filling the air, I knew who it was before I opened it.

Ryder.

He stood there, his face serious but with a look in his eyes that showed a hint of concern. He stepped inside. He wasn’t his usual cold self today. He sat across from me at the table, watching me with a gaze I couldn’t quite place.

“We need to talk, Bella,” he said quietly.

I didn’t argue. I was too tired to argue, too tired to fight. We sat at the kitchen table, facing each other. He looked at me with eyes full of inexpressible intent.

“Tell me what happened,” Ryder’s voice was low but steady.

I laid everything out, every frantic detail, every hopeless moment. He listened without interrupting, his jaw tight as I spoke.

When I finished, Ryder rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “The mortal police won’t help you. Not with this.”

“I know.” I looked at him, unsure if I could handle another fight.

He leaned forward, his expression firm.

“I can help you, Bella. I have resources. People who can track them faster than the cops ever could. But there’s one condition.”

I swallowed hard, knowing what was coming. “What’s the condition?”

“You come back with me. To Vermont. To the Ambersky pack, where you and the kids belong.”

His words pierced right through my heart. Going back to Vermont meant going back to the life I left all those years ago. The pain, the memories. But my children... They needed me to do this. My pain didn’t matter.

“Fine,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “I’ll go. If it means finding them, I’ll go back.”

Ryder’s eyes flickered with something, but he nodded, satisfied with my answer. Just before he stepped out, he turned around. His expression was unreadable, but his hand was firmly gripping the doorknob.

“Bella,” he said softly, not meeting my eyes. “Are they... are they my children?”

I held his gaze, my voice steady. “They are mine.”

He didn’t respond right away, but after a long, tense silence, he simply nodded.

“I’ll find them,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll find them for you.”

And then he was gone, leaving me standing there, the weight of my decision pressing down on me like the world itself.

God damned me.