Darkness Falls

Chapter twenty-seven

"Jake, I need you to come with me." 

"Why?" I looked up at Papá, calmly. 

"Because I said so." 

"I don't have to do as you say." 

"You do actually." 

I ignored him and stood up. 

"I'm going for a walk." 

He sighed, and rubbed his temples as if trying to work up the patience to deal with my mood swings. 

"Come back later." He said eventually. "Twenty minutes or less." 

Surprised, I left the room, wondering why he had given in so easily. Maybe he was finally giving up on me. 

Once outside, I considered going to the park for some fresh air, but it was high time I paid someone a visit. 

~*~ 

I knocked on the door and waited. Voices on the other side got closer before the door opened.

"Jake? What are you doing here?" Will said with a smile.

"I thought I'd stop by to see how you were doing. I missed you." I replied once Will had released me from the bear hug he suffocated me with. "How have you been?"

"Fine, come in. Don't stand out there in the cold." He said, backing away to make room.

"Who is it, love?" Harry's voice came from the other room.

"Jake stopping by to say hello." Will called.

Harry stepped out of the kitchen holding a little girl. He smiled when he saw me and approached to give me a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, Jake, where have you been the last few months?" He asked.

"Here and there. I've been meaning to stop by and see how you were doing." I smiled. "Who's this little angel?" I asked, my eyes fixed on the babys' who was watching me intently with the bluest eyes I had ever seen.

"This is Hollie." Harry told me. "She's two months. Would you like to hold her?"

Taking her in my arms as gently as possible, I watched her close her eyes peacefully and swore I could see her smile in her sleep.

"She's beautiful." I whispered, smiling at the bundle in my arms. "You both must be so proud."

"We are." The pair said.

I could feel Will's eyes on me and knew instinctively he was smiling. His life was complete. He always knew what he was fighting for. And now he didn't need to fight anymore. He just needed to enjoy his life with his family. I wondered how long it would be before I could do that.

"You are the luckiest little girl in the world." I told Hollie as she slept in my arms. "And one day you'll realise that. I just hope you never forget."

I wish the reason for fighting was as clear for me as it was for Will. Then again, I guess I did have someone I was fighting for. I had Kenny. Even if she didn't know the sacrifices I would make for her. The sacrifices I have already made for her.

"So how has it been looking after your daughter?"

The pair talked about her for a while and I listened, thinking about how much I wanted this. I wanted something I could love so much that I would give up everything for them. Someone who gave me faith when there was nothing I could do but hope; and I realised that that person already existed. I just had to let her know how much she meant to me before I lost her. I wasn't an easy person to put up with. I could be reckless. I could be insensitive. I didn't know how to control my emotions when necessary. But I would take the chance she gave me and I would change.

If it meant I didn't lose her, I would do anything.

~*~

After declining another cup of coffee and promising Will I would be back soon; I gave Hollie a kiss on the cheek, said my goodbyes and one last congratulations to the pair and set off into the cool afternoon.

I considered messaging Kenny to see if she was around for a chat. I needed to let her know how much she meant to me, and soon before I lost the nerve to do so. Opening my phone, I saw a message from Papá.

Home, now.

Unsurprising, I had been outside a lot longer than twenty minutes. If Papá said twenty minutes, he meant twenty minutes. I sighed and considered ignoring it, but that would only cause more trouble than it was worth. I headed to the base room because home to Papá was where his work was.

Entering, Sparky was pacing back and forth.

"You okay?"

"We've been looking for you." He snapped.

I took a step back so I was out of throwing range.

"Whoa, calm down, Spark. What's wrong?"

"He's done it again. He's brought her into this."

I was about to ask what he meant when Papá's voice made me turn around.

"There you are, Santiago. Get in here." His tone left no room for arguments; and I was too tired to put up a fight. Following him, I was drawn to the young woman in the room. She seemed achingly familiar, but I couldn't quite place her.

"Jake, you remember Alex?" Papá said, gesturing to the woman.

She watched me, her eyes sparkling and I remembered. Now I knew why Sparky was so upset. What was his sister doing here?

"Of course, hi." I nodded in her direction and she gave me a mischievous smile. I couldn't help but step back and watch her warily. Never trust a woman, Papá's voice reminded me.

"Alex is going to be our new cohort. She's under your charge." He informed me.

I remembered Papá saying he would have to hire somebody else. My eyes widened as I took in his words.

"Why is she under my charge?" I asked.

"Because I need everyone else's full attention."

In other words, I was useless to him so I may as well be given some idle task to pass the time.

"What do I do with her?"

"Address her properly, she's not an object. Just get her settled in and try not to scare her off." He shrugged.

I looked Alex up and down, sizing her up as she did the same.

"Now I need to speak to Alex alone for a minute, Jake. Go and wait outside."

Despite the anger bubbling at being told what to do, I did as instructed and left the room where Sparky was waiting impatiently.

"What is he doing to her?" He asked.

"Just talking. She'll be fine, she's seems strong enough to handle this."

"Yeah, but she's still my little sister. It's my job to protect her."

I stayed quiet. I knew what he meant. We all had people we wanted to protect. Sparky had his sister. Will had his family and I had Kennedy. They were the price we would pay for our mistakes. And they were the people who would suffer from any hesitation or misjudgement on our part. Papá was ruthless. And if he needed to use other people to control us, he wouldn't hesitate to do so.

I just hoped I could defeat him before he had cause to use one of them against us. I couldn't allow him to get his way any more. I had to do something before he destroyed everything we were fighting for.

I wouldn't be responsible for any more stolen lives. I had to stop it before it was too late.