Under Arrest

Chapter Fourteen

Lucas was sitting in his patrol car when his phone started to ring. He looked to see it was his mother FaceTiming. He let out a sigh before answering.

"Evening, mama."

"Evening, Lucas. Happy birthday, sweetheart. How have you been feeling today?" She asked softly.

Lucas had admittedly forgotten his birthday and honestly, didn't care to celebrate either. Why would he when he's in the situation he is in? There was nothing to be happy or joyous about in his eyes.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Thank you, mama. I'm the same way I've been feeling for the last few months."

She gave him a nod and sad look. "Have you heard anything yet?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Lucas, you'll hear something, I'm sure of it. Have you gotten the baby's room together?"

He shook his head. "Why should I? At this rate, I'm more likely to find them dead than alive."

His mother frowned. "Lucas Oliver Moreno, don't you dare speak like that. I understand this is a heart breaking situation for you, but you do not speak those words on your wife and child."

Lucas sighed. "You're right, mama. I'm sorry." He apologized.

It's no secret that since Ashanti's kidnapping, Lucas had turned cold. It was a month before he went back to work and when he came back, it was like he was a totally different person. Even Joseph and Nate could get a smile from him. The only change he made was buying a new home.

He bought it during the first month, figuring that his old place held too many memories and he wanted to start fresh when Ashanti came back. After the second month, all the hope he had began to dwindle away with the lack of leads.

At this point, he was honestly waiting for the phone call to identify their bodies. His eyes landed on the boutique. He sits his car across the street and keeps an eye on it, stopping by to check in on Gia whenever he got the chance. Everyone was still clinging on to the bit of hope they had that Ashanti would be found alive.

"Mama, I have to get back to work."

"Okay, I'll call you tomorrow. I love you, son."

"I love you too." He said then hung up.

When Lucas got home, he was welcomed by silence and darkness. He kicked off his shoes before practically dragging himself upstairs. He stopped at the first room and sighed. The baby's room.

There was baby furniture and items everywhere, unopened. He had gotten everything as soon as he found out that Ashanti was pregnant and put it in storage. He picked up a nearby teddy bear and sat in the rocking nursing chair, staring at it. He would give anything to have them home.

~~

Ashanti sighed at she made it to the top of the basement stairs. Her stomach had gotten so big so quickly and she felt like she was carrying weights in her stomach. Being eight months pregnant, Eric figured she wouldn't get far if she tried to escape so he allowed her to roam the cabin he kept her in, but made sure everything was practically bolted shut.

The only time the front door was opened was when Eric would leave to go into the nearest town to grab supplies and then come back. During that time, he made sure to cuff her to the radiator in the basement.

She made her way to the fridge and looked inside. She had a taste for orange juice, but there wasn't any. She felt the baby kick and put her hand on the spot. The first time she felt the baby kick, she cried for hours. She wanted nothing more than to share this experience with Lucas. She often wondered how he was doing. She wondered if he prepared the baby's room.