WORK IN PROGRESS The Parent Contract

Getting out

Aemon

Peta’s skin was flushed from her proximity to us.  But she kept her eyes forward like a good girl.  The elevator floated down the floors rapidly, until we hit the ground floor.  Declan walked out as soon as the doors opened.  I leaned forward and hit the button to choose the doors. The elevator moved again, heading down to the parking floors. 
She was getting nervous again.
“Whose idea was this really?” I asked, wanting the villain clarified.  She stayed silent.  Her breaths gave the impression that she was thinking.  Eventually, she replied.
“Mrs Lonsdale’s. She wanted a grandchild. All her friends were having them and bragging about them. She was feeling left out.”
“Why you? Why not her daughter-in-law?”
“Toni is sick.  She’s got long Covid.  She can’t sustain a pregnancy at the moment.”
“At the moment,” I repeated derisively. “So she could have sustained a pregnancy in the future.  Why did she say yes to the idea?”
Peta’s head swivelled to turn her gaze to me.
“She didn’t.” Her gaze turned back to the doors, “Toni started divorce proceedings as soon as she could. She refused any connection between herself and the baby.  Drake kept trying to tell her she was going to be a mother,  and she refused.”
I snorted.
“Why did you do it?” I asked as the doors opened.
“Money,  security, a better life.” She gave me a side glance, waiting to see my reaction to her honesty. I sighed.
“So, what we’re going to give you,” I said stepping out and pulling her with me. I held out my hand,  and she stared at my palm.
“Keys! you are not in any state to drive.” I ordered. 
“I’ve driven in a worse state for the past week.” She said simply.
“Baby bird,  you are carrying my child. Let me take care of you.”
She started shaking again.
“I can’t,  this isn’t the club. I have to be strong.  I can only rely on myself.”
“What does the club have to do with it?”
“It’s the only place where I can let go.” She whispered. 

I sighed, her mind was well and truly messed up.
“You participated in a decision to break that man’s marriage,” I growled.

In the club,  she was a confident, willing,  eager participant.  Here, outside,  she wavered between confident and lost. They were dangerous differences that intrigued me and triggered a protective urge in me and my brother. This woman had become our obsession.
“I didn’t mean to. I just took an opportunity I was offered.  I’m not a gold digger. I didn’t want to ruin his marriage.  I just wanted to be able to work and play without worrying about money. I was happy to just be on the side. Like my mom was.  I just didn’t want my kid to grow up like me. I wanted them to be legitimate.” She whimpered,  her soft voice still echoing a little in the vast space of the car park. I stepped closer to her,  lifting her chin with my finger.
“How did you grow up, little Bird?” I asked just as quietly. My eyes searched her face. Her eyes blinked away pain-filled tears, and she shook her head.
“We should go. There’s probably a lot to do to set me up as your PA.”
“As our live-in PA, Little Bird. Where we can take care of you and our child.” I corrected her,  stepping back and letting my hand drop. She took a deep breath and stepped forward to take me to her car.

Declan

I paced in the office waiting for Aemon and Peta to arrive.  Aem had sent me a quick text message with the car registration so I could allocate parking for her.  Not that it would matter,  she’d be travelling to work with us.

But first things first,  before she started work,  we would have to get her out of that crazy woman’s apartment. As soon as Aem let me know they’d arrived I rushed down to see them.

“How is she?”I asked him quietly as she looked around at our office.
“She’s ours” He replied, “I’m not letting her go.”

We pulled up at the tower of apartments that Peta had been staying at. She had paled as we got closer to the building and now was looking very sick.
“Are you feeling alright baby bird?”
Aemon asked her. She gave a quick sharp nod and drew in a deep breath.  She looked terrified.  That check-in response wasn’t good enough for me.
“What’s your safe word Baby bird.?” I asked
She ducked her head and smiled involuntarily,  then straightened with another breath.
“Jeremiah,” she replied. She opened the door and stepped out, her head held high. She led us to the elevator and swiped a card to take us to her floor. The elevator opened onto a bright modern foyer leading to a seating area filled with light. 

An older lady was sitting there, with a sour, judgemental look on her face.  She glanced up and frowned at Peta.
“What are you doing here?” she sneered. Peta responded
“I’ve come to get my things.  Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs Lonsdale. But I won’t be needing it anymore.”
“Oh good,  so you’ve found another place then?” She frowned,  “and who are these gentlemen?”

I stepped forward and offered my hand.
“Declan Callahan. Pleased to meet you.”
She started at my hand for a moment before taking it and giving a tight smile.
“Berenice Lonsdale.”
“And this is my brother, Aemon.”
She nodded and took his hand. Her skin was already getting the papery feel of age.
“Pleased to meet you”
“Likewise,  so what are the two of you doing here with Peta?”
“We’ve come to assist her.” Aemon replied. 
“Really,” Mrs Lonsdale glanced sideways at Peta.  “I hope you will all be more discreet than you have been lately Peta.  The gossip columns are now resorting to lies. You at a sleazy sex club.” Mrs Lonsdale barked a laugh. “Please! You’d have to be attractive for that.  Lucky for you, that you agreed to carry Drake’s baby.  There’s no way anyone else would want to impregnate you.” She waved her hand as she turned to sit down again.  “Off you go, go get your stuff.”

Peta shook and, then looked at Aemon and I. She straightened her shoulders.
“I’m sorry, Mrs Lonsdale. Even that didn’t work. The DNA came back as a negative match for Drake.  He’s not the father of my baby.  Excuse me.”
She strode to the hallway, not even pausing when the old witch gasped her name. Aemon and I followed her down into a sparse room.  She went into the bathroom and came back out again with a small makeup bag, which she shoved into an already packed suitcase.

She glanced up at us as she placed the wheels of the suitcase on the ground and sighed.
“Let’s go. I just want to get out of here.” She said shakily. The sound of breaking glass reverberated inside the apartment. Then another,  then another.

We all walked out to see Mrs Lonsdale systematically throwing glasses at the windows.  When she saw us, she walked over to the smashed glass and picked up a shard.
“You can get rid of this one, and we’ll try again.” She announced.
My face snapped to Peta,  who looked at us guiltily.  I shook my head.  That was my baby in there,  my genetic material,  my child.  A tear dripped down Peta’s face as she opened her mouth.
“No,  I’m not getting rid of my baby.” She said quietly, and then jolted. Aemon paled and grabbed Peta’s shoulders.
“I can do this all day you know, until you agree. " Mrs Lonsdale’s voice stated calmly.  I looked at her.  She bent over and picked up another shard of glass.  The first was sticking out of her chest,  the blood staring to spread over her chest.
“Jeremiah,” Peta’s voice shuddered.
“Let’s go.” I snapped, grabbing the suitcase.  Aemon lifted Peta and we rushed for the door.  I heard a little grunt behind us as the elevator doors opened. 
“I’m going to have to break more glasses.  You’ll come around.  Everyone does.”
Aemon and I turned around to see Mrs Lonsdale dripping blood as she glared at us, then slammed another shard into her body. I could hear Peta sobbing as I pulled out my phone and called emergency services while the doors shut on us.  We were taking Peta home.  This was too much crazy. I heard Aemon soothe her.
“You’re safe, little Bird.  You’re safe with us.”