Page 83 of Allison

Hawk relates this information to his caller. Worm knows Hawk is likely talking to Hack or Virus, one of their team’s computer gurus. They will send out the information via a group text they have.

Sure enough his phone vibrates where he’d laid it on the console. He can see the notification flash on his screen. He peers out through the windshield as Wallace changes lanes to avoid heading into the airport where they are likely to get stuck in traffic. They will need to intercept the limo before the men can have a chance to hurt Allison.

“I’m putting my phone on speaker,” Hawk announces. “so everyone can communicate in real time.” Hawk lays his phone next to Worm’s. “Hack you’re on.”

“We are en route, nearing the airport now, coming in from the backside,” Hack reports, clacking of keys can also be heard from his side of the phone. “Bull and Virus are ahead of us in another vehicle. I’m linking us together. Virus, can you hear me?"

“Yes, we just met a limo.” Virus’s voice rising in pitch. “Hang on, we’re making a U-turn!” A car horn blares over the line while the squealing of tires can be heard as well.

“Yeah, yeah, we turned in front of you, but you didn’t hit us, so, get the fuck over it!” Bull yells loudly, followed by more tires squealing.

“Sorry about that, we got a little road ragegoing on.” Virus chuckles. “We are coming up behind the vehicle now. Plate matches! Get closer!”

“Take them out!” Worm yells. “Get her away from them ASAP!”

“We see you!” Hack yells at the same time. More squealing of tires can be heard. Worm leans to his left peering out at the road in front of them. Surely, they are getting close to where Hack and Virus’s vehicles are on the tail of the limo, but he isn’t seeing anything.

“I realize you are anxious to stop the vehicle, but I’ve found something you should be aware of,” Tex relays calmly despite all of the excitement coming from the rest of them.

“What is it?” Worm asks, wondering what else Tex has found.

“Take me off speaker,” Tex demands. “This is for your ears only Worm. If you want to share with the rest of them, I’ll leave that up to you.” Worm frowns at his phone as he picks it up, turning off the speaker and putting the phone to his ear.

“It’s off,” Worm informs him. The hair is rising on his arms, goosebumps have erupted. Instinctively he knows Tex is about to upend his world with whatever he’s about to say.

“Are you aware of Allison’s condition?” Worm frowns harder at Tex’s question.

“I know something’s wrong with her, but she hasn’t been speaking to me for the last month. I know she saw Charlotte at her clinic, but Charlotte won’t tell me anything. Abigail gave me her opinion on it, but…are you saying it’s true?”

“Hang on!” Wallace shouts as their vehicle makes an abrupt one hundred eighty-degree turn crossing the median to head in the opposite direction. “We’ve caught the limo!” Worm looks up to see the vehicle speed past in front of their SUV as they enter the new lane of traffic.

“Shit!” Tex exclaims. “Maybe I shouldn’t be the one to tell you…”

“Just say it!” Worm growls, his voice harsh and demanding.

“Allison is pregnant.” Worm pulls the phone away from his ear to look at the offending object. He didnothear what he just heard.Did he?

“Say again?”

“She’s pregnant,” Tex repeats. “I accessed her medical records after seeing some curious internet searches over the last few weeks. From her records, the timing of conception would coincide with Emma and Wallace’s wedding.” Worm’s heart stops beating for several seconds, then kicks back in, hammering hard in his chest. Abigail had told him this, but he’d dismissed it, especially after finding Allison gone again.

It can’t be true!Can it?Well hell yes it can be true. He remembers how he’d taken her over and over that night without any protection after the first condom had broken. He’d known she wasn’t on birth control, but he’d wanted her so badly. He hadn’t cared. She’d planned on getting a plan B pill, but then she’d left in the night and gotten abducted when she’d arrived back in San Diego. Worm closes his eyes, all of her ailments coming to his mind. He remembers his mom having symptoms like that when she’d been pregnant with his sisters.

Fuck!A string of more curses run through his mind. He is pissed she hasn’t told him. She’s known for a while. She’s had plenty of opportunities, hasn’t she? Charlotte has known for a while! He remembers. Maybe even Wallace and Emma know, but no one bothered to tell him? How could they keep something like this from him? He has a right to know! He’s the father after all.

His world stops again as truth sets in. He is going to be a father…at least, he thinks he is.What if she hasn’t told him because she doesn’t want to have his baby? Is she considering abortion? Adoption?“What were the internet searches?” Worm asks, fearing, but needing to know the answers.

“Symptoms of pregnancy, what to expect when you’re expecting, were the first ones I found that raised my curiosity. After her appointment with Charlotte, they changed.” Tex pauses and Worm fears what he’ll say next.

“Spit. It. Out…please.” He braces, fearing what she’s been searching.

“Top safety rated cribs and car seats, baby names, support groups for single mothers,” Tex replies softly.

Worm doesn’t want to hear more. She’s planning to keep the baby, but exclude him from her life. “That’s enough!” He can hear the pain in his own voice. Several heads in the car turn to look at him with curiosity.

“I think you should talk to her,” Tex counsels.

“Why? She’s obviously planning to not tell me, to leave me out of everything,” he says bitterly. Charlotte’s expression is one of shock and fear. His chest is getting tighter by the minute. He can’t breathe. He needs to get out of this fucking car, but they are speeding down the interstate at 90mph.How could his friends know, but not tell him?

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