Page 122 of Betrayed in the Dark
But I don’t feel much like celebrating.
It’s been just over a week since I received my last letter from Eli, the one I’m currently rereading for the hundredth time. The four words repeat in my head over and over again as if on an endless loop, causing my heart to splinter with each repetition.
“Get rid of it.”
Eli wants me to get rid of our baby.
My hand instinctively glides across my abdomen in a protective gesture.
When I wrote him to tell him that I was pregnant, I never expected this response. It’s not like I purposely planned for my birth control to fail the ultimate test. I certainly didn’t expect a letter from the man I love urging me to “get rid of it” with no further explanation.
It’s not even like I can pick up a phone and scream at him for this heartache because he’s in the middle of God knows where!
Sighing, I roll onto my side, tucking the letter beneath my pillow.
At this point, I’m almost ten weeks pregnant, and I need to talk to someone.
After getting ready for the day, I make my way to my mom’s house and let myself in. Everyone was here last night for the festivities. But not me.
“Mom, are you here?” I walk through the living room and head to the kitchen but am met with silence. I know she’s an early riser, so there’s no way she’s still sleeping. A dull chatter coming from her office catches my attention, and I immediately head that way.
I knock on the door, opening it simultaneously. “Hey, Mom, can I talk—”
I’m caught off guard to find my four brothers standing around, looking a little disheveled. Their gazes meet mine, and instantly, I feel it.
Something’s wrong.
Stepping inside and looking around at everyone, I ask, “What’s going on?” Alex is speaking on the phone in the corner of the room while the other four members of my family stand gathered around the desk.
My mother steps out from behind the desk and forces a smile—one that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Dear, I wasn’t expecting you. Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you guys should tell me.”
Leo, Alex, and Mauro all look at Vin, uncertainty clouding their expressions.
And if they’re looking at the head of the family that way, then it’s even worse than I thought.
Alex covers the speaker of his phone with his fingers. “You might as well tell her. She’ll find out soon enough. It’s all over the news. My team can’t make this disappear. It’s too late.”
“Tell me what?” Silence. “Someone better start telling me what the hell is going on.” Anxiety sweeps over me as I begin to lose my patience.
“Sit down, Madeleine,” Vin orders, leaning against the desk.
I shake my head. “No.” I cross my arms over my chest, bracing myself for whatever is coming my way.
His shoulders sag, and he taps his index finger on the smooth surface of the desk before suddenly stilling. “Eli’s missing.”
My world stops spinning.
My heart stops beating.
And the silence surrounding me becomes almost deafening.
I swallow hard. “What do you mean, missing? You mean to tell me the military just lost him?”
Vin shakes his head, looking down. “He was a part of a recon operation in Iraq that went sour. We don’t have all of the details at the moment, but we do know the men in his unit…were killed, and Eli is now missing. It’s assumed that the rebel group in the area took him and plans on using him as a hostage to obtain what they’re looking for, but there has been no confirmation yet. No groups have taken responsibility for this.”
“What do they want?” I ask, my throat tightening.
