Page 96 of Love Me Again

I call Josh as I'm driving. “Cole?” Comes his sleepy voice. “What’s wrong? Any news?”

“They found Alaia,” I tell him and hear him shuffling on his end. “I just got a call from the police station in Chatham. They found her with a note to call me.”

Josh stays silent for a beat. “Really? Bro, I'm so relieved. What about Shayla?”

My heart sinks at the mention of her name. I shake my head as I stare ahead at the road. “They didn’t mention her.”

Josh sighs, “Do you want me to come to the station?” He asks, and I shake my head again.

“No, it’s fine. I’m anxious to see my baby, but I'm so terrified at the same time. I’m scared I'm going to go there, and it’s not going to be Alaia like someone’s playing a sick joke on me.”

“It’s going to be her. Call me as soon as you get her or have any more information. Aimee and I will come over in a couple of hours.” Josh sighs, and I nod, chewing anxiously on my bottom lip.

“Okay, I'll keep you updated.” I end the call and release a shaky breath, a million thoughts going through my mind. Why did they agree to let Alaia go? Nothing about this makes any sense. What would they want with Shayla? If they don’t want money, what do they want from us? I pull up at the police station and race inside toward the reception. “Cole Hoult, I got a call they found my baby,” I say in a flurry, and the girl at the desk asks me to take a seat while she gets someone. I pace frantically, running my fingers through my already messy hair repeatedly.

“Mr Hoult.” I turn when I hear my name and see Detective Scott motioning me toward him. “I got a call early this morning and came over right away.” He says as we walk through the barriers further into the station. “We had a doctor come out and look her over. Your daughter hasn’t been harmed in any way. She’s perfectly fine.” He adds, opening the door, we walk into a room, and my heart thumps when I see Alaia in the arms of an officer.

“Alaia!” I cry out, rush over to her, and take her into my arms. I kiss her beautiful face as I hold her tight against my chest. “Oh, baby, thank god.” I sob, burying my nose into her hair. “You’re okay. You’re okay, baby girl. Daddy’s got you now.” I pull back and look at her, my heart racing a mile a minute. I’m so relieved she’s okay. “Where did they find her?” I ask Detective Scott, and he sighs.

“She was dropped off at the station early hours this morning.” He explains, rubbing his forehead. “She was left outside the station. The security team saw someone dressed in all black with their face covered leave the car seat by the steps and took off running. We sent a patrol out to scan the area, but they were gone. CCTV is being checked now to see if we can track them down. We’ll find them, Mr Hoult.”

“What about Shayla?” I question cagily, rubbing Alaia’s back, and Detective Scott rubs the back of his neck. “Why would they let Alaia go if they’re going to ask for money? It makes no sense.”

“It’s hard to say, could be many reasons why they let the baby go and kept your wife. Taking the baby may not have been part of their plan. Shayla seems to be the target from the beginning for whatever reason. The fact they haven’t made any contact or demands yet is unsettling. It could also be a possibility that Shayla made some sort of deal with her abductors.”

I blanch at his words and look down at Alaia, who fusses in my hold. “Are you saying...”

“She may have sacrificed herself to protect her baby.” Detective Scott states sullenly. I still at his words, and dread fills my gut. Tears blur my vision as the realisation that Shayla might be dead hits me like a tidal wave. Of course she sacrificed herself; that’s why they let Alaia go. Oh, God. “Cole, listen to me, don’t think the worst just yet. It’s only been four days. It’s just speculation at this point, all right. We’re going to find her.”

I look down at Alaia, who looks up at me, and I see Shayla staring back at me. My heart quivers. “Get your baby home and try to get some rest. We’ll be in touch if we find something.” He says and squeezes my shoulder. I nod numbly and take the baby’s changing bag Shayla had with her when she went missing and strap Alaia into a car seat. I pick the note up they found with Alaia and look at it. My name and phone number were typed across the paper. I squeeze my eyes shut and swallow the lump in my throat.

Please don’t leave us, Shay. Just hold on, baby. Wherever you are, please hold on.

I carry Alaia to the car and strap her into the passenger seat beside me. I kiss her hand a couple of times and close the door. I get into the car and sit there, staring ahead. I bite my lip hard, and in a rage, I punch the steering wheel a couple of times; choking on a sob, I press my head to the wheel and cry forlornly. God, please protect her, please bring her back to us safely. I don’t want anything else. Just get her back to me.

Once I pull myself together, I drive back home. Alaia asleep in the car seat beside me. I sigh when I see the photographers were still camped out outside the house. The police officers usher them out of the way as the gate opens, and they snap photo after photo of me as I pull Alaia out of the car.

“Tristan, is there any news on Shayla?!”

“Tristan, where did they find Alaia? Where is Shayla?! Is it true that she’s been killed?!”

“Get them out of here!” I shout angrily at the officers, who nod and start ushering them away from the house. I ignore the questions they were screaming at me and rush Alaia inside the house and lean against the door for a couple of minutes. She’s not been killed. She’s not. I set Alaia’s car seat down on the floor and unclip her, gently lifting her into my arms. I kiss her head and sit on the sofa with her curled up on my chest. I take out my phone and call Shayla’s mother and brother to tell them I have Alaia. Sara burst into tears sobbing uncontrollably on the phone and said she would be right over with Sam.

“Where’s your Mummy, Alaia. What are they doing to her?” I whisper into her hair. I have to find her, but I don’t know where to look. I’ve been racking my brain for days, trying to figure out why anyone would want to hurt Shayla. I feel so powerless. I have all the money in the world and no clue what I can do to find her. I wish they would just call and ask for money in exchange for her life. I’ll give them everything I have, the clothes off my back, only to have her home safe. I look down when Alaia suddenly jumps startled in my arms and makes crying sounds and sniffles in her sleep. It was such a heartfelt cry it broke me. “Shhh, what’s wrong, baby. It’s okay. It’s okay, sweetheart.” I whisper, rubbing her back soothingly, and she settles, sighing and whining in her sleep. I wonder if she’s having a nightmare or if she’s just missing Shayla. There is no stronger bond than a mother and her baby, after all.

“Mummy will be back with us really soon, baby, I promise you.” I sigh, kissing her head and closing my eyes. I sniff Alaia and frown; she doesn’t smell like her usual herself. She smells like perfume and not the kind Shayla uses. It smelt familiar to me, but I couldn’t remember where I had smelt it before. It definitely wasn’t Shayla’s perfume. She hates heavy floral fragrances. The ringing of the doorbell distracts me and starts Alaia from her sleep, and she starts to cry. I sigh and get up, rocking her gently while I walk to the door. I open it and see Shayla’s mother and Sam at the door. Sara was a wreck. Her eyes were rimmed red and swollen, her face blotchy and tear-stained. She takes one look at Alaia and starts sobbing. Reaching out, she takes her from me and hugs her tightly, kissing her hands.

“Oh sweetheart, thank God you’re okay. Oh, I prayed and prayed for you both to be found safe.” She cries, kissing her forehead again and again. I close the door once they walk in and sit on the sofa, my head in my hands.

“Where did they find her?” Sam asks, sitting opposite me. I lift my head and look at him.

“They dropped her off at the police station early hours this morning with a note to call me to collect her.”

“And Shayla?” Sam whispers, his voice strained, and I shake my head slowly.

“No word on her yet. They think she...” I say and bite my lip hard, swallowing my next words, unable to say them out loud.

“Think she what, Cole?” Sam questions fretfully, and I stare at him, tears rolling down my face.

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