Page 57 of Quadruple Daddy

“Who’s gone?” I asked, unable to comprehend what was happening.

Ava pointed down the hallway, to the open nursery door.

Gabe was now calling my name on the phone. “Bella, Bella, is everything okay? What’s going on there?”

“I– I don’t know,” I said as I moved toward the nursery.

Ava managed to pull herself together enough to say, “I’m calling 9-1-1, now.”

I still wasn’t sure what had happened. As I stepped into the nursery doorway, my heart stopped. What was I going to find when I looked into the cribs?

They were empty.

All of them. I looked through the entire room as if infants might have found a way to hide in the closet, as the tears streamed down my face.

“No, no, this can’t be happening, it must be a mistake. The nanny must have them.”

“Bella, what’s going on?” Gabe yelled from the phone in my hand.

“The girls, they’re gone, they aren’t in their cribs.”

“Could Lana have them?” Gabe asked.

I tried to pull myself together as I went back into the hallway to search for Lana. She was there talking to Ava who was still in tears.

No babies in hand.

“Lana, where are they?” I asked.

“The police are on the way,” Ava said.

“Where are they?” I demanded.

My knees gave out on me as she responded, “I don’t know.”

“My mom,” I muttered. “She stole them. She stole my babies!”

Tears streamed down my cheeks and I fell entirely to the floor, my head hitting as I went down, but I didn’t care. Nothing mattered in that moment except for my beautiful, perfect little girls.

I heard Gabe on the phone next to me on the floor.

“I’m on my way home.”

28

Gabe

Ihad raced home. The four hours between Chicago and St. Louis felt like an eternity as I sped down the highway toward my house. My heart was pounding, and I cursed at myself for ever leaving Bella and the babies alone.

My brothers had offered to come with me. Even Roman seemed concerned as I raced from the hospital, barely taking time to mutter what was happening.

I parked alongside several police cars.

Rushing inside, an officer blocked my path.

“I need to get inside!” My voice was raised more than I meant for it to be.

“Sorry, sir, this is a crime scene, we can’t just let anyone go in.”

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