“Make sure to buckle up honey, we don’t want to take any chances, especially in your condition. Do you like old rock and roll? She asked as she turned the radio down a little bit, “Zane won’t go to sleep without It.” she finished and Gia looked at her in befuddlement.
“How-”
“I have seven kids and twice as many grandchildren, sweetie, I can always tell.” she winked then looked back at the toddler who was singing along with the old song, “Isn’t that right Zane. By the way my name is Lira.”
“Nice to meet you Lira, I’m Gia.”
***
Maddox woke up out of a deep dream, looking around his room as he gasped. He had this strange feeling, like Gia was close, but he knew that was absurd. It was just another one of his all too familiar dreams coming back to haunt him.
.
He got up, went to work and did his every day routine, but no matter what, he just could not shake the thought of her or the feeling that she was near.
***
Gia thanked Lira, the delightful and energetic woman who had given her a ride home. It was just her luck that Lira lived in the next town over, just a few miles from Gia’s home.
Gia stood on the sidewalk looking at the town she had not seen in six months. Why did it seem so different?
One thing was for sure, it did not seem as stifling or overwhelming as it had before. She did not feel trapped as she had the last time she had been here, in fact the place seemed almost magical. It was like the perfect puzzle box with the ultimate prize waiting for her at the end,
if
she finished and played the game by the rules.
She took a deep breath, and then took a step toward the direction that held her destiny.
Gwen and Alice cried hard, hugging Gia as close as they could without hurting the baby.
"We were so worried!" Alice squeaked, her thick mascara and jet black eyeliner running down her face.
"We didn't know what happened!" Gwen cried.
"You just disappeared!" Alice wailed
"Victor said you ran away-" Gwen choked up.
"But we knew you wouldn't run away without telling us first!" Alice finished wiping the tears that were pouring from her eyes
"I would have never just left you, you're all the family I have." Gia said with a sadness that made the two girls cry harder. "He sent me away."
"Because of Maddox Payne?" Gwen asked, but she already knew the answer.
"Yes." Gia answered, her head down, still filled with regret for betraying him.
"Is that why you’re back?" Gwen asked a glimmer of hope in her eye.
"To tell him about the baby?" Alice added.
"Yes, and I need your help."
"Of course! Anything you need!" the girls lit up, ready for the challenge.
***
"I'm here to see Maddox Payne." Gia said to the heavyset security guard sitting inside the security post, taking a large bite of a greasy sub. She winced as a large glob of mayo plopped down on the paper plate.
"Who are you?" he asked as bits of the sub dribbled from his mouth.
"Heady Dares." she said then waited as the guard called in the name.
"Nope, sorry, no Heady Dares on the list, I suggest you call Maddox and tell him to put you on, otherwise there's no way you’re getting though this gate." he said then took another large bite, turning back to his little TV. Gia walked back to the car, her mind racing.
"He won't let me in." Gia said as she got in.
"Oh, you're getting in there." Alice said looking at her options.
"There's no way I'm leaving here without seeing him, I've come too far." Gia looked at the large gate, wishing she had the powers to force it to open.
"What do you want to do?" Gwen asked already grinning, as Gia turned to her with a look that screamed of pure determination.
"Break it down." Gia answered as the corner of her mouth twitched into a grin.
"Good choice." Alice started to reverse her car, "Buckle up girls." she said as she slammed her foot down on the gas pedal.
***
Felix, the security guard watched as the car backed up, then went back to his sports game, thankful the girl would not continue to pester him. He had been through enough with that insulting little witch Paige Chancellor, she had tried to get him fired, when he would not let her through.
He had just opened his mouth to take the last savory bite of his oily sub, when the car barreled towards the gate at top speed. He jumped out of his seat, automatically calling back up as the car crashed through the gate.
"I need back up, someone just crashed through the gate!" he yelled into his walkie-talkie, carefully setting the last bit of his sub down. "Hey! You stop that car immediately!" he yelled, watching as the car sped up the front yard. Felix sat back down, his main priority now was to alert Mr. Payne and finish his food.
***
“Are you alright?” Gwen asked as she sped across the long front lawn, careful not to hit the magnolia tree.
“I’m fine.” Gia nodded her head, she was happy for the first time in months.
“Hold on tight.” Alice grinned as she slowed her speed, narrowly avoiding the large fountain.
***
“What?” Xavier barked into the phone.
"Sorry to bother you sir, but I need you to prepare your family, someone just drove their car through the main security gate." Felix looked over to see that his back up had arrived and smiled in relief. He would let them chase the fugitive vehicle, he had no intentions of over exerting himself. Besides, under circumstances like this, he could be more helpful at the post, keeping his eye on everything.
"What is it?" Beatrix asked her husband as he slammed down the phone.
"Someone crashed through the gate and now they’re heading towards the house." he said rushing out of the dining room and up the stairs. Beatrix was fast on his heels, she knew exactly where he was headed, straight to his gun case. "Axton! Maddox! Dexter!" he yelled to his sons.
***
Alice drove the now smoking car right up to the front door of the mansion and Gwen put the rickety old top down. Gia stood up in her seat and both of her friends held her hands as she climbed to the hood.
"Maddox!" she yelled at the top of lungs. "Maddox!"
Xavier heard the familiar voice and looked out the window, he immediately picked up the phone and dialed security.
"Yes sir?" Floyd asked.
"Did you call the police?" Xavier asked.
"Yes sir."
"Good, now call Victor Love and tell him to come remove his
trash
from my property!" he spat in disgust, then slammed down the phone and turned to his wife, “Where is Maddox?”
***
Maddox knew that voice better than his own, it was the very voice that had been haunting him for the last six months. He walked out of his room then down the hall to the huge glass window on the front side of the mansion.
His heart stopped beating and his lungs felt like they had collapsed.
He could barely believe his own eyes, there she stood on top of Alice's old car, the sun illuminating the heavy white cloak she wore, making her look like an angel. The slight breeze lifted her mass of sooty curls and his fingers twitched, wanting to run through every lock. That was when he remembered that this girl was his enemy, and she had betrayed him worse than anyone else had ever betrayed him. She had left him feeling weak and vulnerable, he hated this girl, he had told her never to come back!
So why was she here now?
***
Gia's heart skipped to the beat of three, as she looked up at Maddox's face. She had not seen him in so long and it had been the hardest six months of her life. She wanted to fly up and hold him as tightly as she could, while simultaneously scattering kisses all over his handsome face.
They both stood frozen where they were, silent and still as the world went crazy around them. Security was screaming orders through their walkie-talkies, the police were pulling up to the broken gate, and his family was on their way downstairs, but they could hear nothing but the beat of their hearts.
"Come down!" She cried, but he said nothing, just staring at her, "PLEASE!" she pleaded, "I'll come up there!" she warned him before she started to get down from the car.
"No!" he yelled pointing at her, "Don't you move!" she got off the car anyway, watching him through the large window as he came down the grand staircase.