If You Make a Deal With a Shadow...

Chapter 29

"What is love if you're not here with me? What is love if it's not guaranteed? What is love if it just ups and leaves? What is love if you're not here no more? What is love if you're not really sure?"

- What is Love? by Veronika Bozeman

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She quickly yanked her hand out of his grasp and he sighed. "What?" she uttered as the tears descended.

"Aubrey—"

"Payton, please. My baby. Got get him," she cried weakly, looking up at Payton. The way her big, brown eyes stared back at him tore him down.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and she sat up. Austin walked back in and sat in the nearby chair. Aubrey grabbed Payton's shirt and held onto it. He stiffly wrapped his arms around her and she broke down in his arms openly. She cried and cried until she couldn't anymore. She had no more tears left. No one said anything to her. Payton just used his hands to draw circles around her back and Austin got back to grab her a cup of water. By that time Payton's shirt was literally soaked.

"I'm sorry. I'm such a mess," she whispered and he kissed her forehead. She smiled faintly and put her head down. "How will I get my baby back, Pay?"

"This isn't the first time we've been in this position. I'll always be here for you," he lifted her chin and smiled softly. She smiled back. "I don't like seeing you cry. Don't cry, baby. My men are out looking for them now."

Austin reached over to rub Aubrey's back and looked at her in sadness. He hated seeing her like this too. She's shed so many tears over the years. Been hurt so many times.

"Don't hurt him, Pay," she said sternly.

"Why would they hurt Junior?"

"You know I'm not talking about him."

His body went rigid. "But Aubrey, he—"

"I don't care. Please, just tell your men not to hurt him," she pleaded.

"Fine," he sighed in relent, furrowing his eyebrows.

"What are they doing here?" Austin asked loudly while looking over at the doorway. Both, Payton and Aubrey, then turned and looked too. Ciara and Bonnie's eyes were bloodshot red. They obviously had been crying. Dana's wake was today so they had on all black. Payton couldn't allow himself to show up at her wake or funeral. It was heartbreaking and he couldn't bear the sight of her laying lifeless in a casket. He wanted to still pay his respects so arranged everything and talked to her parents. They understood his wishes to not be there so here he was.

"Bonnie and Ciara. What're you guys doing here?" Payton asked, now standing, nervously.

Dana's body was found outside of his estate in the woods. She had went for a walk that night. Seems like it was a trend going on around the house and it was going to stop. The police said that Dana had simply tripped over a fallen tree branch and fell, hitting her head on a rock. Dying almost instantly. Such a tragedy and it made guilt eat Payton alive. Something like that shouldn't have happened. At all.

"We just came from the wake and we knew Aubrey was in the hospital. We wanted to see her and... apologize for everything we've put her through. Life is too short to be bitter and hateful," Bonnie explained and Ciara only nodded. Dana's death was hitting her the hardest. Those two were the closest out of all the girls. They were nearly inseparable.

"Also, the staff are looking for you. They aren't doing very well. We all need you back. There has been so many detectives and reporters at the house. It's ridiculous," Ciara croaked.