Vera

Chapter 30

Vera

My leg bounces against my hardwood floor. It's 2 in the morning, and I can't sleep. My eyes dart over to my gun sitting on my kitchen island.

I need to pack. Why aren't I packing? They know where I am now. I have to take Silas and run. They didn't know he was alive but they do now. So why am I not packing—because of him. He looked so confused, but he sent me away. Why would he be confused?

I look towards Silas' room where I've sang to him, read to him, tucked him in, coaxed away his nightmares, and kept him safe for 5 years. I look back towards the front door. I won't let them hurt my son.

I stand and go into my room, collecting only things we will need. His birth certificates. One with his fake name, one with his real. I've taught him the difference.

Silas Cole Reid is for everyone else. Silas Callum Romano is for me and him. His fake name is the one that is documented. His real one is on a certificate just because I wanted to make one, so maybe he'd feel more normal. I toss it into my suitcase along with a couple of my own clothes. I have a suitcase packed that I update every month for him, just in case.

I zip my bag and stop when I hear a knock on the door. I swiftly go to the kitchen island and swipe my gun off of it, grasping it tightly. I creep to my door and look out the peep hole. The air is forced from my lungs. Standing on my porch in the dark is Alex first then Mila behind him. I don't see anyone else but it could be a trap.

"V, are you there? Please, open the door. There's no one else with us, I swear." Mila says, her eyes watery. This could be a mistake, but Mila wouldn't lie to me. She wouldn't.

I slowly unlock the bottom lock then the deadbolt and open the door. I open the door enough so they can see my face. Mila gasps and covers her mouth. I open it more enough for them to see my body. Mila goes to give me a hug but Alex stops her with his arm. Mila is about to scold him, but he reaches out his hand palm up, waiting. His eyes shift to my hand that is behind the door which is also the one holding the gun. How does he know? I hand over the gun hesitantly, and he tucks it in the waistband of his pants.

Mila comes at me full force, engulfing me in a hug. She smells of lavender and it's what she has always smelled like. I've missed it. I tuck my head deeper in her silky black hair feeling a bit safe after so long of constantly looking over my shoulder. I break the hug remembering how they knew I was here. How we still might need to run.

"Do they know you're here? Are they coming for us?" She tilts her head.

"The only people that know are us, Jasper, Cam, and Santiago." I pull back at his name. Mila notices. "Vera, how are you here? Tell me what happened." I swallow the thick lump in my throat. I walk into my room, pull open my nightstand drawer, and take out an envelope. I walk back out to Mila and Alex and hand her the letter. She's confused but opens it anyway.

She reads something I've read a thousand times, something that is ingrained into me by now. It makes Mila cry and Alex have an expression as if he smells something bad. Once they're done reading it, they put it back in the envelope and notice the necklace with my brother and I's initials in the envelope. They look to me for an explanation.

"Less than 24 hours after I got to the safe house I was given that letter and that necklace, which I had given to Desoto the night of the New Year's Eve event. And three minutes after a guard gave me the letter, five more came into my room and beat me until I was an inch from death." They had beat me until fear was embedded in my chest, until scars covered my body. Even if I did once believe Desoto couldn't have written such cruel, heartbreaking words, they tortured me until it didn't matter because I didn't want to find out. I was too scared to find out.

Tears are streaming down Mila's face and Alex's features have softened. They look away from me to something behind. I turn and see Silas in his Spider-Man pajamas, sluggishly walking towards me.

"Mama, who are they?" I crouch down to him and place a kiss on his cheek.

"They're my friends. Go back to bed, Si. I'll check on you in a minute." He nods and walks back to his room. I turn to see shock written all over Mila's face maybe even a little on Alex's. I take a deep breath and continue where I left off.

"I woke up in a hospital in Washington where they told me I was 4 weeks pregnant with Silas. I don't know how they didn't kill him." I always chalked it up to him being my strong boy.

"He is Santiago's." Mila says. She doesn't form it as a question. You can look at Silas and tell he's Desoto's, but I nod to her statement anyway. Alex steps closer and looks me in the eyes directly.

"Santiago didn't send or write the letter," Now it's my turn to be confused. He did. He had to. I take a step back. This is a fucked up joke. "After I put you in the car to be taken to the safe house, I went back to help Santiago. He'd been shot. He was in a coma for 2 and a half weeks, Vera. He couldn't have written this." That hits me like a ton of bricks. Mila grabs my arm to stabilize me when I start to tremble .

I look up at Alex with teary eyes. Then who sent it? Who did this?

"Vera, come back home with us. We'll protect you. We'll keep you being here hidden until we know who did this. Please." I look between them, terrified but actually considering it. I've been looking over my shoulder for 5 years watching for a threat, danger, but I don't even know who or what that threat is anymore. I also don't know if we're walking into a lion's den.

I walk into Silas' room and sit on the edge of his bed. I gently rake my fingers through his brown curls. He stirs awake and opens his eyes.

"Hi, mama," He smiles at me and nestles into my hand.

"Hi, baby. I came to ask you something." He gives me his attention, waiting for me to speak. "My friends in the living room invited us to stay with them for a little while. Do you want to go? You can say no if you don't want to." He sits up in his bed facing me.

"Is it safe?" His question breaks my heart. Silas has always been aware of his safety. I taught him to pay attention to things closely and be cautious. I didn't think of how I might have hurt him from not just letting him be a kid. Regardless, I consider his question. 5 years ago I trusted these people with my life, but it's not just me now. Do I trust them enough to have my son be around them?

I play with his hair as I think and set a kiss on his forehead when I decide what to do.

"They're safe, Si. I think it'd be good for you to get to know them." He nods and plays with the rings on my fingers.

"Who are they, mama? Be honest this time." A soft smile graces my face. He can always tell when I'm lying or not telling him the entire story.

"They're your aunt and uncle. You have a couple more where they live, and we're going to stay with them. Okay?" He gets up and stands on his knees placing a kiss on my cheek and smiles.

"Okay."