Zero

Chapter 44

Molly's POV

"It's a C," Zara notes, twirling the chain of my necklace around her fingers, "Why?"

"It's for daddy," I answer, my arms wrapped around her small body so she won't fall off of my lap, which she is currently standing on.

"Why don't you have an M one for me?" Michael teases, poking at Zara's sides. She giggles loudly, writhing back and forth. I grab her wrists, holding onto her tightly.

"Because you aren't my baby daddy," I tease. Michael and Ashton laugh loudly while Calum gasps.

"Molly!" Zara laughs loudly, dropping down onto my lap.

"So how's Luke been doing?" Ashton questions, his smile fading ever so slightly, "Michael and I haven't seen him in a while. Not since you and he, uh, trained together." He chooses his words carefully, trying to keep Zara from asking too many questions.

"He's being distant still," Calum answers, keeping his voice quiet as he whispers to his bandmates, "Molly says he's gotten it mostly under control."

I nod in agreement, "It's mostly that he's just in his head now. He can control them almost completely, he just gets so scared about hurting anyone."

"Does that mean you're not gonna fight him again?" Michael whines, completely disregarding the fact that we've been trying to hide from Zara. The last thing we need is for her to go running around, telling people I fought Luke. Calum glares while Ashton smacks Michael's arm. 

"Yes," I answer, "That was just a one time thing to get his mind in the right place."

"Damn," Michael sighs, pouting, "We didn't even get a video last time."

I roll my eyes, "I'll kick your ass for a video." Ashton and Calum snicker.

"I'll pass." My phone beeps. I groan and pull it out to check my text.

I know you've been taking a little break from crime but do you wanna come help figure out a possible tip? Mom thinks you might be a better help than I am. No pressure or anything.

Yeah I'll be there in five minutes or so

"I gotta go," I sigh, kissing the top of Zara's head before I move her over to Calum's lap. "The police need help."

"Be careful," Calum huffs, grabbing my wrist as I start to walk away.

"They need help with cracking a tip, bub. Not going out." He nods, biting his lip still.

"Have fun," Ashton calls, waving to me as I move upstairs to grab my Psyche costume, "And don't forget you're supposed to be meeting your parents and brothers for dinner!"

"Ugh," I mutter softly to myself, dreading that. We hadn't really spoken since everything went downhill the other day. I bite my lip as I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

~

"So what's this tip even abou- Felix? What the fuck?" I demand as my best friend yanks me into his mum's office roughly. He immediately locks the door, panic in his eyes. "Felix? What's going on?"

"We think Maxima planted a decoy, and that that's who you killed."

"What? How do you know?"

"We got this message an hour ago. We didn't see it until right before we texted you." Chief Owens presses a button on her phone, and a message starts to play. I start to feel sick as I listen to it.

"That wasn't really me," the voice taunts, speaking hauntingly slow, "I just wanted to see your strength, Molly. You've grown weaker over the years. Soft even." The message cuts off.

"That's it?" I demand.

"Yeah," Felix croaks out, looking miserable, "Molly, I-" The phone starts to ring again, cutting him off. Owens' eyes grow wide.

"It's the same number." She clicks a button, putting it on speaker.

"I've been watching you, Psyche," the same creepy voice teases, making my blood run cold.

"What do you want?" I demand, "Maxima?" I watch as Felix tries to trace the call.

"I want a fair fight between us," she continues.

"Okay, where are you?"

"You're not ready yet," Maxima chides, making me frown, "It would be too easy to beat you. Like I said earlier, you've gone soft. But I suppose that's what happens when you have a child." I freeze, my entire body going numb.

"Call Calum now!" I whisper to Owens, my heart racing. "Tell him and the boys to take Zara to Luke's house." She nods as she pulls out her cell phone.

"Leave my daughter out of this," I plead, "Maxima, I'll do whatever you want just-"

"Like I said before," she chides, "Too soft, Psyche. Did you know that approximately fifty three seconds after you left to go to the police station, Zara went upstairs to her room to draw? Such a cute little room. Zara, do you want to say hi to mummy?" I cover my mouth as tears rush down my cheeks at the sound of my baby sobbing in the background.

"Maxima I swear to God-" She hangs up.

"Calum's not answering his phone," Chief Owens tells me, her voice hard.

"Maxima's call bounced all over the world. I couldn't trace it. I'm sorry Molly," Felix apologizes, hanging his head, "We'll find her though, okay?" I just turn and rush out of the office, desperate to get back home and make sure the boys are alright before I go find Zara.