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  She sat on the end of the coffee table. “Did you get into it with him?”

  He shook his head. “He actually apologized in a way. It was Orlando that went off on me in a roundabout way.”

  She frowned. “Why did he do that, and what did he say?”

  “That damn code, Lincoln. I broke the code with you, and the domino effect happened from that. It’s my fault that shit is screwed up at the firehouse, and friendships have ended. Had I not gotten involved with you, none of this would have happened, according to Orlando.”

  Lincoln huffed. “Orlando said that to you? Anthony holds no blame in any of this? How dare he say that to you! I will have a talk with him.”

  “Baby, let it go. He’s part of your family, and I don’t want you falling out with Regan. You have a great bond, and I don’t want to come between that.”

  “Nick, you’re my husband. I have your back just like you have mine. Plus my beef is not with Regan but with Orlando. I cannot believe he doesn’t hold any contempt for Anthony but is mad at you.”

  He looked at her. His heart was heavy. “Please, Lincoln, don’t say anything to Orlando. He has a right to be upset with the both of us. Ant was his friend too. I just need to lay low and stay out of his way until he calms down.”

  “We’re supposed to have dinner with them tomorrow night. Oh God, Nick. I hate seeing you this way. Your smile and the enthusiasm you have about us being together is what makes me believe we’ll be okay.”

  He rubbed her stomach gently. “Everything is okay between us. I wouldn’t trade what we have for all the money in the universe. And, I want you to go to dinner with them. I’ll have dinner with my mom and talk to her,” he said, rolling his eyes.

  Lincoln cupped his face with her hands. “I’m sorry I got you involved in my mess with Anthony. But I am not going to apologize that I fell in love with you or that we are married. Nick, I love you, and that will never change.”

  He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her deeply. The feel of her lips against his erased the negativity that filled his mind with doubt about their future. With his forehead pressed tightly with hers, he said softly, “Hurry with your day at work. I want to hold you. I need to have you in my arms.”

  “I have no plans to stop anywhere after work. Get some sleep, okay?”

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Lincoln kept the dinner date with Regan and Orlando. She would make up an excuse for Nick not being with her. She entered Ja’Nell’s, and the hostess escorted her to the table where Regan sat. She was alone and sipped on a glass of white wine and appeared upset.

  Lincoln sat down and asked. “Regan, where is Orlando tonight?”

  Regan slurped the wine from the glass unladylike. “At home sitting on his ass, pouting like a big baby.”

  “Um, are you two having a disagreement?”

  “You could say that. I thought he should come with me tonight, and he vehemently disagreed with me. Where is Nick?”

  The waiter asked Lincoln if she’d like to order a cocktail. She would have loved a rum and coke only her babies wouldn’t allow her to have that. Instead, she ordered a cranberry juice with a lemon twist. “He is at home having dinner with Isadora. Regan, what are we going to do to get them to patch things up?”

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m going to drink and not give a damn about them tonight. I’m tired of this whole mess. For once I want to have an evening where that issue is not the topic of our conversation.”

  Lincoln remained silent. It was easy for her to fly off the deep end with her hormones running on full blast. “I understand. I should probably leave since I am the reason behind all this.” She started to get up and grabbed her stomach.

  Regan put down her wine glass and asked. “Lincoln, what’s the matter?”

  “The babies are playing tag. When they start that, it’s a little uncomfortable for me. It feels like they are playing kickball with my liver. She eased back in the chair. “I’ll give them a minute to finish playing and then leave.”

  “Twins, Nick must be ecstatic at the possibility of having two male children.”

  “He is. He’s just worried about the financial aspect of raising two babies instead of one. Plus his mother is still living with us. We hadn’t planned for her to stay this long. We need that bedroom.”

  “It will be cramped with five people in an apartment. Have you gone house hunting yet?”

  “We have looked at some houses in our price range. He wants to put in a bid on a house he’s helping to rehab. It won’t be ready for months, but it’s a big house and has enough room for all of us.”

  “I hear a but in your voice. What is wrong with the place?”

  “It’s not in a part of town I want to live. The area is under development, but there is still a lot of rift-raft hanging around there. Regan, I make good money and work for the government and have perks at my disposal. I should be able to find a reasonably priced house in a good neighborhood.”

  “Have you looked into those perks?”

  Lincoln nodded. “I have. The properties the IRS has reclaimed due to delinquent taxes are either out of our price range or not where I want to live.”

  Regan refilled her glass with wine. “The process takes time. When buying a home you want to make sure you love it and plan on living in it for years if not forever.”

  Lincoln agreed. “The house we grew up in I loved. It was in the perfect neighborhood, and we had plenty of room to spread out. Remember when we turned the basement into a haunted house for one Halloween?”

  “Yes, that was fun. We have a lot of memories stored in that place.”

  Lincoln got up from the table to leave. “Okay, I’m going home. Regan, you’ve had two glasses of wine in the short time I’ve been here. Are you going to stop there or call a taxi to drive you home?”

  “Lincoln, stop the dramatics and sit down. When I said I didn’t want to discuss that mess, I wasn’t talking about you. It pisses me off because this has caused a divide between us. We’re sisters and shouldn’t allow what is going on at the firehouse come between us.”

  “I agree. Orlando is not wrong to be upset. Nick is taking the stance that since he was the cause of the problem, he should stay away to keep the peace. I don’t know where Jon stands, and Anthony will continue to hail himself the victim when his cheating butt started it all.”

  Regan leaned her elbows on the table. “No, Lincoln; you’re wrong. You should not have gone to Anthony’s friends for help. I’m your sister, and I love you to death, but as a reporter, you have to know where to get your information and how to use it.”

  Lincoln folded her arms across her chest. “So you believe I’m the reason for the conflict?”

  “These guys were close friends. They depended on each other at work. When you think back to our childhood, we didn’t tattle on each other. When Mom asked us to come forward with the truth, we stuck together and didn’t squeal. Lincoln, you point blank asked Nick to turn on one of his brothers, and he did to help you. Look how it escalated. None of them is speaking to each other, and Anthony may go to jail, as he should. However, the bond between them has been broken. I don’t see that ever being repaired.”

  Lincoln sniffed as her nose began to drip as tears formed in her eyes. She was crying because he sister was the only one brave enough to tell her the truth. She was the cause of the divide at Station 30. “Why didn’t you stop me, Regan? If you hadn’t turned your back on me when I complained about Anthony, I wouldn’t have asked Nick for help.”

  “Oh no, this is not going to fall on my shoulders. If you recall, you wanted me to ask Orlando, and I said no. When I suspected Mark was cheating on me, I watched his routines and then I had his ass followed. I never went to his friends or colleagues for help. You had the hunch that Anthony was cheating, but you didn’t want to believe it. I understand that entirely. However, you should have been the one to nail Anthony to wall and not Nick. You should have protected Nick as your source.”


  Lincoln wiped the tears away from her face with a napkin. “Everything you’re saying is right. I should have kept Nick, Orlando and Jon out of my personal business. I should have been woman enough to accept that Anthony was fucking another woman. I could’ve easily walked away from him instead of attempting to save a dying relationship he didn’t even want. Now I have screwed up Nick’s life.” She freely let the tears fall. “You don’t think I realize how reckless, dumb, and irresponsible it was of me to get pregnant and marry him on a whim. I have taken his life away. He had no worries before I came along. Because of me, he is stressing over how to care for a family he wasn’t prepared to have.”

  “Lincoln, stop! I’m not trying to make you feel like dirt.”

  You have succeeded in doing that she thought.

  Lincoln paused and looked at her. With a scowl on her face, she said, “I’m glad we had this conversation, Regan. I need to face the reality of what I’ve done and own up to the lives I’ve ruined.” She got up from the table and took her purse from the empty chair next to her. “Thank you for being valiant enough to say it to my face and not behind my back.”

  “Get back here! I want to know where you are going.”

  “Why should you know that? That would have you involved in my business, and I don’t want to engage you in any more of my nonsense.”

  “This is different, Lincoln, and you know it.”

  Other patrons in the restaurant had stopped what they were doing and were staring at them arguing. Lincoln looked around and only saw blank faces staring back at her. She couldn’t focus. The anger building inside her didn’t leave room to feel the embarrassment of humiliating herself in public. Her body was shaking, and she wanted out of the restaurant and away from Regan. She wanted away from everyone.

  “Bye, Regan,” she said and turned and left.

  After driving for an hour, Lincoln turned off the car and reclined the driver’s seat to relax. It was quiet at the park. The lake was still, and the rows of docks to moor boats for the summer sat almost empty. The stars were bright in the dark sky and surrounded the moon to form a beautiful picture. She wondered why not many people were taking advantage of the warm summer night. The conditions were just right for a moonlight boat ride or camping outside. She remembered this being the spot to come for teenagers seeking a romantic evening with a boyfriend or girlfriend.

  She opened the bag of potato chips she purchased from the drugstore. Her stomach was growling since she didn’t eat dinner with Regan.

  From her side vision, Lincoln thought she saw a figure of a man standing in the distance watching her. She turned and saw nothing but a huge tree with limbs that hung like human arms.

  She turned up the radio and tried to keep the tears at bay. I’m doing what’s right for everyone involved. She reasoned as she settled into the seat. She let out a breath and pulled out her cell phone turning it off and leaned her head back on the seat and closed her eyes. Nick’s face came into view as the babies started to move around in her womb. She rubbed her stomach to calm them. Nick used to do that for her. He got giddy every time he felt them move. He would talk to her belly so the babies would get used to his voice.

  Tears slid down her face, and she wiped them away. He’s better off without me.

  Chapter Thirty Six

  “Dammit, where is she!” Nick threw his cell phone on the kitchen table. One hundred times — he had to have called her cell phone at least a hundred times, and she would not answer. He dropped heavily into the chair and massaged his temples. The police had found her car parked at the lake, but no signs of forced entry or any blood indicating she had been abducted. So far, no one remembered seeing her at the lake last night, but he was praying someone would remember and contact the police.

  If Lincoln wanted to disappear without leaving a trace, she forgot she was pregnant. People would recall seeing a distressed pregnant woman. For now, her trail ran cold at the lake, and police were working the area to see if anyone had seen her after she left Regan at the restaurant around eight o’clock last night.

  Isadora set a cup of coffee in front of him. “Nicky, what can I do for you?”

  “Snap your fingers and have my wife be home where she belongs. What is she thinking taking off like this? Why did she do it?”

  “Did you have a fight last night?” Isadora asked.

  He shook his head. “Mom, you were here when she left last night. Did you hear us fighting?” he said snidely. He saw the hurt in his mother’s face. “I didn’t mean to yell at you.” He bounced out the chair, knocking it over. “She is out there somewhere. I don’t know if she went on her own of if some idiot has her against her will.” He dropped to his knees at his mother’s feet. “What if I have lost my wife and babies?”

  Isadora stroked his head. “She is okay. I don’t have a feeling anything terrible has happened to her.”

  A loud knock on the door startled him. “Maybe it’s the police.” He ran to the door and yanked it open. “Jon, Orlando, come on in.”

  Jon and Orlando entered the apartment and stood not far from the door. Jon spoke first. “We came to let you know we’re joining the search for Lincoln. Some of the guys from the firehouse are already at the park looking for her.”

  Nick chewed the inside of his jaw and lowered his head to avoid his emotions from spilling forth. “I appreciate what you and the guys are doing.”

  Orlando placed a hand on his shoulder. “Stay strong, man. We won’t stop looking until she is safely at home. Regan recorded a public service announcement to air on the news today. She hopes someone will come forward with any information.”

  “How is she doing?” Nick asked.

  “Regan isn’t doing well. She hasn’t slept since Lincoln went missing, and she blames herself for running off at the mouth.”

  Nick blamed her too, but he would keep that to himself for now. He hadn’t asked or needed Regan to be an advocate for him. When the guys had disagreements in the past, they worked them out. This one would have eventually worked itself out if she’d left well enough alone.

  Nick turned his back to his friends.

  Jon held a steady hand to his back as a show of support. Jon knew what it was like to have a loved one kidnapped. Gabrielle was kidnapped by a deranged woman and almost burned alive when the building was set on fire. “Never give up hope, Nick.”

  “I have to call Lynette. I can’t keep this from her and Carter. They need to know what is going on.”

  Orlando nodded. “I agree. Once it hits the airwaves, they are bound to get calls from relatives who live here. Do you want me to be here when you call?”

  “No. I will do it myself.”

  “We’re here to support you, Nick. Don’t feel you are alone,” Jon said.

  Nick’s eyes glossed over. “I know you all want to help me. I’ve done some shit in my life, and this is my payback. What was I thinking that I could be a family man? Shit, an honest man,” he snorted.

  “Nicky, don’t talk that way!” Isadora shouted. “You have to have faith. We will pray for Lincoln's safety. She will be back.”

  He yanked the crucifix from around his neck and threw it on the table. “I have, and she still isn’t here,” he said walking away.

  They heard the bedroom door slam. Orlando started to go after him, but Jon stopped him. “Let him go. Let him have the privacy to break down without us hanging over his shoulder.”

  “Right,” Orlando said, scrubbing a hand down his face. “We better get to the park to help search.”

  Jon turned to Isadora and handed her a card. “My phone number is on the back of the card. If Nick needs me, call me. I don’t care what I am doing or what time of day it is. Call me.”

  She nodded, giving him a big hug. “Thank you for being here for Nicky. He needs all of you.”

  A light tapping on the front door came, and Orlando opened it. Anthony was standing there. “Good grief, Ant. Do you think it’s wise for you to be here?”

  “I saw Li
ncoln last night,” he said in one breath.

  Orlando shouted to the bedroom, “Nick, get out here now!”

  Nick rushed from the bedroom. His face was red, and his eyes puffy. He laid eyes on Anthony. “What the hell does he want?” Then he snapped. “You got her! You have Lincoln! What have you done with her?” He attempted to bum-rush Anthony, but Orlando and Jon dragged him back.

  “I don’t have Lincoln, but I saw her last night! I saw her car at the lake.”

  The men continued to hold him back as he struggled to get from their grip. “Let me go! The sonofabitch is lying; I know it!”

  Anthony stepped inside the apartment. “I swear I don’t know where Lincoln is. When I saw her last night, she was alone in her car.”

  Jon asked. “What was she doing, Ant? Why were you at the lake?”

  “Come on, Jon. You know I go there a lot. That place is not new to me. Anyhow, Lincoln was just sitting in her car. It appeared she was eating at first then she laid the seat back and was just chilling.”

  “Why didn’t you ask her if she needed help? You could have called me if you didn’t want to call Nick.”

  Jon blasted at him. “She has a restraining order on me. I can’t go near her. And she didn’t look as if she needed any help. She was just sitting there. I left thinking Nick might show up any minute, and I didn’t want any problems. I swear I’m telling the truth.”

  Nick freed himself from their clutches and approached Anthony. “The one fucking time you should have opened your big mouth and you didn’t. Thanks for nothing.”

  Anthony lowered his voice. “Nick, how was I supposed to know anything was wrong? I didn’t even know she was missing until Gordon called me this morning. I came to tell you what I saw hoping it would help you locate her.”

  Nick narrowed his eyes. “I swear, if you’ve had a hand in Lincoln’s disappearance, I’ll kill you.”

  Anthony sucked in a deep breath. “I don’t have anything to do with her disappearance. Melanie and my son are in Michigan visiting her parents and have been there for a week. I would be there too, but because I’m on bail, I can’t leave Ohio.”