Page 64 of Echoes From Within
What the fuck am I going to do? The baby? Are they talking about the one they stole from Sophia?
“John, some shits gone down,” I say quietly. “I need you to keep her safe. Can you do that? She might even be at risk just sitting here.”
“Don’t worry,” he says, feeling the urgency of the situation. “I’ll take her back to the security room and lock the building down.”
“Come give me a hug, princess,” I call to Allie. “I’m going to go find Sophia and then we’ll order a pizza. How does that sound?”
“With cheese?” she asks hopefully.
“No other way I’d eat a pizza,” I say, kissing her head. “Be good for John.”
“Bye, Daddy,” she says, hugging me close. “Please rescue my new mama.”
At first, I’m taken aback by her calling me daddy. I want nothing more than for this little girl to be mine but then what she said registers.
“What do you mean, Allie?” I ask, holding her tightly.
“She said she was going to Xander’s,” she tells me. “I heard you talking to Mama one time about your friends in your head. How can Xander have a house if he doesn’t have his own body? It was a secret message mama said knowing I would understand with my big girl brain and tell you. Silly daddy.”
“The silliest,” I say, my voice thick with worry. “Thank you for telling me, princess. But I don’t want you to worry. I’m going to go and bring your new mama back home, alright?”
“Alright,” she says. “I know you’ll save her. Mama told me that you’ve already saved her twice so I know you can do it again.”
Fuck. I need to go.
“I will, princess. Give me one more hug so that I can take it with me.”
I hold my precious girl tightly, soaking in her tiny little hug before handing her off to John.
“Keep her safe,” I order.
“Go,” he tells me.
And I do.
“The tides,” Jax shouts as he turns off his bike. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, racing for my own bike.
“The message said that mother nature is a bitch at this time of day,” he says as the rest of the club pulls into the parking lot. “It got me thinking. The only time mother nature is a bitch this time of day is when the tide comes in.”
“Wouldn’t someone notice a baby near the water all by itself?” Knox asks as he pulls his helmet off.
“Harbor beach,” Xander says. “They closed it down.”
“Xander’s right,” I say.
“What did he say?” Ghost asks.
“They closed down Harbor Beach because the high tide covered every inch of sand.”
“High tide is starting now,” Jax shouts. “We need to go.”
“The message said you needed to make a choice,” Ghost says. “If we’re right and the baby is at Harbor Beach, you can message and tell him you choose Sophia instead. Some of us will go and grab the baby while you and the others go get your woman.”
“What if we’re wrong?” I ask. “I fucking hate to not choose her but this is her baby which means it's mine. Sophia will never forgive me if I let something happen to it. Hell, I would never forgive myself.”
“Someone is watching that beach,” Blaze says. “They would be stupid not to. I already have someone on his way to the beach to check it out. He lives not even three minutes out.”