Forever Blessed (Women of Prayer) (39 page)

When no one guessed by a long shot the length of string it took to wrap around Sheila’s belly, Sheila started crying. Most of the ladies had been there and felt for her so she received more than a couple of reassuring hugs.

Austin brought Matt home and loaded up the loot in his truck. “It’s a good thing I brought this or we’d be making two trips.

He helped his very pregnant wife out the door and into the truck. He kissed her cheek. “Only a few more weeks. Then you never have to be pregnant again.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

Matt dug into the leftovers then asked if he could go out and play. Joy helped Laney clean up before she disappeared down the hallway into her own room. Laney could hear her singing along with a popular song on her iPod. Laney smiled. The girl couldn’t sing at all. Melanie was napping, tired from attempting to steal Sheila’s gifts from her during the shower.

Laney was alone in the kitchen finishing up a few things when she heard a creak in the living room. She figured it was Matt and quickly dismissed it.

She sighed; relieved the shower was over and dried her hands on the dishtowel. She was ready to relax. She walked into the living room and stopped abruptly. She took a quick breath and made a quick dash for her bedroom and the gun. Paul stopped her before she reached the middle of the living room. “Going somewhere?”

She tried to act braver than she felt. “What are you doing here?”

He pulled her to the couch and sat her down. “Why, I’m here to see my wife. You are still my wife, are you not?”

She stayed still, praying for her children to stay where they were. Maybe placating him would work. “Of course, Paul, I’m still your wife.”

He bent down and grabbed a fistful of her hair. “Don’t toy with me you stupid woman.” He pushed her back and continued talking. “Do you know what your disobedience has cost me? Everything!”

Laney watched the hallway. For the first time ever she was thankful he had bought Joy that iPod. She wasn’t hearing this and she wasn’t going to have to witness it. Maybe he would hit her and then leave like he used to. She wasn’t so sure that was to be the case this time.

He smacked her across the face. “Look at me when I am talking to you.”

She kept her eyes focused on him. He continued to rant. “You have stolen my family. You have ruined my career. You have the cops looking for me. I can’t show my face in public again because of you.” He was yelling at her.

She looked to see if she had left any of the windows open. Not a one. She felt herself being pulled off the couch. He slapped her across her other cheek. “I told you to look at me when I am speaking to you. Now you’ll have to stand when I talk to you.” Paul continued on.

Laney tried to remember what her instructor in the self-defense class had taught her. She was too scared to try anything. If she had to endure Paul to keep her kids safe, she would.

She realized her mistake a second too late.

“Answer me.”

She had no idea what he asked. She hadn’t been listening to him. He hit her upside the head this time with his fist and she fell to the floor, sideways. He kicked her. “I told you to stand up.” He dragged her to her feet.

Her cheek was sliced open from his ring where he punched her. She could already feel her eye swelling shut. She tried to focus.

Matt wouldn’t be home for hours if she didn’t call him in. Melanie could sleep through anything. Joy was her only worry. As long as she had those headphones in, she couldn’t hear a thing. Please God, keep her headphones in.

Laney’s ears were ringing. He hit her again on the other side of the face. She fell the other way. She tried to run out the door. He dragged her back and threw her over the couch. She screamed and he held his hand over her mouth. She bit him. He punched her full in the face then forced a hard crushing kiss on her mouth. He was trying to force himself on her right there in the living room.

She silently pleaded.
Oh God, please no.
She tried with all her might and raised her knee as hard as she could and struck him between his legs. She didn’t have much strength left, but it was enough to make him stumble long enough for her to start crawling away. He dragged her by the leg then pulled her up by the hair. “I wouldn’t want you anyway. You never were any good in bed. I had to go elsewhere for that.” He threw her against Joy’s bedroom wall. “You put up a better fight than your weakling son did. He sat in that room doing his math problems and reading his book. I bet he isn’t even my son. No son of mine would act like that little wimp.”

“So you took him?”

“Did I say you could speak?” He hit her again. "Yeah, I took him. It was me, everything was me. Did your old lady friend get her window fixed? I see they painted the church to cover up Satan’s symbols. I was especially proud of that one. I see your friends are building their little shelter again. How should I burn it down this time? Maybe I’ll do that after I kill you.”

Again, she tried to crawl away from where her daughter's attention would be drawn.

“You know what I enjoyed the most? Watching you look over your shoulder, trying to figure out who was watching you. It was me. It was me all along.” He kicked her and was about to kick her again when she heard a shot.

Laney looked to Paul who seemed stunned. He stood still for a moment then fell over. Standing in the hallway directly behind Paul was her daughter, holding the .22 that Austin had given Laney for protection. Laney heard shouts coming from outside just as she passed out.

*  *  *  *

Sheila heard the shot as she was getting out of the van. “Austin, go, quick.” She had forgotten her purse and was halfway home when they turned around to retrieve it.

Austin ran in the door and saw Laney lying in a pool of her own blood. He yelled to Sheila who was still trying to get in the front door. “Call an ambulance, now.”

Paul was lying near Laney, also in a pool of blood. When Sheila entered the house, Austin was carefully taking the gun out of Joy’s hands. Joy’s face showed no emotion. Austin was trying to talk with her. “Austin, she’s in shock.” Sheila gently led her by the hand to the couch and sat her down. Austin was checking Laney and Paul’s pulses. “They’re alive.” He turned to his wife who was staring at him, horrified.

He quickly called 911 again. "You better send three ambulances. We’re going to need them. We have two down, one of which is shot and we have a woman in labor."

Laney and Sheila were wheeled out on stretchers. The paramedics called in a fourth ambulance when they saw Joy, still sitting on the couch in shock. Paul was wheeled out next and Austin rode with Joy, making sure she was safe.

*  *  *  *

Ella had arrived as the first ambulance did and was holding onto Melanie, who was crying for her mother. Matt entered the house, wondering what was going on, and immediately started blaming himself for not being there to protect his mother. Ella held him with her other arm as he cried. She took both children to her house. They didn’t need to stay there looking at the blood that was drying on the floor. They had too many bad memories to deal with as it was. They didn’t need the drying blood as one more.

*  *  *  *

Austin didn’t know which way to turn. He had a twelve-year-old girl who was in shock and obviously needed someone with her. He had a woman who was beaten to within an inch of her life and he had his wife who was bringing his daughter into this world. He could care less about the guy who was shot.

He called Jessi. He needed help.

Pastor Mark, Jessi and Aunt Merry arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes later. “Where do you need us?”

“Can one of you sit with Joy? I have to go to my wife. Laney is in an examining room. I have no idea what is going on with her. She looked bad. Joy shot Paul in the back with a .22. I have no idea, nor do I care, how he is.”

Pastor Mark spoke up. “I’ll take Paul.” He shot a knowing glance to Jessi, then took off in search of more information.

Aunt Merry sat with Joy and Jessi went to find out about Laney. That freed up Austin to go find his wife. He took off at a run for the elevator.

Austin reached the maternity ward in record time. He approached the first nurse he found. “My wife was brought in by ambulance. She’s in labor. Her name is Sheila Stewart.”

The nurse helped him find his way then let him enter the room on his own. She smiled and wished him luck.

At first he was afraid to speak, thinking she was sleeping. Then she turned and looked at him. “I was afraid you would miss it.”

“Not on your life.” He took her hand and kissed it. “You are the most important person in the world to me.”

“Austin, Joy needs you more than I do right now. She’s just a child.”

“Aunt Merry is with her.”

“Laney could be in serious trouble. Shouldn’t you check on her?”

“Jessi is with her, she’ll keep us updated.”

“I suppose you don’t care about Paul?”

“Not one bit.”

“You’re mine for the duration?”

“All yours.”

She smiled. “Let’s have a baby.”

*  *  *  *

The next morning Laney woke up with a bandage across one eye and more pain than she’d ever felt in her life. Every time she took a breath, her chest felt like it was on fire. Jessi was sitting next to her bed. She started to panic.

“It’s okay, everyone is okay. Aunt Merry hasn’t left Joy’s side. The doctor thought it would be best if they watched her overnight. She was in shock and is just now coming out of it.”

It hurt to talk. Laney grimaced. “I want to see her.”

“You will. Her nurse is going to bring her in just a few minutes. They want to check you over first. Take your blood pressure that sort of thing. They want you to have a few minutes with her without interruptions.”

“There is some good news. You’ll never have to worry about Paul hurting you again.”

Laney’s face fell.

“No, nothing like that. The bullet hit him just above the shoulders. The doctors believe he has lost all mobility in his arms and legs. He will be in a wheel chair the rest of his life.”

Laney lay back against her pillow, relieved yet broken hearted. Her fairy tale marriage had ended in heartache. Her husband had abducted his own son. He burned down her best friend’s house. He trashed her church. He scared a poor old woman who had done nothing to him. Now, he would be in a wheel chair the rest of his life.

Jessi rubbed her arm and she turned her head. “The police want to talk with you.”

Laney told them everything. She told them he had admitted taking his son, setting the fire, she told them about the stalking and the pictures, about Ella’s window and the church, every last detail.

Laney asked Jessi to step out for a few minutes when Joy came into her room. “Hi honey. Come sit by mom.” Laney patted the bed and tried her best to move her butt over without wincing.

Joy sat down and looked at the floor.

The psychiatrist spoke with Laney after she spoke with Joy. “You know, it’s not your fault.”

Her daughter started crying. “But mom, he wouldn’t have hurt you so bad if I hadn’t of been listening to that stupid iPod. I’m throwing it away mom. It’s my fault he hurt you.”

“No, honey, listen to me. It’s not your fault. I tried to be quiet. I didn’t want you to hear me.”

“You didn’t?”

“No, I didn’t. I wanted you to be safe. As angry as he was, I thought he would hurt you, Matt or Melanie if he saw you. I was glad you couldn’t hear me. I was praying that God wouldn’t let you hear me.”

“You did?”

“Yes, I did. You mean more to me than anything. Don’t you know that by now?”