Pushing open the door to my old bedroom, I found Tibs sitting up crying at the top of my lungs. My precious boy.
“Hey, baby,” I told him. “Mama’s here.”
He stopped crying at the sound of my voice. His wide brown eyes searching for my face, focusing and finding me. I didn’t want to pick him up because of the blood.
“Tesoro,” I heard Thierry’s voice.
“I have him,” I said.
“You need to pick him up and you need to come outside, now,” Thierry’s voice hissed and caught me off guard.
“Whaa…why?”
I heard him sigh. “The press is here, Diamond. Whatever, Nautica planned its working. There’s no way out of this but come outside, immediately. I’m going to hang up and call an attorney.”
“Wait,” I said. “Call Clancy Hobbs. He’s the best attorney in the state…he knew my father.”
“Ok, I’m on it.”
“Thierry,” I whispered picking up the baby, his warm scent hit my nose. He smelled brand new.
“Yes?”
“I’m afraid,” I said.
“Don’t be, Tesoro,” he replied. “I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
“Do you promise?”
“I promise, Ivy,” Thierry whispered.
He hardly ever called me by my real name. That was how I knew he was serious and how shitty this situation was about to be.
“I love, Thierry,” I said. “Very much.”
“And I love you, Tesoro.”
We ended the call and I wanted to pace. I wished I’d never come over to this Godforsaken fucking house. In just an instant everything had gone to hell. That bitch was going to get what was coming to her. Something told me that she wasn’t dead. I could feel it in my gut and all the way to the ends of my fingers and toes.
Approaching the door, the baby in my arms. I gave him a small peck on his cheek. Shit was about to get so goddamn real. Taking a deep breath, I heard the voice go off one more time demanding that I come out.
“Showtime,” I told my son who was looking around wide eyed and bushy tale.
I flung open the door and immediately knew that my life would never be the same again. The flash of camera’s went off. The press had for sure arrived. I was going to be on the front page of the Metro Atlanta Gazette. The headlines were already spinning in my head, Heiress Arrested for Murder.
“I surrender,” I shouted to the cops. “Just please, just please don’t hurt my baby.”
Someone stepped forward, and I recognized Nathan’s face. “Give me the baby, Ivy.”
I nodded. “What in the fuck is going on?”
“I came as soon as I heard,” he spoke and I eased Tibs into his arms. “It’s been a crazy night. I can’t say much but….Nautica ran to the neighbors and called for the cops. She’s sliced up pretty bad. You need a lawyer. Don’t say anything to anyone.”
“Thierry’s here,” I said my eyes starting to brim with tears for the first time. “Get Tibs to him safely.”
He nodded.
Once the baby was out of my arms, I raised my hands and a uniformed officer came forward. The shiny metal cuffs went across my arms and the next thing I knew I was being pushed into the back of a police cruiser. A smell hit my nose and it made me gag fiercely.
