Page 24 of Crusher

Screams echo from parents seeing us carrying out a stretcher, everyone's kids still inside, but it’s Alexiana’s scream that has my knees weakening.

I look to see Blaze, with tears running down his face, trying to keep her back as she fights to get to us, crying, “Kayden, that’s my son, let me go!”

Parents sob, some with relief, others with pain, and I lock my jaw as I help place my son in the ambulance.

“You know her?” Captain asks as I side eye Blaze, struggling to keep hold of her, and I choke, “She's my wife,” and his grey eyes widen in shock before he looks at Kayden, and he chokes, “Shit!”

“We need to get the boy to the hospital,” the medic states, and I nod and ask my captain, “Bring her to the hospital?”

He nods as his eyes tear up before he pats my back, and I climb into the rig and take a seat, my eyes latching onto the small body, and it hits me like a ton of fucking bricks.

Fuck, I have a son, and she didn’t tell me...

Chapter 11

Alexiana

My body shakes as I squeeze my linked fingers together, staring at them while I’m sitting, leaning against the wall on the floor. My knees are to my chest, and nothing in the room comes to me, while everything around me chokes me to death at the same time.

Kayden. I want to die.

“Son?” I hear, but I don’t look up. Instead, all I see is my son being carried out on a stretcher covered in blood, his blood, his little body pale, all because a woman thought he was her husband's mistress's child.

She shot an innocent child.

My baby!

Kayden.

“That’s it, Kayden, come to Mama,” I cheer as I hold my hands out, and Kayden giggles as he takes his first steps, and rushes towards me, nearly tripping on his own two feet. I giggle as I grab him then throw him up in the air and cheer, “Yay!” just as my old phone buzzes causing the other one to fall and stop the recording I had going and my smile disappears as my chest tightens.

Hayes…

“What do we know?” I hear demanded and Hayes chokes, “He’s in surgery, but Trick…”

“Buttercup, stay here, I’m going in, I’ve got medical clearance,” Trick commands, and I blink.

“Kayden Trent Smith!” I say, and my little five-year-old pouts and looks away from my mom glare. You know the one, the hands on the hips, head tilted, brow raised kind of mom glare.

“I don’t want a bath, I like being dirty!” he pouts, and I swear it takes everything in me not to smile, but my lips do twitch because damn, he looks exactly like his dad with that scowl on his face.

“Trouble, you’re covered in paint,” I say, “Now go get your little tooshie in the tub!”

“Fine!” he snaps before he stomps towards the bathroom, and my grin breaks free.

Damn child.

“Why didn’t she tell you about him?” I hear asked and Hayes says, “Dad, not now,” but Killer tries, “Sut she…”

“Not now, Dad!” Hayes snaps before I feel warm hands touching mine, and Kodi whispers, “Alex?” but I don’t see her, I just see my baby covered in blood.

Wait, when did she get here?

Why am I…

Kayden.

“Liam,” Kodi sobs when I don’t so much as blink before a small hand cups my cheek, and Clark comes into view.