18 Chapter 18

Christopher POV

Natalia was right about Tucker and the door leading to his room. Not long after I got in bed, the door opened and little footsteps entered the room. "Daddy, are you awake?" his little voice carries through the darkness.

I sit up and turn on the bedside lamp and see him halfway to the bed. "Yes, little man. Is everything okay?"

He comes and climbs up onto the bed next to me and gets under the covers. "Yes, sir. I just wanted to come sleep with you. Is that okay?"

My heart swells at the little boy that I helped create. With a smile, I tell him, "That is definitely fine with me." His smile makes the room brighter as I lay back down facing him.

"Daddy, can I ask you a question?" Tucker asks after I turn the lamp off.

"Sure," I reply as I turn back to him. The room is light enough for me to see his eyes looking directly at me.

"Do you love mommy?" his little voice asks. My heart starts to race at the thought of Natalia.

"Very much. I have loved your mommy for a long time," I tell him as I try to calm my heart rate.

He looks at me for a moment before sitting up in the bed. "Then why are you in here and not in her room?"

My brain tries to come up with an answer that doesn't sound bad. "Well, we both thought you would want me to sleep in the room connected to yours."

His little eyes stare into mine and I feel like he can see my soul from the intensity of it. "Good point but I think that she won't mind us being in her room tonight." Tucker gets up and walks to the door where he turns to look at me. "Come on, daddy. We are going to sleep in mommy's room with her."

Before I could stop him, he disappears out of the door. I get up and follow him across the hall to the door Natalia said was hers as he slowly opens the door. Holding his little finger to is lips, he motions for me to follow. When we get settled into bed beside Natalia, he tells me that he could tell that she missed me and he could see it. We fall asleep not long after he says this and I dream of Natalia.

I wake up as the sun is just barely shining through the window. Tucker rolls over and sees me awake before he gets up slowly to get out of bed. We both make our way out of the room quietly and go get dressed for the day. When I am dressed, I check in on him and I see him going through his clothes.

"What are you looking for, bud?" I ask him as I walk into his room.

He looks up and points to my shirt. "I want to find a shirt like yours so we could match today. I think mommy would love it."

I smile as I help him find a shirt and finish getting dressed. He immediately takes my hand and tries to drag me out of the room as best as his little body could. I let him lead me to where ever it was he wanted to go and we end up in the kitchen.

"Let's make mommy breakfast to take to her," Tucker says as he hops up on the counter.

Laughing, I look at him as he grabs he grabs the whisk out of the utensil holder. "Sounds good to me. What should we make her?"

His eyes light up as he glances at the whisk. "Pancakes."

I nod and go to get the pancake mix out of the cabinet he points me to when Isabella walks into the kitchen. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. He tends to make it look like a battlefield in here when he helps with pancakes."

Tucker giggles as he looks at her with a evil expression as he sticks his tongue out at her. She returns the gesture before coming over to the stove. "Does she still love French Toast, Mrs. Anderson?" I ask her as she starts getting cookware out.

"She does. It has been her favorite breakfast food since she was Tuckers age," Isabella says. She reaches into the cabinet and hands me a bowl. "Also, please call me Izzy. You're basically family so none of that formal name calling."

Taking the bowl, I smile at her. "Thank you, Izzy." Together we all make French Toast, eating as we go, and set up a breakfast tray to take up to Natalia. After filling up a mug with coffee, Tucker takes the tray and we head to Natalia's room. She is just waking up when we walk in so we timed it perfectly. Natalia takes in Tucker and I in our matching clothes as her eyes brighten.

She eats half of her breakfast and gives the rest to Tucker, who was eyeing her plate like he didn't just eat. Tucker leaves as Natalia gets ready for the trip to the cemetery and I see a photo album sitting on her desk in the corner of her room. Curious, I pick it up and open it only to be hit with various emotions. The first page is nothing but sonograms of the twins. Flipping to the next page shows Tucker when he was born. I am taken through Tuckers life up until now and I am immersed in it. The sound of the bathroom door opening doesn't register until I feel eyes on me. I have missed so much already and don't plan on missing anymore of their lives.

The truck ride was quiet as I held Natalia's hand on the center console as she drove. We stopped for flowers and I saw they had purple Hyacinths. I know these flowers as a symbol of regret and sincerity so those are the ones I chose as a way to apologize to our daughter for not being there.

The visit to the cemetery had me a mess. It didn't hit me hard that I lost a daughter until I saw it in stone. The sobs shake my body and I realize I haven't cried that hard since my grandfather died. I make a vow to make things right and to always be there for all three of them.

When we get back to the house, I see Grayson looking at me with mixed emotions. I know that he is protective of his sister but I don't plan on going anywhere ever again. I am surprised when Izzy hugs me before we head inside to eat lunch. The meal goes by great until Darius looks at me with a serious expression.

"So, I believe we all need to talk in the office after we are done. Just you, me, and Natalia." he says as he stands up.

Oh shit.

Natalia POV

We are seated in the chairs in front of the desk as dad sits in his with his arms crossed on the desk. He hasn't taken his eyes off of Christopher since we came in ten minutes ago. The tension in the room is so thick you could cut it with a knife. This talk could go one of two ways. Either dad will accept Christopher as part of the family as Tuckers dad or he could decide that he doesn't like him. Either way there is an ass-chewing coming, I can feel it.

"Explain," was all that dad says as he continues to stare at Christopher.

Christopher slightly shifts in his seat before going into everything that happened. "One morning I was at work and received an envelope that had pictures of Natalia with another man in the photos. What I didn't know was that the person in the pictures was her brother Jaxon. Everyone had been telling me that she was a gold digger and only wanted my money. After seeing the pictures, I let what others say make the decision to divorce her. I got home and gave her the papers before even hearing her out as well as had my assistant pose as my mistress. I wish I had because we would not be in this mess now. Months after Natalia left, I caught Chelsea with Natalia's ring and demanded it back after I found out she was saying that we were engaged. Nothing happened between Chelsea and me to begin with. Nothing happened again until we ran into Natalia at Bucks a few weeks ago. I had already been planning on trying to get Natalia back even with those vile things that were said. You know what happened after that," he says to my father with confidence. I know that he is slightly scared of my father but is trying not to show it.

It gets silent for a few minutes before dad speaks again. "Do you realize how stupid that all sounds?"

I hold in my laugh as I wait for Christopher's reply. "I do, sir. I regretted everything the moment she was driving away that night. I have spent the last five years looking for her to tell her how sorry I was. I have bettered myself to prove to her that I am still the person she fell in love with."

Dad narrows his eyes at him. "And are you?"

Christopher looks at my father a little confused at the question. "Excuse me, sir?"

"Are you still in love with my daughter?" dad asks with a little amusement appearing in his eyes.

"I am sir. My feelings for her has never changed. I have been in love with her since the first time I set eyes on her ten years ago," Christopher declares as he looks at me. I give him a smile at the affection that is in his eyes.

Dad clears his throat and is now looking at me. "Baby girl, are you still in love with him?"

I look at my dad with a nod. "I am. I haven't stopped even with all of the things that happened five years ago. I already told Christopher that he would have to work hard to get me back."

Dad smiles at my words before getting serious again. "Christopher, I am a man of my word. Everyone who knows me knows that I don't take to kindly to anyone hurting those I care about. Especially my family. With that said, if you ever hurt my precious daughter again or now Tucker, I will kill you myself and no one will be able to find your corpse."

Christopher nods as he looks my father dead in the eyes. "I promise sir. I will never hurt them again and if I somehow do, I will come to you to take me out first."

Shock floods my fathers features as well as mine. By his words alone tells us that he would rather die than to hurt Tuck and me. Dad shakes away his shock first and asks the big question that everyone is wondering.

"What are you going to do about that woman?" dad asks, referring to Chelsea. For years, he as wanted to take her out but I put a stop to it.

"I had already planned on firing her on Monday. She has been nothing but a pain in my ass and with what she did last night was the final strike. But in the light of recent events and findings, I think that she needs more than just loosing her job," Christopher says as his voice hardens with anger.

My dad nods his head and looks at me. "What do you want to do?"

"I am surprised you are even asking me that. I want the bitch dead. She kidnapped my son, murdered my daughter before she was born and almost succeeded with Tucker. She ruined my marriage," I tell him. I have to prevent myself from yelling it because my anger has spiked at the mere mention of her name.

"We can't just kill her and you know this. But we can put her away for good. We can set up a trap and arrest her. If we can get a confession out of her then that is even better," dad states as he pulls out a folder. He opens the folder and I notice it is the report on all of the crimes Chelsea has committed. "We already have enough for her to get life in prison. However, for us to be able to get her ourselves, we need to get her to fall into our qualifications."

I think for a moment before I get an idea. "What about the guard we brought back for questioning?"

Dad looks at me in realization that we have someone who can give us the information we need. "I actually didn't think about that. This is why I am glad that you have taken over the business. Get what you need done. Keeping me informed on everything is up to you to decide now, boss." Dad sends me a wink when he calls me by my new title.

"Get the team in here and we can get started," I tell him as I switch to my business mode. Dad gets up from the chair so that I can sit down behind the desk that is now both of ours. I look over at Christopher as dad goes to get Grayson and gather the rest. "If you would like to stay you can but I need to know that you will not speak about anything that is said in this room."

Christopher looks at me with a look that I can't place as he nods his head. "My lips are sealed... unless yours are on them," he says with a wink. I give him a smile before a knock is heard on the door. Getting back into business mode, I call out for them to enter. My brothers, Megan, Draco, and the rest of the team walk in and stand in front of me. As soon as the door shuts, I start on the mission planning.

"As you all know, at 2000 hours last night Tucker was kidnapped from this house. The people who took him used knock-out gas on the guards at the gate before taking their keys for the house. Later at 2100 hours, he was extracted from where he was held hostage and brought home. A single guard was taken into custody and placed in holding. We have reason to believe that a one, Chelsea Jones, is the person behind this plot. In order for us to be able to arrest her, we need to do it in our service qualification. First rule of business, has the prisoner given any information to our questions?" I say to the group. I look at Draco for the report on the prisoner since he has been the one questioning him.

"Not yet, boss. He refuses to talk to anyone," Draco answers as he stands at attention.

"Well we will have to change that then. I will accompany you this time to question him and we now are able to use whatever means necessary to extract the information we need from him," I say to Draco. Draco nods and I see Christopher looking at me worried. "After we get the information we need, we will meet back here to plan our next move. Be on standby. Any Questions?" I ask as I stand up.

Huxley steps forward at attention. "Boss, I would like to request to accompany you for the interrogation."

Jaxon, Megan, and Grayson step forward as well. "We would like to as well."

I nod my head at them, "Permission granted. We leave in ten."

Everyone leaves out of the room, leaving Christopher and me in the office alone. He gets up and comes over to me with that look on his face again. I finally recognize it as pride. Wrapping his arms around me, he looks me in the eyes. "Permission for me to accompany you as well, boss?" he asks in a husky voice that sends a shiver down my spine to somewhere that it doesn't need to be at the moment.

"Permission granted," I tell him as I give him a peck on the lips. I go to leave when his hand stops me by grabbing mine.

"May I ask what you are about to do?" he asks with a hint of worry on his gorgeous face.

"What I need to do to get my life back fully," I tell him. "Just know that you will need to have a strong stomach at what you are about to witness if you go."

"Anywhere you go, I go. From now and forever," he states with a look of determination.

I smile at him as I nod my head. We walk out of the office, hand in hand, and step outside where the SUV was waiting. "Let's go." I tell the group before we all get in.

I will get the information one way or another.