Beautiful Broken Promises(58)

“One day, I was holding Braden in my arms and Kate was asleep in the stroller. An older lady joined me on the park bench and she started asking me about the babies. I didn’t see the harm. She began the conversation in Spanish and then she was intrigued that I knew it so fluently. I told her about my family in Colombia. I remember she rolled her eyes and told me that’s where I had gotten my ugly accent. I didn’t even think much of it because I remembered my mom saying the same thing about people from other Spanish-speaking countries. She asked if I planned on teaching the babies and I told her I would try. Definitely Braden would learn, but I didn’t really know how long I would get with Kate.”

“She seemed nice, just a little nosy. She told me how she never could have children and she was envious of the two pretty babies. I didn’t know if she understood that I was just Kate’s nanny, but I didn’t bother to explain myself. Braden started getting hungry and fussy at that point and she asked me if I breastfed. Then she went on this huge lecture about how it was best for them. I nodded my head and politely excused myself so I could feed him back at your apartment without her advice. That…” Her voice cracked and I tensed. My hands gripped her legs, and I lifted up and lightly kissed her stomach.

“She must have followed me. That’s the only way she could have known where to find us that night. I was an idiot, Lane.”

I finally climbed back up her body and positioned myself above her. “No babe, you weren’t. Even I would have fallen for that. She was a con-artist.”

“If I would have just kept my big mouth shut, she never would have been so interested. Then we would have never…”

“Shhh…” I consoled.

“She liked that I spoke Spanish,” she continued.

“Do you know how many people speak Spanish in New York City, Rae?” When she didn’t answer, I did. “Millions, Rae. Millions. This lady picked you out because she liked you. She wanted what you had and she just so happened to have an evil bastard of husband to help her.”

“I had nothing! My aunt died so I was on the streets. Braden and I bounced between friends’ houses and your house. I don’t know why she chose me, but I had nothing.”

“You had two of the prettiest babies known to mankind.”

“She was sick,” she said quietly.

“That she was.”

“No, like terminally ill. It wasn’t long after we got to Mexico that she passed away. I guess Flores had… taken us… for his wife. To give her the babies she could never have. I was just the convenient caretaker. They probably planned on killing me once Braden and Kate didn’t need me anymore.”

“He stole you guys so his wife could have kids?” My temper spiked. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! What about adoption?! Legal f*cking adoption! What about the fact that one of the babies was mine!?”

I rolled off of her and she followed to face me. I had spent many sleepless nights trying to determine a possible motive. Now that I knew, I felt deflated. How the f*ck does someone take someone else’s child just because they couldn’t have their own?

“I heard one of the guys say that she had been obsessed with me for a long time. I guess… she had been watching me.” I felt a violent shiver run through her body and I grabbed her to hold her close—to comfort both of us. “Well, turns out it had all been for nothing. The bitch died and then Flores had no idea what to do with us. So he kept us locked in a room. I guess he hoped that Braden would grow up and work for him.”

I took a deep breath, preparing myself to ask a question I needed to ask, even if I wasn’t sure I could handle the answer. “You said they tried to get rid of… Kate?” I was surprised to hear the weakness that bled from my own voice.

She cleared her throat uncomfortably. “Flores came to me one day, which was rare. He said he had no need for a daughter.” I clenched my fist at those words. If I could get a hold of that bastard again, he would die a slow death. He had no right to even use the word ‘daughter.’ Raegan waited for my inner turmoil to cool down.

“He said that only Braden would really be of any benefit to him one day. I clutched Kate to my chest so tightly they would have to take me before they would only her. So that’s what they did… they took us both. Away from Braden and I about died right there.”

“What? I don’t understand… you never said you were separated from him…” I felt immensely guilty and pulled in a thousand different directions. I was thankful she had held on to Kate, but how could I expect any mother to have to leave her own child?