Page 56 of His Kidnapped Queen
“Hello? Who’s this?” she answers and I let out a relieved breath.
“Agnes, it’s Sophia,” I whisper.
“Oh, hello, love!” she chirps, and I realize I was right. Scott hadn’t told her the whole truth. “Scott came by, said you might not be home for a few days. Undercover, that’s so exciting!”
“Y-yes,” I stutter, keeping my voice as low as possible. “It is. How’s Rosa?”
I’m trying to keep the tears out of my voice. Just hearing Agnes pick up the phone is making my heart ache. I miss my old life. I miss Scott and Agnes. I miss Rosa with everything in me. When you have a child, it’s like your heart starts walking around in another body.
“She’s right as rain. Enjoying her sleepover.”
“Can I talk to her?”
“Of course! Rosa! Hey Rosie!”
Shuffling sounds assault my ears and then I hear the sweetest little voice in the world.
“Mama?”
I squeeze my eyes shut against the tears, but they spill over anyway.
“Hi, Rosie girl. You having fun?”
“So much fun! Are you having fun at work?”
“So much fun,” I repeat shakily. “Just be good for Aggie, okay?”
“Aggie taught me jacks.”
“Jacks? Like with the little ball?”
“Yeah! I got twosies!”
I can’t help but laugh, but then Luca rolls over onto his stomach and I press my mouth shut.
After a terrifying moment, his breathing evens out.
“Mama?”
“Yeah, Rosie girl?”
“Gotta go. Wanna play.”
I smile. My bossy Rosie girl.
“Alright, baby. You be good but have fun!”
“Kay. Love ya, Mama.”
“I love you too.” My voice cracks, and for the next few moments I want so badly to tell Agnes. I want to wait until she’s back on the phone and tell her everything, send my location, get Luca taken in. Scott would come to get me, I just know it, even if he wasn’t assigned.
I could let Scott show up like my knight in shining armor, get back to my Rosie girl. But I don’t know much more now than when I started. Plus, all of this was unsanctioned. I went on my own, not on orders. I’ll be in trouble when I get back, but if I have information…
If I give up now, the charges won’t stick, and who knows what Luca will do. Come after me, probably, and then he’ll find out about Rosa. She looks so much like him. The moment he sees her, he’ll know, andthenwhat?
I hang up the phone and delete the call log, slowly walking back over to him. Since he’s on his stomach, it’s easier to slide the phone back into his pocket.
God, I miss her. Sobs choke my throat and I stay huddled in the corner as I cry, my shoulders shaking as tears consume me.
