Folding Hearts (Mitchell Family #2)(18)
Author: Jennifer Foor

I threw the phone on the floor and just stared at it for a moment. Bella was asleep in the porta-crib just feet away, so I knew she was safe. I picked up the phone and started screaming into it. “Don’t you dare threaten me or my family you…….hello? Hello?”

Lucy had already stood up and grabbed the phone out of my hand. The call had probably ended before I got a word in.

“Who was it?” She asked.

I couldn’t answer her. I was still in shock from hearing Tucker’s threat.

She started grabbing the house phone and dialing some numbers while she talked in Spanish. I tried to grab the phone to stop her, but just one look at my innocent child and I knew that this was more serious than I could handle myself.

It only took my family about ten minutes to be standing in the living room with all of their hands on their hips, demanding a detailed explanation.

I put my hands in my face and shook my head. “Tucker threatened Bella and I. He says that he is getting out early and…..,” I started getting choked up. “And he will make sure that you can’t identify our bodies when he is done with us.”

I had my face still buried in my hands, but I could hear the gasps fill the room.

“This shit has got to stop. We need to call the police,” Conner said angrily.

“We can’t prove this call ever happened and even if we did, he could still get someone else to come after them. Even with this little prick behind bars, he is still threatening my family. If you ask me I think we need to get them as far away from here as we can.” My mother was shaking and holding Bella tightly. I could tell she was honestly scared for our safety.

“Mom, I don’t think he is serious. He is just sayin’ what would hurt me the worst.”

“Get your head out of your ass Randa. This guy was trouble from the beginning. You need to start thinking about your safety first. When does he get out?” Conner asked.

“I have no idea. I didn’t even know he was gettin’ out early at all.” I argued.

“The first thing we need to do is call whoever is in charge of Tucker’s case. When we have more details we can figure out what to do next,” my aunt chimed in.

“What happens if they don’t believe me? It isn’t like anyone else heard what he said to me.”

“Miranda, you need to think about you and Bella. Have you forgotten what he did to you?” My mother seemed petrified to think about what Tucker had done to me in that parking lot. Remembering how I looked when I left the hospital that night made it easy to see her side. Being a mother myself, well, I couldn’t imagine seeing my own child go through what I was.

“No Mom. I remember every detail of what happened. All I am sayin’ is that we don’t know whether this is just some kind of joke. We may be panickin’ and he isn’t getting out of jail early. We just don’t know.”

“Well I will not be taking the chance with my only daughter and grandchild,” my mother said assuringly.

My aunt was already on the phone with someone. I had no clue who she could be calling around nine p.m., but she was talking up a storm, explaining the whole situation.

Colt and Van were deep into a conversation with my brother and my mother and Lucy were trying to settle Bella. I felt like I was in the middle of some worm hole, listening to all of them decide what was going to happen. If it weren’t for my aunt making a few phone calls, I would have just assumed this was all a hoax, but finally her calls paid off.

She pulled my mother into the kitchen and we could hear them talking, but not clear enough to figure out what they were saying. I think we were all thrown a loop when they called everyone except me and Lucy in there with them.

“Guess we aren’t at liberty to hear what they are deciding?” I said sarcastically.

“You know that whatever they are saying, it is for your own good. You have to make the right decisions here missy. That Tucker is a dangerous man. You need to get as far away from him as you can.” She started to tear up as the words came out of her mouth.

I grabbed her and hugged her tightly. “I love you Lucy. I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”

Everyone came walkin’ out of the kitchen. Their faces told me everything I didn’t want to know.

“Over-crowding! He is getting out early on account of overcrowding. Do you believe this shit? He committed an act of violence and he is being let out six months early.” My brother was not too happy.

“Honey, sit down!” My mother said as she sat down on the couch and waited for me to join her.

“He beat the shit out of her. Does anyone else have a problem with this? I don’t care if he has had good behavior or some dumb shit that qualified him for an early release. This is horse shit,” Conner slammed.

The room was filled with sudden animosity and I knew whatever they were about to tell me couldn’t be good.

“When does he get out?” I asked.

“As early as three days from now.” My mother answered. “They said that you would receive a letter.”

“You really think I am in danger?”

“We have all made arrangements for you and Bella to go away for a while, at least until we can tell you aren’t in any imminent danger,” My aunt explained.

Tears filled my eyes. “Where am I supposed to go? How long? Is anyone goin’ to go with me?”

“We have a place for you to go. It’s out of state and you will have help there. I have made arrangements for you to stay with family in North Carolina. They have plenty of room and you and Bella will be safe there. It isn’t forever honey, just until we know for sure that you are safe.” She looked over to her son Colt and gave him a quick nod. He and Van left the room without saying a word to me.

“When do I have to leave?” I asked.

“Tomorrow. We will help you pack up enough of your things before you make the trip,” My mother explained.

I started to really cry and my mother wrapped her arms around me. “I have never left home before. I don’t want to go. I don’t even know the people where I am goin’. This isn’t fair.”

“You aren’t staying with strangers. You are going to stay with Tyler and his parents. They have a small farm and a carriage house that you and Bella will be comfortable in for the time being. Honey, this is temporary.”

The only word I heard out of her mouth was Tyler. I was shaking so bad, but I definitely heard her right. “You are sendin’ me to stay with Ty?”