Hush!

Sheila's Pov - A Year Later!

"Hush," I mumbled as I held Alina in my arms, rocking her back and forth. She soon stopped crying and was sound and asleep in my arms. "Finally," I sighed and carefully placed her in her crib and then watched her sleep for a moment. Her dark, thick hair and those apple cheeks were the most captivating about her, and I could watch her for hours. The love I felt for her was something I had never experienced before, and now I knew what love felt like and that I would do anything to keep her safe and happy. These past three months with her in my arms had been a roller coaster, to say at least. The first month was a constant fear of not knowing what to do and second-guessed me as a mother, but as the weeks go by, I felt more secure in my role as a mother, and I was feeling more and more in love with her for every day.

"Is she asleep?" Ricky whisper as he entered the room quietly. I nodded and smiled. "She's so beautiful; she looks just like you," Ricky whisper as he had walked up next to Alina's crib. "I know. She's perfect." I replied and felt the pride wash over me. I did that. I made that perfectly, tiny human. Ricky pulled me into his arms, and I could feel myself blush when he kissed my head.

"You are perfect," He mumbled in my ear. "You know that I love you. And I love Alina just as much. I can't believe how stupid I was acting before she was born," Ricky stutter, and I turned around and kissed him gently. From the day Alina was born, had Ricky not left our side for more than an hour. When he saw me holding Alina at the hospital, that was the moment he broke down and declared his love for me, and he promised to love Alina as his own. Ricky took me off guard, and as a newly delivered mother, I was overwhelmed by his gesture and very flattered. I love Ricky, but I had never played out the whole romantic part with him until now. And he had slowly shown me a side of affection I had never experienced before.

He had reassured me all those moments when I second-guessed myself as a mother. Sleepless nights when I had cried my eyes out, and I had felt like the most terrible mother in the world as Alina had cried over stomach pain. Those were the nights when he had held us both in his arms and told me otherwise. I was madly in love with him as well, and I felt butterflies whenever he touched me or kissed me. Seeing him holding Alina in his arms made my heart skip a beat. He was a natural with her, and she adored him just as much as I did. He made me feel safe and loved. In a way, I never knew existed. I was about to answer him when I heard my phone buzz from the dresser.

"I think it's Celine; I need to get that," I whisper, and Ricky free me from his arms. I grabbed my phone and unlocked it and saw one message from Celine and opened it.

Celine – She's beautiful, Sheila. I can't wait to meet you guys. I will come as soon as I have graduated in June. I can't wait. Love you. Xx

I smiled and answered her text while I noticed an unknown number had sent me a text as well. I opened up the reader with an uneasy feeling, not knowing that this text would change everything.

Unknown – Hello Honey. Missed me? I am coming for you and our baby. See you on Saturday, Sheila. Or Sunday? Or any other day you prefer?

I gulped, and the phone slipped out of my hands and landed on the floor beneath my feet. "What's wrong, Sheila?" Ricky asks as he bends over and picks up my phone. I felt pain shoot through my chest as I fell to the floor with ringing ears and out of breath,

"He's not coming close to either you or Alina, Sheila. I will guard you with my life." Ricky uttered in a cold tone and picked me up in his arms. "He's not coming near you and Alina, okay?" He grabbed my face and made me look at him, "Breath, Sheila. Slow breathes. Focus on me." I did as he told me, and I soon had begun to manage to calm myself down. "I need to speak with Vladi, Sheila. Stay here with Alina." Ricky kissed my forehead, and I nodded in reply.

But I instantly had a bad feeling. BANG!

I winced when I heard gunshots coming from the outside, and I instantly picked Alina up and run into the safe room down the hall.

The tears were streaming down my cheeks as I locked the door with a crying Alina in my arms. I had never been so scared in my whole life.

I gave Alina my breast for comfort, and she had soon fallen back into sleep. But I was terrified. I was on high alert when I saw motion coming from the surveillance camera.

It felt like my heart would stop any second now. But I had someone to shield with my life, but I was afraid that someone would take her away from me. The camera showed that Vladi's team led him out the back door. Ricky was going around the house with a gun in his hands with Maxim by his side. I followed his movement through the screens and soon breathed out when I saw Ricky coming towards the safe room. I opened the door, and Ricky took us into his arms.

"We need to pack up and leave, change location," Ricky mumbled, and I sighed. "Again? We just did that a few weeks ago," I pouted, tired of hiding.

"I know. But Zion's is not going to back off. Ever. But as soon as he is gone, we can breathe out and go on with our lives. Okay?" I nodded, and we walked into the bedroom and started packing our things while Alina slept in the crib.

"What was that?" I asked when I heard something shattered from downstairs. "Wait here, Sheila," Ricky mumbles and picked up his gun. "Be careful, Ricky," I mumbled back and felt my anxiety wash over me.

Zion's Pov

I have waited for this day for over a year now—the day when I will get Sheila and my baby back for good.

"I go in now; stay back!" I ordered to my two men through the earpiece as I broke down a window downstairs of the house Sheila was staying in at the moment.

I climbed inside and hurried over to the stairs and hid under them when I heard footsteps coming downstairs. My heart was racing by the adrenaline that was flowing within me.

And then I saw him, Dicky. The cockroach that never could die.

My eyes followed him as he passed into the kitchen, and I sneaked to the stairs and silently walked upwards. I froze when I heard Ricky mumble something, but I quickly climbed the stairs and reached the top. The floor cracked when I stepped onto it, "Ricky? Honey?" I heard Sheila's voice coming from one of the rooms, and I felt my stomach flutter and turn at the same time.

"SHEILA!" Ricky yelled from downstairs, and I had to act quickly. I rushed inside the bedroom and grabbed a shocked Sheila, and as I looked around, I saw the crib. "Pick the baby up, now. Or I will shoot your brains out," I mumbled in her ear, and she nodded with my gun pressed against her head.