Chapter - 8

Flashbacks - The First Meet

16 months ago

"Don't panic Hazel, stay calm. Please.." Hunter whispered as he squeezed his sister's hand as they neared to the labour room. Her face showed how much pain she is in. She gripped the edge of the stretcher with the other hand.

"Hunter..." She called out when the nurse said Hunter to wait outside. They stopped. Hunter leaned down to hear his sister whatever she is going to tell.

"If....If I don't make it, p-please give my child a normal life. I don't....i don't want my child to have a life we lived. I don't want these chaos in my baby's life, do you hear me?" She asked through pain but her voice was firm. Hunter's eyes welled up, but he blinked them back and nod with a hoarse 'yeah'.

"Promise me." She breathed out squeezing his hand.

"I promise. Don't worry." He said and squeezed her hand back. Hazel smiled at her little brother.

"Take care. I love you." She said with a smile.

"Love you." With that the hospital crew entered the labour room with Hazel, closing the door behind.

Hunter paced infront of the room, breathing hard. Kaiden and Drake looked at him and the room. They wanted to calm him, but they knew him well so stayed back, leaning against the wall.

Few minutes later they heard a baby's cry. Hunter stopped his pacing and stared at the room where his sister is. Kaiden smiled at his friends but it vanished as soon as a nurse came out the labour room with panic. She disappeared in another room and came with another doctor and nurse.

"What happened?" Hunter asked the nurse but she ignored him and get back inside the room with the doctor and nurse.

It didn't take more than ten minutes before the doctor came out, a nurse following him delicately carrying a light blue bundle.

The doctor take the baby from the nurse handing the new born to Hunter. "It's a baby boy! Congratulations!"

Hunter take his nephew gently from doctor's hand carefully swinging him sideways. The small baby sounds brought a smile to his lips. The big dark maroon eyes looked at the dark haired man with curiosity.

"He got Gavin's eyes." Kaiden commented as he leaned over Hunter's shoulder, poking the baby's soft cheek gently. Drake gave a soft kiss on the rosy little hand that tried to reach him.

"He is so calm. I think he got all traits from his father. What should we call him? Little vampire?" Kaiden chuckled looking at the unique eyes.

Hunter thought for a moment, "Leo."

His sister always said when he becomes an uncle, he can choose the name for them.

"How is she?" Hunter asked handing the baby back to the nurse.

"Uh....Mr. Rendell, can I talk to you alone?"

Hunter shared a look with his friends before following the doctor. Deep down he knows whatever he is going to tell is a bad news.

They didn't go far, just few meters away from the room.

"I'm sorry for the bad news...we...we couldn't save her. We tried our best..but.. "

Hunter's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean? What happened to her?"

"She had a cardiac arrest. BP was high too. We couldn't save her," he sighed. "Mr. Rendell, your sister...she is no more."

"What?!" Hunter's voice came out as a whisper.

"We're sorr―" Hunter didn't want to hear anything, he walked out from there. Drake and Kaiden, who were watching them followed Hunter as soon as he rushed out.

**********

"I want you to wake up next time I visit, okay?"

Neal said kissing his mother's forehead who was lying on the bed without any response.

"Oh, you are leaving?" Reksha entered the room with some reports in her hand.

"Yeah, can't miss the party," he said giving a kiss on her cheek. "Dylan is going to propose Eva." He said excitedly like he is the one doing it.

"Finally! Ugh.. I want to see his face when she say yes." They both laughed and hugged.

"Message me when you get home." Reksha said patting Neal's back before pulling away.

"Yeah I will. Take care, bye." He said and exit the hospital room.

Neal walked to the elevator. He pressed the button for ground floor and leaned against the wall looking at his own reflection.

When the elevator stopped at the second floor, the door opened and a middle aged man entered with a child. The baby was crying non stop and the man was trying his best to cease it.

Neal looked at them suspiciously. From the first look he knew the baby is new born and still had hospital clothes. The man was glaring at the small baby, annoyed that he can't stop the cry.

Seeing this Neal couldn't help but ask, "Um.. is this your baby?"

The man turneded to Neal suddenly with a look like someone caught him doing some illegal business. He fixed a forced smile on face before answering, "Yes. He is."

Something inside Neal told him the man is lying and the baby started to cry loudly.

"Uh.... I think he needs his mother. Why don't you―"

"Its mother died." The man said interrupting Neal. His arrogant face and eyes shoot daggers at the young guy. The sudden change surprised Neal.

'Its?' that's a human baby, not 'it'.

He felt like something is wrong. What if the man is a kidnapper and is abducting the baby?

The man is scary, but he should do something before anything happen.

"Uh...can you give him to me, maybe I can help you?" He asked politely giving no space for anything suspicious, but the man looked at him fiercely. "No. I can handle him. Mind your own business."

Neal took a deep breath, "Fuck it" he muttered before reaching for the baby who is crying loudly in the stranger's arms.

**********

Hunter angrily wiped his tears and washed his face before starting at the mirror in the restroom. A man looked at him strangely, but one glare from Hunter, the man scurried away.

Hunter closed his eyes gripping the edges of the countertop. He didn't open his eyes even when he felt a familiar touch on his shoulder.

"Hunter.." Kaiden squeezed his friend's shoulder.

"She is gone." Hunter breathed out without opening his eyes. Sadness filled their chest. There is only two people left in Rendell's bloodline.

"You should―" The door burst open and Drake rushed in with a hardened face.

"Hunter, Leo is missing." Hunter's eyes widened and Kaiden gasped audibly.

"What are you talking about? How? What the hell happened Drake!?" Kaiden yelled distressingly.

"A nusre informed me now. The staffs were attacked. Three babies are missing, they already found one. Two is still to be found and one of them is ours. I will check the ground floor, they will still be here. We don't have time." Drake said and rushed out without saying anything further.

"Shit." Kaiden cursed. Since Hazel and the baby's existence is a secret, only the three of them were there. And all of them knew searching the culprits in such a big hospital is not easy.

"Check the first floor, I will search here." Hunter said to Kaiden who nodded and ran towards the stairs.

The hospital has seven storeys. Whoever took the children, their destination must be the exit.

Hunter lost his sister, he is not ready to lose his nephew.

**********

Drake clashed into another person as he searched every nook and corner in the ground floor. There were some people complaining about the elevator.

Drake ran to the stairs to check the first floor. He was passing the elevator when it suddenly opened. A baby's cry and a loud argument caught his attention.

"I SAID LET GO! HELP! HELP!

LET GO YOU BASTARD. SOMEBODY HELP!!"

Drake saw a young guy tries to avoid a blow from a bald man with a broken nose. The guy had also a bruise on left jaw. He held a very familiar baby close to his chest blocking any contact from the middle aged man. The man is trying to pull back the guy who tried to step out of the elevator.

Drake ran towards the man punching straight in his face and slightly pushed Neal out from there. Neal stunned and looked at the tall muscular guy with blonde hair and forest green eyes who dragged the man out and punched him mercilessly.

Neal stepped outside holding the crying baby close. He was too shocked and relieved that he didn't notice the two guys running towards them.

Kaiden grabbed the man from Drake, adding a black eye to his already damaged face. Drake held the man's arms back giving access to Kaiden to let out his anger at the stranger.

Neal was too stunned with the action movie going infront of him that he didn't notice when the baby taken from him by Hunter.

Hunter consoled Leo by rocking and cooing, after all he has experience.

By the time the security guards came to grab the culprit he was pretty wasted, all thanks to the two males who beaten him up.

Kaiden took Leo from Hunter talking to him and inspecting for any harm. Hunter and Drake looked at Neal who was wincing while touching his split lower lip.

"Thank you," Drake said "for saving him."

Hunter just stood there and stared, occasionally looking at the bruises on Neal's face.

Neal looked up at Drake. Although the man was thanking him, his face has no emotion at all.

"Uh.... It's alright. You saved me too..so.. thank you." Neal said awkwardly. The phone vibrated in his pocket. Neal took his phone out, it was one of his college friends asking where he is.

"Uh.. I have to go." He gave them a small smile with a nod.

Drake was the only one who responded with a nod. Kaiden was busy in playing with Leo and the other one was staring at Neal who gently touched the soft cheek of now peaceful Leo before leaving.

Drake narrowed his eyes at his friend who refused to take his eyes of the young guy who practically ran towards the stairs in hurry.

**********

/ Present time /

"Oh My God! That was him? How didn't I notice? Kaiden exclaimed. Drake rolled his eyes.

"But, from the looks of it he doesn't remember us too." Kaiden said looking at the darkening sky. "Does Hunter really like him?"

Drake shrugged, "Maybe. I just know he searched for him for a while, and when he finally meet him again he doesn't want to let go, I guess."

"I can't believe, Hunter got a crush!" Kaiden whistled.

"You better shut up or he will stick a gun in your mouth." Drake said and reached for his pocket for another cigarette.

Kaiden grabbed the stick from him frowning, "I told you to stop smoking. No one will kiss you if your mouth stink of cigarette." He said throwing it into the trashcan on the corner.

Drake glared at his friend, "I don't want anyone to kiss me." He said and took out his phone to scroll.

"Not even August?" Kaiden asked giving Drake a side glance.

Drake's thumb froze on the screen at the mention of the name. He gave Kaiden a death glare who raised his hands in surrender.

"Okay..okay I will shut up." He checked his watch, "I need to go to Neal. See you in meeting." He said to which Drake replied with a hum.

Drake looked at the silhouette of woods, his mind going after a certain guy whom no matter how hard he pushed away... always comes after him.

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