Precious Stones Read online

  She giggled and said, “Don’t take too long, because I’m a little sleepy.”

  He turned back to her and, with a mischievous look on his face, said, “You can go to sleep if you want to. I know how to wake you up. I’ll be back in a second.”

  Keilah turned back to Neariah, who was staring directly at her with a smile on her face, as if she knew exactly what her parents were talking about.

  “I thought you were almost asleep, young lady.”

  “Momma,” she replied in a whisper.

  “Yes, I’m Momma,” Keilah answered as she crawled up on the bed next to her daughter and lay down. Minutes later Ramsey reentered with the crib, which he set up and got ready for Neariah, who was slowly drifting off to sleep.

  “Thanks, babe,” Keilah whispered.

  He winked at his wife before scooping Neariah up into his arms and gently placing her in the crib. After covering her with a blanket, he turned his attention back to Keilah, who was yawning.

  “Tired, huh?”

  “Yeah, I guess I have a little jet lag, but it was worth it,” she whispered. “I had a great time. I’m glad we came.”

  “Me too. I see how much you light up when you’re around your brothers, and you should. It’s all about love.”

  Keilah kissed him tenderly on the lips and said, “I’m so happy right now, Ramsey.”

  “And I plan to keep you that way,” he responded before sitting down on the side of the bed. “I’m going back down to hang out a little bit. I think they’re getting ready to get a poker game going. Do you want to come?”

  She sat up next to him and said, “Maybe, but I want to shower first.”

  “You need me to hang around so I can wash your back?” he asked as he stood.

  “Just my back?” she asked in a sultry tone as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

  He kissed her neck and said, “Stop teasing me, woman.”

  She giggled and then released him. “Go play cards. I’ll be down in a sec.”

  Ramsey returned to the family room and sat down to a game of poker, which lasted way into the early morning hours. Keilah and her sisters-in-law chatted and nibbled on appetizers until they decided to call it a night long before the poker game ended.

  The next morning the women spent the day shopping, while the men headed to the gym to play a few games of basketball. On the way home the men stopped at the market, since the ladies had the night off and the men were responsible for tonight’s dinner. All of them were pretty good cooks and were actually anxious to get in the kitchen to show off their skills. It was a wonderful dinner of steak and shrimp and healthy sides of mixed vegetables, baked potatoes, and salad. It was Ramsey and Keilah’s last night in California; therefore, after dinner the family sat down around the pool to discuss their next family get-together. It didn’t take long for them to decide upon Ramsey and Keilah’s new Florida vacation home during the kids’ spring break. They had decided to make sure they got together at least once every two months, but it was not to go any longer than that.

  The next afternoon, the Stones were driven back to the airport by Roman and Genesis. There they exchanged hugs and kisses and said their good-byes. While it was always good to see the family, the worst part was saying good-bye.

  “Have a safe flight,” Roman said as he hugged his sister one more time.

  “Thanks, Roman.”

  Roman took his niece out of his sister’s arms so he could give her a kiss. “Take care of my niece and my future niece or nephew,” he said before handing Neariah back over to her mom. “Call if you need anything.”

  “I will,” she answered before turning to Genesis. She hugged his neck and said, “I miss our talks. I’m going to call you once we get settled in.”

  He kissed her cheek and said, “I can’t wait. I love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  Ramsey took Neariah out of Keilah’s arms and said, “I’d better get Neariah buckled into her seat. We’ll call when we land.”

  Genesis gave Neariah a kiss and Ramsey a hug and said, “Take care of our girls, bro.”

  “Most definitely,” Ramsey replied before climbing onto the plane.

  Elliott appeared in the doorway and said, “Mrs. Stone, we’re cleared for takeoff.”

  “Thanks, Elliott,” Keilah replied before giving her brothers one more hug and climbing into the plane.

  Genesis and Roman waited until the plane had taxied down the runway and then lifted off and disappeared in the California sky before leaving the terminal.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  It had been a few days since Keilah and Ramsey returned to D.C. Keilah decided to take the day off so she could take her daughter to the National Zoo. It was a cool but beautiful day in the nation’s capital and a perfect day for a walk in the zoo.

  Ramsey slid into his jacket and said, “Have fun with the rug rat at the zoo.”

  “We will,” she answered as she fed Neariah her breakfast.

  He picked up his keys, gave his wife a hot kiss on the lips, and then said, “Be careful, and call me as soon as you get there. Okay?”

  She nodded in agreement and said, “Okay.”

  Target barked to get Ramsey’s attention. He walked over to the door and opened it so the dog could go out. He stared at Keilah and was unexpectedly overcome with a feeling of concern.

  Keilah looked at Ramsey and asked, “What’s that look for?”

  “I just worry about you guys when I’m away from you. That’s all.”

  “I worry about you too, babe,” she replied as she held his hand. “We’ll be fine. Have you forgotten what we do for a living?”

  He embraced her and said, “Damn all that. I can’t help that I’m concerned about you and Neariah.”

  “I understand, but we still have to try to live as normal a life as possible. Remember?”

  Ramsey held Keilah in silence as Neariah drank her apple juice. He let her comment sink in as he held her in his arms until Target barked at the back door, interrupting them. She was right about living a normal life, but it would never stop him from worrying about her and Neariah. After letting his German shepherd back into the house, he kissed the top of Neariah’s head and said, “I love you, rug rat. Take care of your mother.”

  “Daddy!” she replied loudly with a big smile on her face.

  He chuckled and gave Keilah one more kiss on the lips. “Drive safely.”

  “You too,” she answered as she put their dirty dishes in the sink. Then she picked up the telephone and made a call.

  “Tori, what are you doing today?” Keilah asked.

  “Not much, just looking over house listings. Kyle decided to sell his house and get a larger place for us.”

  “That’s great, Tori.”

  “Thanks, sis. I’m so glad you called. What’s up?”

  Keilah wiped Neariah’s mouth and said, “I took the day off so I could take Neariah to the zoo. We would love it if you met us there. It would give us a chance to spend some time together too, and lunch is on me.”

  “I’d love to,” Tori answered. “I’m getting cross-eyes looking at this computer screen.”

  Keilah looked at her watch and said, “We’ll be leaving in about fifteen minutes. Is that enough time for you?”

  “Yes, it’s plenty. All I have to do is change into some jeans and put on some comfortable shoes and I’ll be on my way.”

  “Sounds good,” Keilah answered. “We’ll see you shortly.”

  The two friends hung up and prepared to meet up at the zoo.

  When Keilah pulled out of her subdivision, a gold SUV fell in behind her approximately two car lengths back. Neariah sang and played with her stuffed bear as her mother sped down the expressway to their destination. It didn’t take long for them to get to the zoo. As Keilah drove through the parking lot to search for a parking space, she called Tori to see if she had arrived. Tori told her that she was a couple minutes away, so Keilah decided to go ahead and get the stroller out of
the car and get Neariah securely buckled in while they waited. Tori spotted Keilah’s vehicle two rows away from her as she drove through the parking lot. She noticed several families with children walking through the parking lot toward the gate, but one person in particular seemed out of place.

  Tori picked up her cell and dialed Keilah’s number, but before the call could go through, it was too late. Tori watched as the man aimed a gun at Keilah and shot her, causing her to fall to the ground. Tori screamed and sped through the parking lot to get to her friend. When she rounded the corner, she noticed the man, who had a hood over his head, running through the parking lot with Neariah in his arms. She was crying and was in immediate danger. Tori didn’t know what to do. Her best friend was on the ground, and her godchild was being kidnapped. Then she thought about what Keilah would want her to do and jumped out of the car and dialed the police as she chased after the man.

  Tori was fast on her feet and had been a pretty good athlete in high school. She screamed for help as she chased after the man. She reached the gold SUV just as the driver was backing out of the parking space. Tori grabbed the door handle and frantically pulled on it, trying to open the door, but it was locked. She screamed at the man in the driver’s seat as she banged on the passenger-side window with her cell phone, trying to break the window, but it was useless. As he dragged her across the parking lot, she could see Neariah on the floorboard of the vehicle, crying, and was devastated that she couldn’t get the door open.

  She concentrated on the features of the man behind the wheel so that later she could provide as detailed a description as possible to the police, but he had a knit mask covering his face. Tori hung on to the door, screaming for help, until the SUV rounded a corner, slamming her body into a parked car and knocking her unconscious. Within minutes, the zoo was crawling with police and paramedics. Zoo employees had run to Tori’s and Keilah’s aid, and by the time paramedics reached Tori, she had regained consciousness.

  “Keilah! Oh my God! Where’s Neariah!” Tori cried as she tried to get up off the ground. The paramedics restrained her, and the police questioned her with urgency.

  “Miss Giles, we need your help,” one of the officers told her. “Witnesses said that a child was taken from the scene. Can you validate that?”

  She nodded to the officer as tears streamed down her face. One of the paramedics examined Tori, and she screamed out in pain when he touched her leg.

  “Ma’am, I think your leg is broken. You’re going to have to remain immobile,” the paramedic explained.

  “Miss Giles, can you give us a description of the kidnapper and the vehicle?” the police officer asked.

  Tori sobbed and asked, “Is Keilah alive? I saw that man shoot her. Is she okay?”

  “The young woman is alive. The perpetrator didn’t shoot her. He hit her with a stun gun. What is her full name?”

  “Keilah Stone. You have to call her husband, Ramsey. They own the Stone-Chance Protection Agency downtown. He’s never going to forgive me for letting that man get away with his daughter.”

  The police officer instructed his partner to contact Ramsey, and then he turned his attention back to Tori as the paramedics put her on the stretcher. “What about you, Miss Giles? Is there someone we can contact on your behalf?”

  “It’s Victoria Bradford. I just got married. I haven’t had a chance to change my license. You can call my husband, Kyle Bradford. He works at the Pentagon. His number is in my cell phone, but I think I dropped it.”

  The officer noticed Tori’s cell phone on the ground in a thousand pieces. “What’s your husband’s number? Your cell phone is broken.”

  Tori recited the number to the officer, who jotted it down.

  “Thank you. We’ll have your husband meet you at the hospital. Mrs. Bradford, did you get a look at the license plate? Anything that you can tell us will help us locate the vehicle.”

  Still somewhat disoriented, through her tears she said, “I tried. I think it was D-H-three or D-eight-three. I’m not sure. Where’s Keilah? I need to see her.”

  The officer assured Tori that Keilah was being cared for and that she could see her once they got to the hospital. At the moment it was important for the officers to get an AMBER Alert out for Neariah and the SUV.

  Minutes later, two ambulances pulled into the emergency room entrance of the hospital, and the two women were taken to examination rooms for treatment. Keilah was clearly distraught and was crying for her missing child. Kyle arrived at the hospital first. While he spoke with officers, Ramsey ran into the emergency room in a panic.

  “Where are Keilah and Neariah?” Ramsey frantically asked Kyle. “No one will tell me anything.”

  One of the police officers turned to Ramsey and said, “Mr. Stone, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but your wife was attacked in the zoo parking lot. Besides some scrapes and a nasty bump on the head, she’s okay, but your daughter has been kidnapped.”

  “Kidnapped!” Ramsey yelled. “Where’s my daughter !”

  Kyle tried to steady Ramsey, but Ramsey’s legs gave out and he sank to the floor in tears. Neil had arrived at the hospital a moment before, and his eyes teared up as well, and the vein in his neck twitched. He’d never seen his best friend so broken, but he clearly understood why and would do everything in his power to help bring Neariah home.

  “What do you have?” Neil asked the officer while Kyle consoled Ramsey.

  The officer filled Neil in on the investigation. Once he had all the information, Neil rejoined Kyle and Ramsey. He knelt down at Ramsey’s side and said, “We’re going to find Neariah. I got your back, but you’re going to have to pull yourself together. I know it’s hard, but Keilah needs you right now.”

  Ramsey wiped away his tears and pulled himself off the floor. Once he had regained his composure, he hugged his two best friends and said, “Thanks, guys. I’m glad you’re here.”

  A police detective approached Ramsey and said, “Mr. Stone, there’s a possibility that your daughter was taken for ransom. We find that in a lot of cases involving wealthy families. Has there been any suspicious activity or incidents you can think of?”

  “Nothing that I can think of,” Ramsey replied.

  The detective jotted the information down in his notebook. “What about enemies? Is there anyone that you or your wife may have had a recent disagreement with? A client, former employees, friends, etcetera ...”

  With his hands on his head in despair, Ramsey answered, “There’s plenty, but I can’t think right now. I need to see my wife.”

  The detective closed his notebook and said, “Okay, Mr. Stone, but it’ll help if you allow us to wire your home phone, just in case someone calls with ransom demands—”

  “I’ll take care of it, Ramsey,” Kyle said, interrupting the detective as he patted his friend’s shoulder. “Go see Keilah. I have to look in on Victoria. She got hurt too, trying to save Neariah. She’s messed up pretty bad, but she’s going to be okay.”

  “Damn, Kyle. I’m so sorry. How is she?”

  “She has a broken leg, a concussion, and a cracked rib, but she’ll be fine. They’re getting ready to take her up to surgery now. You need to go check on Keilah. I know she’s scared and distraught. I’m going to look in on Victoria before they take her upstairs to surgery.”

  Ramsey nodded and then took a deep breath and entered the examination room, where he found his wife in a state of hysteria, which escalated when she saw his face.

  “Sir, you can’t be in here right now,” the nurse said as she attended to Keilah.

  He approached the bed and firmly said, “She’s my wife. I’m not leaving. She’s also pregnant. Is the baby okay?”

  The nurse hooked the fetal monitor up to Keilah’s abdomen and said, “So far so good, but it would help if you could get Mrs. Stone to calm down, or I’m going to have to sedate her.”

  “I’ll try,” he answered. “Could you please give us a moment?”

  The nurse checked Keila
h’s IV and said, “I’ll be back shortly.”

  Ramsey leaned over and kissed his wife and then stroked her cheek. With his lips against her ear, he whispered, “Sweetheart, I need you to calm down, because I’m going to have to leave and go get our daughter back. I won’t be able to do that with a good conscience if you don’t calm down.”

  “How do you expect me to calm down when some maniac has our daughter?” Keilah sobbed. “It was my job to protect her, but I didn’t see him coming. He hit me from behind.”

  Ramsey stroked her cheek and said, “It’s okay, sweetheart. Don’t worry. I’m going to get her back.”

  “No! It’s not okay! How the hell can I protect strangers and not be able to protect our own child?” she screamed.

  He put his finger over her lips and said, “It’s not your fault. Okay?”

  She nodded and through her tears said, “Please, I won’t be able to live if anything happens to her.”

  “Nothing’s going to happen to her,” he assured her as he caressed her cheek. “I need you to take care of our other baby while I go get Neariah. Can you stay strong for me?”

  “We can’t lose her, Ramsey,” she cried.

  “And we won’t,” he replied.

  “The police told me Tori got hurt trying to save her. Is she okay?” Keilah asked.

  “She has a broken leg and a minor fracture, but she’s going to be okay. Kyle is going to stay here and look after you two while Neil and I go find Neariah. If you need me, just call, but I’m going to need you to calm down.”

  Keilah nodded. Her body was still somewhat numb from the electrical jolt of the stun gun, and she had a terrible headache.

  In the hallway, Ramsey walked over to Kyle and Neil and said, “I have to go.”

  “Where are you going?” Neil asked.

  Ramsey frowned and replied, “Where do you think? I’m going to find the bastard who took my daughter, and God help him when I do, because he’s a dead man.”

  Neil grabbed his friend’s arm and said, “Bro, I can’t let you go out there vigilante style. The police are doing everything they can to find Neariah.”