by C. A. Harms
“Really, Gray, if Brooklynn is the woman you want, if she makes your fucking heart race with all the possibilities, then you fight for it. Show her she means the world to you and don’t give up until she accepts it.” He twisted his phone around in his hands, as if absorbing my advice and trying to figure out what to do with it. “Don’t give her the chance to push you away. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, and, in my opinion, she feels it too. Maybe she just wants to make sure you’re being truthful.”
He didn’t respond, so I turned back to watch the building, my mind wandering back to me and Gabby. I found myself smiling as I remembered taking her wine hostage until she agreed to have dinner with me.
That night was one of the best nights of my life.
I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to the side just in time to see Grayson lift his phone to his ear. “Hey, Brooklynn, I just wanted to call you and tell you that I’ll give you these two days. But when I get home, your ass is gonna accept that I fucking love you. No more of this moving too fast bullshit. You and me are gonna work this out, and if you even think for one second I’m letting your ass go, you’re sadly mistaken.”
What in the hell was he doing? Talking to a Shannon girl like that was only gonna get his balls twisted and tied in a knot.
“Yeah, you keep thinking that, sweetheart. But like I said, what I’m feeling is real, so you better catch up. If you think I was moving fast the last time I saw you, you’re gonna have whiplash the next time we’re face to face.” He hung up before she could respond, and I sat gaping at him, wondering what the hell had possessed him to go all alpha on Brook.
“Are you fucking insane?” I asked.
He was breathing hard and he stared back at me. “No,” he said. “Not insane, man, just in love, and apparently that shit makes you do shit you would never normally do.”
He was right there. It sure as shit did.
***
“So, did you find what you were looking for yet?” Gabby asked.
We had gotten back to our hotel close to midnight and I had thought about not calling her, but I had to hear her voice.
“Nothing yet,” I replied. “Tomorrow we’re gonna do a little digging, ask some neighbors.”
“I miss you,” she whispered sleepily. “The bed feels lonely without you next to me.”
I reached out and touched the empty space at my side. “I know what you mean. I miss you too, sweetheart.”
“When are you coming back to me?” she asked. “Do you think you’ll be back in time for Friday’s appointment?”
After missing the most important appointment of her pregnancy, I hadn’t missed another one. Even if it’s just to get her blood pressure checked, I was there.
“I’ll be back Thursday night, baby. There’s no way I’m missing Friday,” I promised. “We get to see our boy again.”
Chapter 8
Leo
It was almost too easy.
Just one little hint called in to the bureau and Josh was ready to travel to another city with hopes of finding even the smallest lead to me.
And here I was, inside his home.
Granted, I had to wait for Mike and that whore Audrey to sneak out, but here I was, only a few feet separating me from the one person who could help me seek my revenge.
Dark, silky hair covered the light-colored pillow. The soft purr of her breath was like a quiet melody that ran through my body, settling straight in my dick.
She was fucking breathtaking.
Breaking her in was going to be my greatest pleasure. And it was only a matter of time until she became mine.
It was this easy. I knew that now.
Reaching out, I touched the dark strands of her hair, allowing them to tickle my palm.
Maybe I won’t sell her.
I gently pulled away the sheet as the material fell beneath her breast. So full and mouthwatering.
I would definitely rethink that idea.
Gabriella Shannon could bring me some serious money from the right market, but for once my desire may outweigh my hunger for money.
Torturing her may actually be worth the loss.
And the pain in Josh’s eyes when he gains knowledge of the things I am doing to her will be the best feat.
Only a few months now, my beauty, and you’ll be mine.
Chapter 9
Gabby
“Have you seen my necklace?” I asked Brook as I rushed out from the bedroom in a panic.
“Slow down, momma,” she held out her hands, placing one on each of my shoulders. “Take a breath and chill before Josh kills us all for allowing you to get all worked up.”
Mike and Audrey were sitting at the snack bar, both staring at me with a puzzled look on their faces.
“Seriously, Brooklynn.” I reached up and placed my hand on my chest, just where my necklace would normally lie. “My necklace from Josh. The one he had inscribed. It’s gone.”
“Where did you have it last?” Audrey was the one to ask as she stood and began to move in my direction.
“I put it in the same place I always do. The top drawer of my jewelry box. Nothing else goes in that drawer but that necklace.” I took in a deep breath. “I took it off and placed it in that same drawer before I took a shower last night. Then I crawled into bed, and this morning I went to put it on, but it’s gone.”
Audrey walked past me and I followed closely behind. I stood in the doorway as she checked my jewelry box and the area around it. I found myself hoping this was just one of those pregnancy brain malfunctions and maybe I had placed it in the second drawer instead of the first. But no such luck.
“Honey, I don’t see it anywhere,” she said, and I felt my stomach tense.
I loved that necklace. It was one of the first things Josh bought me after he proposed.
Mon Amour, Mon Coeur est tien.
My Love, my heart is yours.
And on the other side was the date we met. It was the sweetest gesture, and after thinking I had forever lost him, it meant the world to me.
I was in a panic at the thought of losing it.
“But it was there,” I said as I sat down on the end of my bed. “I know it was.”
“We’ll find it,” Brooklynn said as she sat on one side of me and Audrey sat down on the other side.
As I allowed my gaze to wander over the room, it landed on my desk in the corner. Something was missing. It didn’t come to me right away, but when it did my heart sank. “Our picture’s gone,” I whispered.
“What picture?” Brooklynn asked.
“The one of the three of us, from Christmas,” I replied. “It was right there. It’s been there for months, and now it’s gone.”
It was Mike who spoke next as he knelt down in front of me. “Gabby, are you sure it was there and that your necklace was in the top drawer?” I nodded my head, because there was absolutely no doubt in my mind.
He remained in front of me as he dialed his phone and lifted it to his ear. “Trev, I need you to access the cameras in Gabby’s apartment building. Check on entrances and exits. I think we may have had an unwanted visitor within the last twelve hours.”
Chills covered my neck and back as his words sunk in.
Brooklynn’s grip tightened on my arm, and I knew she felt it too.
We sat in silence as Mike waited for Trevor to confirm what he was waiting to hear. I could tell by the tense look on his face he already knew what Trevor would find.
“What time?” he asked, and my stomach flipped nervously.
“Was he alone?” A whimper escaped Brook and she slid closer to my side.
I watched as Mike looked up at Audrey and nodded just enough that she obviously understood what he was referring to.
“Right after us?” he asked Trevor. Mike’s eyes closed tightly, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “We were only fucking gone twenty minutes.”
I looked between him and Audrey, and I could see the guilt they both felt in th
eir eyes.
“No,” Mike added. “I’ll call him.”
He hung up the phone, only to begin dialing it once more.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Let me make this call, Gabs. Josh is already going to fucking kill me. I fucked up, babe.” His words were like a rush of ice cold water poured over me.
I sat silent; we all did as Mike made a call we could see he was dreading.
“Josh, you need to get back here, man. Leo was here.” I could hear Josh’s panicked voice through the phone, and Mike closed his eyes once more as he continued to speak.
“Audrey and I stepped out for ice cream last night. We were gone less than twenty minutes, but I entered the building two minutes after he left. He had to be watching and waiting.”
I jumped at the sound of Josh’s angry tone spilling from the phone.
“This was all a setup, Josh,” Mike stated. “He was here, Josh, as in inside the apartment.”
“What the fuck?” I heard Josh clear as day.
“Gabby’s necklace is missing, and a picture of the girls. He was inside your bedroom while she was asleep,” he told Josh. More cursing and angry words were shouted.
I shivered against the embrace of my sisters, suddenly feeling more scared than I had ever felt in my life.
The thought of that sick bastard in the same room as me, while I slept and dreamed of holding my child in my arms, made me sick to my stomach. I jumped up from the bed and rushed toward the bathroom as Brooklynn followed behind me.
She held my hair as I emptied the contents of my stomach, shaking in fear until tears ran down my cheeks.
I lurched forward over and over until there was nothing left. The muscles in my jaw tightened and ached as I took in a deep breath, doing all I could to calm down.
When I sat back on my feet and looked over at my sister, I found she too had tears trailing along her cheeks.
“He was here, Brook. He was in my room, in our apartment.” My lower lip trembled in fear.
“He could have hurt us,” I whispered. Placing my hand over my belly, another thought hit me hard and I sobbed uncontrollably. “He could have hurt the baby.”
I fell to the side and sat on the floor as she wrapped her arms around me, and we both cried together.
When it came to Leo and his abilities, the fear I felt prior to today was nothing compared to what I felt now.
Now I was terrified.
Chapter 10
Josh
My heart was racing so fucking fast. It felt like it was on the verge of beating out of my chest.
“Slow down, Josh,” Grayson complained as he gripped the dash. “We’re not gonna be any good to any of them if our asses are in the hospital.”
All I could think about was getting to Gabby. I needed to see her and make sure she was all right. Touch her and feel her against me.
Once I had done that I was going to beat Mike’s ass for leaving her vulnerable to Leo. His one job was to keep her safe, to make sure Gabby, and all the girls for that matter, had someone with them at all times.
Audrey and Mike risked the safety of my woman and child for fucking ice cream.
I was livid and so fucking scared I could barely breathe.
Leo set this entire thing up. He knew the probability of him getting near Gabby unnoticed with me in town was unlikely. Sending us on a fucking wild goose chase just to prove he could was his goal all along.
He wanted us to know that he was out there lurking.
“He was there in the same fucking room as her. Within feet, hell, maybe even inches from the two most important things in my life right now,” I said as I gripped the steering wheel tighter. “In our home, Gray. In Brook’s home.”
“I know this, man, I do,” he replied. “You don’t think that hits me low in the gut? I would give just about anything to get my hands on this sick fuck, but we can’t lose it. We have to hold it together and keep our heads level.”
I looked over at him about to argue, but for once my best friend was the one thinking straight.
“He’s just waiting for us to fall apart and grow weak. He is a predator. He thrives on weakness, and we have to show him he can’t get to us.”
“How the hell do I do that when I feel like I’ve been gutted?” I asked.
He reached out and placed his hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “We do it together,” he stated.
***
I had my key in hand before I even exited the elevator. Gray was on his phone, but I hadn’t taken the time to pay attention to who he was talking to. I was too focused on Gabby.
My hands shook in anger and fear as I slid my key in the lock and twisted. Quickly shoving the door open, I rushed inside.
I scanned the room, giving very little attention to those standing around appearing nervous. The moment my gaze landed on Gabby, curled up under a blanket on the couch, I rushed toward her, crashing at her feet.
I wrapped her in my arms and buried my face in her neck as I took the time to just breathe her in. Feeling her tremble against me in fear gave me a whole new sense of anger. It was at dangerous levels, and I felt like at any moment I could lose my mind.
“I’m okay,” she whispered.
She was attempting to reassure me, but I knew it was an act. She was nowhere near okay. In fact, she was barely hanging on as I pulled back and looked at her.
Reddened eyes showed definite signs of fear and exhaustion. A frown covered her lips where that sweet smile of hers usually rested.
“My necklace is gone,” she added, and I closed my eyes tightly long enough to take in one calming breath.
“We’ll get you another necklace. Fuck, baby, I’ll buy you a new one for every day of the week. All I care about is you and our son. Nothing else matters to me right now.” My chest ached with uncontrollable anxiety.
“Josh, I’m sorry.” Mike’s voice came at the wrong fucking time.
I couldn’t control the rage that took over me as I spun around and got within inches of Mike. Gripping the collar of his shirt, I slammed him against the wall behind us. The pictures on the wall shook on impact as one fell to the floor.
“I trusted you with Gabby and our son.” I could feel my body shaking as I tried to control my urge to pound his face. “I left the two most precious things in my life, in your hands. And you risked them for what?” I ground my teeth, feeling myself losing that last ounce of control. “For fucking ice cream.”
Mike held his hands out to his sides. “I fucked up,” he admitted. He showed no signs of resistance as I held him firmly against the wall.
Grayson was at my side as he attempted to coax me into releasing Mike. “Let’s take a walk, Josh.”
I ignored him.
“It was my idea,” Audrey said only a few feet away. Pulling my attention from Mike, I looked toward her. “I kept pushing at him until he caved.”
“You of all people should know what kind of man we’re dealing with,” I said to her, and it sounded more like a growl. “You lived in his world and watched the havoc he created in innocent people’s lives. Why would you even take a chance with the lives of your sisters and nephew?”
Audrey averted her eyes as she looked to the floor.
“Don’t, man,” Mike said, pulling my attention back to him. “Don’t talk to her like that.”
Now Mike chose to grow defensive.
“You wanna be pissed at anyone, you direct it toward me. You want to throw blame, throw it my way. But don’t fucking come down on her.” He leaned forward, bringing his face closer to mine. “It was all in my hands, not hers.”
“You’re right,” I said as I pulled back one hand, only to bring it forward and crack Mike in the jaw.
He didn’t fight back, and the gasps of surprise from around the room didn’t make me feel one bit sorry for taking it to the level I had. He risked Gabby’s safety for nothing. That was something I wasn’t sure I could ever forgive.
Chapter 11
<
br /> Gabby
Things have been stressful. Tension lay thick with everyone as we tried to recover from not only the visit from Leo, but the impact of Josh and Mike’s fallout.
Audrey gathered her things and chose to stay at Mike’s place, and Gray pretty much moved into my place with Brook, Josh and me.
Everyone walked around as if the floor was covered in broken glass.
Conversation was weak, laughter was nonexistent, and I felt sick more times than not.
The close call had forced Gray to go all caveman on Brook, and they were continuously at one another’s throats.
Josh and I—well, we tried to get back to normal, but normal was so far gone I wasn’t sure it was even attainable any longer.
Even sitting here in the doctor’s office, waiting to be called back, Josh was scanning the room, as if one of the pregnant women around the waiting area was some decoy to help Leo capture me.
I placed my hand on his arm and he tensed, turning quickly to face me. “Hey,” I said soothingly as I rubbed his arm lightly. “Do you think we can enjoy today? For one hour, let’s forget all the shit of the last thirty-six hours and focus on our son.”
His gaze shifted toward my stomach and he smiled forcefully.
“Yeah,” he replied, even though I knew in that moment he was lying.
***
“How are things going?” Dr. Bali asked.
“Good,” I replied without looking to my left.
Josh still remained agitated and distracted. He thumbed through his phone, answering messages, and occasionally he would stand up and walk to the window, looking out.
His unsettled behavior was only making me nervous.
“Your blood pressure is a little on the higher side it seems.” My focus shifted back to Dr. Bali as he flipped through my chart. “Actually, it is much higher than last week’s visit. And the swelling in your hands and even your face has me concerned.”
