CEO's Pregnant Lover Bundle (Books 1-3)

by North, Leslie

  *****

  Brianna’s head felt full of cotton and she came awake slowly, blinking her eyes to clear the sleep from them. She was just trying to remember where she was when the events of the day came rushing back at her. Her daughter! Marco had stolen her daughter! How could he!

  Looking around frantically, she was a little surprised to see that she was alone, but no matter. She spied her phone lying on the table next to her bed and slowly reached for it, beginning to feel the full effects of her C-section stitches. Her pain medicine had evidently run out if the pain she was feeling was any indication, but she pushed that thought aside.

  Taking a shallow breath, she scrolled through her contacts until she found Marco’s number and pushed the button to connect the call. While she waited, she tried to relax her muscles, hoping the pain in both her body and her heart would diminish enough that she could calmly speak to the man holding her child hostage.

  Marco heard his cellphone buzz and retrieved it from his pocket. When he saw the identity of the caller, he hesitated before answering it. It wasn’t Trent calling him, but Brianna. Or was Trent merely using her phone in a deceptive move?

  Shrugging his shoulders, he connected the call, “Brianna?”

  “Where is my daughter?”

  He heard the catch in Brianna’s voice and firmly tamped down on the emotion that threatened to undue his plans. “It’s good to hear from you. Are you well?”

  “Cut the crap, Marco. I saw you on the video footage. Where is she?”

  Marco paused for a moment, “Is Trent there?”

  “No. He’s not here right now. Marco, bring my baby back to me, please.” Brianna wasn’t so proud that she wouldn’t beg when necessary. “Your fight is with Trent, not me and certainly not with my child. Did you know I haven’t even really seen her yet? Or held her?”

  Marco hadn’t known that and his resolve lessened somewhat, “Brianna, I’m only righting the wrong done to me and my family. Trent took both my daughter and my grandchild. He should be lucky I’ve only taken his child.”

  Brianna was aghast and struggled to sit up in the bed, “Ouch! Oh...”

  “Brianna? Brianna! Are you okay, what’s wrong?” Marco demanded over the phone.

  “What’s wrong, you asshole? You took my baby. I just had surgery and I’m in pain. Isn’t that enough?” Brianna hadn’t managed to scoot herself up in the bed at all, and gave up, not wanting to cause herself any further pain.

  “Marco? Please, I’m begging you. Please bring back my daughter.”

  Marco was silent. Things were not working out the way he had planned. He hadn’t anticipated speaking with Brianna, only Trent. Hearing Brianna plead to see her daughter was doing things to his heart and soul. “Brianna, I wish I could….”

  “You can,” she interrupted him. “Just tell me where to meet you and I’ll come get her. I promise we won’t file charges…”

  “I could care less about charges. The problem is that I am about to board a plane for Italy and will not be returning for three weeks.”

  Brianna pushed herself up in the bed, screaming in pain as she did so, out of breath she tried to communicate, “No…Marco…please don’t…take…her out…of …the…”

  “Brianna. Calm down. I did not say that I was taking your daughter with me. I am leaving to take care of some important business. Don’t worry; your daughter is being cared for by the best. I will consider your request while I am gone, and upon my return will let you know the answer. I must go now, goodbye.” Marco disconnected the phone, heart heavy and wondering if his revenge was worth it.

  Brianna stared at the phone in her hand in outrage. What did he mean that her child was being cared for by the best? She was what was best for her child! Unable to contain her rage any longer, filled with pain and the need to hurt something as badly as she was hurting, she hurled her cellphone at the opposing wall, cringing when it made impact and shattered before dropping in pieces to the floor.

  The emotions boiled up and spewed forth in great heaving sobs. That is how Trent found her, huddled in the bed, holding onto her incision site, crying her heart out in fear and despair.

  Chapter 5

  Stephanie Belkins had been walking past Brianna’s door when she heard the crash in her room, peeking inside, she spied the broken phone and the distraught woman and headed to find Trent. Seeing him out on the patio, she hurriedly retrieved him and asked him to try to calm his wife down while she located the doctor

  “Brianna, honey what happened?” Trent asked, approaching her and carefully stepping over what remained of her phone.

  “Marco…..he has her…”

  “Shush. I know he does. I’m doing everything I can to find him.”

  Brianna shook her head, “He’s leaving…. Italy…,” was all she could get out between sobs.

  Trent stopped. Had Brianna spoken to Marco while he’d been out of the room? Was he so vindictive that he had called her cell phone?

  “Honey, how do you know Marco’s leaving for Italy?”

  “Because… because he told me so.”

  Trent held onto his temper and asked in a very controlled voice, “Did Marco call you?”

  Brianna shook her head. “No, I called him.”

  Trent was taken aback. Swallowing his need to demand to know everything that had been said, he instead asked calmly, “Did Marco admit that he has her?”

  Brianna nodded her head, but then said, “No. He doesn’t have her.”

  Trent was confused and trying to figure out what information Brianna had obtained from her phone call, “Yes, Marco did admit to taking her?”

  When Brianna only nodded he continued, “But he doesn’t have her right now?”

  Brianna nodded again as fresh tears started. What the hell!! Had Marco dropped his newborn daughter off at an orphanage or what?!

  “Brianna, honey I need you to tell me what Marco said. Did he tell you where he took our child?”

  “No. But he’s headed for Italy. He doesn’t have her, someone else does. He said she was being cared for by the best.” Brianna caught herself, trying not to start sobbing again. How could Marco have done something like this?

  “Brianna, you need to calm down. I called Shawn and he’s got his team working on this and he’s on his way back over here.”

  “But what if Marco didn’t tell me the truth? What if he’s taking her out of the country? What then?” Brianna stopped herself, covering her mouth with her hands. The logical part of her brain knew that becoming hysterical wasn’t going to solve a thing, but the emotional part of her wanted her child – Now!

  Trent understood her frustration. Even after speaking with Shawn, and taking several deep breaths, the urge to punch something was barely contained. He had tried to give Marco space these last several years, letting him come to grips with his daughter’s death, but it seems that the time only served to fuel his anger. Trent had been willing to ignore Marco’s threats and innuendos in the past; this time he had gone too far and he would most definitely pay the price.

  Stephanie Belkins contacted the doctor and then headed back to the Coldwell’s room. Just as she rounded the corner, she watched one of the men from earlier exit the elevator. Stopping, she waited for him to come even with her before asking, “Have you found anything yet?”

  Shawn shook his head, “No. But several of my men are following up on some new leads. With any luck we’ll know where the baby was taken before nightfall.”

  Stephanie sighed in relief, closing her eyes briefly. Opening them again, she saw that the man was still staring at her and she gave him a small smile, “I’m glad. I’ve worked in this hospital for a number of years and while one often hears of things like this happening in other places, things like this don’t happen here. Not on my watch!”

  “It’s okay. Marco Bresi is a smooth talker and a very powerful man. If he hadn’t gained access to the child here, he would have gained it elsewhere.”

  That information didn’t ma
ke her feel any better. “Well, I’ll let you visit with your friends. Please let me or anyone else on staff know if there is anything else we can do to assist you.”

  Shawn nodded his head, “We’ll be sure to do that.” Turning, he headed towards the room where Trent consoled his wife. His thoughts turned towards his own wife, and he was thankful that she was not having to endure such misery.

  Stephanie watched him walk away before calling him back, “Mr. Marshall?”

  “Yes?” he replied, turning back with his hand on the doorknob.

  “Please find her.” Stephanie hated the plea in her voice, and once again tamped down the tears that threatened to break free. She had managed to hold it together, but when it was all said and done, it was her fault that this child was not with her parents.

  “I will. Thank you for your assistance.”

  *****

  It had taken less than thirty minutes to review the hospital footage and discover how Marco had both arrived and left the hospital. Seth had also been able to confirm that Marco did indeed have a child with him when he boarded the helicopter, which had been waiting for him on the roof.

  Seth had returned to the office to grab his travel kit and get Maria started on a full scale property search. He had also spent several minutes calming her down until Tristan arrived. He had been relieved to see her husband walk through the front office doors.

  Leaving the offices of MJI, he took out his phone, calling Shawn, “Marco left the hospital by way of a helicopter. I have Maria running a property search and we’ll start there. I’m heading to the airport to make sure his jet doesn’t leave…”

  “Don’t bother. Brianna spoke with Marco over an hour ago and he informed her that he was on his way to Italy. He also told her that the baby wasn’t accompanying him, but was in the best of hands. There’s only one property listed that can be tied back to Marco, about two hours from here up in the mountains. I’m looking at a schematic right now, and it does have a helipad.”

  “I’m on it. Send that info to my phone after.” Seth tossed his bag into the back of the big black SUV. He would need to stop and fill up the tank, but then he was good to go for the next week if need be.

  “Maria is pulling a list of agencies that provide skilled nursing care. She is going to try and narrow the list down to those agencies that could provide care for a newborn. I’ll have her send it over once she’s got it completed.”

  “Thanks. How’s Brianna holding up?”

  “They just gave her another sedative. Seth…she didn’t even get to hold her daughter before this monster took her.”

  Seth took a deep breath, controlling his anger and channeling it into something that might actually help the situation, “Shawn, I’ll find her. Is the house listed under Marco’s name?”

  “No. In fact, if Trent hadn’t been able to provide us with a list of his shell companies, we probably wouldn’t have found it.”

  “Okay. Look, I’m headed that direction now. I’ll call Maria and see if she’s had any luck on my way. I’ll call you when I get there.”

  “Great.”

  Chapter 6

  Seth hung up the phone and rubbed his neck with a hand. He couldn’t imagine what Trent and Brianna must be going through. They had such a close relationship, but he knew this was going to be tough for them. His mind started to drift back several years and thoughts of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty filled his mental vision. Amanda Parker had been his fiancée at one time. But then the military had needed him, and she hadn’t been willing to put her life on hold to wait any longer.

  He had gotten over her in due time and looking back now, realized that what he had thought was love had in fact only been infatuation. He tried to put himself in Trent’s place and found that his mind couldn’t get past the thought of having his own child. At the age of thirty-one, he still had plenty of time to settle down and start a family, but finding someone to do that with seemed to be problematic. It didn’t help that he spent much of his time undercover and working in other parts of the world.

  Shawn and he had served together in the Special Forces, and once their tours were up, they had left the employment of Uncle Sam, to freelance and work for the government on their own terms. They decided what jobs they were comfortable with, and the government paid them very well for their service.

  When Shawn had married Janet, Seth had taken over the majority of the field work, and they had hired several other ex-military men to help out including his brother, Chance. At this point in time, Seth could easily step away from the field and takeover more of the office work, but he hadn’t found the right motivation yet. Maybe after this case was solved, he would take a vacation and figure out what to do with the rest of his life – aside from work that is.

  Bringing his attention back to the highway, he once again glanced at the GPS screen sitting on the dashboard. Maria had uploaded the coordinates for Marco’s mountain get-away, but Seth had his doubts that he would be able to gain access to the site without being detected.

  He had never met Marco Bresi in person, but had heard Shawn speak about him enough to know that the man could be ruthless when pushed. With the safety of Trent’s little one on the line, Seth was determined to handle everything slow and easy. His sole focus right now was to identify the location of the child and contact Shawn. According to the GPS, his target was twenty miles away. There were still several hours before the sun would drop behind the mountains, with any luck, he would have the location of the baby before then.

  *****

  “Mrs. Panturo?” Chelsea held the tiny infant against her shoulder, rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her. Marco had returned with the small infant no more than two hours prior, and after a brief time spent watching Chelsea interact with the baby, had announced that he was flying to Italy and would return within three weeks. In his absence, Mrs. Panturo and Bruno were at her disposal should she need anything. Chelsea had been floored. The man had delivered what appeared to be a newborn baby to her and then left.

  Chelsea had inspected the child from head to toe after his departure and was firmly convinced that this child was less than twenty-four hours old. Her umbilical cord was still soft, and there was only evidence of two heel stabs present. The first would have happened within moments of birth, the second most likely had been performed in the nursery to establish a blood sugar baseline level.

  Those facts coupled with the babies confusion when presented with a bottle had more questions running around in Chelsea’s brain. After convincing the infant to eat, she was now on a mission to gain some answers.

  Spying the elusive Mrs. Panturo in the kitchen, she headed that direction, “Mrs. Panturo?”

  Turning, Mrs. Panturo smiled at the sight of the infant in Chelsea’s arms. This little one would bring happiness and joy back into the Bresi household. Maybe now, Marco wouldn’t be so depressed. “Yes, Chelsea, did you need something? Or did you just bring this little one to see me?”

  Chelsea smiled at the housekeeper, “I was actually wondering if you could answer a few questions for me. I didn’t have a chance to ask Mr. Bresi before he left.”

  “What type of questions do you have, dear?”

  Chelsea swallowed, “Well, do you happen to know when the baby was born? I realize that with the death of her mother and all it might be a difficult subject…..”

  “Oh, no, you must have misunderstood Mr. Bresi. The little ones mama isn’t dead, just not able to be here at this time.”

  Chelsea was thoroughly confused, “But I thought…I don’t understand. This baby can’t be more than a day old…why can’t the mother be here with her?”

  Mrs. Panturo made a noise, “Now, don’t you worry about those details. Your job is to care for this precious little one. Was there something that Bruno forgot to get for her?”

  Chelsea shook her head, “No. It looks like he thought of everything.”

  Mrs. Panturo nodded her head, and then turned and headed back into the pantry
calling behind her, “Feel free to help yourself to the cookies on the other counter there. I just made them. Dinner won’t be for several more hours.”

  Chelsea spied the plate of cookies and absently took one, nibbling on it as she made her way back to the nursery rooms with her young charge. Her gut was telling her that all was not as it seemed. Chelsea always listened to her gut. Maybe a phone call to her agency would help answer some of her questions.

  Chelsea closed the door to the nursery and sat down in the rocking chair with the infant who was quickly slipping into sleep. Chelsea started rocking, humming a soft lullaby. As soon as the child was asleep, she would call the office and see what information they might have on her current employer. Something wasn’t quite right, but her focus had to remain on the infant right now.

  *****

  “Thanks Maria. Send that over to my phone. Good work.”

  “Thanks Seth. I hope you find the baby.”

  “Me too. Take it easy,” Seth reminded the very pregnant Maria who was married to one of his best friends. Tristan had served in the same unit as both Shawn and he, but had chosen to stay in for another tour of duty before getting out. He was also Trent’s half-brother, although Trent didn’t recognize any distinction between a full or a half. To him, they were family.

  His wife, Maria, had patiently waited at home for him, and was now pregnant with their first child. Seth was happy for them, and if he was being honest, a little jealous. Seth often dreamed of starting his own family, and after having celebrated his thirty birthday the year before, had given serious thought to his future. He wanted kids, but more than that, he wanted someone to share his life with.

  Seeing the information load onto his phone, he looked through the personal resume of one Chelsea Andrews. She was a twenty-five year old registered nurse, who had worked in the neo-natal department of a large hospital in New Mexico before moving to Colorado. She was single, and had been working for her current agency for about three months.