“Where could she go? What if there are still men hunting her for Mirella?” Jessup asked.
“They would stop now that Mirella is dead and the money and drugs are back in Polo’s possession. He put word out fast that his men killed her, and that anyone who helped her was as good as dead, too. They’ll disappear,” Corona added.
“What are we going to do? How do we find her?” Freeman asked Corona.
“We don’t give up. We use our skills and our desire to make her ours and to locate her. That’s what we do, because nothing else matters now but finding Nina and loving her.”
Chapter 12
Nina lay in the shade on the lounge chair, running her palm over her small belly, which was growing week by week. She was thinking about Corona, Atlanta, Freeman, and Jessup, as usual. As much as her life had changed, in which she’d learned the truth about her family, and about Dominion, she still felt a huge part of her heart was missing.
She looked down at her belly. She was four months along. She’d heard the heartbeat and could feel the changes in her body on a daily basis. She was emotional still, crying every time she thought about missing her men and wishing she could have them been a part of her life and part of the baby growing inside of her. She heard footsteps and turned to see Dominion walking out with a tray of fruit and some iced tea. She smiled at him. He was a handsome man, with dark brown hair, deep chocolate eyes, and a look of superiority, power, and wealth.
She saw the resemblances she shared with him. Even some of their expressions they had in common. To learn that he was her biological father had been a shock. Nina never really knew her father, just remembered the various men her mother had relationships with while she and Zinc were growing up. All to try and replace Dominion. He’d left her because of the enemies he’d made, and because she was a married woman. He didn’t even know Nina existed. It turned out that Zinc wasn’t his son and that their mother had fallen in love with Dominion, cheated on her husband, and gotten pregnant with Nina. Her mother, of course, tried to hide that from Dominion, and it wasn’t until Dominion saw Nina when she was five years old and saw the resemblances between them that he’d begun to question if Nina was his. It had been years since he had seen Nina’s mother, and that particular day she was with another man, kissing him while Nina played in the grass. He hadn’t stuck around long enough to know their situation. He was in trouble. The kind of trouble that had him faking his own death, and disappearing. There was no time to find out more about Nina and her mother, and he regretted that all these years.
Dominion was a Cuban boss who had helped Nicolai when he was supposed to kill him. They were friends, and that friendship went beyond any order from the Cuban higher-ups but had cost Dominion his life. Nicolai helped stage Dominion’s death.
“How are you feeling?” Dominion asked as she sat up and fixed her dress.
She looked at him and gave a soft smile.
“Fine. It’s so beautiful out here. I love your house and all this land.”
“I offered for you to live here, but you’ve denied me that.”
She felt her cheeks warm and then stood up to pour herself a glass of ice tea.
“Dominion, you’ve done so much for me.”
He raised his hand up. “I’ve not done enough for you, Nina. I should have found you sooner and should have realized that you were mine. Instead you had to live on the streets and in shelters and fight against gangs. You wound up in the center of a life I would have kept you from as best I could.”
“You know as well as I do that you wouldn’t have been able to. If the men you betrayed to save Nicolai knew that I existed, then I would have been dead or used against you.” She sighed and took a sip of iced tea, then looked out toward the swimming pool and cabana.
He came closer and took her hand and held it against his chest.
“You’ve had to sacrifice so much. You continue to want to take care of yourself and the baby. You won’t be able to work and be on your feet for too long. You should be catered to and cared for.”
She smiled softly. “In a different world, under different circumstances, maybe, but not in this lifetime. I have your support, and your care and help, if needed. You’ve given me a new life, a new job and home, and I’m fine with that.”
He swallowed softly.
“Don’t you think the men you gave your heart and soul to deserve to know about the baby? They shouldn’t find out years from now. It isn’t fair to them or to my grandchild.”
She gave a soft smile.
“You know what I told you was true. They have been searching for you, begging Nicolai to tell them where you are and to get their help in finding you. They love you, Nina.”
She shook her head.
“They feel responsible for me. They made their decision when they left me and put their desire to stay unattached and uncommitted, and that’s not the life I want. It’s not right for the baby, either. I’ll always love them. I don’t think I’ll ever love any other man again.”
“Then why remain sad and lonely and without them? Why not let them prove to you that they love you?”
She stepped back.
“Because I’m pregnant and they’ll feel responsible?” she asked.
“Oh. Nina, you’re barely showing. You could meet with them and hear them out. Take it from me, Nina. Things would have been so different if I knew Mya was pregnant with my baby. Maybe I wouldn’t have gotten caught up in the types of jobs I did. Maybe I could have supported her and you better. She didn’t give me the opportunity to be part of your life. I know you’re afraid. You fear giving even a little bit of trust, of weakness, because of the pain and the betrayal you felt. It’s understandable, and it will take time, but don’t do what your mother did. Don’t shut out the baby’s father and not let them have the opportunity to love you and the baby. You’ll regret it. It will eat at you every day. Look what it did to your mother.”
She felt the tears fill her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her midsection and thought about her mom’s addictions. She’d been lost, sad, and had a broken heart, and Nina hadn’t even known it. Perhaps when her mom looked at Nina with anger, disgust, and regret, it was because, by having her, she had to give up the love of her life and a future that would have been so different. If she hadn’t gotten pregnant, maybe the fear of her mother being used against him would be less? She didn’t know. Maybe her mother just couldn’t handle not ever seeing Dominion again or getting a chance to hold him, love him, or feel his arms around her. What was really a home, anyway? Was it an object, a shared dwelling where two people in love expanded on their lives? Or was it simpler than that? Was it love? Was it an embrace? Something as simple as a hug and a knowledge that took away feelings of loneliness and made a person feel as though they had support, companionship, and the power to accomplish anything?
Her heart ached, her gut clenched, and then she felt Dominion wrap his arms around her and hold her tight.
“Give them a chance, Nina. If it doesn’t work out, then at least you know you tried and that you gave it a fighting chance.”
* * * *
“Why are we even here? You don’t even know who sent that address,” Jessup said in annoyance. He’d been complaining the entire ride into Tranquility.
Atlanta shook his head as he pulled the truck into a parking spot outside of the restaurant. It was too early for lunch, but the view of the gardens and the landscape throughout the property was breathtaking. There was even a man-made lake with a long dock that led out to a gazebo. He saw that the restaurant wasn’t crowded at all, nor was the side deck that looked out at the gardens.
“This is ridiculous. Who sent us this address and asked for a meeting?” Freeman asked.
“They didn’t say, just that it was important and, if we wanted to find the person we loved the most, then we should come here,” Corona said to them.
Atlanta locked the door. “Someone is messing with us. We’ve been looking for Nina for two months.”
They walked along the front entryway.
“Let’s head to the back. It doesn’t look like anyone is dining inside,” Freeman stated.
“That’s because it’s so beautiful out here,” Jessup stated.
Atlanta looked at him, wondering why the hell Jessup would say something like that, when he locked his eyes on the back of a woman standing by the railing, holding a clipboard and talking to a waitress. He would recognize that body anywhere.
“Oh, my God,” Freeman said.
At that moment, Nina turned around and gasped. Atlanta knew instantly she hadn’t sent them the message but, rather, someone who knew they loved her and were looking for her.
She covered her mouth and cried as Atlanta, Freeman, and the others hurried to her. Freeman pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. They were all touching her as she stepped back.
“What are you doing here? How did you—”
She stopped, and she laughed as if she knew who it was, but Atlanta didn’t care. They’d found her.
Corona kissed her and then held her in his arms. One by one, they each hugged her then kissed her deeply.
“You look gorgeous, baby. My God, we’ve been so worried about you. Why did you run? Why did you leave us and hide?” Atlanta asked her.
She looked around them and knew they were drawing people’s attention.
“Cassy, if that problem is resolved, I’ll be leaving for the day. I’ll see you Monday,” she told the young woman she had been talking to before. Cassy waved, and then Nina looked at them.
“Let’s walk down here.” She started walking.
Jessup took her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed her fingers.
“You look gorgeous, Nina. I’ve missed you so much.”
She smiled.
“I missed all of you, too,” she said as they made their way down the path and to the long dock before the gazebo.
When she got there and turned around to face them, Corona began to speak.
“Before you say anything else or try to push us away or continue to hate us because I was so stupid for what I did, please hear me out,” Corona stated.
“We’ve been practicing this and going over what we would say to you when and if we ever got to see you again,” Jessup teased, and she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
God, her breasts looked fuller than Atlanta remembered. She must have read his stare because she uncrossed her arms and then placed them over her midsection.
“Please hear me out.”
“Hear us out. We’re a team,” Freeman stated.
“Hear us out, Nina. We were so stupid. So caught up in trying to be strong and not be affected by the time we shared with you in Salvation, in our home. It was easier to push you away and think you deserved more than what we thought we could give you,” Corona said.
“But then we realized that nothing mattered or was more important than you and how much we love you,” Jessup interrupted.
“I wasn’t trying to pay you off when I sent that money. I was trying to ensure that you were safe and wouldn’t have to worry with everything going on with your brother. It was stupid, and I wasn’t thinking because you’d already messed up my head since I’d fallen in love with you,” Corona added.
“So this is my fault?” she asked.
“No,” they all said in unison.
She uncrossed her arms.
“Damn, you guys are fucking this up,” Atlanta said and moved between them. He took Nina’s hand and held it in his own. He stared down into her eyes and knew he loved her with all his heart.
“What we’re trying to say is that we love you, baby. We can’t live without you. We’ve been searching for you, trying to find you so we could let you know that nothing else matters to us but you. That we changed things in our lives to let you see how committed we are to you and the love we have for you. We’ve retired from the service.”
“What?” she asked.
“We did. We no longer work for the government. It was burning us out and screwing with our heads and our lives and, most importantly, it was why we lost you,” Jessup told her.
“We were stupid. We tried to minimize what happened at the house when we were watching over you. We hurt your feelings, we insulted you, and probably made you think we were the worst lovers you ever had,” Atlanta added.
“You were the only lovers I ever had,” she whispered.
“What?” Corona asked.
She looked embarrassed, but then she licked her lips and looked at Corona. “I was a virgin. I fell head over heels in love with you guys and didn’t care about the consequences. I was living for the moment, and maybe that was foolish on my part, but I never regretted making love to you guys and giving you my virginity.”
“And then I fucking pay you off. No wonder you hated me and pushed Atlanta away. Goddamn, I fucked things up good.” Corona ran his fingers through his hair.
He stepped back, and Nina reached for him and pulled him closer. She ran her palms up his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her and stared down into her eyes.
“I forgive you for being a complete ass.”
Atlanta and the others chuckled.
“You do?” he asked.
She nodded.
“We love you so much, Nina. We don’t want to live without you. We want you in our lives. We want you to be our wife and live in the house in Salvation where everything started,” Freeman told her.
“Where we fell in love with you and want to continue to love you,” Jessup said to her.
“This is what I needed to hear. To know that you really do love me, that you want me in your lives, and that you’ve quit being in a profession that takes you away for months at a time. I don’t think I would have been able to handle that kind of life. I think I would miss you too much.” Her eyes filled with tears.
Atlanta smiled.
“Come home with us now. Come talk to us and let us make up everything we did wrong to you. Let us love you, baby,” Corona said to her.
She smiled. “Okay,” she whispered.
* * * *
As Nina walked into the house, she ran her hand along the large kitchen table and inhaled the scent that reminded her of her men. Strong arms wrapped around her midsection as Corona suckled against her neck and began kissing her. She closed her eyes and relished the feel of being back here, of being in the only place that made her think of home. The feel of strong arms, smell the scent of their cologne, feel the protective, possession emotions that filled the room and attacked her heart, her soul, and her senses.
“Make love to us, baby. This is home, for all of us, and we’re never leaving you again,” Corona whispered.
She turned in his arms and kissed him, and he swept her up into his arms and carried her upstairs.
When he got into the bedroom, a room she had never been in before, she noticed the extra-large bed, custom made and way bigger than any king-size bed she’d ever seen. Plus, it was wider and could fit at least eight people.
“What is this?” she asked.
“Custom made. We hoped and planned that we would find you some day and that you would accept being our woman, our wife. With a bed like this we can all always be around you, protecting you, sharing you and loving you,” Freeman explained.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
Atlanta stepped in behind her as Corona pulled off his shirt. Jessup leaned forward and kissed her as Atlanta undid her dress.
She held it up against her chest as Jessup released her lips.
“I’d like to thank the person who sent us that note so we were able to find you.” He licked his lips and gave her a wink.
She felt her pussy spasm and her cheeks grow warm.
“Me too,” Freedman stated.
“Was the person who helped you get out of Chicago the one who sent us the note and address where you worked?” Corona asked.
She looked at them, at her four sexy, handsome American soldiers, and
smiled just thinking about what a fatherly move it was for Dominion to do this, despite her saying she didn’t want to see the men again. She knew he would be a part of her life now and that she would have to tell the men all about him.
“Yes, it was. Although, I didn’t want him to. I thought that maybe you four didn’t love me, and it was easier to not know the truth than to take the chance of finding out for sure if you did love me or not. I guess he had his own reasons for letting you know where I was so you could find me and let me know you love me.”
“Who is he, and why would he care so much?” Jessup asked.
She rubbed her palms up his bare chest and then let her dress fall from her body. She wore no bra, the dress didn’t allow for it, and she was growing bigger up top, with the pregnancy and all.
“He has a personal stake in the whole thing.” She stepped from the dress. Atlanta gripped her hips and pressed up against her back. She could feel his cock against her bare ass, and immediately, she exhaled with desire.
“Well, he wants the best for his daughter and to know that the men I love, love me, too, and, of course, that they will take good care of his grandchild.”
“What?” Corona asked.
“Father?” Atlanta asked.
“Grandchild?” Jessup said and looked down at her belly. She felt the tears roll down her cheek, and she smiled at Jessup and cupped his cheeks.
“I forgot to kind of mention that in the midst of all that chaos and danger. I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.”
Jessup fell to his knees in front of her and kissed her bare belly. She ran her fingers through his hair as the others pressed closer and kissed her shoulders. When Freeman released her lips, she smiled then looked down at Jessup. To see the tears in his eyes, the depth of emotion he instantly felt for her and the baby, she knew Dominion had been right.
“We do love you, Nina. We’re going to be a family. We’re going to take care of both of you, always,” Jessup said.
“Is it safe for us to make love to you?” Jessup asked, caressing her hip, and she giggled.
The American Soldier Collection 14: Baby Love (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 16
