Warped (The Mercenary Series Book 2)

by Marissa Farrar

  I had time to look in her direction, but only long enough to catch a glimpse of the car hurtling toward us. It slammed into the side of our vehicle with a crunch of metal, and the twisted squeal of tires on asphalt.

  And then everything went black.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  V

  My eyes fluttered open, and then immediately shut again as light speared my brain. Everything hurt, and I groaned, wanting to go back to sleep and hide from the pain I knew awaited me.

  What had happened?

  Then I remembered. The accident. The car plowing into us. I remembered what had happened leading up to that—a vehicle shoving us forward from behind. Had it even been an accident?

  Oh, God. X. Was he all right?

  Only my worry for his safety made me open my eyes. The room was white and too bright. Machines beeped around me, and I could smell the tang of disinfectant on the air.

  Someone was holding my hand, a pressure around my fingers.

  I forced myself to focus, turning my head, even though the movement sent pain shooting up through my neck and skull. My vision was blurry, but gradually cleared, and I wilted with relief.

  X was sitting at my bedside. He was holding my hand, but was asleep in the chair, his chin on his chest. I noted the bandage around his head, a massive bruise spreading down one side of his face. I’d been on the side of the car where the other vehicle had hit. How was I not dead? If this had been deliberate, I was sure I would have been. Or maybe it had only ever been meant as a warning.

  X must have sensed me watching him. His eyes opened, and the moment they did, he jumped to his feet.

  “Thank God, you’re awake.”

  He kissed my face and I realized my cheeks were wet. Had I been crying when I’d been unconscious or asleep? Perhaps only then had my body been able to break through the walls I’d built around my emotions.

  “Fuck, Vee,” said X. “I thought I was going to lose you. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

  “What happened?” I asked, my voice a croak. I thought I remembered, but wanted to check I hadn’t missed something.

  “We were in an accident. A car hit us from the side after we were pushed into traffic by some asshole ramming into us from behind.”

  I nodded, the movement causing me to wince again. “I remember. You think that’s what it was? An accident.”

  “The driver of the truck that rammed us ran off, so the police are classing it as a hit and run.”

  “A carefully orchestrated one,” I said.

  “Yeah, I agree. I don’t think they wanted us dead, or we would be. If the truck hadn’t killed us, someone would have pulled a gun and shot us while we lay there.”

  Something occurred to me. “What about the guns we had?” I lowered my voice. “If police were on the scene, didn’t they question where the guns had come from?”

  X shook his head. “I only lost consciousness for a couple of seconds. I managed to wipe them and throw them into the truck when I’d gone to see who’d driven into us. The police would think the guns belonged to the driver. Perhaps they think that’s the reason he took off after hitting us.”

  “But what about the fact we were driving Harvey’s car?”

  “I told the cops Harvey had loaned it to me, saying he had to fly somewhere on business. They have a record of Harvey Baglione picking me up from the hospital, so they have no reason to find it suspicious. If his body ever turns up, though, the police are sure to come asking more questions.”

  “Shit.”

  “Don’t worry. I don’t plan on us sticking around long enough to be tracked down.”

  “What about my father?” I started to say, but we were interrupted by a nurse entering the room, a bright smile on her face. I resented the intrusion. I needed to know what was happening. My father was still out there, and he had my sister.

  “Hey, you’re awake,” said the nurse. She shot X a disapproving look. “You should have called someone.”

  “I was about to,” he said. “She literally just opened her eyes.”

  “Well, the good news is that there’s no major damage. You have some bruising around your throat and neck, which we think must have been caused by the seatbelt, plus a concussion and some whiplash, but nothing that’s going to cause any lasting damage.”

  That was a relief. Other than my whole body aching, and a pounding headache, I felt okay.

  The nurse continued. “And you’ll be relieved to hear the baby is fine, too.”

  My mind blurred with confusion. “What do you mean? There wasn’t a baby in the car. Was there one in the vehicle that hit us?”

  Her brow pulled together in a frown, and then her expression cleared as she realized something. She glanced toward X. “Perhaps you could wait outside for a moment.”

  My grip on his hand tightened. “No, he stays.”

  “Are you sure? Maybe you could use some privacy in this case.”

  I knew she was trying to get me to speak to her alone, but there was no way I was letting X out of my sight. “Whatever you’ve got to say can be said in front of him.”

  She gave a guarded smile and looked between us. “Okay. I’m going to assume from your reaction that you aren’t aware you are pregnant.”

  Her words hit me in the chest, stealing my breath. “What?”

  “Yes, about five to six weeks now, so it’s still early days. But the heartbeat looks strong, and considering the fetus survived the trauma you’ve just been through, I’m sure it will be a healthy pregnancy.”

  “But … but … I can’t be five to six weeks pregnant.” I didn’t want to admit I’d only know X a matter of weeks, but I had to get the dates right. “We haven’t known each other that long.”

  She gave that reassuring smile. “Oh, don’t worry. It’s just how the dates are calculated. You’re effectively already two weeks pregnant at the date of conception, so those dates would work.”

  Of course, it made sense. It explained the sickness and the fatigue I’d been suffering from. Plus, I knew we’d had sex enough times for it to have happened. I didn’t know why the possibility hadn’t occurred to me. That my period was late hadn’t even registered. I guessed I just had so much going on in my life; I hadn’t processed stuff like I normally would.

  “I can’t believe it.”

  I didn’t even want to look at X, terrified of what his reaction would be. My cheeks burned, and I stared down at my hands knotted together on top of the sheets.

  “I’ll leave you both to talk. You obviously have some important things to discuss. If you want to talk about your options, I’m available when you’re ready.”

  “Options?” I looked up at her. I knew what that meant. “No. No options.”

  She gave a reserved smile and nodded. “Well, you two have a talk about things. Give me a shout if you need anything.”

  I nodded, and she left. I stared back down at my hands, still not wanting to look at X. Was he going to be angry? Horrified? Would he turn and run as far away from me as he could?

  “Vee?”

  X’s voice coaxed me to look at him.

  “Vee, it’s going to be all right.”

  I forced myself to look up, and my eyes locked with his. “I can’t believe it. I feel like I’m in a dream.”

  He smiled gently. “It explains the throwing up. I guess you hadn’t picked up a bug after all.”

  “No, I guess not.” I shook my head. “I can’t believe it. I mean, I know unprotected sex results in pregnancy, I just didn’t think of it happening to me. I guess I never thought I would live long enough for it to be a problem.”

  X’s smile widened. “I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.”

  I stared at him. “You do? Seriously?”

  He laughed. “Absolutely. You having my child. It’s perfect.”

  “It’s not perfect, X. It’s far from perfect. My father wants me dead. My sister is possibly being tortured or has already been killed by him. You
have people after you as well.” I shook my head again to emphasize my point. “This is not perfect.”

  “We’ll figure it out. I don’t know how yet, but we will. I promise. I’ll take care of you and the baby with my dying breath if I have to.”

  “Don’t talk about dying! I can’t do this alone.” Sudden panic filled me. “Oh, God. I can’t be a mother! I can barely look after myself. I’m a horrible person. I can’t possibly raise a child. All I’ll do is fuck him or her up. They’ll end up thinking of me the way I think of my father.”

  He took my hand, squeezing my fingers tight. “Hey, stop that. It’s understandable to be worried, but you’ll be a great mom. Look at how you took care of your sister, even after everything she did.”

  I shook my head. “You’re wrong. I abandoned her and left with you. If I’d stayed, she might not be with him right now.”

  “No, if you’d stayed, both you and our unborn child would be dead. You did what you had to do.”

  “I don’t—”

  “Listen to me, Vee.” He stared hard into my eyes. “You might not give in to your feelings easily, but you know what? That’s a good thing. Because when you do, you do it fully and completely, and you would literally lay down your life for the person you love. I’ve seen that in you. You will take care of our baby like a lioness takes care of her cub. I know you will.”

  I glanced back down at where our hands were joined. “I’m scared,” I admitted. “The idea of a baby terrifies me more than any crazy gangster chasing me down.”

  “You can handle it, Vee. You’re the bravest person I know. And you’re not on your own. I’ll be with you every step of the way. I swear it.”

  A painful lump caught in my throat, and I reached for him. He pulled me into a tight hug, and I buried my face against his neck, taking comfort in having him close. We loved each other, and we were going to have a child together. Suddenly, everything else paled in significance.

  A gentle knock came at the door, and we let each other go, turning our attention toward the sound. The door cracked open, and a nurse I hadn’t seen before entered the room.

  “Ms. Guerra?” In her hand she clutched flowers and a helium balloon with ‘Get Well Soon’ written on it. “Someone just dropped these off for you, and wanted me to make sure you get them. There’s a card attached.”

  I stared at the balloon and flowers. Who would know I was here? The person who’d put me in the hospital in the first place? Tony was dead, so at least I knew it wasn’t him.

  X reached out and took the gift. He yanked the card from the flowers and quickly read it before handing it to me.

  My gaze scanned the letters and my heart crawled into my throat.

  See you soon, D.

  “They’re from my father,” I managed to say, my voice a whisper.

  “Get them out of here,” X said, shoving them back toward the surprised looking nurse. “Give them to someone else.”

  “Oh, okay. Are you sure?”

  I nodded. “Yes, please. I never want to see them again.” I looked up at X. “He knows I’m here.”

  “Then we’ll leave as soon as we can. I’ll get you to safety, Vee. I promise.”

  I had time. My father could have killed me already, if he wanted to. He wanted to play this out for as long as possible, to torture me as punishment for betraying him.

  My father was free. I no longer had my sister to care for. But I did have something. My hand instinctively went to my belly.

  I had X, and I had our baby.

  I just hoped we both lived long enough to see him or her born.

  My father was the most feared mafia don in the city.

  And he wanted me dead.

  THE END

  Like what you’ve read? ‘Flawed’ Book three in The Mercenary Series will be out on the 28th of March 2017 and is available to pre-order from AMAZONnow! So you never miss out, make sure you sign up to Marissa Farrar’s new release list to stay updated about new releases, exclusives, and special offers! http://forms.aweber.com/form/61/19822861.htm

  Acknowledgements

  Special thanks to all the fantastic members of THE Book Club who have taken the time to add my books to their 2017 reading challenge. Also to those long time readers who always support me, and to Tracy Fenton for giving me shout-outs and creating the group in the first place.

  My editor, Lori Whitwam, I send you my eternal gratitude, not only for your editing skills, but also your crocheting ones!

  Thank you to my proofreaders, Tammy Payne from Book Nook Nuts and to my long time proofreaders, and first readers, Glynis Elliott and Karey McComish. I hope you all enjoyed the book.

  And final thanks to my facebook group, Marissa Farrar’s Fandom, for all your support.

  And thanks, of course, to you, the reader. I hope you enjoyed the continuation of Vee and X’s story!

  Thanks for reading!

  Marissa. XXX

  Also by Marissa Farrar

  Contemporary Fiction Novels

  CUT TOO DEEP

  SURVIVOR

  THE SOUND OF CRICKETS

  The Monster Trilogy

  DEFACED

  DENIED

  DELIVERED

  The Serenity Series:

  The Vengeful Vampire (free short story)

  Alone (free first novel of the series!)

  Buried

  Captured

  Dominion

  Endless

  The Dhampyre Chronicles:

  Twisted Dreams

  Twisted Magic

  The Spirit Shifters Series:

  Autumn’s Blood (free first novel)

  Saving Autumn

  Autumn Rising

  Autumn’s War

  Avenging Autumn

  Autumn’s End

  UNDERLIFE

  THE DARK ROAD

  About the Author

  Marissa Farrar has always been in love with being in love. But since she's been married for numerous years and has three young daughters, she's conducted her love affairs with multiple gorgeous men of the fictional persuasion.

  The author of more than twenty five novels, she has been a full time author for the last six years. She predominantly writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy, but has branched into contemporary fiction as well.

  If you want to know more about Marissa, then please visit her website at www.marissa-farrar.blogspot.com. You can also find her at her facebook page, www.facebook.com/marissa.farrar.author or follow her on twitter @marissafarrar.

  She loves to hear from readers and can be emailed at marissafarrar@hotmail.co.uk and to stay updated on all new releases and sales, just sign up to her newsletter! http://forms.aweber.com/form/61/19822861.htm

  WARPED

  The Mercenary Series

  Book Two

  Copyright © 2017 Marissa Farrar

  Warwick House Press

  Edited by Lori Whitwam

  Cover art by Marissa Farrar

  License Notes

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

  Publisher’s Note

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

 

 

 
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