Mind (Trinity Trilogy Book 2)

by Audrey Carlan

  Oh, for Heaven’s sake. I could kill him myself for letting that cat out of the bag. All of the whispered chatter stops instantly. Phillip’s eyes narrow as he turns Bree toward him. “Unborn child? What is he talking about?”

  Tears spring to Bree’s eyes and fall delicately down her cheeks. “I was going to tell you…”

  “You’re pregnant?” he whispers. I feel like a heel with all of us around watching this play out. It should be a private moment between them. “How? When,” he asks clearly baffled as much as the rest of us were when Bree admitted it to us last week.

  “The first time,” she croaks and he pulls her to his chest nuzzling her hair.

  “My God, and you’ve been dealing with this alone. I’m so sorry, honey, so sorry,” He holds her against his chest as she cries. Tears form in his eyes but he tips his head back and blinks several times.

  I turn on Chase and punch his bicep hard. “That was private! She wanted to tell him herself!” I chastise him in a hushed whisper.

  Chase cups my cheeks. “I’m sorry, Baby, it just slipped out, but all of your friends need to take this seriously.” He kisses my lips and then hugs me close. “Every one of you will be assigned a bodyguard and driver. One to take you to and from wherever you need to go and back to the estate. It’s the only defense we have against this sociopath until he’s caught. The mansion has plenty of bedrooms, each with private bathrooms. There is a full-time staff that will see to all your needs, meals, laundry, etc.”

  Carson holds Kat. “We’ll move in right away, sweetcheeks,” he says then kisses her neck.

  “Yeah, whatever it takes.” Kat says reassuringly. Chase visibly relaxes with their agreement.

  “And you two,” he gestures to Bree and Phillip.

  Phillip’s hand is cupping Bree’s cheek. He sets his forehead against hers then his hand trails from her cheek, down her shoulder and over to her stomach. “Honey, we have to keep you and our baby safe,” he cradles her in his arms. She pulls up her knees to her chest, and he holds her while she cries.

  “We’ll do as you ask. I don’t know when I’ll be released but Bree and my child’s safety are paramount. Fuck!” he practically roars and we all turn. “Where’s Anabelle?” His body stiffens and I can tell he’s moved too much.

  “Relax, relax,” Chase says. “A security team has been watching your house, Anabelle’s school, and following your parents closely. Your daughter has been staying on and off with all of us during your recovery. I’ll have your parents and child moved to the mansion immediately.”

  Phillip nods and relaxes. “Thank you, man. I mean, what you’re doing…” his voice is rough and full of emotion.

  “We protect our family,” Chase says matter of fact. Their gazes meet and exchange some type of silent communication that women, me in particular find annoying.

  Maria is the last one to be stared down by all of us. She’s standing stick straight with a visible chip on her shoulder. “Ria, I can’t let this monster hurt you,” I say with very little breath left. The crippling fear and panic is crawling through my body, squeezing all the air from my lungs. “Please…for me.”

  She rolls her eyes and then her shoulders slump. “Cara Bonita, you know I’d do anything for you.” She pulls me into a tight hug.

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you, “ I say into her thick black hair.

  X

  “I can’t believe you’re more beautiful in person than you are in your picture,” I stand holding out both arms. Women love to be hugged with no hint of sexual pressure. It gives them a fake sense of security. The big bad wolf won’t actually pretend to take them to grandma’s house and not eat them alive. Unfortunately for her, I am the wolf.

  A huge smile beams across her face. She’s actually really pretty if I went for blondes. I don’t. Redheads are more my speed but I need this particular blonde. “Thank you, you’re too kind.”

  “Have a seat, hope Italian’s okay?” Internally, I roll my eyes as she moves her long, lean body into the wooden chair across from me. I chose this place because a woman would find it charming. Gillian did. Just being here makes me miss my girl but this is a necessary step and a relationship I need to cultivate to meet the next phase of my plan.

  She sits back in the chair, picks up the glass of water and takes a slow sip. It’s impressive how put together she seems yet she’s beyond nervous. One of her hands is clenched into a fist around her napkin in her lap, the other is holding the glass. “It’s fine, I love pasta. I think it’s probably the most universal food.”

  I chuckle for her benefit even though what she said isn’t funny but laughing along with someone makes them feel more comfortable and less tense. When a little blush of color spreads across her cheeks, I know I’ve got her.

  “So, tell me about yourself.” The goal of this date was to get as much information as possible and build a rapport that will get me closer to the ultimate prize.

  “What do you want to know?” she asks coyly then licks her lips. Ah, so it’s going to be like that. Hmmm, maybe I’ll fuck the information out of her. The way she’s appraising my body over her glass as she sips, is very telling. I’ve fucked a few women since Gillian but only to fill a biological need. If she’s going to be letting that rich fucker put his puny dick in her, I may as well be getting a piece of ass of my own. Fair is fair.

  “Everything of course. Family?”

  “I have a sister who lives in New York. When I’m traveling to our New York office, I get time to visit her. My parents live in Florida. The typical snow birds. Flying down south for the winter.” She grins, and I try my best not to yawn and nod instead.

  The waiter comes over to us, and she scrambles to pick up her menu. I can tell she’s scanning the items as quickly as possible.

  “Would you like me to come back?” She looks up nervously from the menu.

  “How about we get a bottle of red?” She nods and I turn back to the waiter. “Bring us something in this range that is ordered most often.” I point to the menu that shows wine between thirty and forty dollars. When I look over at her, she’s dreamily watching me. “I like to be surprised,” I shrug.

  “That’s really interesting. You could end up with a horrible bottle.” Her tone is warning but still sultry.

  “Or, I could find myself sitting in front of the most beautiful, mesmerizing,”—I move my hand to one of hers laying on the table and draw a finger down her forearm, along her hand and across her middle finger—“enchanting things I’m ever going to experience,” I finish and she sighs. I’ve got this woman on my hook, and I’m reeling her in with no effort at all. Piece of cake.

  “Tell me about your family,” she asks.

  “Well, I’m adopted. My family raised me and then moved onto the next batch of kids they chose to save.” Which is not all together far from the truth. The family I ended up with was great considering the hellhole I came from, but they were saints, and saints aren’t happy saving one. No, they have to keep saving or die trying.

  The woman’s clear blue eyes soften and turn a bit sad. Oh Christ, I don’t want to deal with a sappy bitch. I need to liquor her up and fast, so she starts talking or shuts the fuck up by way of a dick shoved down her throat.

  The waiter takes that moment to bring our wine. He allows me to sip it. I tell him its fine and he pours small amounts in each bulbous glass. We both try it and it’s pretty good. Most of the time if you tell someone to bring you a wine that’s popular, they’ll bring you something that’s easily palatable.

  “Mmm” she says then licks her lips again.

  “Good?” I ask.

  With a flick of her wrist, she pushes back her long blonde hair. “It is. Thank you.”

  We both order a pasta and a chicken dish. After the food arrives, she’s well into her second glass of wine and starting to feel it.

  “Now that we’ve got the family stuff out of the way, how about telling me what you like to do for fun?” I grin and lean closer to her, cov
ering one delicate, small hand with my much larger, calloused one.

  Her eyes glance down at my hand as I tickle and tease the skin over the back of her hand. “N-not much I’m afraid. I work a lot, too much, most of the time.”

  Could this be any easier? Right off the bat she’s going to talk about the exact information I want to know. “Is that right? What type of work are you in?”

  “The company I work for does a bit of everything. Corporate, purchasing, investments, acquisitions, restaurants, nightclubs, hotels, you name it we have a hand in it.” Now that she’s feeling the liquor, she giggles and places her hand over mine. It’s warm and I imagine it has a lot to do with the desire for sex, topped with the wine pouring through her veins.

  “So tell me, what it is you do in this bit of everything corporate purchasing?” I roll my hand over and over mimicking the “on and on” gesture, even though I know exactly what she does. I’ve been watching her steadily for several months now hoping Chase was taking a bit of pussy on the side, but so far, the bastard’s been loyal. Maybe I won’t feed him his balls after I cut them off and watch him bleed out. Nah…I totally will.

  Her eyes light up. “I’m an executive personal assistant,” she says proudly.

  “Sounds powerful and sexy at the same time,” I add with a sensual grit to my voice.

  “How so?”

  “Well, the executive part means you’re in charge or working with the man in charge.” I waggle my eyebrows and she laughs. “So you obviously have some power.” Her lips twist as she reflects on what I’m saying. “The personal part is obvious. The word “personal” makes me think of “private” which can lead to sexy things when viewed in the right way.” I wink and she blushes again. This time it’s all the way down her neck toward her ample bosom. I’m kind of surprised Chase isn’t tapping this. She’s a pretty easy woman to nail down. I know I’ll be between those thighs tonight and we’re on a blind date. Couldn’t be hard for a prick with lots of cash.

  It must have been a while since this woman was last fucked because her body is strung too tight. Her lips are bright red, the residue from the wine adding to the color. Every so often, she takes a deep breath and slowly exhales as if she’s trying to relax. The squirming in her seat is another indicator of her excitement. It’s going to be so easy to break this one.

  “So tell me, who do you personally assist?” I ask, my tone laced with innuendo.

  She sighs and props an elbow on the table and rests her chin in her hand. Slowly, I move over to the seat right next to her and place my own arm on the tabletop and get really close to her face. Her eyes drift over my features, desire making them a much darker blue than they were originally. A floral scent surrounds her smelling like springtime and roses. I like roses. A lot.

  “Why do you care?” she asks trying to add a layer of mystery. Lame. She thinks she can play cat and mouse with me? I’m not your typical house cat enjoying a saucer of cream. I’m a fucking jaguar that rips apart raw flesh and bites heartily into bone.

  Leaning even further forward, I place a hand over her knee. The skin is bare, free of nylons. She gasps when my thumb makes contact with the skin just above her kneecap.

  With tiny movements, I push up the fabric of her dress sliding my thumb along the inner thigh. Her legs clench but don’t close as I make it a scant few inches from the blistering source of heat under her dress. “You going to keep your work a secret,” I groan leaning toward her to nuzzle her neck to make her think I’m drenched in need.

  “Um, no…”

  “Then why are you hesitating? I’m not hesitating.” I slide my hand all the way up to cup her.

  “Oh, my God,” she whispers as I rub my hand against the damp fabric. I know the moment I’ve hit the right spot because she tightens her legs caging my hand.

  I press harder into her soft flesh. The wisp of lace between her thighs is nothing for me to push over and press a finger into her wet heat.

  “Uh uh, fair’s fair. You’ve been driving me crazy with lust all night,” I lie. “Looking sexy as sin in that dress, and those fuck me shoes. You want to be fucked tonight don’t you?” I press harder as she hums in delight. Before long, she’s making slight movements, thrusting her hips, forcing my finger deep within her.

  “I can’t believe you’re doing t-this right h-here.”

  “Oh sweetheart, you have no idea what I’m prepared to do to get what I want.” I thrust another finger high and deep into her. “I want to know you. Everything about you. Starting with who you work for.” I nip her ear and she thrusts her hips. “It can’t be that big of a secret…can it?” I curve my fingers against the wall of her pussy and tickle that ridge inside. Little moans slip from her lips getting progressively louder. Almost loud enough that if there were more people here, we’d get caught.

  This time of night is usually after the rush and I’m cashing in on that. “Tell me what I want to know. Who do you work for?” I tickle the inside wall and yank both fingers down hard. Her entire body tightens as she spirals into orgasm silently. Her head hangs down, breath coming in rapid bursts against her chest. I remove my hand sticky with her fluids and wipe it off on my napkin. “So…” I wait a beat before she responds with the one name I was ready to hear, confirmation that I’ve just gotten myself one major leap forward toward getting my girl back.

  “Billionaire Chase Davis,” she lifts her head smiling. What she doesn’t know is this is my game and I’ve just won another round.

  Bingo.

  Chapter 14

  Gillian

  “Gillian, get out of bed,” Chase’s voice booms in the quiet room, digging a tiny knife into my subconscious. I pull the covers up and cower under the blanket. The bed dips near my hips. He pulls the blanket back. I’m so lethargic that even using my full strength to hold the blanket in place it’s no match for him. Throwing my forearm over my eyes I exhale loudly, making a point to show him how frustrated I am. “Come, get out of bed. Take a shower, put some comfortable clothes on and join the group for dinner.”

  I shake my head keeping my arm over my eyes. “I’m tired, Chase,” I say my teeth grinding down.

  “You’ve slept all day. Hell, you’ve slept all week. The girls are worried.” His fingertip trails down the side of my hairline. “I’m worried. You’ve hidden in bed all week. Enough is enough. Come on,” He tugs on my arm and pulls me up to a seated position.

  The lights are too bright, the pressure in my head is overwhelming and the guilt in my heart is stifling. “Why can’t you just let me sleep?” I shove at his hands but he doesn’t relent, pulling me into a standing position and walking, more like pushing, me into the bathroom.

  “I spoke with Dr. Madison. Explained how depressed you’ve been,” his blue eyes are soft as he assess me. He sets a prescription bottle of something on the counter. “It’s an anti-anxiety, anti-depressant. He said to take one a day and he’ll discuss how you feel next week.”

  Tingles of anger prick at my skin making me feel more like a porcupine, ready to bite back at being attacked. He’s been talking to my therapist behind my back? With a flick of my hand, the bottle goes flying along the bathroom counter and lands in the sink. Chase’s eyes narrow and fill with heat. “You. Need. Those,” he says slowly. Too slowly.

  “I’m not sick, Chase, I’m fucking sad okay! Big difference!” My voice is harsh filled with contempt. Same tone I took with Dr. Madison when he gave me the first script. I tore it up in front of his face into tiny little pieces and let it fall to the ground like confetti. He was just as pleased at my display as Chase is now.

  Chase steps closer, arms out. I take two steps back and cross my arms over my chest. “This is for your own good. You’ve checked the fuck out, Gillian. Life is happening without you in it. That is not okay. Do you not see what you’re doing by distancing yourself?”

  I shake my head back and forth. Panic and anger firing on all synapsis until my skin is so hot I’m burning alive. “What life!” I roar. “Y
ou think I like having to have a body guard trail me everywhere I go. To look over my shoulder every minute of every day. To always feel like I’m being watched!” I lean over with my hands on the counter top.

  “It’s to keep you safe…” Chase starts.

  “No! Don’t even fucking say it. No one’s safe. My friends have been targeted and almost killed. Several people in the gym died because of me!” I point to my chest so hard it hurts. “And Bree, she’d be dead right now but no, a twenty-year-old girl with her entire life in front of her was murdered in her place…because of me!” I scream, tears pouring down my face. “So don’t tell me I’m missing out on life. I don’t fucking deserve to live!” The lethargy takes control and I slide down the wall across from the vanity into a heap on the tile floor. Hugging my knees tight I hang my head over them and let it all wash over me. The worry, the fear, the constant state of anxiousness. Seeing my friends looking at me with pity in their eyes. It’s too much. I can’t take it anymore.

  Before long Chase crouches in front of me. “Gillian, none of this is your fault. You have to know that.”

  “Do I, Chase? Do I know that? No. I know that wherever I go that might be where and when it happens. That the sick fuck gets to me. But then again, at least if he gets what he wants, he won’t hurt anyone else I love. That’s on me!” The tremble starts in my lips but moves down my chest and into each limb.

  Chase’s face contorts into a deep scowl. “You listen to me. Whoever is doing this is to blame. Not you. Baby, look at me,” he moves his hand to cup my cheek. Using his thumb, he lifts my head, forcing me to look at him. “We will get this guy. It’s only a matter of time.” His words mean so much but fall short of curing the cold ache inside.

  “But at what cost? Just like he said, who’s next? You?” I choke out the word on a sob. He’s definitely on the stalker’s hit list. If the stalker’s infatuated with me then he must despise the man I’m going to marry. The man I publically gave my heart to. Just the split second thought of something happening to Chase sends my stomach churning, and I’m ready to vomit. The crippling grip of fear seizes my mind once more. “I couldn’t bear it.”