Morgan Sisters Duo: Saving Stella & Sloan's Surrender (Attraction #0)

by J B Heller

  “Thank you for coming with me, after everything you went through today, I really appreciate you being here for me.” He spoke against my ear, then kissed the top of my head.

  I sighed, “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

  “I know,” he murmured.

  A few minutes later we heard the rumble of a small jet overhead. Dex tensed behind me.

  “She loves you, she won’t blame you.” I reassured him.

  He nodded and kissed my hair again.

  When the jet landed we stayed where we were waiting for the noise of the engines to die down a little. Then the small cabin door opened and a lady in her late thirties climbed out. A moment later a tall slim girl with long flowing blonde hair followed, clutching a small bundle wrapped tightly in a blanket. Dex let me go and rushed over to her.

  When she saw him coming she burst into tears and ran into his open arms. It was beautiful. I could tell he was holding back tears of his own. I watched from my spot by his car, my tears flowing freely. When I noticed they were coming over I swiped my cheeks to remove the evidence. I didn’t want to be a blubbering mess the first time we met.

  I had cried more tears in the weeks since I’d met Dex than I had in my whole life. I had turned into an emotional wreck. I didn’t like it one bit. But I suppose that’s what happens when you repress your emotions for so many years.

  Dex introduced us, “Sloan, this is my little sister, Isabella. And this is her daughter, Willow.”

  I smiled at her, “It’s nice to finally meet you Isabella, I’ve heard so much about you.”

  Her answering grin was beautiful, and revealed just how young she really was. “Call me Izzy. I’ve only just heard about you, but I just know we are going to be great friends.”

  “I’m sure we will Izzy. You ready to go home?” I asked.

  “Definitely. Thank you, for having your friend find us, and taking me in.”

  “You don’t need to thank me.” I hugged her gently, careful not to squash the tiny bundle in her arms. I opened the door for her to put Willow in the baby capsule, while Dex went and got her one and only bag from the lady who had exited the plane earlier.

  Dexter

  Willow was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. Dare I say, even more beautiful than Isabella was as a baby. I was officially the happiest man in the world. I had good loyal friends, my sister back and a brand new niece as well having Sloan’s love. I was complete.

  Isabella and Sloan chatted on the way home, I now thought of Sloan’s townhouse as home. I rarely went to my apartment anymore. I was thinking about selling it, but I would talk to Sloan first. When I told Isabella that we would be staying with Sloan she hadn’t even blinked. I had thought that staying with someone she didn’t know would be daunting especially after everything she had been through in the last few months. But she always did manage to surprise me.

  She told me as long I was near she didn’t care where she stayed. She also told me that all the time she had been away she had been worried about me. Worried how I was coping with her disappearing like she had and wondering how father had explained it away. She had been well taken care of, but she had been told she would never be coming home again.

  They (father’s gophers) also told her that the baby would be taken from her as soon as father had approved a family for her. It made me sick to think that I came from that man.

  Bray was out the door as soon as we pulled into Sloan’s driveway. He ripped open Isabella’s door and swept her up in a tight hug. She laughed but held onto him tightly too.

  When he let her go he kept an arm around her shoulders and introduced her to Stella. “Izzy, this is my Stella. Stella, this is my little Izzy.”

  Izzy’s eyes widened with glee, “Twins huh, cool.”

  I just shook my head, most people at least had some kind of reaction to seeing the girls together. Sloan got Willow out of her capsule and brought her into the house, we all followed the newest member of our family inside. Stella was unusually quiet, I noticed Bray take her aside and hug her in the hall way. I nudged Sloan’s shoulder and nodded in their direction. “What’s that all about?”

  She looked up from Willow and whispered back to me. “Stella can’t have a baby of her own. They’ve been talking about adopting.”

  I didn’t realise Isabella had come over until I heard her gasp. She came closer to us, checked over her shoulder to make sure Stella and Bray were still out of ears shot before she whispered to us. “Why can’t she have a baby? She looks like she would make such a good mum.”

  Sloan answered her before I had time to tell her she was being rude and it was none of her business. “I don’t know, we haven’t had time to talk about it really. She just told me today.”

  Izzy frowned, “It really sucks that a girl like me gets pregnant by accident, but someone as nice as her can’t have a baby.”

  I interjected right there. “Isabella, did you have sex?”

  She looked at me like I was stupid. “Umm yeah.”

  “Well then, it wasn’t by any accident that you fell pregnant. I don’t ever want to hear you say that this little angel was an accident again.”

  She was embarrassed. I hadn’t meant to embarrass her, I just wanted her to see Willow as a miracle not an accident. She nodded once, then turned and went into the hallway where Stella and Bray were still cuddling.

  “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” Izzy threw her arms around both of them. It was a little awkward at first, but they both just pulled her into their hug. She was like Bray’s little sister too, after all. She stepped back and I saw that she was crying.

  She took Stella’s hand in hers and squeezed it. “Do you want to hold her?”

  They came into the kitchen where Sloan was rocking a sleeping Willow in her arms. Stella seemed unsure. She looked longingly at Willow, then back to Izzy, “Are you sure? You don’t even know me.”

  Isabella smiled brightly at Stella and wrapped her arms around her again. Did I mention that Isabella was a hugger? “If Bray loves you, then so do I. Go ahead. She’s going to wake up for a feed soon anyway. They made me put her on a bottle because they were going to take her away from me. You can feed her if you like.”

  The smile that lit up Stella’s face was every bit as beautiful as Sloan’s. “Thank you so much.”

  Izzy was glowing, “No worries. Dex, where did you put my bag? I’ve got all the formula and stuff in there.”

  I felt like I was in a weird dream, I had to shake my head to snap out of it. “I’ll go get it, do you want to come with me and see your new room?”

  “Sure!”

  The room had been transformed. While we were getting Isabella and Willow, Bray and Stella had kept themselves busy putting away all the shopping bags. She had got a new bedspread too. It was bright swirling colours with cushions in the shape of birds.

  Isabella squealed when she walked in. “I love it! And look at all these clothes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

  She was bouncing around like any other sixteen year old who’d just had their room redecorated would. But she wasn’t just a sixteen year old girl anymore, she was a mother. “Don’t thank me, the girls went shopping for you and Willow this afternoon.”

  She spun around and grabbed them both in a hug. I noticed how careful she was when she slung her arm around Stella who had a now very awake and squirmy Willow in her arms.

  Stella held Willow out a little offering her to Isabella. “Do you want to take her now?”

  Isabella moved back quickly and grabbed her bag off the floor at the foot of the bed. “Umm no, that’s fine. I’ll get her bottle ready for you. She’ll probably start squealing for it soon.”

  Her behaviour seemed a little strange but I didn’t worry too much, she probably just wanted to get the bottle done before Willow got upset. We went to sit in the lounge room while Sloan showed Isabella where everything she would need was in the kitchen.

  Stella remained standing, swaying Willow in her arms while coo
ing at her. Willow stopped squirming and stilled, she was mesmerised by Stella’s voice. Stella kept talking to her while Willow’s tiny fingers wrapped tightly around one of Stella’s. You could see she would make a fantastic mother. I felt sad for her and Bray.

  I heard something clang on the floor behind me and turned around to find a tearful Isabella in the entryway. I jumped out of my seat, rushing over to her. “Hey kiddo, what’s wrong?”

  “They’re meant to be together,” She whispered.

  I didn’t know what she was talking about. “Who Izz?” She pushed me back and gestured over to the corner where Stella was with Willow. Understanding dawned.

  “I knew I was too young to have a baby, but I refused to have an abortion. It wasn’t Willow’s fault that I was young and stupid. When they told me dad was going to give her to a family of his choosing, I was terrified. I’m too young to be a mother, but I want her to have all the love she deserves. Not the cold upbringing we had and I knew he would choose someone just like him.”

  It was Bray who spoke up. “You don’t have to give her up Izzy, we will all help you. You can be her mother.”

  She shook her head at him, tears streaming down her cheeks now. “And what kind of mother would I make? I’m sixteen. I’m not ready.”

  I spoke up, “You already are a great mother, you can do anything you set your mind to Isabella. And, like Bray said, we will all help you.”

  She exhaled a deep breath, pulled back her shoulders and looked me straight in the eye. “I had already come to terms with having to give her up before she was even born. It’s because I love her that I want to do this. As soon as I heard you and Sloan talking before I knew it was the right thing to do, for me, and Willow. It was like a sign or something.”

  This was all happening too quickly, “Isabella, things are different now, your home, we can—”

  She placed her hand on my chest and I grasped it with both of mine. Her eyes showed her sincerity. She had already made her decision. She turned to Bray who still stood beside me in shock.

  “You and Stella, you have your lives together. You’re in love, and you’re ready to start your family. I’m a sixteen year old girl who hasn’t even finished high school. This is what’s best for Willow, and me. I heard Sloan tell Dex that you were thinking about adopting-” She paused and walked over to where Stella was standing frozen with Willow in her arms.

  Isabella kissed Willow’s little head and looked Stella in the eye. “Will you be Willow’s Mumma?”

  They were both crying hard now. I was still standing over by the entryway speechless. I hadn’t even considered that she may not want to keep Willow.

  Stella took a stuttered breath, “I would be honoured to call her my daughter. But, you don’t even know me Isabella. You need time to really think about this.”

  Izz smiled sadly, “I’ve had months to think about this. Keeping Willow was never an option for me. At first the thought nearly destroyed me. The only way I could cope with her going to an unknown family was to detach myself from her.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I love her, I do. With all my heart. But, I can’t keep her. Having a baby at sixteen was never part of my plan. Letting her go to someone just like my father, it would have broken me. But you, you love her already, don’t you?” Izzy stated.

  Stella blinked at her several times before looking back down at a content Willow in her arms. “I do,” she whispered.

  Izzy smiled, “I know you do. And I know I don’t know you, but I know Bray. I know this is the right thing to do. Please Stella,” she turned and looked a Bray, “will you guys give my baby girl the family she deserves?”

  Tears cascaded down Stella’s cheeks, and Bray went over and wrapped his arms around Stella and Willow. “We will.” He said, tears shining in his own eyes.

  “Thank you Isabella, thank you so much. You’ve given us the greatest gift.” Stella sobbed.

  Izz wiped her nose with the back of her hand, “No Stella, you have given me a gift. I know she will be loved unconditionally, she will grow up safe and happy. You can give her a life I can’t.”

  “You can see her whenever you want.” Bray assured Izz.

  “Thank you, I think I might need a little time at first, but I definitely want to be a part of her life.” Isabella nodded to herself, then came back over to me and I wrapped her in my arms. She sobbed into my shoulder while I ran my hand through her hair, just like I used to do when she was a little girl.

  Sloan

  Two Weeks Later…

  Isabella had settled in remarkably well, she wanted to start back at school next week, so we had enrolled her at the same school as her boyfriend Chase. Her new IDs arrived just like Gabe said they would, and they were perfect. So far, Johnathan didn’t know she was back. Thanks to Gabe, he was under the impression that she had escaped her minders in London and they hadn’t been able to track her down.

  The day after she arrived home Chase came over and met little Willow. He fell in love with her as quickly as everyone else had. She was truly the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. But he had agreed with Isabella, that it would be best for Willow to be with Bray and Stella.

  Stella had taken to motherhood instantly. She had a constant glow to her, nothing could wipe the ever present smile off her face. I had asked her last week why she couldn’t fall pregnant. She cried when she told me that the doctors had told her it was due to the injuries she had sustained after her attack as a teenager.

  I was never happier that I had done what was necessary to those bastard all those years ago.

  Tonight would be the first night since Isabella moved in that Dex and I would be alone. She was going to spend the night at Chase’s house. Dex wasn’t entirely happy about it, but I had convinced him that it would be fine. It was clear how in love those two were. And I was sure after talking to Izzy that there would be no getting busy tonight. She was terrified of falling pregnant again.

  I had dreaded this day for the last two weeks, I had tried not to think about telling Dex my secrets. But until it was out in the open I would be on edge. I was in no mood for food, but I knew Dex would be, he always was. So I ordered some pizzas from the little parlour down the road. I pulled a six pack of beers out of the fridge and went into the lounge room where Dex was watching TV, and plonked it all down on the coffee table then went to get the napkins.

  When I came back in, Dex had turned off the TV and was holding out an open beer for me. I took it from him and downed half of it right there. His eyes widened, and then a look of understanding covered his handsome face. He realised I was ready to talk. He pulled me down onto his lap and kissed me senseless.

  When we came up for air he was grinning wide. “I love you so much.”

  And that right there was the reason I was about to purge my soul of all its hate and darkness before him tonight. This would be a new beginning for me, once this was done, once it was out in the open there would never be any secrets between us again. “I love you too.”

  I downed the rest of my beer and opened another one. Dex was still on his first, but I needed the alcohol in my system if I was going to get through this. I may have already had a few shots of vodka for courage in the kitchen before I came in here. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

  I opened the door to the vault in my mind that I had padlocked and dead bolted with a dozen different locks. With each lock I opened I felt the darkness seeping out a little more and spreading throughout my body. My natural instinct was to slam that bitch shut and add more locks, but not tonight. It was time to empty it all out.

  “My memories are patchy, chunks of time are missing. But I remember the worst of it. And that’s what lives inside of me. I was sixteen when I first met real monsters. I didn’t know it at the time. But I had welcomed them into my life. I was rebelling and, I thought I was old enough to read people, I was so wrong.

  “I had made friends with some girls at school who liked to live on the wild side, just my scene. They were
a little more out there then I was, but they always knew where the party was, and the clubs that didn’t check for IDs. I’d gone out with them a few times, it was always a good time with these girls. We had made plans to hang out with some guys they met from out of town this night, I went along without question.”

  I took a deep calming breath as the memories assailed me. I was cloaked in darkness. My body felt thick and heavy, the smell of death surrounded me.

  Walking into a dingy building that was in a worse neighbourhood then my own, I felt shivers run down my spine. The place gave me the creeps. I swallowed as the chills covered my skin just like they had that night. I wasn’t in my lounge room anymore, I was in the dark dingy house, it was musty in here and the stench of death lingered in the air. My skin felt dirty just being there.

  “Some time later, I looked around for my friends, but I couldn’t see them, I could hear them though. They were screaming. I wanted to throw up I was so scared. I walked through the house looking in every doorway I went through. Nothing.

  “At the very back of the house I found them. Their lifeless bodies lay naked on the floor. Their throats were slit. Fear gripped hold of me when I saw the two men in the corner, one was wiping blood from a long silver blade. The other was doing his pants back up. I tried to run, I wasn’t fast enough. They had me. The one with the knife threw me down on the bed, and held the blade to my throat.

  ‘Hello precious, come to join the party?’

  His breath smelt of whisky, so strong it stung my eyes.

  ‘I won’t say anything, I swear, just let me go, please, please let me go.’

  Laughing, they were laughing at me. Bile rose up my throat when the other one came towards me, his pants were open again. No, please no. Not that, I clenched my thighs together as tight as I could. I’d rather die.

  ‘Kill me first, please, just kill me first.’

  I was crying so hard I couldn’t see anything. They kept laughing at me.