Distracted Love_Destructive Love Series Book 2

by Autumn Stone

  Liliana called all the time to check up on her and she couldn’t ask for a better second mom. It broke her heart to see what she was dealing with as Dante lingered in the coma.

  Would he be the same once he woke up?

  Her phone lights up on the dresser and she rushes to answer it.

  “Hi Liliana! How are you?”

  “Cree, he woke up.” There is pure joy in her voice.

  She begins crying and realizes that for the past 3 months it has felt like she couldn’t breath.

  She takes in a deep breath and exhales.

  “He’s confused and he’s angry that Lily isn’t here. He doesn’t remember a lot of what happened before the accident. We’re also putting him a drug rehabilitation program since he withdrew during his coma. The program is a 6-month intensive program. He fought against it, but has finally accepted that he needs help. He’s also mad that you aren’t here.”

  “That’s not my fault. You said that you and he were making plans to have us leave before the accident.” Cree is frustrated and wondering when this will end.

  “I know, and I’m hoping that he will remember everything soon. I hate to ask you, but can we count on you to continue to take care of Lily?”

  “Liliana, at this point I think of Lily as my daughter. I know that I’m not supposed to think of my patients that way, but we’ve gone way past any boundaries that are supposed to be in place. It’s going to break my heart when I have to leave her.”

  “I hope you won’t have to.” Liliana said quietly.

  Dante

  I’m getting sick of being in the hospital. When I ran into the street I did end up flying. Flying into the air after a car hit me. Breaking my arm, tossing me in the air, and finally a compound fracture in my left leg.

  That hurt like a bitch.

  Because of my problems with addiction, they were monitoring my pain medications and basically, I wasn’t taking anything for the pain.

  There were times when I wanted to scratch my skin off, the urge to use was so intense.

  But, I never wanted to be that person again. I wanted to be there for Lily, my mom, and strangely enough I kept thinking about Cree. I wish I’d acted on my attraction towards her before this happened.

  I’m hoping it’s not too late. She’s in hiding. At first I was convinced that she had kidnapped Lily and that just didn’t make sense. Then, my mom explained that before my injury, I was planning to go into hiding with Cree and the girls while I dealt with a threat to our safety.

  Guilt ate at me for the thoughts that I had about Cree.

  I also wondered about confusing memories that seemed to include Cree in them.

  We’re making love.

  I’m not sure if they are actual memories or fantasies. I don’t know what to think.

  First, I need to get clean and I’ve made peace that Lily, Cree, and Sierra will remain in hiding until I’ve cleaned up the mess that I’ve made of my life.

  Alexei has been sent to…negotiate with the Cartel that I was working with before the accident. Hopefully they will call off their dogs. Or, Alexei will call them off his way.

  I hope that they will take the money that we’re offering and move on to greener pastures.

  In the next couple of hours I’m being transferred to the treatment facility. It is run by a therapist who grew up in a mob family and offers special sessions specific to the realities of being a child raised by criminals, or in my case, a sociopathic criminal.

  I don’t want to open myself up to these people, but if I don’t, I will stay broken.

  No amount of coke could help me escape my truth.

  The Sixx has rallied behind me. I know that almost seeing me kill myself has fucked them up a little bit and I wish there was something I could do to erase the image from their minds.

  Since it’s not possible, I will focus on my recovery.

  “Hey Dickweed, we’re here!” Jaxon calls out. We’ve resorted to calling each other the names we used to taunt each other with when we were younger. We were never innocent though.

  At first, they struggled to be upbeat in my company. Their guilt was heavy in the air.

  The question all of them wondered was…was I trying to kill myself that night? I can’t answer that question. I suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle. In the place that I don’t want to explore.

  The other question that they didn’t ask was, was there anything they could have done differently? They have always been my brothers. What more could I asked for.

  I pick up my bag and we head out the door.

  5 Months Later-Cree

  It is too hot to be pregnant in Texas. The baby moves around excitedly and I still can’t help but freak out when I see a little hand or foot pushes out against my belly.

  The miracle of life my ass, that shit is freaky.

  There are times when I feel lonely. I regret not telling Liliana about the baby, and I feel guilty and undecided about how I will eventually bring it up.

  “Sooo….we’ve spoken on the phone several times a week for the past 7 months and I forgot to mention that I’m pregnant. With your grandchild. That your son forgot he helped create.” While true, seems a bit heavy to drop it on her like that.

  Gage Stevens, owner of the ranch, made a point of checking in on me weekly. And, if I weren’t in love with someone else and nursing a broken heart, and hugely pregnant…I would go for him. If he was interested.

  Lily and Sierra made me so happy. But, how on earth was I going to handle three small kids on my own?

  Decisions had to be made.

  I didn’t know that the decision would be taken out of my hands.

  Gage Stevens

  I’ve had a thing for Liliana for years, so when she asked me to protect and employ that little girl with her grandbaby-I said yes. And, before you wonder, yes I’m younger than Liliana, but-she’s a MILF.

  Mia (or Cree) was so skittish it was like dealing with one of my prized fillies. She didn’t talk too much and was an incredible worker. And, from what I understand she worked a miracle with Lily.

  Imagine my surprise when I discovered she was pregnant.

  Now, I waited patiently for someone to come and get that young lady, but no one was coming and it was clear that Liliana had no idea what was going on.

  I know she had her reasons for not saying anything about the baby, but enough was enough.

  It was time to play my cards and get things moving.

  What Cree doesn’t know is that I’m a billionaire and that I have frequent business dealings with the Sixx.

  It was time to bring them to the ranch and work on some projects that we’d been negotiating.

  Dante was just about done with his treatment and if my guess was right, he was the daddy to the little baby about to be born in the a couple of months.

  A man needs to know when he’s about to become a father.

  Let the games begin.

  Jordan and Javier

  “If Gage wasn’t such a great guy and made us so much money, I would refuse to go out to the middle of no-where Texas.” Jordan bitched.

  “Stop bitching. It’s beautiful out here.” Javier looked at the countryside as they sped through what was essentially desert.

  It had a desolate, dangerous beauty and Javier found himself hoping that they would arrive quickly to their final destination. He didn’t want to test out his survival skills in this desert.

  The ranch was so big that they had flown in and were being driven to the compound. It had been an almost an hour since they landed and it was explained that this was done to make it difficult for people to find the house.

  The limo went around the curve and an enormous mansion loomed from the distance.

  There were three men on horses watching the limo as it rolled to a stop. They were tanned, hard looking men, with muscles created from hard work-not the gym.

  The first was, Gage Stevens, their business partner. He was a billionaire and had inherited a bankr
upted business, saved it from the brink of disaster and became a billionaire via ruthless acquisitions. He was a good friend to have and the worst enemy.

  Darius Jones, African-American tech billionaire who grew up in, of all places, Colorado. People underestimated him and he used that to his advantage. He was constantly voted one of the most handsome men in the world, and his goal was to become the first black trillionaire. He had created some of them most innovative and frightening technology in years and held the patents for all of it. The government paid him a lot of money to have access to his technology.

  Aedan O’Connor rounded up the group. An Irish billionaire who escaped the mean streets of Belfast. He made his initial millions via underground fighting and betting. Then, he discovered a genius for investing and identifying businesses that would disrupt their industries, similar to Apple.

  “Gentlemen, welcome to The Desert Bloom Ranch.” Gage greeted them. “You may want to change into something a little more comfortable. Those suites aren’t made for ranch life.”

  The men smiled, “We’re here for 2-weeks, we have it covered.”

  “We’re going to stable the horses and freshen up. Dinner is at 8:00 pm. Our house matron is off today, so our second in command, Aunt Mimi will take you to your rooms and show you where the dining room is located.” And, with that, the men tapped the sides of their horses and they raced off into the distance.

  “Do you know how to ride a horse Javier?” Jordan asked dryly.

  “Yep. And, thank God for that. Gage would look down at us if we didn’t. You took lessons as a kid right?”

  “Yes, mom was adamant about that because she thought that cultured people road horses.” They chuckle and Aunt Mimi (a stout woman with round cheeks and a cheerful smile) showed them to their rooms and gave them instructions on how to get to the dining room.

  “Do you hear kids? Does Gage have children?” Jordan looked confused.

  “Not that I’m aware of, and yes I thought I heard a baby.” Javier replied.

  “Strange.”

  The dinner was exquisite. Porterhouse steaks, potatoes with truffle oil, a wild arugula salad, and a mouthwatering chocolate mousse.

  “Gage, you provide a great spread. Your hospitality is unmatched.”

  “Thank you gentlemen.” Gage said graciously.

  “What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Javier asked quietly.

  “Let’s meet at 9:00 am in my office. We will be up earlier bringing in a herd of longhorn. You interested in joining in? It’s dangerous, but exhilarating.”

  “We may regret it, but why not.” Jordan agreed.

  “What time is early?” Javier wondered

  Gage chuckled “You need to be ready by 5:00 am”

  “Well, shit, next time I’ll all ask about the time first and make my decision based on that information.”

  The Next Morning

  “Gage, that was the most exhilarating and most exhausting activity I’ve ever participated in. And, I feel like I’m about to cough my balls out because they’re afraid to get hit by that saddle again and have retracted inside me.” Javier said ruefully.

  “You two held your own. I wasn’t sure how you would do. Color me impressed. How about you freshen up and meet me in the study. We’ll get down to business. I’ll have the house matron set up breakfast and coffee in there as well.” Gage provided the morning’s upcoming itinerary.

  “Great, that sounds good. Looking forward to discussing business.” Javier and Jordan walked off slowly both deep in their thoughts.

  The sounds of small children floated in the air and they looked at each other curiously.

  “Maybe the kids belong to someone on staff? I hate to admit that I’m dying to know what’s going on.” Jordan shared reluctantly. “But, we’re not here to learn about Gage’s private life. We’re here to make money. And, it’s going to take awhile before Dante can represent us in these meetings again.”

  Nothing else is said and the men make their way to their rooms to prepare for the meeting.

  They smile ruefully at the men in the meeting as they continue to move stiffly as an after affect of the ride.

  “Remind me to go horseback riding more often.” Javier said ruefully.

  “You’re just getting old.” Darius joked.

  “You should know Old Man.” Aedan said.

  “Gentleman, breakfast is about to be served.” Gage was amused by the banter, but, he knew that things were about to change as soon as the next person entered the room-phase 2 of his plan was about to shift into gear.

  A soft knock on the door alerted the men to the next person’s entry into the room. She had her head down and was moving a bit awkwardly, not surprising given that she was heavily pregnant.

  The woman’s head was bent down and soft dark brown curls were captured in a messy bun at the top of her head. The woman was tiny and in a start of recognition both Jordan and Javier realized who it was. They looked at each other in shock and at the woman who hadn’t looked up.

  “Cree?!” They both shouted at the same time.

  The woman’s head popped up and she looked to be in complete shock. Then, she fainted and began to fall to the ground.

  “Shit.” Gage said quietly. Cree falling and potentially hurting herself or the baby was not on the agenda. Fortunately, the men moved pretty quickly and got her before she accidentally hurt herself.

  For the past 5 months they had worried about Cree and wondered where she and the children were hiding. Never in their wildest dreams did they think she would be found working for Gage Stevens and living on his remote ranch in Texas.

  And, they knew without a doubt that Gage had decided it was time for the Sixx to know where she was. He was known for knowing everything about his business partners and whom they were fucking was one of those important details. With Dante about to be released from treatment and Cree clearly about to give birth any day now…it was clear who the father was-they just needed to confirm it.

  Jordan picked her up and placed her on the couch.

  “Cree sweetheart, wake up for us.” He implored.

  Her eyes fluttered open and they looked up and tried to focus on their faces.

  “Maybe we should call the doctor?”

  “No, I’m ok.” Cree said faintly while dreading the conversation that they would eventually have.

  “Where’s Lily and where’s Sierra?” Javier asked

  “They’re being watched by one of the moms on the ranch. They play with her kids while I work.”

  “We were worried about you Cree and even though Liliana knew where you were-we needed to find you.” Jordan said quietly.

  Turning her head on the pillow she looked away from them. Guilt ate away at her, but she knew that she’d made the right decision for the girls and her baby.

  “Is Dante your baby’s father?” Jordan asked while touching her face and gently holding it so that she would look him in the eye.

  “Yes.” And, she admitted the truth of one of the biggest secrets that she’d kept from the people that she loved.

  The other was that she was in love with Dante.

  “Liliana doesn’t know does she?” Javier said while looking at Gage

  “No, she had enough to deal with and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do next.” Cree understood their confusion. But, was relieved to share that Liliana had no part in her deception.

  A searing pain takes Cree’s breath away and she grimaces in pain. “I don’t feel so good.”

  The guys start shouting and she fades into oblivion.

  An Unexpected (Early) Arrival

  Baby Giovanni is nestled in his mother’s arms while Lily and Sierra are being held by Javier and Jordan. Liliana was flying into town and the conversation that they had with her was one that they would never forget.

  Liliana was saddened to think that Cree kept this beautiful secret to herself for so long. And now they had the difficult task of waiting to tell Dante about the baby.

 
She’d spoken with his recovery team and they had strongly recommended that they wait to tell him about the baby during one of his outpatient sessions.

  A secret of this magnitude could push him back into using and he’d made so much progress. What kind of father would he be if he couldn’t break the addiction? He would always be an addict…but, this situation could break him.