Attraction Series Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by J B Heller

  When we arrived at my unit, I knew I’d been right. The front door was ajar, and I could feel the cool air from the air con as soon as I neared it. I quickened my pace and shoved the door out of my way. “Mia?” I called, but there was no answer.

  Gabe was right on my heels and branched off towards the kitchen as I went for the bedrooms. “Clear,” he called out just as I opened our bedroom door. The covers were a mess, but that was normal. I closed the door and checked the nursery, empty. I ran my hand through my hair. “FUCK!” I yelled as pain ripped through my chest.

  Not again, I couldn’t do this again.

  I found Kai in the baby’s room. He was hunched over on his knees, his hands pulling at his hair I knew exactly how he was feeling, so I approached with caution. “Mate, we’ll work this out. We always do,” I tried to reassure him.

  His anguish-filled eyes lifted to meet mine, and I knew he was reliving the past. “The worst part is, I saw it coming, and I still didn’t protect her.”

  “Get that shit out of your head right now. You couldn’t have known this was going to happen,” I told him.

  “We saw her ex yesterday when we were leaving lunch. He was pissed. I knew he was, but I didn’t think he had it in him to come after her. Fuck, I can’t do this, Gabe, I can’t.”

  “Fuck that,” I spat. I was furious. “You can and you will pull your shit together right this fucking second so we can fix this.” We didn’t have time for him to feel sorry for himself.

  He blinked a few times and then shook his head. “Right, okay. I’m good.” He got to his feet and ran both his hand over his scalp.

  I doubted he’d noticed the state of the lounge area when we came in, he was focused solely on finding Mia, but I had. It wasn’t a huge mess, but a cup lay on its side on the floor by the coffee table as well as a few pregnancy magazines. Mia’s iPad was on the floor too, its screen shattered like it had been stood on.

  “There are signs of a struggle in the lounge. The glass is cool, and there’s still a condensation ring from it on the coffee table. They can’t have gotten far. Did you get a plate yesterday?”

  I watched as my best friend tried to hold himself together knowing someone had handled his pregnant woman. I was having trouble keeping my cool, so I knew he was on the verge of losing it. “No, no plates,” he spoke through his teeth. “But I ran him through the system when she finally opened up to me about him. I’ve got an address.”

  I nodded and headed back out to Kai’s truck. There was no way he could drive right now, so I got in the driver’s side. “Punch it in,” I said as I handed him the GPS he kept in the glovebox. He nodded and entered the address. It was on the other side of the city, and being the middle of the day, traffic wouldn’t be a problem, but it would still take at least an hour to get there.

  I glanced at Kai as I drove, his body practically vibrating with dread and unconcealed rage. “Call in Axel,” I said. He immediately hit a button on the dash and said Axel’s name. The call tone sounded through the car speakers a moment later.

  Axel answered on the second ring. “S’up bitch tits?” was his greeting.

  “Mia’s gone. Her ex, we ran into him yesterday. He must have followed us home.” Kai’s voice shook as he spoke.

  Silence then, “Mother Fucker!” Axel’s words boomed through the speakers. “Where do you need me?”

  I took over and gave him the address. “I’m half an hour away,” he said.

  “You’re closer than us. We’re still a good forty-five. Get there, find out what you can, but don’t go in alone. I don’t know anything about this guy other than he’s pissed with Mia.”

  “I’m on it. I’ll make contact as soon as I get there.” Then he hung up.

  Kai was clenching and unclenching his fists while grinding his teeth. “It’s going to be all right, mate, we got this, we always do,” I told him again. He didn’t respond. “Tell me what you know about this guy.” I had to get him talking and out of his own thoughts.

  “His name’s Trent Miles, and he’s a controlling fucker. Mia couldn’t say or do shit when she was with him. The most fucked up thing is she said it was better than living with her mum.” He paused. “He didn’t know about the baby until yesterday. He knows it’s his.”

  Shit, I clenched the steering wheel tighter until my knuckles turned white. We were dealing with a possessive prick who’d just found out the woman who’d escaped him did it because she was pregnant. “Did he ever get physical?” I asked.

  Kai shook his head. “No, not that she told me. But she never gave him reason to before.”

  I knew what that meant. She’d been the obedient Stepford girlfriend, but she’d changed the rules when she ran. I shoved my fingers through my hair and pressed my foot a little firmer on the accelerator. My skin felt too tight, and my gut churned.

  I arrived at the block of apartments before Gabe and Kai. Nothing looked out of place, but that didn’t mean shit. I surveyed the perimeter and discovered all the units had a back door that led to a footpath. I went back around to the front and took up position by the entry to the lot.

  From my location, I had the perfect view into the unit through a half-opened curtain. I could see Mia sitting on a couch. She didn’t look hurt, and I took comfort in that. It made the waiting easier—I hated waiting. I was an action man. I couldn’t handle standing around doing nothing, but I didn’t have to wait long. Gabe and Kai pulled in next to my car just a few minutes later.

  I told them what I knew, and we split up. Gabe went around the back and covered the back door. Kai wanted to go right in the front door, but I convinced him it would be better to let me make the approach since this dude didn’t know who I was and wouldn’t immediately go for Mia when he saw me.

  Kai agreed, but he was only two steps behind me, waiting just out of view. I strode up to the front door and knocked. Muffled voices could be heard from inside, and then a man opened the door. I looked him up and down then frowned. “You’re not Shelly.” I said. He looked at me like I’d lost my mind.

  I put my hand on his shoulder and shoved him back a step, poking my head inside at the same time. “Shelly? You in here?” I called. “Shelly?”

  The guy shoved me back. “Who the fuck are you?”

  I let him think he’d moved me, but really, there was no way he could have if I didn’t want him to. “My bad.” I held my hand out between us. “I’m Axel. Shelly told me to pick her up here.” I glanced at my watch. “Shit, is she pissed because I’m late? I’m only twenty minutes late, for fuck’s sake.” I pushed myself all the way into the unit. “Shelly baby, I’m sorry,” I called out. At the same time, I shot Mia a sly wink.

  Her ex grabbed hold of my shoulder and tried to swing me back around, but I held firm and kept up my act. “Jesus, Shell, I’m not that late. Come on out.”

  The ex was getting pissed. I could feel his frustration building as he tugged harder on my shoulder. “Get the fuck out of my house,” he yelled.

  I’d provided enough of a distraction for him to move his focus away from the front door so Kai could slip in unnoticed. I caught sight of Mia and watched her stiff body relax when she realised I hadn’t come alone. I turned my attention back to the ex. “Look, mate, I’m just here to pick up my girl,” I said with my hands raised, palms out in front of me.

  The dude relaxed a little. “There’s no Shelly here. Now get the fuck out,” he said in an even tone.

  I cocked my head to the side. “Are you sure? This is the address she gave me.”

  “I’m really fucking sure. As you can see, it’s just me and my woman here. Now fuck off.” His anger was rising again.

  Smiling, I turned back to Mia and cocked my head. “Your boyfriend’s got a stick up his arse,” I joked. She didn’t smile back... she didn’t move at all. I took a second to really look at her. “Hey, are you alright?” She clenched her teeth as a grimace covered her pretty face, and her hands shot to her huge stomach. Fuck, I knew what that meant.

&nb
sp; I spun on my heels and came face to face with the fuckwad who took her and sent her into premature labour. I launched my fist into his face he didn’t see it coming and stumbled back a few steps, crashing right into a waiting Kai. Gabe heard the commotion and busted in through the back door.

  I knew they had him covered, so I ran to Mia’s side. “Mia, how long have they been coming?” I asked. It was clear they were hard-core contractions. I reached out and took one of her hands in mine, and she squeezed so tight I swear she broke a few bones in my hand. I didn’t care though. Now was not the time to bitch out.

  “Breathe through it, Mia. Come on, honey, breathe with me,” I urged. She listened to me and slowed her breathing as the contraction began to subside.

  “They started when he shoved me into his car,” she whispered. “I don’t know how long ago that was,” she said as a single tear slid down her cheek.

  I caught the tear with the pad of my thumb, and when I did, I noticed the beginnings of a bruise on her cheek. He’d hit her—d a pregnant chick. I was going to kill him, but for now, I schooled my expression because Mia didn’t need to see my reaction to this right now. “I’m going to get Kai, and he’s going to take you to the hospital, okay?” She squeezed my hand again and nodded.

  Turning around, I saw Gabe had fuckwad held against the wall with his hands behind his back. He also had his phone pressed between his shoulder and ear with the cops— would be my guess— on the receiving end. Kai walked over to us and I put my hand on his shoulder as he neared. “You need to get her to the hospital right fucking now. She’s in labour.” I paused briefly. “He hit her, man, and her cheek is starting to bruise.”

  Kai’s face turned to stone. He turned around to go do some damage, but I grabbed him before he could. “Hospital now, mate.” He froze. I watched as his fists clenched by his sides, once and then twice, before he pulled himself together enough to face Mia. When he looked back at her, all that was in his eyes was his love for her. He took the two steps needed to reach her, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her out the door.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  I’d never been so relieved in all my life. Not even when Trent had moved me out of my mother’s house. The moment Axel pushed his way through the door, I knew everything was going to be alright.

  Trent had revealed a side of him I’d never seen before when he showed up at the unit this morning. He’d never gotten violent with me before, but I guess I’d never given him a reason to since I always just went along with whatever he wanted. I never thought he would come after me. I thought he’d be glad to be rid of me. Guess I was wrong.

  When I’d opened the door and saw him standing on the other side of it, I tried to close it in his face, but his foot was already in place to block my attempt. He pushed inside and shoved me to the ground. Standing over me he sneered, “Did you really think I’d let you keep up this charade you’ve been living? Trips to the spa with that blonde bitch, breakfasts at the beach every weekend, candlelit dinners in parks?”

  I shuffled back on my hands and butt until I was against the couch. I then lifted myself up onto it. He’d been watching me, that knowledge made me want to throw up. All those beautiful memories Kai and I had made together, Trent had been watching the whole time.

  He stalked towards me, hatred and disgust smeared across his face. I had to swallow down the bile that rose in my throat when I noticed his furious gaze was locked on my belly. I wrapped my arms around it trying to hide it from his glare. “Why now, Trent? Why couldn’t you just leave me be?” I asked with a shaky voice.

  His focus moved back up to my face, “I thought about forgetting about you, but I’d already invested so much time in training you. It would take too long to find and train another bitch, so I’ve come to take back what’s mine and get rid of that thing inside you,” he sneered.

  My whole body went cold. “I’m not yours. Not anymore.” I tried to keep my voice steady. “Kai will be back any minute, so you better leave before he gets home.”

  He laughed and got right up in my face. “Then, we better get going.” He grabbed my wrists and pulled me towards him. Stumbling over my own feet I fell on my hands and knees and cried out in pain but he didn’t stop. He wrapped his hand around my ponytail and pulled me back up to my feet. The pain was so intense, tears poured from my eyes.

  Once I was standing, Trent brought his body up close behind mine. “Soon as I take care of that thing,” he said in my ear, his mouth so close I could feel his hot breath on my neck, “you’re going to get back in shape. You look disgusting, like a fucking whale. And I don’t fuck whales.”

  “P-p..lease, don’t,” I begged.

  I felt his mouth twitch into a smile against the skin of my neck. “I bet you’ve miss my cock, too. You always were a dirty little whore.” I felt his head shake behind me, “It’s back to slummin’ it for you.”

  Rancid bile rose again as he shoved me out the front door. I bent over and retched in the shrubs by the carport. “Please,” I begged again, “let me go.”

  “Never again, Mia. Never a-fucking-gain.” He enunciated each word clearly as if to set my fate in stone.

  He shoved me in the passenger door and slammed it shut. I fumbled with the handle trying to open it, but it was locked. It didn’t matter what I did it wouldn’t open. He was in the driver’s seat a moment later. “Nice try, but it won’t work. I told you, I’m never letting you go again. I took measures to make sure of it.”

  I choked on a sob. This couldn’t be happening, not now. My stomach tightened so tight it felt like stone, and I screamed. Trent’s fist shot out and made contact with my cheek, throwing my head back into the glass of the window. “Shut up whore!” he spat.

  My head spun—I wasn’t sure if I was sitting, standing, or lying down. The world around me was turned on its end, and my face throbbed. My stomach began to tighten again, and I braced as best I could by biting down on my lip to stop from crying out again. I tasted blood as my teeth punctured my lip.

  Then I wet myself. I was so scared, and I’d never felt so helpless. He wanted to hurt my baby. I couldn’t do this right now. I squeezed my thighs together as hard as I could. When I looked down in my lap, I saw I hadn’t wet myself—my waters had broken. The liquid was tinged with blood, and I panicked.

  “Trent, p-p…lease. The baby—”

  He cut me off, “I told you to shut up. I don’t want to hear about that thing. As soon as we get home, I’ll take care of it, and you’ll never speak of it again. Do you hear me, Mia? Never.”

  My stomach clenched again, only this time, the pain so intense I threw my head back and held my belly. It felt like concrete beneath my palms. It stayed that way longer than before, and I groaned.

  By the time Trent parked the car in the lot of the apartment I used to live in with him, the contractions had become more constant. I only had a brief break between them, maybe a minute or two, and then another would hit, and I’d be struck breathless while trying to keep my silence.

  Trent dragged me out of the car, and when he saw the mess on my shorts and the seat I’d been sitting in, he threw me against the side of the car. “You’re cleaning that up you, dirty whore,” he hissed in my face.

  Pulling me into the apartment, he shoved me onto the couch then began pacing in front of me, his hands in his hair and his neck muscles bulging. I’d never seen him this angry before. I arranged myself upright and waited for the next contraction. I had no idea how I was going to get through this.

  “Things between us were perfect, and then you had to go and ruin it, Mia. Why did you do that, huh? Why would you go and do something so stupid? What made you think you could do that to me? What made you think I’d let you go?

  “After everything I’d done for you, you just throw it all in my face and leave. I gave you everything. I took you away from that slut mother of yours and how do you show your appreciation? You turn your back on me. That wasn’t smart, Mia. Not smart at all.”

  He sto
pped pacing and glared at me. “You stupid bitch. You thought you could go and live the high life, while I stayed here in this shit hole.” A humourless laugh slipped from his lips, “This is where you belong Mia. Your worthless arse is only good for one thing, fucking.”

  His eyes moved back down to my belly, “And now I have to get my hands dirty, so we can get back to doing what your good at.” He seethed and stepped towards me, but before he could reach me, a loud knock sounded from the front door. His head snapped in that direction, and then back to me. “Keep your fucking mouth shut.” Then he went to open the door.

  When he did, I heard Axel’s voice. I sighed in relief and then in fear again as my belly started to contract. I did my best to hide the pain, to play it cool, but it didn’t matter because all of Trent’s attention was on Axel. Next thing I knew, Axel was inside the apartment calling out for someone called Shelly. I had no clue what he was doing until I saw Kai slip inside the door when Trent turned his back on it.

  Time ceased to move as the next contraction hit me with a vengeance. Then Axel was by my side, holding my hand and talking to me. I didn’t know what he was saying, and I didn’t care. I wasn’t alone with Trent, and that’s all that registered in my brain. I said something to Axel, but I wasn’t sure what or if it made any sense. The next thing I knew, Kai was sweeping me up into his arms and carrying me out the door.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  I wanted to kill him. I really did. And if Mia hadn’t gone into labour, I probably would have.

  I placed Mia down in the passenger seat of my truck, and as gently as possible, I pulled the seatbelt around her and clicked it into place. “Everything’s going to be just fine, Pretty Girl, okay?” I said as I leant forward and placed a kiss on her tear-soaked cheek. She didn’t reply, and I didn’t expect her to.