Heartless (An Enemies To Lovers Novel Book 1)

by Michelle Horst

  Someone grabs me from behind and I try to swing my elbow into them. The movement throws me off balance and I fall to the side, as my body starts to convulse and another wave of nausea overwhelms me. The person pulls my body against theirs and pulls my hair away from my face.

  My throat is on fire when I finally stop vomiting. “Stop. Just stop,” I cry.

  “Della,” someone cries through the haziness of hysteria that’s enveloping me.

  When the person doesn’t let go of me I start to scream until my throat feels like it’s raw and bleeding.

  “Get him out of here,” the person holding me shouts. “Get him the fuck out of here before I kill him.”

  Through blurring tears I see people move around me. Someone kneels in front of me and for a moment I don’t recognize him.

  “Della, you’re going to be okay. The paramedics are on the way,” he says.

  I try to suck in some air but the pain is too much. A wail tears through my ravaged throat and I slump forward.

  The man frames my face with his hands, and his touch is cool on my overheated skin. He lifts my face to his and it’s only then that I recognize him.

  “Logan?” I rasp.

  “Yeah, Sweetheart. Try to stay still for us. Rhett’s holding you. You’re safe.”

  “Rhett?”

  “I’ve got you, babe,” I hear him say from behind me. His voice is thick with tears. Every bit of strength I have vanishes and my body sinks against his.

  ***

  CARTER

  My phone rings but I ignore it. I need to finish signing these documents so Charlotte can have them back before I leave for my two pm meeting.

  Finally, the thing stops ringing.

  I get another three documents signed before my office door burst open. Charlotte’s pale face has me up on my feet in a second.

  “What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?” I rush to her just in case she faints.

  She grabs my arm and starts to pull me from the office. “You need to go. They’re in the copy room. Someone attacked Della.”

  Shaking my head, I frown at Charlotte. “What?”

  Then the words sink in. Della has been attacked.

  I run from my office and when I reach the elevators, I repeatedly slam the button until the fucking thing opens.

  I step inside and impatiently wait for the doors to close. When they finally shut in front of me, I slam my fist into the mirror. A crack splinters through the mirror and I quickly step back as it crashes to the ground.

  I open and close my fists as fear overwhelms me.

  Della.

  My Della.

  My mind races, not really focusing on anything of substance.

  The elevator doors open, and as I step out shock shudders through me. The building security is all over the place. I watch as paramedics run towards me. The run by me and into the copy room, and it’s only then that life returns to my body.

  I follow the paramedics, and when I step inside the copy room my world starts to spin. Della is on the floor and Rhett is holding her. Logan is on his knees in front of her and he starts to move so the paramedics can get to her.

  My eyes dart around the room and if feels as if someone is throwing punches at me. I see the vomit. Fuck, the stench hangs sour in the air.

  I look back to Della as a paramedic reaches for her neck. She starts to struggle in Rhett’s hold, raw wails tearing from her.

  I start to walk towards her. It feels as if something else has taken over my body. I want to run, but for some fucked-up reason, I can’t.

  Logan places his hand against my chest. I see his mouth move but nothing he says makes sense. I can only hear Della.

  Rage engulfs me, and I walk right by Logan. One of the paramedics tries to stop me, but I shove him out of my way.

  I reach for Della as she looks up and the fear on her face fucking destroys me. I sink to my knees next to her. My heart is thundering in my chest as Rhett let’s go of her. Her body shoots forward and I catch her as she slams into me.

  Her breaths sound like painful gasps that are grating her throat raw. I wish I could breathe for her.

  “Babe,” I say, but it doesn’t sound like my voice.

  She tries to pull herself up against me but there’s no strength in her body.

  Abruptly, the reality slams into me and it feels as if I’m thrust into a nightmare.

  I wrap my arms around her and hold her shaking body to me.

  “What the fuck happened?” I growl at Rhett.

  “Someone attacked her. We were in the printing room when we heard her screaming,” Rhett says. I’ve never seen him so pale and upset before. “The fucker was on top of her, strangling her.”

  “Who?” I hiss.

  Rhett shakes his head. “I don’t know. The guards dragged him away.”

  “Sir, we need to get her to a hospital,” the paramedic says, drawing my attention back to him.

  Fuck, he’s right.

  I start to pull back, but Della just moves with me.

  “Babe, let them look at you,” I whisper.

  She shakes her head, burrowing deeper against me.

  The paramedic reaches for her arm, but Della starts to scream. “No.No.No.No.No.” She practically crawls through my arms to get behind me, and it makes me lose my mind.

  “Don’t you fucking touch her!”

  “Carter, they have to check her,” Rhett says, half positioning his body between me and the paramedic.

  What he says makes sense, but I can’t let anyone near her. I gather her in my arms and pick her up. She buries her face in my neck and her body shudders in my arms.

  I shake my head at Rhett. “I can’t let her go. She will never forgive me if I let her go. You go -” Tears overwhelm me and I swallow hard to try and control them. “You go get a doctor. I don’t care what you have to pay. Get a doctor and bring them to the apartment. I’m taking her home.”

  “Fuck, Carter,” Rhett hisses. “You can’t just take her. She needs to give a statement. This is a fucking crime scene.”

  I glare at him as I hold her tighter. “You will have to pry her from my dead fucking body. I’m taking her home. The cops can take her statement there. A doctor can look at her there.”

  “You can’t -”

  “I fucking can and I fucking will.”

  I walk out to the room, not paying attention to anyone. When I exit the building, I’m relieved to see Peter already waiting with the car. He’s supposed to take me to the two pm meeting.

  I slide into the backseat and cradle Della on my lap. I press kisses to her tangled hair. She’s fucking cold. I sit forward and without moving her from my lap, I struggle out of my jacket.

  I wrap it around her before holding her tightly. She’s stopped crying but the blank look on her face really worries me.

  My phone starts to ring and I quickly fish it from my pocket.

  “What?” I hiss, barely in control of my emotions.

  “The paramedics are following you. Please don’t give them shit. Let them look at her while I get a doctor.”

  “Fine.”

  “Danny,” Della croaks.

  “What’s that, babe?”

  “Danny. Don’t let her see me.”

  “Fuck.” I forgot. I quickly phone Jamie. When she answers the phone I can hear Danny laughing. “Jamie, take Danny to the park. Buy her an ice cream and let her play there for a little while.”

  “Why?”

  I take a deep breath so I don’t lose my temper. “Please, kiddo. Take Danny to the park.”

  “Okay. I’ll take her for an hour.”

  “Thanks.”

  When we get to the apartment, I’m careful not to jar her body as I carry her to the apartment. I take her upstairs so Danny won’t see her by accident. I’ve just placed her on the bed when there’s a knock at the door. I quickly cover her with a blanket, then run to open the door.

  I’m relieved when Logan comes in with the paramedics.

&nbs
p; “Will you stay down here for in case Jamie and Danny come back from the park? Call me so I can talk to Jamie.”

  “Sure.” He gives me an encouraging smile.

  I quickly race back up the stairs with the paramedics behind me. I walk around the bed and sit behind Della.

  “Babe, they need to look at you. I’m right here. Let them fix you up.”

  I haven’t even had a good look at her face. When the paramedic starts to work on her, my eyes are drawn to every bruise. The marks around her neck are the worst. They’re purple and on places her skin is broken.

  I don’t know how much time passes before a doctor arrives. The paramedics leave the room, allowing the doctor to take over.

  People start to come and go. Everyone asks questions which Della answers as if she’s on automatic pilot. I guess she is, considering everything that’s happened.

  I find out from the police that it was Stew Roberts. It was revenge for what I did to him.

  I should have killed him when I had the chance.

  CHAPTER 21

  DELLA

  It’s been a week since the attack. I’m just waiting for the bruises to fade so I can go back to work.

  The first three days I couldn’t keep in any food. All I remember was feeling sick to my stomach. The rest is all a blur.

  Carter stayed with me for four days before I told him to go back to work. The sooner things return to normal the sooner I’ll be able to move on.

  Stew has been charged with aggravated assault and attempted murder. Once he’s been sentenced I’ll never have to see him again.

  I look at my reflection in the mirror and brush the tips of my fingers over the marks on my neck.

  I almost died.

  Another human being almost took my life.

  I’ll never forget the crazed look in his eyes. I’ll never forget the promise of death in his voice. I believed him.

  Surprisingly, I have no nightmares when I sleep. The real nightmare is when I’m awake – the memories. I know it will take time to deal with what happened.

  The men have been in and out, constantly checking on me. I owe Rhett and Logan my life.

  I’m sitting in a chair, staring out the window when Marcus comes into the room. I’m surprised to see him here. He never comes to visit unless Carter is here.

  He leans against the wall and stares out the window. When he doesn’t say anything, I go back to staring out the window myself.

  “I know we’re not as close as you are with the others, but I wanted to tell you that I do care.”

  I try to force a smile to my lips, but it’s too hard.

  Marcus crouches next to the chair and his blue eyes catch mine. I’ve never actually looked at him. His eyes are a little darker than mine.

  “I know what it feels like, thinking you’re going to die. I know the fear you felt. I know the thoughts you were thinking.”

  Tears start to well in my eyes.

  “For days, it’s all you smell. You can’t eat because it’s all you taste. When you close your eyes it’s all you see. I fucking get it, Della.”

  A tear rolls over my cheek and as I look away from him, he reaches for my chin, turning my face back so I’ll look at him.

  “It gets better.” I’ve heard those words before, but it’s the first time I believe them. “Not today. Not tomorrow. Not anytime soon. But it does start to fade until you can manage it.”

  “How?” I breathe the word through my tears.

  “I can’t tell you how. It’s different for every survivor.”

  The word survivor makes me reach for his hand. He tightens his fingers around mine, and for a while, we sit together.

  “I’m a survivor,” I whisper.

  Marcus stands up and gives my hand a tight squeeze. “You’re a survivor, Della.”

  He presses a kiss to my forehead before he starts to walk away.

  “Marcus,” I call out to him.

  “Yeah,” he says from over his shoulder.

  “You should come visit more.”

  A smile pulls at the corner of his mouth. “Sure.”

  ***

  CARTER

  Della started working last week. She’s only been going in half days. At least I got her to compromise on that. If it were up to her she would’ve worked full days.

  Next week Jamie starts school. Della couldn’t go with me to enroll Jamie because the marks were still too visible.

  I sit and watch as Della and Jamie look at a shirt for school. Danny’s sitting at my feet, and playing with a doll.

  Jamie grabs a dress and holds it up against her body. She starts to walk funny, and when she swings around, she squints her eyes and pushes her front teeth over her bottom lip. I chuckle at the funny face she’s pulling.

  “I’m gonna be the prettiest gal at the ball,” she says in squeaky voice.

  Danny starts to laugh next to me and then Della laughs.

  Emotion wells up in at the sight of her smiling face. Fuck, I missed hearing her laugh.

  ***

  Later when the girls are both asleep, I sit on the bed looking over some documents for the takeover we’re busy with.

  The bathroom door opens and when Della comes out naked, the papers fall from my hands.

  She crawls onto the bed and over my legs. She keeps her eyes on mine while she shoves the papers onto the floor.

  She unzips my pants and I let her pull them off. I yank my shirt over my head and lean back again. She places a kiss to my thigh, then her fingers wrap around my cock. She strokes me lightly and it sends tingles of pleasure racing over my skin. A moan bubbles up from the back of my throat as she starts to stroke me faster.

  I’ll do anything she wants, and it’s not because she’s literally got me by the balls, but because I love her with every ounce of my being.

  She leans a bit forward and my eyes widen. Fuck, she’s going to take me in her mouth. The thought alone makes my cock jump with anticipation in her hand. My breath hitches and my stomach tightens.

  She pumps my cock once more time before her lips wrap around me. A breath of hot air bursts over my sensitive skin, again making my cock jerk.

  She starts to suck while twirling her tongue around the sensitive head of my cock, almost making me come right then.

  “Fuck, Della. It feels fucking good. Don’t stop,” I growl as my hips start to thrust, wanting to plunge my cock deeper inside her mouth.

  She pulls back and licks me from base to tip, instantly making pre-cum form on the tip.

  I’m not going to last long. Fuck.

  She slides her mouth fully over me again and then starts to bob her head up and down, sucking me hard.

  I lean my head back and watch her suck me. I reach for her and let my hands tangle with her silky hair. Feeling her head move beneath my hands while watching her lips glide over me as she sucks me hard, fuck, it’s the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen.

  My breaths come faster over my parted lips and my insides clench with pleasure.

  She moans and I feel the vibration all the way to my balls, and it sends me over the edge. My ass muscles tighten and I lift off the bed in a hard thrust.

  “Fuck, I’m going to come, babe,” I groan as my hips start to thrust hard and fast, searching for that explosion of ecstasy in my gut.

  She tightens her fist around the base of my cock, sucking hard one more time. It’s all I need to make the orgasm shudder through me, hot and fucking intense.

  After the last of the pleasure ebbs away, I sink back on the bed, totally drained.

  “That was fucking perfect.”

  She smiles proudly at me. “I was aiming for perfect, Mr. Hayes.”

  She climbs on my lap and presses a kiss to my lips.

  “Watching you come because I’m sucking you is such a turn on.” Her tone is seductive and her eyes burn with lust.

  I can feel her body trembling with need. She wants me just as badly as I want her. She wants me to fuck her raw. I’m going to torture
her sweet pussy until she’s aching for my cock.

  When she tries to position herself over my still recovering cock, I stop her by taking hold of her hips. I just need a few minutes to recover and I’ll be back in the game.

  I see the question in her eyes until my fingers brush over her clit. I pinch her gently and her mouth drops open on a moan. Her nipples harden even more and I lean forward, taking one between my teeth. I bite down gently and a tremble rocks her body.

  When I push a finger inside of her, I can feel how wet she is for me and it helps get me harder so much faster.

  I pull my finger out and then, taking hold of my cock, I start to rub her clit until her hips rub shamelessly against me, her pussy begging for more.

  Her cheeks flush with pleasure as she moans again. I drink in her soft features, her lips parting on her moans, her nipples hard as fuck, and her hips thrusting down on me.

  Fuck, she’s my life.

  I’m going to fuck her and I’m going to enjoy every fucking minute.

  “Carter,” she groans.

  I keep teasing her pussy as I rub my cock over her opening.

  “Say it, babe,” I growl, wanting to hear the words from her panting lips.

  “Fuck me,” she moans her desire-filled eyes begging me.

  I position the head of my cock at her opening and before I can thrust up she pushes down on me. The pleasure is overwhelming as she wildly starts to ride me.

  I let my head fall back as the woman of my dreams fuck me raw.

  The sound of our skin slapping, our breaths rushing, and our hearts beating off the charts, make this moment all the more perfect.

  Her fingers dig into my shoulders and she starts to chant, “Carter … fuck …Carter,” as a look of pure ecstasy washes over her face.

  She moves faster as she chases her orgasm, pushing me over the edge. I thrust up hard as a shout escapes my lips. It’s toe-curling, body-numbing, earth-fucking-shattering carnality.

  She slumps against me and neither of us moves for a long time.

  CHAPTER 22