Stepbrother Soldier's Baby: The Hero (The Complete Series)

by Moore, Lila

  I rested my head against the cool glass of the window and closed my eyes. Finding out I was pregnant was a terrifying moment. The future had opened up in front of me as uncertain and unknowable.

  In spite of my fear, I never regretted sleeping with Nathan, but now I was starting to have my doubts. The consequences of that act had echoed through my life in ways I never could have imagined.

  Fretting about it was pointless; I couldn’t change the past, but I still had control over the future. Was Nate the kind of man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with? I looked over at him. Blood still ran wetly down the side of his face. A gash on the top of his head was raw and ugly. His jaw was tense; his gaze never wavered as he stared ahead.

  In the pit of my stomach, I knew the answer: I wanted Nate.

  In spite, of his past, his mistakes, his scars-I was hopelessly drawn to him. Was it love? I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t stay away.

  I pulled at my restraints. Of course, I didn’t have a choice but to be a part of his life. I was having his baby and now Jackson had taken me hostage to ensure Nate’s cooperation with his plans.

  The SUV slowed. I looked out the front and was surprised to see a gate. A soldier stood guard in front of it. He wore fatigues and carried an assault rifle.

  Jackson rolled down his window. The guard saluted him and opened the gate. I looked at the guard, hoping he’d see the distress on my face and do something. It was all in vain. He stared straight ahead; his eyes empty of emotion.

  The SUV drove into an airplane hangar. A private jet was lit up and surrounded by soldiers packing crates. I remembered Nate saying he would be traveling overseas to work. Apparently, they were planning on taking me with them.

  Jackson stopped the vehicle and got out. He opened my door and pulled me out. His eyes were glassy and a smirk was plastered across his face.

  When I’d first seen him outside my window, he looked deranged. The way he raved about how he wasn’t going down for what I did was insane. The Jackson standing before me looked completely in control. What had happened? How did his mind switch gears so quickly? All of his paranoia was gone.

  A man in a suit strolled up to us. “Nathan!” he called amicably. He wrapped his arms around Nate in a big hug. Grudgingly, Nate hugged him back. “Did you think you could slip away? I mean, beating up your wife and getting thrown in jail is certainly a novel way of avoiding us. Unseemly, but-”

  “I didn’t hurt my wife.”

  For the first time since being forced inside the SUV, Nate looked angry. This wasn’t the time to rehash the drama with Mia, but I didn’t blame him for being upset.

  “Whatever you say,” the man replied. “The important thing is that you’re here now.” The man’s eyes fell on me. “And who is this?”

  “Insurance,” Jackson said.

  The man’s eyes fell back on Nate. “Do we need insurance? Are you going to be a problem?”

  “No. I’m committed to the project,” Nate replied.

  The man nodded as if he didn’t entirely believe Nate, but wasn’t willing to argue about it. “Take her in back for now,” the man said to Jackson.

  Jackson grabbed my elbow and pulled me towards a small office. Desperately, I looked to Nate for help. I didn’t want to be alone with Jackson. I didn’t think he would kill me, but there was nothing to stop him from hurting me.

  Nate took a step towards us, but stopped. He watched as I was dragged away with a look of barely contained rage on his face. I found it oddly hopeful. At least he hadn’t given up.

  Jackson kicked open an office door and pushed me inside. He threw me down onto a swivel chair behind the desk.

  “Wait here,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I can’t wait,” I mumbled through my gag.

  “What?”

  I shook my head. Once the office door closed, I reached up and untied my gag. I opened my mouth wide and rubbed my jaw. The tension from the gag had given me a headache.

  There was a window facing the road we’d just come in on. I ran to it and pulled on the frame. It wouldn’t open.

  I sat down and started to go through the desk’s drawers. I searched for a pen, or a pencil, or a letter opener. They wouldn’t make for very good weapons, but it was better than nothing.

  I pulled open all the drawers. They were mostly empty except for paperclips and rubber bands. I slammed the last desk drawer shut with frustration. The office was empty except for a filing cabinet. I started to search them when Jackson came back into the room. He stopped to consider me.

  “Have you been behaving yourself?” he asked.

  “Of course.” I smiled sweetly.

  He frowned. “I’m going to overlook the fact that you removed your gag.”

  “How generous of you.”

  “The only reason I’m overlooking it is because it’s time for your medicine.” He held up a bottle of liquid and shook it. “I don’t want you throwing a fit on the plane. You’re going to sleep the whole way and keep out of trouble.”

  I pressed my lips firmly together. I wasn’t going to drink whatever was in the medicine bottle. Jackson cocked his head to the side as if he was amused by my defiance.

  “Don’t be a baby,” he teased. “You know as well as I do that you’re going to drink this. You can fight and throw a temper tantrum, but one way or another you’re drinking it.”

  He was probably right, but that didn’t mean I had to make things easy for him.

  “Fine. Have it your way,” he said.

  He was on me so quickly that I hardly had time to react. Jackson wrapped his arm around my neck making it impossible for me to move. Then he forced the bottle of medicine against my lips.

  I set my jaw tight. I thought I could hold him off, but then he pinched my nose, cutting off my air. If I wanted to breathe, I was going to have to open my mouth.

  My hands were still tied together, but it didn’t stop me from trying to punch him. Little good it did. Punching, Jackson’s chest was like hitting an oak tree. He was solid muscle.

  My chest felt tight; my lungs screamed for air. I kicked wildly. Jackson grunted when I caught him in the shin. Still, his grip never wavered.

  My chest burned. I had to breathe. I tried to open my lips a fraction of an inch. It didn’t matter. It was enough space for Jackson to force the medicine into my mouth. It was thick and tasted of artificial cherry.

  Cough syrup.

  I spit it out, spraying it all over Jackson’s face. He laughed as if amused by my antics. Before I knew it, he’d poured another dose of medicine into my mouth. This time he placed a hand over my mouth and nose. If I ever wanted to breathe again, then I had to swallow.

  I held out longer than I thought was possible. It was no use. I swallowed a huge mouthful of the cough syrup.

  Satisfied, Jackson released me. He smiled smugly. “Now was that so…” He became ashen; his smirk was replaced by a deep frown. “What the hell…?”

  He was staring past me, looking out the window. I followed his gaze to find a car stopped at the gates. A woman was pointing towards the hangar and moving her arms wildly.

  “Mia?”

  Jackson shot me a dirty look as if I was responsible for her presence. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Would Mia save the day or make things worse?

  “Shit… shit…” Jackson repeated.

  Seeing him panicked gave me a rush of excitement. They may have won the battle, but the war wasn’t lost. Knowing Mia as well as I did, I had no doubt that she would cause as much trouble as possible. At least Jackson wouldn’t have a clean getaway.

  He ran out of the office and slammed the door behind him. I licked my lips and swallowed. The cough syrup was thick in my mouth. The cherry taste was disgusting.

  I turned to the window. To my shock, the gate was opening. Whatever Mia told the guard worked. A part of me was impressed.

  Mia got back behind the wheel of her car. It was the same car she’d told the police Nate had run he
r over with. Of course, it was in pristine condition. There was no sign of damage, I thought bitterly.

  Its cleanness reminded me of her lies. If she saved us could I forgive her manipulations? Forgiveness is a hard pill to swallow. Best to worry about it once we were safe.

  Anxiously I watched through the window. How long until the cough syrup took effect? I was already starting to feel a bit drowsy. I stood up and started to pace around the small room to try and fight off sleep.

  A loud commotion sounded from inside the hangar. Several people were yelling and arguing. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but I noticed Jackson was now outside my window. He was walking quickly towards Mia’s car.

  She drove straight at him. She hit the brakes coming to a stop inches from Jackson. He lifted his hands and smiled wide as if he was laughing nervously.

  Mia exited the car and slammed the door behind her. She looked furious. Her face was tight and pinched; the bruise beneath her eye was gone. Had she been wearing makeup to make it look like she was hurt?

  I shook my head. I couldn’t think about her lies now. There was nothing I could and they would only make me angrier.

  Jackson held out his hands in greeting as if he was going to hug her. Mia walked straight up to him and punched him in the face. He staggered back. Even I took a step back from the window. The blow looked painful. Mia was strong especially for a pregnant woman.

  I wished I could hear what she was saying to him. Jackson simply stood before her rubbing his jaw. He kept his eyes on the ground like a child being scolded.

  The yelling behind me grew louder. To the far left of Jackson and Mia the plane taxied out of the hangar.

  They were leaving.

  The shouting from inside the hangar grew more intense. Maybe I could sneak out while they were fighting? I went to the door. As I was turning the door handle, a gunshot rang out. I jumped and stepped back.

  A second gunshot echoed through the hangar.

  I went to the window. Jackson started to run towards the plane, but Mia stopped him. She gave him a severe look. They started to argue.

  The office door busted open. A man carrying a gun entered. He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out. I kicked and fought, but it was no use.

  The scene inside the hangar was chaos. Several soldiers ran and shouted. A few were hiding behind crates with weapons drawn. Two men lay motionless beside a SUV. They were too small to be Nate. I was grateful he wasn’t dead, but where was he?

  The man holding me hostage dragged me out of the hangar. When Mia caught sight of me she pushed Jackson out of the way and ran straight for me. The man with the gun to my head wasn’t sure what to do. He was flustered by her presence. He turned the gun on her.

  “Get that out of my face,” she snapped.

  Jackson motioned for him to put it down. He pointed the gun back at me. Mia ran up on me quickly. I took a step back, bumping into the soldier with the gun.

  “This is your fault,” she hissed.

  Gunfire echoed from inside the hangar. Mia didn’t even flinch.

  “We don’t have time to do this now,” Jackson said.

  He took out his gun and shot the soldier holding me hostage. I screamed.

  “Oh, shut up,” Mia said.

  “Olivia, get to the plane. Mia, get back in your car and leave. I’m not going to tell you again.”

  Mia responded by bending over the dead soldier and taking his gun. Calmly and coolly, she turned and shot Jackson in the shoulder. He fell to the ground.

  The world started to spin around me. My eyes felt heavy. I wasn’t sure if it was the drugs or shock. I suddenly had the desire to lie down for a very long time in a dark room.

  “Come with me,” Mia said.

  She motioned with the gun towards her car. I took a step. My legs shook; the edge of my vision was going dark. I tried to take another step, but it was like my legs didn’t want to cooperate with my brain. I felt drunk.

  “What’s the matter with you?” she asked.

  I put a hand to my head. It was becoming harder and harder to keep my eyes open. Blood spread across the asphalt towards me feet. The sight of it filled me with unspeakable horror.

  I took a step away and fell into darkness.

  2

  A gentle hum surrounded me. I was lying down on what felt like a recliner. I squirmed in my leather chair. It was warm and cozy. My eyes were still heavy with sleep. They didn’t want to open. Then I felt a hand take mine. Fingers traced the lines on my palm.

  “Liv?” Nate whispered.

  “Nate…?”

  I forced my eyes open. The first thing I saw was Mia. She sat in a seat across from me a row over. If looks could kill, I’d be dead because she was staring at me like she wanted to strangle me.

  I sat up with a jolt.

  “It’s okay,” Nate said from the seat beside me.

  At first I thought we were in a car. I turned to my left, looked out the window and was met with blue sky. We were on a plane.

  My head still felt hazy with drugs. I was having a hard time processing what was going on.

  “You’re safe now,” Nate said.

  Mia shifted in her seat. He handed me a drink. I sipped it cautiously. My throat felt raw. I gulped down the sparkling water and asked for another. A sharp pain cut through the back of my head. I felt like I was hungover.

  “Take it easy,” he said, handing me another drink. “Drink slowly. You don’t want to get sick.”

  I saw Mia roll her eyes. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked away.

  “Where are we going?” I asked. My voice came out scratchy. I barely recognized it as my own.

  “We’ve had an unexpected change of plans,” he said with a smile.

  There was something different about Nate. He smiled easily. He didn’t seem as tightly wound.

  “Mia saved us,” he said.

  At this Mia shot me a dirty look. I know she had no intentions of saving me despite what Nate believed.

  “While she distracted Jackson, I was able to break free,” he continued.

  I remembered the two dead soldiers in the hangar. He’d done more than escape; he’d fought his way to freedom.

  “I was able to board the plane and force the pilot into the air.”

  “You know she killed Jackson,” I blurted out.

  Nate looked out the window; his smile faded.

  “I didn’t kill him,” Mia said defensively.

  “Yes you did. I saw you. How can you just deny it? Please don’t tell me you believe her, Nate?”

  “She’s telling the truth,” he said quietly.

  I stared at him blankly. “Unbelievable,” I whispered. “She really has you wrapped around her finger, doesn’t she?”

  At that he tensed. I’d struck a nerve. Good.

  “I know she’s telling the truth because he’s on the plane,” Nate responded.

  “What?”

  “I shot him. I didn’t kill him.” Mia smiled with satisfaction.

  There was a groan from behind me. I turned to find Jackson tied to a seat a few rows back. His shirt was covered in blood and his shoulder bandaged. Clearly, he was still alive.

  “Satisfied?” Mia asked.

  “Your mother called Mia when she came home to find us missing and the house in disarray,” Nate said. “Mia calmed her down, told her she’d handle it.”

  “I bet she did,” I whispered.

  “I saved your life, so stop pouting,” Mia said sweetly, but acid flowed through her words.

  “How’d you know where we’d be?” I asked.

  At that, Nathan stiffened.

  “I know because…” Mia’s face went blank as if she was searching for a lie. When one failed to materialize, she broke down and told the truth. “Because Jackson told me you’d be there. Days before he begged me to come with him to live overseas while they worked on their secret project. But I have no desire to give birth in some-”

  Now it was Na
than’s turn to give her a dirty look.

  “Well, let’s just say I’d prefer to give birth and live in America. Anyway, I assumed he was bringing you here,” she said.

  “So generous of you to rescue me,” I said.

  “Don’t flatter yourself. I was trying to save Nate from Jackson. I know he was planning on killing him the first chance he got. As for you, well, I was going to use you as leverage.”

  As she spoke she stared at Nathan. I could see fear in her eyes. Was she afraid of losing him? Her expression softened. I’d always assumed her feelings for Nate were territorial. She treated him like a prize she’d won, not a husband she loved.

  I was surprised to see genuine concern on her face. Did she really love him? I wasn’t sure. Mia was the kind of woman who hated losing. She always got her way. Maybe she was simply afraid of being seen as a loser.

  Jackson muttered in his sleep behind me. I turned to look at him. His face was twisted as if he was concentrating hard. The way he’d yelled at me nonsensically back at home still gave me the chills. The boy I’d known as a teenager liked to laugh and drink; he was like Nate’s brother. This man he’d turned into was a stranger.

  I looked at Nate. Was he a stranger too? How much had the war changed him? The plane hit turbulence, dipping and rocking. I grabbed the armrests hard. My knuckles were white with the strain of holding on.

  I looked to Nate. He gazed out the window; totally unfazed by the turbulence. He used to be afraid of flying. Now he didn’t seem to be afraid of anything.

  The plane started to descend. I looked out the window. A tower loomed in the distance.

  3

  I recoiled away from the hot desert wind. Sand pelted my skin and blew in my eyes. Already, I was red with the beginnings of a sunburn. I watched Mia wrap a scarf around her head. She tucked her hair perfectly beneath it and let the light violet fabric fall around her shoulders. She looked quite stunning against the desert backdrop. It oddly suited her.