“I’m hoping so, Mia. We’ve finally got somewhere where we’re both happy.”
I smile, this time it’s a genuine one. “You love him and he loves you.”
“I know, he’s promised me that he’ll never hurt me again.” She sighs and I know there’s something she’s not saying. I wait, letting the silence fill us. “I’m worried that he’ll go back to Carina.”
“Never,” I say vehemently. “That was over before he found out about Allie. Trust me Sarah, Carina is someone you don’t have to worry about. Jagger loves you.”
She rubs her hands over her arms, “That’s what he said too.”
“I wouldn’t lie to you, Sarah, if I thought there was even the slightest chance about it, I’d tell you,” I promise her.
Relief shines through in her eyes. “Yeah, you’re right.” She shakes her head, “God, when did this get about me? I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, I was glad of the reprieve.”
Allie cries in the background. “I’m sorry Mia, I’m going to have to go, that’s her just waking up. She’ll be hungry.”
“Don’t apologize, I’ll talk to you later. Bye, Sarah.”
She blows me a kiss. “Bye, Mia.” She ends the call.
I sit here, and search through my pictures. I realize as I flick through them that there aren’t that many of Hudson and I. I have loads of Lacey and I, even of mom and I. I smile when I see the picture of Lacey and I, we were in the car on our way to Hidden Hills, we’d just pulled over to get something to eat. We’re both making weird faces. God, I miss her so much. She didn’t deserve to die, she was the sweetest girl ever, she never upset anyone. For Martin to be the one to kill her hurts, she really liked him and he ended her life.
The tears fall down my face and I let them. I come across a picture of mom, Lacey and I, it was the night that Hudson and I reunited, Mom and Harrison’s marriage celebration. After Lacey and I were dressed, Mom came into the room and we took a picture of the three of us. Looking at this picture, I see the woman that was so in love, so beyond happy that her smile was infectious. I carry on scrolling, loving just how many pictures I have of the two women that had the greatest impact on my life. I come across a picture of Mom and Harrison, I don’t remember taking it, mom is in Harrison’s arms, her head tilted back to look at him, they both have matching smiles, and the look of love they have reminds me of the look that Hudson has when he looks at me.
The bed dips and I glance to my left to see Hudson sitting beside me. I lean my head against his shoulder. “Everything okay?”
He kisses my head. “Yeah, Princess, just Dad checking in to see how you are.”
I lift my phone and show him the screen.
“When you see that, you can’t deny that they really loved each other.”
“No, you can’t. I can’t think about losing you, just the thought makes my heart hurt. I can’t imagine what your father’s going through right now.”
“I lost you, fuck, I fell apart on the inside. I’m not going to lie, Princess, I am nothing without you, that’s for fucking sure. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t fucking eat. I was in limbo, I had no idea if you were alive, or if he had killed you. The thought of you dying,” he shakes his head, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallows hard. “So, Princess, I get a fifth of what my dad’s feeling, right now he’s dealing with it. There’s going to come a time when he’s going to let the darkness take over.”
I inhale sharply, lifting my head so that I’m looking at him. “What can we do?”
The look on Hudson’s face says it all, nothing. “Baby, we let that darkness take over, but we make sure it doesn’t consume him. If we do, we may as well bury him with your mom. He’s going to want revenge, the thing is, we’re all looking for revenge on the same man, there’s three of us that he’s hurt our women, two where he’s actually killed, but Mia, what he did to you…” He turns his head away from me, “I promised you that I’d get him, that I’d end him. I intend to keep my promise, even if it’s having two men that I care about not being able to exact revenge.”
“Why?” I ask tentatively, unsure of what his answers going to be. “Why wouldn’t you let them do it?”
“Mia, you are mine. What he did to you no woman should ever go through. He did that to you so that he could get revenge on me for some shit I had no idea even happened. He took you, even after everything I had done for him, he raped you knowing that it would break you, and in turn gut me. The man did it thinking that he’d bury me.”
“But he didn’t, none of those things are true.”
Hudson looks at me, his deep brown eyes so dark, so full of hate. “I’m glad that fucker never broke you Mia, that he didn’t bury me but fuck, hearing you say what he did to you. It gutted me, deeper than anything could ever gut me.”
I gasp at his words, I didn’t know he felt that way.
“Mia, I love you, I’m the one that’s supposed to protect you and knowing that I couldn’t, hurts, knowing that he did that to you along with killing your best friend in front of you is on me...”
“No, it’s not!” I cut him off, not believing the words that are coming out of his mouth right now. “If it were the other way around, would you think it was my fault?”
“No, that makes no sense.”
I stare at him. “Well I love you, I’m supposed to protect you…” I mimic the words he’s just said to me.
“It’s different.”
I frown. “How is it different? Because I’m a woman and you’re a man? Do you not think that I can protect you? That I’m not capable of doing so?”
“Yes, Mia, you are a woman. You deserve to be cherished, protected, loved. No one has the right to hurt you. No one has the right to hurt what’s mine.”
“If I’m yours then you are mine!”
“Obviously,” he replies as though I’m stupid.
“So, why can’t I want to protect you? Why can’t I want to make sure nothing hurts you? Why can’t I make sure that the man I love is safe? Why, Hudson?” The tears are close again, I’m so sick and tired of crying.
“Mia…”
I shake my head. “It’s double standards Hudson, it’s not fair, I have just as much rights to protect you as you do me. This relationship is fifty-fifty and that means what we do, we do together. We’re a partnership. God, we’re going to get married. You need to realize that I want the best for you.”
He pulls me toward him. “You’re one of a kind. You’re right, we’re in a partnership, this relationship is even. So you protect me as much as I protect you.”
Relief washes through me. “Good.”
“You’re a passionate little thing.”
I groan. “I won’t be little for much longer. What if I’m having a boy? I’ll be as big as a house, especially if he takes after his dad.”
“We don’t have girls,” he tells me and I laugh at how serious he looks. “Mia it’s not funny. The life we lead, the business we have, it’s why we only have boys.”
I laugh. “I’m sorry, Hudson, I don’t have that power over what gender our baby is going to be. Although, I would be happy with either sex.” I give him a pointed look, kind of mad that he’s wanting a boy, what’s going to happen if we have a girl? Is he not going to want her?
“I know that, I’m just not sure I have the strength to be a father for a girl, nor do I have the ammunition to fight off all the men that are going to be after her if she looks like you.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere. Look, Hudson, how about we cross that path when we reach it? There’s no point in stressing about it right now.”
He smiles, his hands caressing my stomach. He pushes me back so that I’m lying flat on my back, lifting the t-shirt over my head, he kisses my stomach. “God, you’ve made me the happiest man ever.” He throws the t-shirt to the floor.
I smile. “Well that’s good, seeing as you’ve made me the happiest I’ve ever been. It’s only fair that I reciprocate it.”
“I never thought I’d meet someone like you. With the way my parents were, and the fact that I’m the most powerful man in California, I thought that I too would have to marry just for an heir.”
“We’re not even married and now you have an heir on the way.” I smile. “Now is the time to run.” My laughter turns into a full blown cackle as I take in his narrowed eyes.
He leans over me, his entire body, over mine. His dick thick and erect once again, it’s nudging at my pussy where my legs are closed. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ve told you from the get-go, that you’re mine and I mean it.” His lips descend on mine, the kiss is hard and fast. He pulls back. “Do you want out?” He raises his eyebrows at me.
I grab his face with both of my hands and kiss him, my tongue sweeping into his mouth, my legs parting allowing him access to my pussy. As soon as his dick touches my opening, he takes over the kiss, his hands going to my thighs, he lifts my legs and enters me in one swift movement.
My back arches as my mouth opens in shock, as he fills me, I feel complete with him inside of me. His kiss is intoxicating, it’s as though our mouths are fused together, I don’t want to stop, this is heaven, this is where I belong, with him, with the man I love. I lose myself in the bliss, loving every thrust, every groan that comes from Hudson. I know that without him, my life wouldn’t be complete.
“Baby, come back to me.” He whispers in my ear as he thrusts inside me again.
“I’m here.” I moan, “I’m with you, always,” I tell him honestly.
“Good,” he grunts as he picks up his pace. “You close?” he growls, and hearing that deep noise at the back of his throat makes me shiver. “Yeah, Princess, you’re close.”
He lifts my thighs higher and I do the only thing I can think of, I wrap my legs around his neck. As soon as he thrusts into me I moan loudly, he’s hitting the right spot, it feels so good. “Oh God,” I cry out as his finger goes to my clit. “Hudson,” I whimper, it’s too much.
“Give it to me, Princess,” he groans and I know what he wants, he wants me to submit to the pleasure, give him everything. So I do, I let the pleasure take over, tingles start to spread throughout my body and I detonate against his dick. He follows right behind me, kissing me as he fills my pussy with his cum.
“God, you’re a machine,” I tell him after I manage to recover.
His laughter sends shivers down my spine. God, I love hearing that. “Mia, I’m the happiest man in the world, my fiancée is fucking gorgeous and she’s carrying my child. If you think I’m not going to fuck you just because you’re pregnant, you’re sadly mistaken.”
I smirk. “Oh you’re one of those.”
“One of what?” he asks through clenched teeth.
“Those men that love it when their women are pregnant.”
He smiles. “Yeah, I am. We’re going to have loads of children.”
I shake my head. “How about we have one and go from there?”
“Fine,” he grumbles and I laugh, he’s acting like a child.
I reach for the sheets and pull them up over me. I didn’t realize how tired I was until just now, my eyes heavy and I cover my mouth as a yawn breaks through.
“Take a nap, Princess, I’ve a few calls to make and then we’ll have some dinner?”
I yawn again. “Sounds good.” I pucker my lips and he laughs, I’m too lazy to move and kiss him. He places a chaste kiss against my lips and gets off the bed. I sink into the bed further and close my eyes. It doesn’t take long for sleep to come.
Five
Hudson
By the time I’m closing the door, Mia’s already asleep. I think I may have pushed her too hard. She’s been through the ringer today and my selfish ass has had her twice. I can’t help myself when I’m around her, she’s beautiful and seeing her naked pushes me over the edge. When I came back in the bedroom after talking to dad and found her crying, I did the only thing I could, I cheered her up. I hate seeing her cry, and I have no idea how I’m supposed to help her through this grief other than be with her.
My cell rings as I walk into the kitchen, looking at the screen I see it’s my dad again. “Hey, everything okay?”
“Yeah, so I’m with Rory and his brother, Cormac, could you not find anyone more Irish?”
I laugh, the Callahan brothers are as Irish as you can get, and they’re the perfect stereotype. Red hair, freckles, catholic, and a thick accent. “Probably, what’s up?”
“I’m sitting outside of Noreen’s house. Fuck Hudson, Rory’s right. Martin’s a lying son of a bitch. She’s alive as is his father.”
I don’t correct him on the fact that he’s his father, and leave it be. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to show that fucker what it’s like to lose someone you care about. He’s hidden them for a reason, he cares about them. It’s time to take from him, just as he took from me, as he took from Mia. It’s time for revenge.” His voice dark and full of anger, this is the man I grew up with, he’s reverting back to the man he was.
“Call if you need me,” I tell him and he doesn’t reply, I get dead air. He’s focused on what he’s about to do. This is going to cause mayhem and I’m looking forward to seeing that fucker reel with the impact of losing his parents, he’s going to feel exactly what Mia’s feeling right now.
I make myself a whiskey, I need to call Jagger and find out if he has a lead on Johnson, if not, the best way to make him come out is to take his ex-wife. Walking into my office, I take a seat, and hit dial for Jagger’s number. I take a sip of whiskey, loving the burn as it goes down my throat.
“Boss,” he answers.
“Jag, how are you with getting what I’ve asked.”
He laughs. “Boss, you called at just the right time. The fucker has been hiding but we’ve finally found him. Bringing him in now.”
I smile, everything is falling into place. “Good.”
“Boss, how is your mom and Tina?”
Shit, I forgot that my men don’t know what’s happened. “Mom’s good. She came out of surgery and her usual self. Tina, didn’t make it.”
“Fuck.” That one word resonates with me. It’s the only way to describe it. “How’s Mia and your dad?”
“About as well as you’d think. Mia’s asleep and Dad’s out doing something.”
He laughs. “I know what that means, I’ll call you when we’re situated.”
“Good, call if you need me.” I end the call, I hate not being in the action but right now, Mia needs me more than anything.
Throwing my phone onto my desk I boot up my laptop, Dad told me earlier that the man he hired to delve into how Mia was taken had sent me a file. Loading up my emails, I see the email Dad was talking about. It’s from a Bounty Hunter that I know, Cody Haines. Why has he gone to Cody? I read the email, and understand why dad went to him.
Hudson,
Martin came to me about two months ago, asking me for listening devices and trackers. He told me that you had someone on your tail and wanted to reciprocate the favor. Had I known what he really intended on using it for, I would never have given him the devices.
He planted the tracker and listening device in Mia’s phone, I’ve tracked it as I too have a tracking chip inside, in case it got into the wrong hands. Hudson, it’s still there, he’s still listening. Also, I have an exact location on where he last used the device that was less than twenty four hours ago. I’ve attached a map that pinpoints his location.
I’d love nothing more than to help you bring down this bastard but I’m on a skip at the moment in Maryland. Call me if you need me.
All the best,
Cody.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. I’m up off my chair and stalking toward our bedroom, it’s time to get Mia a new phone. Opening the bedroom door, I spy her phone on the bed. I know that I can’t throw it away, not yet at least. I need to move her pictures and shit over to her new one and then I’m going to use this as a way to make Martin pay. He’s o
bviously still keeping tabs on her, Coby said that he last used the listening device less than twenty four hours ago. We’re finally, fucking finally, finding the mistakes he’s making. He’s about to lose everything he has, no more leverage, no more comforts, he’s going to be fucked.
I go through her images and make sure they’re all saved to her memory card, not wanting her to lose any on the changeover. I send a text to Aaron, asking him to get Mia a new phone, needing to get this shit out of her hands as soon as possible. Once she wakes, I’m going to have to explain to her why I’m taking her cell away from her.
I leave the bedroom, wanting her to sleep a bit longer. I’m still shocked that she’s pregnant, when she told me and that she was scared that it was Martin’s my heart dropped to my stomach, but I meant what I said to her, even if it was his, I’d still consider it my own because there is no way on this fucking earth that bastard was ever going to even lay eyes on Mia again. I know that as soon as my men find out Mia’s pregnant they’re going to come to the conclusion that it could be his, my men gossip like fucking old women in a hair salon and there’s no way they haven’t found out what that fucker did to Mia.
Aaron replies to me saying he’s on his way to get one now, he’ll drop it by the house once it’s been purchased. I don’t ask him where he’s getting it from or what cell he’s getting. I know my man, he’ll get the best one available to him at the time. It’s why I’ve asked him to get it, he’ll know what to get and won’t have to ask me what the hell he needs to buy.
I’m waiting on Dad to call back, it’s been at least thirty minutes, and I’ve never known it to take that long to off someone. I know he won’t have got cold feet, but I am wondering if he’s gone overboard and has ended up torturing them. I’ve seen my dad go crazy as fuck, once before, he ended up decapitating them, as well as slaughtering their entire family. I was eleven when I witnessed it and it’s why I’ve sworn that I’ll always protect innocent women and children. If women fuck up, they’ll pay the price, I’m not that much of a martyr.
Forever Love (Kingpin Book 3) Page 4