15 Paranormal Romance Collection Boxset- Billionaire Bad Boy (19 page)

Mia was still standing at a bus stop in outer Brooklyn, crying, when Jayden pulled up in his car.

“Sarah? What are you doing here?” he said, bewildered.

              Mia was crying so hard, she couldn’t get the words out. “It’s.. it’s a long story.”

              “Well, why don’t you get in the car, and I’ll take you home, okay? What are you even doing out here, anyway?”

              “I just had something I had to do… I really don’t want to talk about it right now.”

              “You know what?” Jayden asked. “Why don’t I take you to see the fireworks on Coney Island tonight.”

              “Okay,” Mia said, too exhausted to protest.

              Later that evening, Mia and Jayden were sitting on the beach, watching the fireworks and eating cotton candy. Jayden had his arm around her, and even though Mia felt extremely guilty for everything that had happened, she was actually having a pleasant time. But then, Jayden leaned in to kiss her, and she decided she couldn’t lie to him anymore either.

              “Jayden, I can’t do this. I have something to tell you. Please don’t hate me. I never meant to do you any harm.”

              She told him the entire story, from Lillian hiring her to investigate Xander, to Robert Jackson blackmailing her, and everything that had happened in between. Although Jayden seemed a little put off at first, he was eventually sympathetic to her story.

              “I’m not coming back to work,” Mia said. “I just got in way over my head. I never meant to hurt anyone, I swear. I was never going to go through with the revenge plan. And I do like you a lot, Jayden. You’re a really great guy. I’m just sorry we met under these circumstances.”

              “I understand, Mia. I’m really sorry you got caught in the middle of all of our drama. I’m disappointed, but I wish you luck with everything. “

              “I hope all this stuff with Robert Jackson works out. He’s one scary guy.”

              “He sure is. Why don’t I drive you home now?”

              Mia cried in the car the entire way home. She was so upset about the way everything had happened. She truly loved Xander, and she had hurt him terribly. Even though he wasn’t always the best guy, she knew she wanted to be with him, and now that would never happen.

              She sat down to send an email to Lillian. She informed her that she would be quitting the job and refunding her money, and that Xander had found out the truth about everything. She left out the part about her and Xander actually falling in love. She wanted to keep that between them.

              She pressed send and then went to bed for the night. She cried herself to sleep, and slept fretfully until she was awakened around one in the morning by a loud, forceful knock at the door. She went to go answer it, and found an unidentified man standing there. Before she could ask him who he was, he grabbed her, covered her mouth, and put a black bag over her head. She felt like she was drowning. She couldn’t breathe at all. She tried to scream but didn’t have any air in her lungs. So, eventually she passed out into her kidnapper’s arms.

              Mia woke up in a vacant and run-down warehouse, tied to a chair. The man who had taken her was there, keeping an eye on her.

“Who are you?” she screamed. “What is this!? Why did you take me!?” She started to cry again.

She didn’t think she had ever cried so much in her life, and wondered if her body would ever run out of tears.

              “I work for Robert Jackson,” the man said. “He will be here any minute. He wants to speak with you.”

              Robert entered the warehouse a few minutes later, wearing his usual expensive suit and tie. Mia wondered what time it was . Was it still the middle of the night? Or had the day started? Where were Xander and Jayden, were they at work right now? They were probably her only hope of getting out of here alive. Although, given the information they had found out last night, she wasn’t sure either of them would actually want to save her.

              “I’m sending a picture of you to Xander.” Robert said, pulling out his camera phone. “If he doesn’t sign the contract in the next four hours, you will die. Simple as that.”

              “Xander won’t care,” Mia said. “We had a huge fight last night. He wants me out of his life completely.”

              “I don’t believe that,” Robert said. “You have a hold over him, and Jayden too. This will work. I’m sure they will be banging down the doors of this place as fast as they can get their limos over here.”

              Mia shook her head. She was sure she was going to die. “You weren’t there last night!” she screamed. “You don’t know how angry he was!” And with that, she closed her eyes and waited to die.

***

After waiting for over three hours, Mia decided that there had to be something she could do to escape. She started messing with the knots in the rope that was holding her to the chair. Luckily, she realized that one of the threads was loose. She kept picking at it when her captors weren’t looking at her. She was pretty sure if she could just undo the knot, she could run faster than Robert and his guard. After all, she’d been an athlete in college, and neither of them looked like they were in great shape.

              After half an hour of undoing the knot, it finally came loose. Mia ran as fast as she possibly could, heading for the door to the warehouse. Robert and his guard started shouting. Just as she opened the door, she felt a searing pain in her right shoulder blade. Robert had shot her. She managed to make it out of the warehouse and into an alley a few blocks away, but at that point she was bleeding so heavily she couldn’t go on. She had to hide. Robert would be coming for her.

              She turned around at the sound of sirens passing. Xander’s limo stopped behind three police cars. He had come to her rescue! He saw him jumped out of the car and rushed towards her direction.

“Mia!”  Xander said as he picked her up in his arms. He looked agitated and apprehensive. Mia was starting to feel woozy due to the amount of blood she was losing. She tried to reach and hold him, but she passed out, once again just before he could utter a word.

***

A few days later, Mia woke up in the hospital. Her best friend Lily was there with Xander, looking over her bedside.

“What happened?” Mia groaned. “How long has it been?”

              “You escaped Robert and his guard, but you were shot,” Xander said.

              “Oh. Oh, that’s right. God, what an insane week,” Mia said, tearfully. She was actually referring about her whole affair with Xander, and not this particular incident. Then, she turned to both of them with teary eyes.

“I’m really glad to see you both here,” she stated.

              Lily leaned over and gave Mia’s hand a quick squeeze.

“I’m glad you’re alright,” she said, thoughtfully. “I’m going to give you two some privacy,” she added and walked out of the room.

              Mia looked up at Xander, unable to comprehend what’s on his mind. So much had happened between them at this point that she didn’t know where to start.

              “I’m sorry,” they both said at the same time, and then both laughed.

              “Mia, will you give me another chance?” Xander said, holding her hands. “I was too quick to judge you before. I want to hear your side of the story. Because the truth is, I’m in love with you, and nothing is going to change that for me.”

              “Xander,” Mia said, sobbing in an instant. “I should have told you the whole truth earlier. I was never going to go through with Lillian’s revenge plan, because once I actually met you, I realized that I was falling in love with you too.”

“I know,” Xander whispered. “I can feel how you’re sincerely in love with me every time we were together. I was so dumb to actually doubt you, baby,” he admitted.

Mia finally burst into tears. “You have no idea how you made me glad for this,” she said. From now on, you don’t have to worry about Jayden. And I already broke up with him that night. I told him everything, and there are no hard feelings.”

“Yeah, I heard about that,” he replied, a trace of triumph was evident on his face. He leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. “Well, I guess now we can start over together,” he added happily.

“I-I think so,” Mia answered, kissing him back.

“Oh, God! I swear I love you, Mia,” he uttered, holding her completely.

“I love you, too, Mr. Will,” she said, as Xander wiped the tears in her eyes.

THE END

Here is a Bonus story that you may enjoy:

Stepbrother’s Baby

By: Lisa Cartwright


Copyright 2015 by (Lisa Cartwright) - All rights reserved.

In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

“Did you see Eric? I think he is scary looking.”

Bethany agreed with her friend. Her new step brother was scary looking. He was in his mid-twenties and covered in tattoos. The fact that he decided to wear his biker jacket to a wedding, should have told Beth all she needed to know about him. He was a rebel without a cause and as her new stepbrother living with him was a scary proposition.

“I thought his dad was rich?”

“He is and so is Eric, but instead of taking over the company, mom says he just parties till all hours of the night. That is why he lives in the pool house, so no one has to see what is going on out there.”

“I can’t believe you are going to be living here.”

Bethany nodded. She didn’t have a choice. College was going to cost more than she had scholarships and whatever money she made extra at her stepdad’s firm, would be put towards tuition. Her mother wanted her to learn to appreciate money, so her helping extended as far as a new room in her new house rent-free. Bethany was excited for the proposition, until meeting Eric started to make her wonder how living with someone like that was going to be. She was assured that he would pretty much stay to himself. The prospect of waiting for him in the bathroom in the morning was a daunting one.

“Well maybe he will have cute friends.”

“Yeah right. I am sure they are just as tattooed and rough looking as he is.”

Callie kept her mouth shut, her eyes on Eric as he talked to his father. The reception was beautiful and though he stuck out around all the gentile people, Callie could see that Eric was more than a little handsome. She had it out for bad boys and the idea of seeing him half-dressed at the breakfast table when she stayed over, made her think that she would be visiting her friend more. Bethany was not ready to hear that he was cute, though Callie figured she had to see it as well.

Eric was tall and built well. His leather jacket was cut at his arms and his large biceps stretched the T-shirt underneath. He had dark hair and dark eyes that when turned towards her, made her melt a little inside. Eric had the look of a man that knew how to get what he wanted and what to do, when he did. Callie couldn’t think of anyone else that made her feel that way inside with just a look.

“I think you are looking at it all wrong. Haven’t you always wanted a sibling?”

“Yeah when I was an adolescent. I’m used to just me and mom. She is already gone all the time with Jack and now I am never going to see her. Why did she have to get married?”

Callie rubbed her friend’s shoulder. She was freaking out and as her friend for many years, she knew that she just needed some positive thought.

“Just think of how happy she is. You want her happy, don’t you?”

“I do.” Bethany grudgingly admitted. Her mother was happier than she had ever seen her before. There was a twinkle in her eyes that she hadn’t seen since her father died nine years before in a car crash. Linda had waited for years to date, mourning her one true love. But all of that had changed when she had met Jack. The two had been together ever since and it was clear to everyone that was around them, they were head over heels in love with each other. The fact that he was a little older, handsome and far richer than the women had ever been before, didn’t hurt anything.

Bethany actually like Jack, but his only son Eric, kind of freaked her out. Beth did not know how to relate to someone like him. She was always the good girl of the bunch and she didn’t understand what he was rebelling against. Sighing deeply, she noticed her mom was urging her onto the dance floor and Beth pulled her friend Callie with her.

“Come on girls, why don’t you dance and have some fun. You are guys are like two wallflowers over there.”

“Sorry mom. You look beautiful today.”

Linda kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Why don’t you go dance with your brother?”

“Mom.”

She gave her a sharp look, her eyes squinty. “Enough Beth. I want you to make him feel welcome. It is a big change for him too.”

Bethany looked over at the man and nodded her head. “He seems to be doing fine to me mom.”

“Now young lady.”

She knew the tone and she huffed as she walked over to the one corner of the room that she had no intentions of going to. Eric was not the only one there in a motorcycle jacket. There were several men with him, all in the same attire.

“Eric?”

Bethany tapped his shoulder softly, trying to ignore the looks that she was getting from the rest of his crew. The men got silent and looked at her. Several had a lustful assessment in their eyes that made her want to blush. “Hey little one. You want to dance?”

A tall, bearded man started to walk towards her, his eyes on the cleavage from her dress. He was huge compared to her and she took a step back until she bumped into something hard behind her. “Oh leave her be Earl. I don’t think she wants to dance with the likes of us.” His voice was harsh and she knew it was Eric.

“Well actually brother, I was hoping you would dance with me. It would make our parents happy to see us pretend to get along.” Bethany turned around and looked up at her new stepbrother. He was smiling down at her and it was then that she saw what Callie saw. When Eric smiled, he was gorgeous. She could almost forget his rough exterior when the baby-faced man smiled like that at her.

“Love to.”

Before she could realize what was happening, she was being whisked off onto the dance floor and her friend watched her with a little green in her eyes. Eric held her firmly where he was supposed to, but his eyes devoured hers and she looked down. Bethany’s heart was racing with the close proximity and her flesh burned where he touched her. She was not supposed to feel that way about her brother and Beth tried to deny the way her body reacted.

He bent down to her ear and whispered softly. His breath tickled at her earlobe and a shiver went down her spine. “You should be careful little one.”

She pulled back and looked into his dark eyes. The smile was still there, but there was a bit of mischief in the depths that made her pause. “Why is that brother?”

“Because you have almost outshone the bride.” Bethany smiled from the unexpected compliment. “See there you go.”

She nudged him and told him to stop, though she loved to hear it. It was the first time that he had spoken to her without being asked a direct question. “Well you better be careful too.”

He pulled back and chuckled. “And why is that Beth?”

“Because no one is going to believe you are some tough ringleader if you are being so nice like that.”

His laugh was louder and he pulled her closer as the song changed to a slower one. His hands moved to just above her round ass and pulled her towards him. Bethany gasped with the pressure on her core. “All men are nice to fine woman. I bet half my men would sweep you off your feet in minutes. Just a few touches and looks, those panties would be wet in no time.”

He was right. Bethany could feel her own desires readying herself what she hoped for when he touched her like that. She looked at the group he had come with, not hard to spot in the sea of dresses and suits. Callie was over there hanging on one of the men, her eyes smiling about as big as her lips were. She groaned to herself and hoped that he didn’t see what she seen. His friends were charming the panties right off of her friend, though knowing Callie, that wasn’t exactly too hard.

“All well some women are harder to get than others, dear brother. You should know that, though I doubt you have gone much off the bottom to try your luck.”

His hands dug into her side for a minute and she gasped. “You have a sharp little tongue for such a gentile girl.”

“And you are as rough as you look. You’re hurting me. Real woman like to be held gently, sisters even more so.”

He relaxed and his touch was barely there. “Better?”

“Much thank you.” The song finished and she smiled before she turned around to leave. The pleasantries of her mouth, did not reach her eyes. He was no longer scary to Bethany, but he was a threat. To what, she wasn’t sure. She took her annoyance to assuage the way her body had reacted to him. Her neck was still red and her heart was still racing a mile a minute, but she could blame it then on anger instead of a lust that she was not supposed to feel for Eric.