Lost Until You (The Sorrentino Brothers Series Book 1) (7 page)

The rest of the drive home was quiet. Savanah fell asleep as soon as we got on the road and Jazz wasn’t far behind her. The fog wasn’t much better than it was earlier today, and the snow was coming down at a steady pace. But at least it wasn’t sticking to the roads. Either way, I decided to take my time. Getting Savanah and Jazz home safe was my main priority. I never wanted to think about something happening to my family. Still, with the conditions as bad as they were, you just never knew. If I had to go under the speed limit to get them back in one piece, then so be it. Putting my family in jeopardy wasn’t my style.

Forty minutes later, I pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine. I grabbed my keys and ran up to unlock the door before going back to the truck for the girls. Jazz got up and helped me carry everything inside. I laid Savanah in the bed, while Jazz made a bottle for in the morning.

When Savanah was tucked in, I hopped in the shower, threw on a pair of pajama pants, and then walked back into our bedroom. Jazz was in the bed sound asleep. I quietly walked across the room and shut off the lights. I armed the alarm and crawled into the bed beside my wife. I pulled her back against my front and wrapped my arms around her waist. Jazz sighed and rolled over, laying her head on my chest.

“I love you, B,” she whispered, nibbling down on my nipple ring.

I grabbed under her arms, moving her body up toward me, and kissed her lips. Jazz didn’t hesitate, allowing my tongue inside her mouth. I deepened the kiss, giving her all that I had, showing her how much I loved her.

Sliding my fingers down her ribs, she squirmed under my touch and threw her leg across my thighs. I rolled over and pushed her back against the pillow, inching my way up her beautiful body. She looked at me with so much desire; it was taking everything I had to give it to her slow. Jazz needed to be shown how much I cherished her, even though I wanted nothing more than to ram my dick inside her tight little pussy, fast and hard. 

Slipping off my pants, I moved to her panties, then her t-shirt. Once we were both naked and pressed against each other, I pulled her thighs apart and slid down her beautiful body. She lifted her hips letting me know she was ready and yearning for my touch.

“Slow down, beautiful. We’ve got all night.”

Jazz mumbled something under her breath that I couldn’t make out, but I didn’t waste any time trying to, either. I knew she needed to feel me just like I needed to be inside of her. We were made for each other.

I placed one hand under her ass and lifted my other hand toward her breast. Pulling and twisting her swollen nipple, my mouth dove in between her folds, licking at her juices.

“Oh…B…right there,” she moaned, grabbing a hold of my hair.

Bringing both hands in front of me, I pushed her lips apart. I slid one finger inside her tight pussy and then added another. After a couple of strokes inside her heated spot, Jazz buckled and her walls tightened around my finger. The pace of my tongue remained slow and steady, while I worshiped her beautiful body.

When Jazz was spent, I knew I had done my job. I sat up and grabbed a hold of my dick, placing it at her entrance.

“You ready, beautiful?”

She nodded her head. I didn’t think twice before thrusting deep inside my girl, needing to feel her tight walls wrapped around every part of my cock. She lifted her hips, matching each one of my thrusts. I wrapped my arms around both of her legs, pushing them against her chest.

“Look at me, baby,” I said, ready to explode.

Jazz opened her beautiful brown eyes, staring down at me, crying out as she reached another peak. A few more thrusts and my body started to jerk and my legs locked as I embedded myself inside my girl. I lay on top of her body, panting, feeling completely satisfied.

“Thank you, B. You always know what I need.”

I kissed her lips and moved beside her, lying down on the pillow. She gripped the blanket, pulling it over our bodies, and turned toward me.

 “I love you, Jazzy. Sweet dreams.”

“I love you, too.”

Chapter Eight

Jazz

This week had dragged. Literally. Time normally went by fast while I was at work but not this week. It had been slow to the point of annoyance. I was over it. On the plus side, I had been able to get many tasks cleared off my to-do list. Seeing as how far behind I was, maybe it had been a blessing in disguise.

I gave Pam Thursday and Friday off while she visited with her grandchildren in Ohio, leaving me by myself in the studio. She was a great assistant and made my job a lot less stressful, therefore she deserved having a few days to herself here and there.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I normally brought the baby with me to work, however Amelia asked if she could have her both yesterday and today instead. The woman’s group at her church was hosting Kid Appreciation Week, and Amelia wanted to take Savanah. Thankfully, it gave me time to get everything in order.

The little girls at church loved Savanah. I got a kick out of them whenever Brax and I would visit. Dressing her up in costumes and pulling her all over the place, they treated my daughter as if she were a baby doll. I loved this age when toddlers developed their own personalities. It was fun to watch them grow into little people. At least I had another year or two to prepare for another child. I had to let my body heal first from having Savanah before I even thought about it.

I was finishing up a few edits when the doorbell chimed. I set my pen down and looked up to see Stone walking through the door.

“Hey, Stone.”

 “Hey, you got a few minutes?” He walked around my desk and took a seat beside me.

“Yup. Just give me one…second.”

Saving file two-fourteen, I closed the lid to my laptop and leaned back in the chair, crossing my hands together.

“What’s going on?”

Stone set his briefcase on the table to the left then pulled out a large manila folder. Sliding out the stack of papers, he placed them down on the desk.

“You sure you’re okay with this? If not, we’ll end it all right here, right now. I have no problem either way. I just want you to be sure before we go over my findings.”

Was he crazy? I was more than okay. I had been waiting my whole life to find out who these people were, to know about my birth family. It would be unwise not to dig deeper now that I had someone actually willing to help lead the way.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, making myself push forward. I had to do this. It was now or never.

“Yes…let’s do it.”

Stone grabbed the first piece of paper in the file, reading it aloud. “Your maternal grandparents reside in Milford, Delaware. They’ve owned their house at four-nineteen Frankford Circle since the early two-thousands.”

Sliding the paper across the table, I took it from his hands, soundlessly reading it to myself.

Current Residence for Phyllis and Pat Lander:

419 Frankford Court

Milford, DE 19963

Previous Residence:

200098 Riverside Dr.

Annapolis, MD 21411

Maternal Parents of Peyton Lander

Phyllis and Pat Lander

Peyton Lander:

DOB: 12.29.1968

Brown hair

Brown eyes

One hundred and fourteen pounds.

Donor

Last known Residence for Peyton Lander
:

200098 Riveside Dr.

Annapolis, MD 21411

Cause of death:

Cerebral Artery Aneurysm

Approximately three minutes and nine seconds following the delivery of her daughter, Pia Lander.

Birth Name Noted “Unknown” on Birth Certificate.

Date of Death: 05.05.1987

Location:

Anne Arundel Medical Center,

Annapolis, Maryland

I threw my hand over my mouth, gasping for air. “Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” I shouted. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t believe this was really real. “They lived so…close. So close, yet…so far away.”

Stone leaned across the table and grabbed a hold of my hand. “This is a lot to take in, Jazz. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right about now, but I’m here with you. We’re all by your side. Just promise you’ll take one step at a time. We’re going to get to the bottom of this, get all your questions answered, and give you a sense of peace once it’s all said and done. But I need to make sure you’re okay and not just pushing yourself because you think you need to do this. You are my main priority, babe, not them. None of them.”

I covered my entire face, allowing the tears to fall. My wish was finally coming true. I had waited so long to get answers, to finally have some kind of peace. But now that it was sitting right in front of me, I wasn’t sure I would be strong enough to face it without breaking down. I knew it had been a long time coming, and I deserved to know the truth. I just couldn’t wrap my mind around everything.

Stone walked around the table and squatted down in front of me. He pulled me into his arms and whispered, “Let it out. I got you.”

All of my life I laid in a stranger’s bed or in a group home, wondering who my parents were, what they looked like, or if I took after them in any way. I’ve had so many unanswered questions, so many things I wanted to say, but never had the chance.

Even though my mom was gone, getting close to her parents would mean the world to me. I was scared to death, nonetheless.  Fearful Phyllis and Pat would hate me. Fearful they would reject me when I approached them. What if I brought up too many memories of Peyton? What if I looked just like her and they couldn’t handle it? Then what? Would they decide they didn’t want me in their lives? Would they say it was too much? I didn’t think I could live with myself if that were to happen. There was no way I could handle that kind of rejection.

For years, I had no one to turn to. No one to ask questions about my family’s medical history. I didn’t have a dad to teach me how to play softball or tuck me in at night. He never had a chance to hold me or give me away at my wedding or even see his granddaughter.

I never got to feel my mom’s touch, to get to know her. I never had a chance to look in her eyes and hear her say ‘I love you’. Instead, I was shifted from house to house, group home to group home. I never had the kind of stability a normal family had. I never experienced love from a mom or a dad. I didn’t know what saying the words, ‘grandma’ or ‘grandpa’ felt like. I was a lost soul, traveling in a big world, searching for someone to want me.

I yearned to be loved, to be taken care of, to be wanted and needed. But I guessed some people weren’t worthy of everything their heart desired. Because if I were, there would have been no way my father would have left me at the hospital all by myself, never coming back. The thought of it playing out in my mind literally made me sick. What if I was hurt or if something had happened after he took off? He would have never known if I was dead or alive. He didn’t care if I ever saw the light of day. 

The only family I ever had was the Sorrentino’s, but they weren’t my blood. I was beyond thankful for each and every one of them, don’t get me wrong. They had been a true blessing; however, it wasn’t the same as knowing your own family. It wasn’t the same as having your biological mom and dad be there for you.

Even though I had major doubts running through my mind, I needed to know where I came from. I needed to know who my parents were even if it was through pictures. I needed to know which one I looked like. I needed to know something, anything. I had lived in the what-ifs for too long. It was time I stood strong and pieced this puzzle together once and for all. I didn’t just long to find my family, more than anything, I deserved this.

Unsure how long Stone had held me in his arms, allowing me to sob against his chest, I was suddenly pulled away. I didn’t have to uncover my face to know my husband was the one who had lifted me in his arms, tucking me against his body. Stone must have called Brax before he got here to put him on standby. If anyone knew how I would react to this news, it would be Brax. He knew me inside and out, sometimes better than I knew myself. Brax carried me to the back of the studio and set me down on the counter, positioning himself between my legs.

 “You okay, beautiful?”

I let him know by nodding my head; the words were lodged in my throat. I didn’t think I could talk right now if I wanted to. This was a lot to take in, but Stone was right. I needed to pull myself together. I needed to try to be strong; for me, for Savanah, and for my husband. They needed to be able to count on me, knowing I would survive if this didn’t go as planned.

But would I?

The front door chimed again and more voices filled the studio.

“Good,” Brax pulled back and kissed my lips, “Kelly and Tanya are taking you out to lunch while Stone, Brix, and I head back to their office to discuss what’s next. You sure you’re okay?”

He pushed his thumb against my cheeks, wiping away my tears.

 I shrugged my shoulders, still unsure. “No. But I will be.” Leaning in, I gave my husband a kiss and fluffed the top of his hair. “Thanks for coming. I wasn’t expecting to get all this information so soon, but I’ll be fine. Everything just has to sink in first.”

Sliding down the counter, I walked into the bathroom and cleaned up my face. Brax followed behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. He leaned his head against the back of my shoulders and kissed my neck.