TRAPPED (Breaking Free Book 2) (5 page)

“I’
m sorry baby,
I’
m tired and worried about you. I
t’
s hard to know what to say to you around your friend at the moment. The last thing I want to do is upset you, and
I’
ve been a bit of an arse hole today
.
” He rubs his hand down his face, looking mentally and physically drained
.“
Do you want anything? Are you comfortable
?
”

I sigh
,“
Yes, I do. I want everyone to stop walking on egg shells around me,
I’
m fine, a little worse for wear, but fine! And more than anything, I want you to get some rest, you look exhausted
.
”
He guffaws, shaking his head at me
.“
Oh do
n’
t hold anything back now will you?
I’
ll rest a bit later when you rest, everything is still too fresh in my mind
.
” He looks like a tortured soul, and I feel guilty, and terrible for what hunter has been through to get me back because of Dan.

“
Why do
n’
t you just lie down? I ca
n’
t go anywhere, Lottie is grabbing me some food, and there is nothing else I need other than to see you relax. You being on edge is making me on edge. Please
?
” I throw him my best puppy dog eyes and pat the bed beside me, I do
n’
t want to give him mixed signals, but I also want him with me, beside me.
I’
m so screwed.

“
Okay, but the second you want something, or anything is wrong you wake me..okay
?
”

“
Okay
.
” I say on a smug smirk.

Hunter lies beside me and helps lower me in to a lying down position. Although my actions are probably giving him completely mixed signals, when I myself, do
n’
t even know how I am going to react to our little chat, I ca
n’
t help but pick up his hand and entwine our fingers across my lower tummy. Hunter in turn, moves on to his side and wraps his arms gently around me.

We lie like this for several minutes, enjoying each othe
r’
s presence and the comfort it brings before we both fall asleep.

Hunter:

I awake with my girl, our arms and legs entwined and sweating like a s.o.b. For the first time since she was taken, I feel at peace. Watching my angel sleep in my arms is above and beyond the best feeling I have ever felt. After all the years of crap I had thrown my way, I finally have something in my life worth fighting for, and
I’
m fucked if
I’
m going to let an ex-wife who screwed me over ruin it for me. Not happening.

I untangle myself carefully, so as not to wake Connie or hurt her any more than she already is, and go about doing my morning routine of showering, dressing and checking through work correspondence.

Seven phone calls and twenty one emails later, I conclude that my businesses are being well run for the time being, and if anything comes up my staff can handle it, or call me as and when needed.

I chase up Harry, feeling deflated when he confirms my suspicions, the bastards hiding and hiding well. Still, Dan has to surface at some point and they will be ready and waiting for when he does. I refused to allow any of Harr
y’
s men to talk to Connie, unless they felt it was necessary to where he may be located at present. She has been under enough stress, and I just want her to forget about Dan and leave him up to the professionals. If they do their job properly there is no need for her to see or hear from ever again. Until then, she is to be watched 24/7.

I set to work, making Connie a sausage and cheese bagel and a tall glass of fresh orange. She needs to build up her strength if sh
e’
s to have her children with her later, not that I plan on leaving her alone, I just know she is going to want to be able to spend as much time as she can with them, without feeling drained.

I still ca
n’
t believe it, that wanker Dan managed to get away. It makes no sense, these are highly trained professionals, the best of the best, howon earth did that woman beating bastard manage to evade them? The good news is that he took a hit, to the lower leg, so it will need medical attention, plus they have a trace going on for the jeep. He ditched it about ten miles from his mu
m’
s residence. All his cards are also being monitored, so if he uses one it will flag up where and when.

A noise from the bedroom startles me, and I turn to see Connie dressed in a pair of leggings and t-shirt she previously left at mine, come hobbling in to the kitchen. The screwed up expression on her face indicates her level of pain, and I curse myself for not checking on her sooner
.“
You should have waited for me, I was bringing you breakfast
.
” She smoot
h’
s her features out, obviously reluctant to show me her level of discomfort. I
t’
s always a brave face with my girl.

“I’
m fine. I could
n’
t just lie in bed and watch the world go by. I need to get up and ready to see Alex and Lily later
.
” She pauses as she reaches the stools at the breakfast bar, and I rush to her side to help her sit
.“
Do
n’
t suppose you have had a chance to speak to Lottie
?
”

I shake my head no and pass Connie my phone to call her friend
.“
Call her,
I’
m sure she just wanted to give you some space
.
”

I watch Connie type out a text as I place her breakfast before her. Her eyes light up at the food in front of her, and she turns to give me a heart stopping smile. God sh
e’
s so beautiful.

The hardest bit about this is, I have start the conversation I have been dreading having with her, but we have to get this out in the open and put it to bed if I am to have any chance of keeping her with me for a while. It feels like someone has punched me in the lower gut, the dread and anxiety I feel from the thought that she may walk away and decide we are not worth a chance is almost too much to bear.

“
Baby I know this is hard, but I really want a chance to explain the whole Ash mess with you, and I know if we wait any longer we are just going to keep putting it off and never solve a thing. If you still want to walk from me after it has all been said and done, then fine,
I’
ll let you go, but I wo
n’
t do that until i
t’
s all out in the open
.
”
I’
m sweating like a bitch as I say this, watching her swallow harshly around a lump in her throat.

I am absolutely shitting her reaction, but she has to know I am not letting her leave her until we get this sorted.

“
Okay
,
” Is all she says on a nod.

Fuck I feel sick, I have never cared about anything as much as I do this woman in front of me, thisis so hard
.“
Do you want to talk here, or do you want to go sit on the sofa
?
” I want this to be as comfortable as possible for her, this is
n’
t the nicest conversation for us to be having, but it has to be done.

She wo
n’
t look at me, just keeps her on eyes on her food and picks at it
.“
Her
e’
s fine,
I’
d rather just get it over and done with
.
”

I start to become frustrated, I want to see these beautiful eyes. I grasp her chin gently and lift her head towards me
.“
Baby look at me, I promise i
t’
s not as bad as you think. I never wanted to hurt you, and for that I will always hate myself
.
”

She finally looks up at me, her gaze searing through my soul, tears brimming but not falling. I will spend an eternity making it up to this woman, I should have been truthful from day one, thispain she is feeling would have been avoidable if I had just told her about Ash. The woman is a parasite and I did
n’
t want her ruining what I had going on with Connie, chances are she has done just that anyway.

“
You stop me if this becomes too hard to hear, okay
?
” She mumbles an okay and I start from the beginning.

“
I met Ash at a function. My company were donating towards a childre
n’
s cancer charity. At that time in my life I was simply after a good time, and she clung to me the second she laid her eyes on me. I thought she was a good time girl, simply after a bit of fun, I could
n’
t have been more wrong, fuck I ca
n’
t believe I got it so wrong
.
” I pause, thinking back to that night and how stupid I was to not see her for what she is. How could I fall for her crap
?“
We messed around a few times, and not once did she hint at wanting more from me. I did
n’
t want more, I was quite content with my life as it was and for the time being she was a part of that. Well, fuck me that did
n’
t last long. You see, she soon dropped a huge bombshell, she was pregnant and I was the father. I literally felt my heart burst from my chest. My life was over, and I only had myself to blame. I proposed then and there, not out of love or even the smallest bit of affection, but out of duty to my unborn child. My Dad was a deadbeat and there was no way I was going to be the same as him.

“
I never once loved her Connie, not once. She hired the best wedding planners money could buy, and had us married within the month. The only saving grace in all of this was the pre nup I had her sign, without it I can guarantee she would have had me broke within days.  As time went on I began to get excited about the baby, the idea of a mini me running around was what got me though the hell of being married to her, and it was hell Connie, utterly awful. From spending my money on lavish shopping sprees and lunch dates, to throwing dinner parties and using my name to reel in the biggest business moguls she could. I just let it all go baby, I tried my best to be a good and supporting husband but it was never enough.

Ash lost the baby, and I was totally and irrevocably heartbroken, no matter how much I did
n’
t want to be with Ashley I did want that baby. I had allowed the idea of being a Daddy to sink in and I was so excited Connie, so bloody excited. But Ash could
n’
t just let it be, she was badgering me to try again for another baby before we had a chance to come to grips with losing this baby. It hurt, but I thought this was her way of dealing with the grief.I on the other hand wanted to grieve for our loss and be there for my wife, as a good husband does. I had one night of weakness after her several attempts to get me to sleep with her, it was so hard, seeing her heartbreak and listening to her cry on my shoulder about feeling rejected after she had just lost our baby, I gave in just that once. Ash though could
n’
t wait, it was never about the baby for her, she never cared for the life lost, just that she needed to give birth to my child to receive a good sized chunk of my money. Without a child she walks away with practically nothing.

I was working away for a few days, but decided to cut my trip short and check in on how she was doing, I may not love the woman, but she did lose my babyand she was my wife, so I had a duty to be there and look after her. Connie I would have never cheated on her,
I’
m not that way programmed, I do
n’
t believe in cheating for any reason, let alone cheat with a family member of hers. I walked in on her fucking my uncle. She was so desperate to fall pregnant, so eager to get her hands on my money. The second I found out, I kicked her out and filed for divorce. After betraying me and trying to fuck me over as she did, she is trying to take the one bit of happiness in my life away from me, and tha
t’
s you baby
.
”

I stop abruptly, an ache forming in my chest from the thought alone of being without Connie. After everything we have both been through, we deserve some happiness, and that girl is my ray of sunshine.

I sit in silence, my heart feeling heavy and a sweat forming on my brow.
I’
m so fucking nervous sh
e’
s gonnawalk, but she had to know everything, I ca
n’
t take a chance of hiding anything from her anymore. Fuck, why is she just sitting there staring at me, I need her to say something, anything.

“
Connie baby, please talk to me. I do
n’
t expect you to forgive me,
I’
m a bastard I know, but please give me another chance
.
” God I sound like a pussy whipped fool, but do you know what? I am a pussy whipped fool,
I’
ll say and do whatever is needed to keep my girl.
I’
m a fighter, and fuck me but
I’
m not going down without a fight.

Connie fidgets with her fingers, appearing uncomfortable and on edge, and dragging out my misery.

“I’
m sorry you had to go through thatHunter, but I am utterly disgusted
!
”

No, no, no, no, no, I ca
n’
t lose her now. My heart thuds to a stop at her words, and the world comes crashing down around me.