CEO's Pregnant Lover (11 page)

“Marco, I don’t think we have anything else to say. You are wrong in your understanding of how your daughter died. Trent had nothing to do with that. I’m sorry for your loss, but I really would like you to leave us alone. Leave me alone.” Brianna didn’t wait for a reply, but quickly replaced the receiver.

Sensing someone behind her, she turned to see Trent lounging in the doorway, “Are you okay?”

Brianna nodded, “I just feel so sorry for him. He’s wasting his life trying to revenge his daughter’s death. How did you know I was talking to him?”

“Janet called me. She was concerned that he would upset you and with you so close to delivering…,” Trent shrugged his shoulders.

Brianna pushed herself up from the chair and placed a hand on her aching back. She had been having Braxton-Hicks contractions all morning, and now her back was hurting something fierce. Rubbing one hand on her lower back, she gave Trent a smile, “I think I’m ready to go home.”

“Good. So am I.” Trent kept a watchful eye on his wife as he led her out of the building. He was secretly timing her contractions, amazed that she hadn’t yet realized she was in the beginning stages of labor.

Having given the driver instructions to take them to the hospital, he smiled at Brianna and rubbed her back on the short drive. Hopefully, by this time tomorrow he would be holding his new daughter. Ultrasound had confirmed the sex of the baby several weeks ago and he envisioned a miniature replica of Brianna.

**

Upon arriving at the hospital, Brianna smiled, not surprised that her husband had known she was in labor before her. He always seemed to be one-step ahead of the rest.

Her doctor was already waiting for her and after a quick check, immediately took Brianna into the delivery room. Because of the size of the baby, a C-section had already been deemed necessary, and several hours after arriving at the hospital, Trent was looking through the nursery window at a very healthy baby girl.

Brianna had been taken to her room and had yet to see their daughter. Walking down the hallway, he looked again at the snapshot he had taken of their daughter with his phone. Brianna had gotten a quick glimpse of their daughter right after the delivery, but had yet to hold her child.

As soon as she was settled, the nurses had promised to bring their daughter down to the room. Trent couldn’t wait to see his wife holding their child for the first time.

Entering her room, he was happy to see her looking relaxed and pain free. “Hey, momma, how’re you doing?”

Brianna gave him a tired smile, “Good. Can I see her? Is she okay?”

Trent leaned down and kissed the mother of his new child, “She’s perfect, just like you. The nurses are going to bring her own in a few minutes.”

Brianna smiled, “I can’t wait to see her.”

Trent pulled his phone from his pocket, “I took a picture of her a few minutes ago, look.” Trent handed his phone over and watched as Brianna got a look on her face of pure love. There was nothing more beautiful than a mother looking at her child.

When several minutes passed and the nurses didn’t arrive with their daughter, Trent pushed the call button.

The nurse entered, expecting to see the happy couple cuddling their newborn daughter and was shocked to find them still waiting on her arrival.

“Hi, Darcy is it,” Trent asked, reading the nurses name form her tag, “I was wondering if you could check on our daughter. I was told they would be bringing her down and my wife hasn’t had a chance to hold her yet. C-section.”

Darcy swallowed and quickly replied, “Just let me go check on that for you. I’ll be right back.”

Darcy literally ran to the nursery window. Tapping on the glass, she got the head nurse to exit, “Where is the Coldwell baby? They’re asking for her to be brought down to the mother’s room.”

“The grandfather took her fifteen minutes ago.”

“No, he didn’t,” Darcy emphasized that with a shake of her head. “I just came from that room and they don’t have their baby, and there’s no one else in the room.”

“Call security immediately and ask for a Code Pink. They’ll lock down the hospital and seal the exits until the baby can be found.”

“Whose going to tell the parent’s that their child is missing?” Darcy asked, silently praying it wasn’t going to be her.

“I’ll go. Ask security to pull the surveillance tapes and bring them up immediately. I’m hoping that the parents can help identify whoever is posing as the child’s grandfather.”

Darcy nodded and ran back to the nurse’s station to make the call.

Stephanie Belkins had worked as the head nurse for the newborn nursery for fifteen years and had never had a child abducted. It just didn’t happen. As she approached the mother’s room, she saw a security team approaching with a laptop loaded with recent surveillance footage.

“Stephanie, I understand we have a missing newborn.”

“I’m afraid so. I need you to pull the tape from the last thirty minutes of the hallway outside the nursery. The man is posing as the child’s grandfather.” Taking a deep breath, she released it when the tape appeared on the screen. “The parents are in this room, but they don’t know what has happened yet. I’m going to explain the situation and ask them to identify that man. As soon as they do that I need you to find him and the child.”

The security team was all nodding. Stephanie pushed open the door and entered - laptop in hand.

Trent looked up, expecting to see a nurse carrying his newborn daughter. Instead, he was greeted by the site of a nurse carrying a laptop with several security personnel following in her wake.

“Mr. and Mrs. Coldwell? My name is Stephanie Belkins and I’m the head nurse for the infant nursery. It seems there’s been some confusion and someone posing as your child’s grandfather took your baby from the nursery.”

Brianna gasped and looked to Trent. He always fixed things when they were broken. “Trent?”

Trent stood to his feet, ready to take on the entire hospital if it meant finding his daughter, “Who took her?”

“Well, that’s what I need you to tell us? I have a feed of the security camera right here. I need to know who this man is. He’s the one who has your daughter.”

Trent impatiently grabbed the laptop and held it so that Brianna could see as well. “Push the space bar to start the video playback, Sir,” offered one of the security officers.

Trent pushed the button and the computer screen started to play the video. Brianna watched in horror as Marco Bresi’s image appeared on the screen. When her daughter was placed into his hands, she covered her face and began to cry.

Trent clenched his teeth together to keep from roaring in rage. He would kill the man with his bare hands if he caught him before the authorities did.

“Sir, do you know who that man is?”

Trent nodded, unable to speak for the rage pulsing through his veins. He had wondered how Marco would eventually get his revenge; well, now he knew. Marco had stolen his child. Trent felt Brianna grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

Looking at the nurse and security personnel, Trent answered, “His name’s Marco Bresi, from Italy. He has a personal vendetta against me.” Staring them down, he commanded, “Find him before I do, or I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

END OF PART ONE

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CEO’s Pregnant Lover Series Release Dates CEO’s Pregnant Lover 1: Early February 2014

CEO’s Pregnant Lover 2: Early March 2014

CEO’s Pregnant Lover 3: Late March 2014

Other Books by Leslie North

Owned By The Navy Seal Series

Owned By The Navy Seal (Book 1)
Excerpt Below

Taken By The Navy Seal (Book 2)

Rescued By The Navy Seal (Book 3)

Bonus Excerpt from
Owned By The Navy Seal (Book 1)

Jared was sitting with his date enjoying a nut-brown ale. This one hinted of chocolate and citrus. Creamy and tangy. The right amber color with a hint of cloudiness. He used to love brewing beer with his brother and cousins. Raiding his mom’s kitchen garden, they would experiment with different ingredients. Some of them were complete disasters, but he did develop a taste for good beer. Downing the last of his pint, he waved the empty glass at his server signaling for another. He only wished his date were as engaging as his beer. Chatting on and on about some reality TV show, Jared wished he hadn’t agreed to meet for drinks. But there he was. Listening to the problems of some TV family that had nothing to do with him or his date.

Jared didn’t own a television and he didn’t have a clue who any of these people were, but here she was talking about them as if they lived next door. Jared couldn’t understand how anyone could be so passionate about these people, they sounded completely superficial. He hoped the sex would be better than the talking. The irony of that thought made Jared smile. He wasn’t above getting what he wanted, but he didn’t see any point in watching TV, when he could engage in and enjoy the experience.

Having spent the better part of 20 years in the service, Jared was released on medical discharge after crushing his ankle in a zero-sight drop from 30,000 feet. He missed the military and he missed his fellow Navy Seals. Three years out of failed marriage number two, it was times like this that Jared missed that sense of order he had in the military. Yes, his job was dangerous and his inability to talk about his work doomed both his marriages, but this? This was too much.

Looking around the room, Jared spied a woman who looked equally as miserable as he felt. Watching her, he could see the play of emotions across her face as she attempted to pay attention to whatever her table companion was talking about. It didn’t seem to last as she would scan the room at times in desperation. Looking for something. Rolling his latest pint between his hands, he watched her. She didn’t appear to be his type. He liked small, fragile-looking women who knew how to dress to please. This one, well, to quote his granddad, she looked to be of Irish peasant stock. Good for breeding. Not much else.

Her hair was a riotous mess reminiscent of the Blackhills at sunrise and she clearly wasn’t wearing any makeup. Smiling to himself, he guessed her to be a schoolteacher. A school marm, as granddad would say. Jared wondered if she was on a blind date. Maybe a hook-up from one of those dating sites one of his friends was always going on about. Jared didn’t see the point of paying money to some company in the hopes of finding potential partners. The whole concept sounded too much like a train wreck waiting to happen and Jared wasn’t interested.

As he watched the woman, there was something about her. He couldn’t put his finger on it, yet he couldn’t stop staring. She seemed to be the only real person in the room. Grabbing his beer, he inclined his head as he watched her get up from her booth and walk toward the can, which would take her past his table. Pretending to pay attention to his date, he watched her walk. Her ankles wobbled, but she was someone who walked with purpose. Jared liked that. Excusing himself, he headed to the can. He pretended to check for messages while he waited for her.

He could hear her grumbling and talking to herself and he couldn’t help smiling. The amount of profanity he was hearing would rival some mess halls. As he pocketed his phone, the door flung open as she spilled out. Catching herself, he smiled when he heard her grouse. Oh, this one is feisty. Maybe she was his type after all.

Returning to her table, Rita looked around for the owner of that voice. His rumble went straight to her inner core as she thought about how long it had been since she had sex with a human. The last two years of her marriage to Tuck was spent in separate bedrooms and she’d been back in San Diego for more than a year. Too long, she thought. Spying him, she looked him over. Blond hair, crew cut, cut muscles. Oh, he was yummy looking. She caught a glimpse of tattoos peeking out from his shirtsleeves as she wondered how many he had.

Yes, this one was definitely her type. And that voice. It was rare that someone could affect her that quickly and usually it involved some heavy petting and making out. But this one, those few words raised the hairs on her arms. And those eyes, she could get lost in those eyes. Smirking, she contemplated getting into more than one spat with him simply for the make-up sex. All hands and mouth. Looking up, she flushed as he caught her watching him. What must he think of her, she thought. Turning her head, she looked at Mike who was back to talking about foreclosures. Had he even noticed that she left the table? Rita doubted it, as she smirked, wondering if he’d stopped talking while she was gone.

As the evening finally drew to a close, Rita walked out of the pub to say her goodbyes to Mike. She smiled politely as she listened to him ask about seeing her again and gave a noncommittal response as she mumbled something about checking her schedule. As she headed to her car, she spotted The Voice as he walked his date to his truck. She was tiny and perfect. He had his hand casually at the small of her back and she seemed to fit perfectly along his side.

She was dressed to the nines in a form-fitting dress Rita would never consider wearing and her make-up was impeccable. Disappointment punched her in her stomach as she realized that she wasn’t The Voice’s type. As she opened her car door, she looked up. He had placed his date in the truck and was watching her from the driver’s side. His intensity rolled across the parking lot. Smiling slightly in a way that looked more like a grimace, Rita dove for the safety of her car narrowly missing giving herself a concussion on the doorframe. Taking a deep breath, she clutched the steering wheel. Slowly exhaling, she started the car, happy at least to have a new fantasy to take to bed with her. Oh, he might be good for several nights.