Not His to Love: The Black Widows Book 4

By Christina OW

Years after a vicious attack, Daniel Baker still wakes up a sweaty shaky mess from horrifying nightmares. But it's expected. Someone did try to kill him, and not just anyone. But unlike the rest of everyone else involved, he still can't move on. Can't forgive. And now, his life is about to become even more complicated with his ex's re-entry in his life, baggage and all.

Luciana Garcia- Jones has been trapped in her nightmare of a marriage for twelve years. She's tried everything to get out of it but has failed repeatedly, and miserably. Then the one man she's ever loved shows up in her life as her husband's lawyer and Luciana is sure it's a sign. Could he possibly be what she needs to finally escape the hell that is her life?

The last thing Daniel wants is more complications in his life as he works on recovering. That is, until he finds out the truth about Luciana's marriage.
Now he wants her back. Whatever the cost.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christina OW
• Release date: Aug 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005158828

Christina OW

I love reading novels that take me on a ride of wild emotions. Books have always been an escape for me, for a few hours i love to live the lives of characters i grow to cherish and admire. I've always had an active imagination and because of it I've lived inmy head more than i have been in the outside world. I've always imagined scene-rials and wondered how it would turn out in the end, and what kind of emotions it would invoke. I began writing down the many stories in my head in 2010 and it's been a wonderful journey ever since.I have a Diploma in Law and a BA in International Studies and Communications and Media Studies.Writing was never a career path for me it was just a release as fashion design is my true passion, and now writing has become a vital part of me and my family as my twin sister (M.O. Kenyan) is also a writer.I hope to always continue with my love of writing no matter what the future holds for me.

Book preview

NOT HIS TO LOVE

She’s married. He knows that. But... she was his first.

BLACK WIDOWS SERIES

BOOK #4

Christina OW

Not His To Love

Copyright Christina OW November 2021

Published by Christina OW

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

Chapter One

He heard the gaggle echo loud in his ears as his throat filled up with the metallic taste of blood. His entire body shook—from the cold or fear, he wasn’t sure which one. He choked as blood sipped down his airway. He was going to asphyxiate to death. He turned his head to the side and let the blood pour out of his mouth. He could breathe again—not much but just enough.

But what was the use of feeling relieved if he was still going to die?

Fear consumed him as he watched the bloody blade descend again, completely paralyzed, and unable to move. Crippled against the attack.

He was defenseless!

She drugged me, had been his first thought when the knife had made its first plunge into his chest, ripping through muscle and flesh with excruciating pain. It was the only explanation, the reason why his limbs felt so heavy making him incapable of defending himself. He should have known she wouldn’t give him a bottle of Chivas Regal without an ulterior motive. If he lived through this, he wouldn’t be able to look at his favorite bottle of whiskey the same way again. No, if he did live through this nightmare, he was never touching the thing again!

But… he wasn’t going to… he was dying, so yes, he was never going to drink his favorite whiskey again, because he would be dead.

Why are you doing this to me? He wanted to scream but lacked the strength to. He turned his heavy head to look up at her. She sat astride on his abdomen, the long kitchen knife clutched in her hands held up over her head. A dazed look in her eyes and a smile… a smile that chilled him to his already cold bones.

Please! he struggled to breathe the word through his numb lips and blood-filled mouth.

He groaned, squeezing his eyes tightly shut until tears leaked through the cracks when the knife sunk into his chest a third time.

Just pass out! He begged his mind to turn off.

He couldn’t breathe. Loud whizzing noises came to his ears moments before the gaggle. His throat was filling up with blood again. He was going to die.

He was going to die, unloved and alone—his greatest regrets.

A smiling face filled his thoughts then, calling his name softly with a heavy Spanish accent.

"Danny."

Daniel Baker came awake then, his breathing labored and his body completely drenched in sweat. His hands automatically moving to grab at his chest. Through the wet cotton of his shirt, he could feel the thick ridges of the scars. Not those from the surgery but those that Ellsa had given him almost two years ago when she had attacked him.

Fuck! he ran his hand through his hair, confirming its wetness. I thought this was supposed to get easier.

Well… it had… it was… it is.

But he still couldn’t get over the nightmares that sometimes plagued him. Though now at least he slept through most nights unlike before. At least he didn’t wake up screaming anymore. At least he didn’t need to check that all the doors and windows were locked and the security system was working whenever he was home—night and day. At least he didn’t feel the need to sleep with a gun under his pillow anymore.

He was better, he’d gotten through it. Granted he spent a fortune on therapy but he was on the other side now. Knowing that Ellsa had no control over her actions did help a lot. Actually, it was more like he was stuck on the bridge unable to cross. Despite letting everything go and forgiving, the forgetting part had his feet glued to that bridge over a river of memories, fear and pain.

Ellsa Jabari had once been equal to the boogieman to Daniel. A little over a year ago, when he heard that she had escaped from the mental institution and may have killed her doctor, Daniel became afraid of his own shadow, again. The nightmares had been worse then. Frankly he couldn’t get himself to fall asleep, afraid the moment he nodded off she would appear out of a shadowed corner and stab him again. His electricity bill was high then, with the all the lights being on twenty-four-seven.

Before, after he left the hospital he hadn’t needed to be afraid because she had been arrested and wouldn’t be seeing the light of day ever, if Dale, Ellie’s husband had anything to do with it.

Ellsa had gone off the rails and almost killed her twin Ellie after cutting her open and stealing her unborn baby. Daniel’s jaw had hit the floor when he woke from his coma and heard about that. He guessed that was what helped him deal with his own trauma—the fact that Ellie had it worse and would never be the same again and she didn’t need to see him as one of her sister’s victims. She loved her sister more than anything in the world. After the death of their parents, all they had was each other. That’s why he found it incredulous that Ellsa had hurt her that way. Then he found out the entire sordid story and he felt like he had been an extra character to a thriller movie.

A sick and twisted Alfred Hitchcock thriller movie.

Ellsa Jabari was an assassin, an apparently one of the best. He still couldn’t believe it. Well he could, because she had a narcissistic personality but a gun for hire, it had taken him a while to wrap his head around that. Almost getting fired for trying to get her arrested had been the hammer to the nail. The FBI had been shut down when they tried and had their jobs threatened. The Black Widows, was an international company of female assassins that couldn’t be touched. Only then did he realize how lucky he was to be alive. But if he was to go with the popular vote, and he was, she had not intended to kill him. Daniel had the suspicion that Ellsa knew what was happening to her and maybe she’d attacked Daniel so that someone could stop her before she really did something she would regret. It was a cry for help that no one heard. At least, that’s how Daniel chose to see it.

Ellsa Jabari had been a victim of an experiment gone wrong by her psycho boss who had been obsessed with her and wanted her under his control. Daniel easily believed that because that was the only way anyone could ever control Ellsa. She was her own woman with no chills for anyone. The botched experiment had resulted in the death of a lot of men Ellie had once dated and her subsequent arrest as a serial murderer.

Ellsa was a victim, who still suffered the effects of the experimental surgery to her brain. She had no memory of her past and what her life was like, and what she had presently, had been carefully constructed by her protectors and was now being maintained by her family. Ellsa Jabari became Tasha Smith and was now Tasha Chan after she married Dale’s cousin Damien Chan, whom she had apparently met once, years ago, when she was running away from her psycho boss. Now, she was a homebody housewife with little experience of the real world aside from what she gets from the television screen, with three children and the brightest personality he’d ever seen.

A completely different person.

A completely different life.

Yes, knowing that did help, but sometimes, times like this, nights when he woke up in a cold sweat suffering phantom pains where he had been stabbed, he hated her a little.

Daniel rubbed his aching chest.

Maybe more than a little.

He raised his hand to find it was still shaking like a druggy fixing for a hit. His other hand on his chest traced over the scar from the surgery that saved his life and slowly moved to those that almost took his life.

His hand shook harder.

Okay, maybe he hated her a lot. But only in that moment. He needed to allow himself that. It was the only way to completely heal his mind. Hopefully, one day, the nightmares will completely disappear. They had already begun to fade like the scars.

He sighed heavily and ran his hands over his face and into his hair. One day, hopefully, he would be at peace again.

He turned on his bedside lamp and checked the time. Five in the morning. Even if he tried he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. He could just start his workout early and extend it by an hour. Exercise the nightmare away and get his body to stop shaking.

He got out of bed and headed downstairs to the ground floor where his workout room was. As he started jogging on the treadmill, he couldn’t help but think about what he believed would be his last thought that night two years ago.

Luciana.

Why had he thought of her and not Ellie?

Ellie was the woman he loved, though unrequited. She was married now with children and he was godfather to her daughter. He was happy for her and he was getting over her. Now Luciana—he up the speed and hit the treadmill harder—she was a long story he wanted to forget.

He finished up his routine and headed up for a shower. It was still pretty early in the morning but there wasn’t much he could do at home. He might as well go to work and get a jump on his cases. He had two new ones he hadn’t taken a look at yet. And he’d just been made senior partner, might as well earn the title. If he couldn’t have a love life, might as well make his career flourish. The sun had just started to rise when he reached the office. He was glad for that. He wasn’t up to entering dark abandoned buildings after the night he had.

Daniel worked for the largest law firm in the city, Steins & Smith. They owned an entire ten story building full of lawyers. One day, he wanted to see his own name up on a placard on a building, maybe an office first, but that would mean leaving his current employ. The two named partners were old fats set in their ways and weren’t open to adding anyone else’s name to theirs, that’s why the firm had nine senior partners and twenty juniors. If someone were to make a little noise and that someone had a million-dollar high profile client lists, he was honored with a branch of his own, his name on the office building too—of course under their own names. A lot of the senior partners had settled for that because truthfully, Steins & Smith carried a lot of weight and a lot of high-profile clients and companies had them on retainer.

Daniel walked into his large corner office. It was the size of his living and dining room combined with an ensuite bathroom and closet. On one side of the office sat his large mahogany desk, set in front of the ceiling to floor window with his back to it. He had his own printer, coffee machine, a large screen TV, a DVD player and stereo. On the other side was a comfortable living space with couches and a coffee table. Against the wall were shelves that held a number of law books, most not his own. The corner shelves held CDs, audio law books and some music.

Anyone would be seduced by all this and a number had, that’s why they stayed or accepted a branch. But Daniel wouldn’t be like them. He was going to stay with them for another year or two, get as much attention as possible then leave. He wouldn’t try to steal the firm’s clients, instead, he’ll make sure they follow him on their own accord. For that, he needed to be better than what he was now, and he was one of the best.

The day went by fast and he’d hardly noticed until his secretary asked if he needed anything before she knocked off for the day. Her interruption had forced him to take a break and only then did he realize he hadn’t eaten anything the entire day. But his secretary, as always had taken care of that for him, and in his fridge, built into the wall, was a turkey sandwich and salad waiting for him. He’d gotten most of what he’d wanted to do done, so he would just eat and then take off. Hopefully he would be able to catch up on lost sleep.

He was halfway through with his food when Steins walked into his office. Daniel quickly got up on his feet and greeted him.

Steins looked at the food on his coffee table and back up at him with a chastising smile, One day you’ll collapse and people are going to think my law firm is a sweat shop.

Daniel looked around him at his office, Fancy looking sweat shop you got here.

Steins laughed, harder than necessary. Something was up. Daniel had the sneaky suspicion this wasn’t a courtesy visit.

How may I help you Mr. Steins?

He nodded, impressed, Nothing gets past you, does it Baker? Follow me. With that he turned around and walked out the door.

Yup, something was up, something big. Daniel dusted his mouth off of breadcrumbs and straightened his clothes before he quickly followed his employer. They took the elevator a floor up where his office was—just his and Smith’s office. Yes, they lived the good life and if he remembered correctly, it had been almost ten years since either of them had worked on a case. When they appeared in court, it was just for the formality—a smokes and mirrors kind of thing. Come to think of it, he was right. They did all the work and Smith and Steins benefited from it, no different from a sweat shop, just fancier working environment and six figure salaries, a zero less than their own of course.

When they got off the lift, they went to his side of the floor. The six secretaries that were usually there were gone. They never left before he did. Daniel suddenly felt apprehensive. It was no secret his firm also took on shady clients. He’d managed to avoid grade A scums of the earth—yes, he had them categorized, it made him question his career choice less that way—and though he knew he would one day be forced to take one on, he’d hoped it wouldn’t be any time soon.

He took a step into the office, right behind his boss then froze, his already precarious heart skipping a huge beat.

Baker, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Tomas Jones and his wife, Luciana.

There she was, Luciana Garcia—no, Luciana Jones. The last time he saw her, she was getting married. Daniel looked at her husband again. He was a short round man with shiny over gelled hair with a receding hairline who clearly shopped at pimps-r-us. From the double-breasted pinstripe suit with giant lapels and six rows of buttons matching down the over long jacket that made his pot belly look even bigger. He wore gaudy gold rings on his fingers and with the golden headed cane he held in front of him, he was the picture cliché of a two-dollar mobster. She had left him to marry a man clearly twice her age just to be, from what Daniel could tell, an arm ornament no different from the cane in her husband’s hand.

And she... she looked exactly like that, arm candy. Oh no, that wasn’t right. She was a married woman, so she looked exactly like a trophy wife. The cliché old Hollywood version of it of course, with blonde hair, red lips, her oversized mint coat that was knee length, which he could only guess covered an exposing mini dress. To top it off, her gold hooped earrings matched her strapped sky-high heels. Could she even walk in those?

Standing next to each other, they looked like a perfect number ten stuck in the wrong era.

He turned his head to the side and laughed humorlessly.

Is there a problem Mr. Baker? What's so funny? Tomas Jones demanded, lowering his voice to sound threatening.

Daniel turned back to the mismatched couple and held back a snort. He was going to have to try harder if he was trying to intimidate him. Daniel knew fear. He’d looked her right in the eye as she curved him up. He’ll have to be the devil to top that.

Aside from the fact it wasn’t Halloween, nothing at all, he thought to himself before he spoke, Nothing. Nothing at all. Everything is fine.

Daniel stepped fully into the room and turned his attention to Mr. Steins. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to. From the look on his boss’s face he could already tell what Daniel was thinking—he’d rather eat shit than take this case.

Daniel, Mr. Jones has a little problem I know you can take care of without breaking a sweat. Steins spoke, holding Daniel’s gaze with his stern one. In other words, go ahead and eat shit, he was taking the case whether he liked it or not.

Then turning away from Daniel to his new clients with his best fake smile, pointed at the sofas facing each other with a table between them, Please, let’s all have a seat.

Daniel watched the couple take their seats before he reluctantly followed, sitting next to Steins and opposite from them. He kept his eyes on Jones and away from Luciana. He didn’t want to start being curious about her. Curiosity would only stir up memories. That would only lead to trouble.

I haven’t had a chance to update Baker on the details of the case yet, but I think it’s best he hears the major particulars from you.

Jones leaned back comfortably against the couch and the buttons of his jacket strained. The feds are charging me with fraud. All trampled up of course.

Of course, Daniel echoed with a patronizing nod.

If Jones heard the sarcastic tone, he clearly ignored it as he went on, They say I defrauded the state for millions from the development contracts I was awarded over the years.

And if Daniel was to guess, he probably bribed a few people to get those contracts.

The room fell silent and everyone turned to stare at him. Daniel just kept his gaze on Jones. He didn’t need to ask any questions, just one look at him and it was clear he did it. Was he seriously going to be stuck defending this slime ball? Steins couldn’t possibly hate him, he said Daniel was one of his favorites.

He felt his boss’ elbow dig into his ribs. Just a week into the promotion and he was already getting screwed for it.

What evidence do they have on you? he asked for the hell of it and because he didn’t want to get