Circle of Deception 2

by Skye, M.

  “I’m just happy to see my angels up this early. How did you sleep, sweetie?” Allison sank her head and sighed. “What’s wrong?”

  “I had a bad dream. I thought you were leaving just like my old mommy did.”

  Meg ran her fingers through her Golden locks and kissed her forehead. “This mommy will never leave you. I’m always going to be here to love and protect you and Jordan, and so will daddy. We just need you to understand that you can’t treat mommy with disrespect.”

  “I know, but the lady...”

  “What lady?” Alex chimed in.

  “Nothing, daddy.” She cut herself off.

  “Allison you can talk to us. Your mommy loves you, and you can tell her anything.”

  “Daddy is she really my mommy too? Jordan looks like her, but I don’t. I want to look like her too.”

  Alex pulled her to him and sat her on the knee opposite Jordan. “Yes, Jordan looks like her, but you look like me. You see we have one of each, a child that looks like me and one that looks like mommy. You’re beautiful just like she is, even though she doesn’t look just like you, and yes, baby, she is really your mommy. She loves you more than anything. It was even her idea to let you have your party. It won’t be the big one you wanted, but at least your mom thought of you.”

  “Thank you,” Allison squealed and jumped into her arms. Meg hugged her tighter and inhaled deeply. Alex grinned as he watch them together. He hadn’t decided up until that moment that they would still have a party, but he would do anything to make Meg smile again. He knew the stress she was under regarding Allison, and needed to rectify the situation.

  Now, he had other things on his mind, like who was this woman Allison mentioned. He knew there had to be something to account for her change in attitude, but who could she be referring to? The only time she wasn’t around them was when she was at school, and surely none of her teachers would be stupid enough to comment to a child about their family.

  He watched Meg closely, as the gears in her head clicked and knew she was wondering the same thing as him. They both knew they had to get the truth from her some way, but how? It was already clear she was reluctant to discuss this mystery woman with them, they only hoped they would figure it out soon. Whoever she was he knew she either worked at the school or had a child attending there, and she had better be ready because when she got a piece of Alex Hanover, she was going to need a lot more than just a new job. He would see to it that her ass was nailed to the wall.

  Meg released Allison slowly and they both watched as she showered Jordan with her sweet little kisses. She was no demon at all, just a misunderstood little girl in need of reassurance that her place was still relevant. She loved Jordan, it was evident by the way she was all over him, and he adored her. Every time she kissed him, he kicked his legs out excitedly. It was the best little scene, and Meg and Alex sat back like two proud parents until Matt walked by and propped himself up in the doorway.

  “What’s up?” Alex asked as he looked at the goofy expression on his face.

  “This is what I want.”

  “What?” Alex asked curiously.

  “Mornings in bed with my wife and our little girl. Maybe we’ll get lucky and have a son too. I realize this is what it’s all about.”

  Meg smiled at him and picked Jordan up to walk over to him. “Here, Uncle Matt, you can borrow Jordan until you have a son of your own, and I’m sure Alli will lend you some little girl kisses until you see Cici again. Won’t you Alli?”

  “Yes.” She ran over and hugged Matt around his legs. “I love you, Uncle Matt. When are you going back home? I’m going to miss you.”

  “I will miss you too, sweetie, but I miss your Aunt Lele and your cousin Cienna very much.”

  “Why didn’t they come with you? You could all stay in your room.”

  Matt chuckled at her wide-eyed innocence. “Well, Uncle Matt is on a timeout, and when he is out of trouble then he can go home.”

  “Just like grandpa?”

  “Not quite like grandpa. You see, I can do things that grandpa can’t.”

  “Like come to my party?” she lowered her head.

  “I’m afraid so, but at least you have all of us. We are going to have the best time, right munchkin?” he babbled to Jordan. Jordan mumbled something incoherently and they all laughed. “You see Alli, Jordan said yes.”

  “He did not. He can’t talk yet, and plus daddy says his first words will be Dada.”

  “That’s right,” Alex chimed in.

  “No way,” Meg swatted. “I got five on it that he says mama first.”

  “See, you’re all wrong, his first word will be Papi, in honor of his favorite grandfather,” Emilio announced from the hallway.

  “Dad?” Meg questioned quietly.

  “In the flesh,” he stepped into the room wearing a huge grin with presents in tow. “I brought gifts!”

  “Papi!” Allison ran to him.

  “Hey, Alli bear. Papi has gifts for the best five year old in the world.”

  “I’m six, papi.”

  “Not for a few more days. Who taught you to lie about your age already?”

  “Aunt Em.”

  “Remind me to choke her,” Alex walked over to greet Emilio. “What brings you into town?”

  “My grandchild’s birthday, of course, and I wanted to check up on everything,” he turned to Matt, who was now a bright red shade. “Now give me that darling boy.”

  Emilio played with the kids and talked about his most recent travels while Matt sat back nervous. He knew Emilio had some knowledge of what was going on between him and Melia, and it made him skittish. They had always gotten along in the past, but with his daughter’s happiness at stake, Emilio was bound to have some type of opinion. The all sat there for a while longer, and then Marisol came for the kids, letting them know it was time to change and feed Jordan, and it was time for Allison to head to school. Through all the commotion, Matt tried to back out, only to be called back by Emilio.

  “Son, come and talk to me. Tell me what’s going on between you and my daughter.”

  Matt wished they could table this conversation, but he knew there was no escaping it for the moment. “I would love to talk, Mr. Cardoza, but I have to get to the office.”

  “You own the company, right?” Matt nodded his head subtly. “Well then you can make the time.”

  “Yeah, but we had to let some people go, so I have more responsibilities.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard about your recent downsizing. Just one, right?”

  Matt knew this wasn’t going to be a pleasant situation right off bat. “Yes, just one, but I would rather skip this conversation with you. It’s really just between Melia and me.”

  Matt could tell Emilio was caught off guard by his attitude and stood back. They were silent for a while, and Matt began to grow nervous. He was all set to walk off when Emilio started laughing. “Now that’s the spirit you will need to get Melia back. You were always so passive before, and now, it’s time to stand up and demand what you want. You let her know that you’re fighting for your family and you won’t give up.”

  Matt was taken aback. He was grateful to have his support, but he was thrown off. “Wait, aren’t you supposed to hate me for hurting your daughter?”

  “You are adults. You have both said and done things you didn’t mean, but you are still her husband and the father of my beautiful grandchild. You have always taken care of them, and I can respect that. Everyone has a rough patch. You just have to know when to stand tall.”

  “Thank you. You will never know how much your faith means to me. I’m fighting my way back to her. I’m doing whatever I can to show her how important my family is to me.”

  “That’s all you can do. Go ahead and get to work, son. I’ll be here for a while. We will have more of an opportunity to talk.”

  As Matt left the room and got ready for work, Alex reappeared and alerted Emilio that it was also time for them to leave. He told him he was
headed to drop Jordan off at Melissa’s and Emilio readily volunteered to take him instead. He he wanted more time with Jordan, and he also wanted to visit with Melissa for a bit. After about ten minutes, they all left the house together and Meg set off to take Allison to school. Emilio wasn’t sure why, but he had a good feeling about stopping by Melissa’s. He hadn’t seen her since Jordan’s birth, and they had so much to catch up on, like what the progress was on finding Amanda Leon.

  Pulling into Melissa’s driveway, Emilio felt an exuberance he wasn’t familiar with. Maybe it was seeing and spending time with his grandson he wasn’t sure, but he knew, for some odd reason, he felt like a new man. Reaching out to ring the doorbell, he could hear voices from the inside. He laughed to himself and looked down at Jordan, only to have his eyes close tightly when he recognized a familiar scent. When his eyes snapped up, he thought he had seen a ghost.

  ***

  “Maria, can you get it this time? Ernesto’s son doesn’t speak English very well and I’m a little rusty with my Spanish. I need him to know that the roses for him to plant are in the nursery, and I’ll go crazy if I have to explain it one more time,” Melissa laughed.

  “Yeah, I got it.” Normally, she would have been opposed to opening the door, but they had developed a routine. Alex always called on his way through the gate and no one else but the workers would be there this time of the morning. When she swung the door open and found Emilio standing there with Jordan, she froze.

  She wanted to slam the door and run, but her legs wouldn’t move. Emilio sat there mindlessly staring at her with tears in his eyes, and she backed away. He reached for her, but she backed further away until she bumped into Melissa, who gasped when she saw Emilio, holding Jordan. Maria tried to run, but he reached out and grabbed her, handing Jordan off to Melissa.

  “Don’t run, is this really you? Am I imagining this? Is it my heart playing tricks on me? Are you real? Slap me, somebody slap me and wake me up.” When Margaret came out of nowhere and slapped him, he blinked rapidly. “I didn’t mean it for real, crazy woman.” Trying to gather himself, he looked to Maria, who was stifling her laughter. “You’re still here. How did...”

  “Emilio!” Maria screamed after he fell to the floor in a sweaty heap. Melissa and Margaret sat there laughing lightly as Maria tried to revive him. When he finally started to come to, he sat up, looking around the room with a confused expression.

  “I know what this is, you’re playing jokes on me. This is a really cruel joke, ladies.” When Maria ran her hand down his face, he shivered. Only her touch could make him feel that way, and he sat staring into her deep green eyes. He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it gently before reaching out to hug her. Once she was up against him, he inhaled her scent and sighed. “How are you here? I was at your funeral. I touched you, you were dead.”

  “It was Carmen, they killed her by mistake. I have been in hiding.”

  “All this time, you were really here? The boys were right?”

  “Yes, I’m sorry I lied to you all. I thought if I was gone, then Amanda would leave the children to live their lives, and so far, it’s worked. I can’t allow them to know about me until she is found, you must keep our secret.”

  Emilio sat up and held her tighter. “I won’t tell a soul, but your children, they need you. You have to at least talk to them. Have you seen the mess that’s going on now? Melia is leaving Matt and Meg and Alex have been having all types of trouble with Allison. They are falling apart. It’s a good thing everything is okay with Maddie because everyone else is up in flames.”

  “What about Gio, how is our son?”

  “In a mess of his own, He has been out of work frequently, and Meg is really worried about him.”

  “This is all too much,” Maria sighed. “I don’t know what to do. Maybe I should let them know I’m alive.”

  “You can’t,” Melissa screamed. “You have to stay hidden. You don’t know where that maniac is. She could come back to finish the job.”

  Nodding her head slowly, Maria let a tear slide down her cheek. “Melissa is right. I can’t risk it. Emilio, you will just have to help them in my absence.”

  “I understand, sweetheart,” he pulled her closer. “I will keep your secret, but you have to do one thing first.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Kiss me, beautiful. I’ve missed you so much.”

  When Maria flew into his arms, all felt right in her world. Now they could focus on finding Amanda, and she could be with her children again. Being in Emilio’s arms felt better than she remembered and she lost herself in him while the others looked on. When Jordan started to get fussy, Emilio released her and they all retreated to the den for tea. Alex called shortly after they took their seats, and Emilio informed him that he and Jordan had arrived and that they were fine. He looked to Maria and saw her smiling face and added, more than fine.

  ***

  Meg looked over at the clock, and huffed. The day had really flown by for her. Here it was almost noon, and she had been busy every minute since she arrived. When she finally caught up with all the reports that needed her review, she closed her eyes, looking forward to a nice nap at lunch. She laid her head down on her desk, trying to relax just in time to hear her phone buzz.

  “Mrs. Hanover, Mr. Hanover is here for you.” Meg looked down at her cell and then back at the clock. She wasn’t sure what Alex was doing there because they hadn’t made any plans for the day. She was actually looking forward to the down time. Although, she could really go for a steamy interlude, she was exhausted from all the stress and work she had been doing.

  “Send him in, please.”

  When Alex made his way in, she still had her head on the desk, and he dropped the bag he was carrying and began to rub her shoulders. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty. I hope you don’t mind, but I brought you lunch.”

  “I’m so tired, baby, I don’t think I can...” when she looked up and saw the bag he brought in, she instantly felt bad. “Oh, you really meant lunch. I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.”

  “Have I been working you too hard? I know I get a little over zealous, but I just can’t get enough of you.”

  “No, I’m fine. It’s just everything that’s going on is overwhelming.”

  He offered her a sweet smile and slid his hand across her cheek. “Well, here, eat your food, and kick your shoes off. Relax and I’ll give you a massage while you eat.”

  “You’re too good to me, handsome.” She offered him a light kiss and he placed his lips to hers.

  “Anything for you, Angel Face.”

  Meg took a few bites of her food, and watched him as he rubbed her down slowly and sensually. He was making her crazy with his warm caresses. When he bent his head and kissed her foot gently, she shuddered. She was tired before, but now, she wanted him, hard and fast.

  “Alex, come here,” she beaconed in a deep lustful voice.

  “What is it, baby?” he asked as he slid up her body on the chair.

  “Come and give me a proper hello.” When he reached her lips, he placed a slow and lingering kiss on her, thoroughly exploring her mouth like he never had before. When he released her slowly, she gasped for air. Without a second thought, she reached over and grabbed a handful of his shirt and when he drew back slowly, she pulled him back to her.

  “Slow down, honey, I want you to have your rest. We have a party tomorrow, and I know it’s a lot of work.”

  “Shut up and strip.”

  “I only have one shirt, baby, and it’s during business hours. I have to walk out of here, and I doubt you want the women here to see all this.”

  “You’re ruining the mood. If you don’t want me to rip it, then you better take it off now, and get over there and lock that door.”

  Alex jumped over her and rushed towards the door. In an instant, he had it locked and was untying his tie. He unbuttoned his shirt and put it over her desk and pulled his pants and boxers off before pulling her chair forward. When he pul
led her to him, he realized that she had slipped out of her panties and smiled against her neck. “I love you. Every time I think I’ve seen it all, you go and surprise me,” Meg smirked and slid her tongue down his neck, causing him to shiver. “I need you like I’ve never needed anyone.”

  “I crave you. My mouth waters for you, my body screams for you,” she whispered against his lips.

  “Make your mouth scream for me, baby.” When he slid between her legs, he pulled her into his chair and into his lap. She took her position straddling him, and forced herself down on his throbbing erection slowly as he let out a loud moan. As she positioned herself to ride him senseless, he grabbed her hips and closed his eyes. With her hands planted on his shoulders, she began to rock, he gripped her tightly. “Baby, yes!” he shouted.

  “Alex, you have to keep it down. Oh god,” he plunged deeper inside her and she felt her knees shake. “Turn something on. I don’t want to the whole office to hear us.”

  “Let them hear,” he panted. “I don’t give a damn who hears how happy you make me.”

  When he held her down and thrust roughly, she screamed again. Her loud exclamation made him laugh, and she hit him hard. “This is my job. If you can’t respect that, then we have to…uuhh stop! Alex!” she screamed as he plunged deeper. “Stop, let me go.”

  “Okay,” he smirked and released her hips. She was stunned and sat still on his lap. When he began to laugh again, she slapped his chest. His amused demeanor pissed her off and she stood, storming away.

  He just sat watching as she shuffled to pull her clothes to her, and then he stood behind her, pressing her body against the wall. “Stop your pouting. I sent your secretary to lunch, and no one else is close enough to hear anything that goes on in here, you know that. Just turn on some music if it will make you feel better.” He reached for her remote, and turned the music on before approaching her again, but she held her angry expression.

  “I’m mad at you.”

  “Well, get glad,” he replied and surged inside her. She stilled against the wall as he gripped her hips moving behind her with sheer force and speed. When she planted her hands on the door, he placed his head against her neck. “I’m sorry, baby, I would never embarrass you that way. Say you believe me.” When she didn’t respond, and he reached out and slapped her from behind. “Come on, baby, or I’m going to keep spanking you.”