Beneath Deception: An Unbreakable Series (Romantic Suspense)

by A. L Long

  After taking a shower for the second time, only this time in the company of Tessa, I headed downstairs to get the cup of coffee that I so desperately needed. Realizing that I had left my cell on the nightstand, I hurried back up the stairs to grab it. When I got to the room, it felt like a knot tightening in the pit of my stomach as I saw Tessa holding my phone. I could only imagine the worst possible scenario as I called her name, “Tessa.”

  There were no words from her as she turned to face me. Confusion filled her eyes, telling me that whoever was on the other line had said too much. Walking up to her, I took my cell from her hand and asked softly, “Who was on the phone, Tessa?”

  Looking up at me like she was seeing me for the first time, she asked hesitantly, “Is your real name Josh Hyatt?”

  It was then that my world began closing in on me. The last thing that I wanted was for her to find out the truth about me before I could tell her myself. Taking her by the hand, I led her to the bed and took a seat. I held my head low trying to hide who I really was. Acting like I didn’t know why the caller would be calling my phone, I asked her again, “Who was on the phone, Tessa?” hoping that she would tell me who it was and what he said to her even though I was certain it was the truth about me.

  “He said his name was Ryan and that he was your brother. He said it was important that he talk to you,” she stated.

  “What else did he say?”

  “He said that he has been looking for you for a long time and to tell you that he forgives you for what you did,” her voice was shaking as she tried to explain. “Xavier, are you this Josh Hyatt person?”

  I had mixed feelings between telling her the truth and lying. Normally it would have been easier to lie and tell her he had the wrong person, but I wasn’t sure if I could do that. I knew that she would find out the truth sooner or later. It was in that split second that I decided to keep my secret a little longer, prolonging what I knew would happen.

  “Tessa, whoever was on the phone had to have had the wrong number. I have no idea who Josh Hyatt is.” Hoping that she would believe what I said, I pulled her close and kissed her on the lips. “Now, how about some coffee.”

  When she nodded her head, we stood from the bed and headed downstairs. Feeling pretty confident that Ryan hadn’t said too much to her, I knew my secret was safe. I also knew that the only way I was going to keep him out of my life was to confront him. Calling him back wasn’t going to be pretty, especially considering what I had to say to him. For now, it would have to wait. My focus was on Tessa and keeping her safe.

  Heading to the kitchen, we found Agnes had outdone herself. The counter looked like a pastry smorgasbord displaying everything from cream filled éclairs to fruit-stuffed croissants. I wasn’t sure how she expected us to eat all this food, but again she had prepared a meal for an army. Dishing ourselves, we decided to eat our delicious meal out on the back deck. Even though the view wasn’t much to talk about since the cabin was surrounded by hundreds of pine trees, it was a welcome change.

  Pulling open the glass door, we found that Jonathan must have had the same thought. He was already digging into his breakfast and enjoying the fresh air that the mountains provided. Taking hold of one of the chairs, I pulled it out for Tessa and waited for her to get settled before taking a seat myself. Jonathan’s eyes were following our every move, anticipating what we would do next.

  I just about choked on my food when he said, “Colin is back in town and we have a meeting with him this afternoon.”

  Once my throat was clear of the obstruction that prevented me from responding, I asked, “Did you just say what I thought you said? I think this fresh air may be messing with your judgement.”

  “He wants to hash things out. He feels that we can come to a mutual agreement without anyone getting hurt,” Jonathan stated.

  “And you believe him?” I questioned.

  Looking over to Tessa, her face had turned pale and she looked like she was about to be sick. Watching her push from the table, she covered her mouth and quickly escaped to the inside of the house. Giving Jonathan a disapproving look, I said, “This conversation isn’t over.” Moving my chair back, I quickly rose from my seat and went after her. How the hell could Jonathan do this to his daughter knowing good and well that Colin was offering a compromise only to get Tessa back in his bed?

  ~Twenty~

  When I got back to the room, Tessa had her bag on the bed and was throwing everything she owned inside it. I knew that she never wanted to see Colin again. I wasn’t sure that running away was the best option even though I would have taken her wherever she wanted to go. I of all people knew exactly what it felt like to escape.

  She was running around at a hundred miles an hour, but somehow, I managed to grab hold of her and hold her tight. Something inside her snapped and the tears began to fall. She was mumbling against my chest, but I heard every word she said, “I don’t want to go back to him, Xavier.”

  “Look at me, Tessa,” I requested. When her eyes rose to meet mine, I assured her, “I would never allow him to take you from me… but if we don’t meet with him, I’m afraid we would be constantly looking over our shoulders wondering if he would find us. What kind of life would that be?”

  I felt like such a hypocrite. I had been hiding for nearly a year, and even though it was worth it, my past had finally caught up with me. Sooner or later, the one thing that I cared about would be taken away from me.

  Giving her the assurance that she needed, we headed back downstairs to find out more about the meeting arrangement that Jonathan made with Colin. Jonathan was still on the back deck finishing up his breakfast. It was evident that he knew Tessa was upset with his decision to meet with Colin. Given everything that she had gone through, it was well justified. Before anything was said, I looked over to Tessa and gave her a comforting smile. “Tell us about this meeting with Colin. One thing that will not be compromised is Tessa’s safety. I want to make sure we are on the same page regarding this.”

  “I would never agree to anything that would compromise her safely. While you checked on Tessa, I contacted Colin and told him that in order for this meeting to take place, Tessa would not be included. With a little hesitation, he finally agreed. We are meeting at Criss Cross tomorrow at noon.”

  “Good. One question though. Why did Colin shorten his trip? He wasn’t supposed to be back until next week,” I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

  “That is something you will need to ask him tomorrow. If there is one thing I know about Colin Gates, he always has an agenda for everything. It wouldn’t surprise me if he found out about our relationship,” Jonathan replied.

  Tessa’s demeanor changed the minute Jonathan stated that it would only be the two of us meeting with Colin tomorrow. Thinking about what Jonathan said, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if this meeting ended up being a trap. There was one thing I had to agree with, Colin always had an agenda, and it usually meant someone had to die.

  ~*~*~*~

  The morning came and went, and even though I promised Tessa that I would be back, I got the feeling that she didn’t believe me, and her expression confirmed her apprehension. I had no idea what this meeting would bring, but I was prepared for the worst possible scenario. Jonathan, on the other hand, went with his instincts that Colin really wanted Tessa and in order to get her, he would be offering something in exchange. What Jonathan didn’t take into account was the fact that Colin would do anything to have her, even if it meant removing any and all obstacles, namely us.

  Kissing Tessa one last time, I opened the passenger door of Jonathan’s Audi and got in. Jonathan insisted on driving since it was logical to take his car. As we headed down the bumpy road, my time was spent thinking of different outcomes to this meeting, the worst being that we both would end up dead and Colin would have Tessa. There was no way I could let that happen. My best bet would be to be prepared for anything, which included accepting the 9mm that Jonathan offered to me.


  Two hours later we were parked in front of Criss Cross with fifteen minutes to spare. Colin hadn’t arrived yet, which meant that we had a few minutes to discuss what our game plan would be in the event things got hairy. Turned out that Jonathan had been preparing for this day for a long time. Maybe not exactly under the same circumstances, but meeting up with Colin Gates again nonetheless. The security he had in place was state of the art and even came with his own army of men. With a flick of a switch they would be here in an instant.

  When the call came from Darcy announcing that Gates had arrived, we knew that in a matter of minutes we would know the direction this meeting would take. Taking a seat on the couch, trying to seem as relaxed as possible, I waited for Colin to enter the office. Jonathan took his place on the edge of his desk with his arms crossed at his chest, exhibiting that he was more relaxed than me.

  Minutes later, Colin entered Jonathan’s office, causing him to move from his perch to a standing position. I remained where I was, unable to make eye contact with Colin as he came closer to us. He was alone, which I found rather odd considering that Simon was always one step behind him. Maybe this was nothing more than a meeting with no other agenda.

  Reaching out his hand to Jonathan, he stated arrogantly, “It’s been a while, my friend.”

  I was pretty sure the consensus was unanimous. Colin was by far no friend of Jonathan’s, which was evident when he replied, “Mr. Gates.” It was definitely a slap in the face the way he addressed Colin in such a formal manner, something friends would never do.

  Taking an arrogant stance, Colin took a seat behind Jonathan’s desk, like he owned the place. Stating his claim, he indicated, “You have done well for yourself, Evans. Maybe it’s time we renegotiate the terms of our contract.”

  I had no idea what the hell he was taking about, but Jonathan’s fists clenched into tight balls when he turned to face Colin. “Are you fucking kidding me? I’ve worked my ass off after you took everything from me. You have some balls to ask for more.”

  “Lighten up, Evans. I was joking. But I would like to offer you a proposition,” he replied as he leaned back in the chair and propped his feet on the desk, crossing them at the ankles. “I’m hosting a party at my house this weekend and I would like for you and Tessa to be there. There are some investors I would like you to meet.”

  “And why would I want to meet any of your low-life friends?” Jonathan hissed.

  “Let’s just say, you don’t have much of a choice considering I could pull this business right out from under you, just like you did my sweet Tessa.” Not only was Jonathan steaming over Colin’s remark, my temperature was at a boiling point, ready to explode.

  Rising from my seat, I voiced between gritted teeth, “There is no way I am going to let Tessa come anywhere near you.”

  “Mr. London, tsk, tsk, tsk,” he responded, holding his index finger up, moving it back and forth as though I was a child being disciplined. “I’m afraid you have no say in this, unless of course, you would like certain information about your past to be known. Besides, I have no intention of doing anything to Tessa. She has served her purpose. I’m sure you have experienced what a great fuck she is.”

  If I hadn’t been pissed before, I was now as I lunged towards him, ready to strangle his scrawny neck. Luckily for him, Jonathan stepped in, holding me back from what I should have done a year ago. With his cocky ass grin, he planted his feet on the floor and stood from his chair. Tugging on the bottom of his $1000 suit coat, he rounded Jonathan’s desk, keeping his beady eyes glued to mine. Before he left the room, he stopped and said, “The party begins at eight p.m. sharp. This a formal affair, so please dress appropriately, Mr. London, and make sure Tessa has something beautiful to wear.”

  Colin’s last gesture before he left was placing what appeared to be a bundle of hundreds totaling five grand on the coffee table. I could have taken the money and shoved it up his ass, but instead, I decided to hold on to it. I thought Darcy deserved a bonus for putting up with Jonathan all these years.

  ~*~*~*~

  Driving back to Jonathan’s cabin, there was one thing that bothered me about the meeting with Colin. When he mentioned that he and Jonathan had some sort or agreement, it piqued my curiosity. The hatred between them was mutual, even though I suspected that Colin’s hatred was deeper, considering he wanted Jonathan dead.

  Looking over at Jonathan, I asked point blank, “What kind of arrangement do you have with Gates?”

  I could see Jonathan’s grip tighten on the steering wheel. Taking an exasperated breath, he answered, “Even though we haven’t had any business dealings for some time, he still owns 50% of Criss Cross. To this day, he refuses to allow me to buy him out. I think that may have been one of the reasons he wanted me dead. With me gone, he would be awarded my half of the company.”

  The pieces to this puzzle were beginning to come together. I just couldn’t believe that Colin would forfeit having Jonathan out of the way in order to introduce him to potential investors. It just didn’t make sense. It was no wonder that Jonathan was hesitant in meeting with them.

  ~Twenty-One~

  I couldn’t blame Tessa at all for not wanting to go the party that Colin was having. She wanted to stay as far away from him as possible. Even spending an hour convincing her that she would be safe didn’t change her mind. I had only two days to persuade her to go, but the problem was, she refused to talk about it. I thought that a little convincing was in order.

  Snuggling up to her warm body, I began nibbling on her ear lobe, which I knew drove her absolutely crazy. I could see a smile crop up. She shrugged her shoulders, thinking that it would block my lips, but all it did was make me want her more. Rolling her towards me, I pinned her hands above her head, straddled her body, and continued my feast on her as I moved to the back of her ear and down her neck. Her body began to squirm, and I knew her panties were on the verge of being soaked.

  Bucking her hips, she pleaded, “Uncle.”

  “Not until you agree to go to the party,” I replied.

  Her face became serious as she said, “I can’t, Xavier. I am afraid of what could happen.”

  Gazing down at her, I brushed my hand across her cheek and said, “Tessa, I will never let anything happen to you. You will be next to me the whole time. There is no way I am letting you out of my sight.”

  I must have made my argument, because she let down her guard and agreed to go. Seizing her lips, I gave her a deep kiss, penetrating every ounce of her sweetness, washing away any doubt that I wouldn’t go to great lengths to protect her. Moving my hand lower, I slid it down her stomach to the apex of her thigh. The heat of her desire branded me as I snaked my hand under her moistened panties. There was nothing sexier than an aroused woman. Taking the initiative, she removed her silky panties and threw them on the floor. Her breasts heaved with excitement as her breath hitched when I dipped my middle finger inside her pussy. Adding another finger, I found the one spot that I knew would send her over the edge. Her legs parted like the Red Sea and her body began to move, feeling and taking in the pleasure I was giving her.

  Without hesitation, I removed my fingers, sensing that she was close, and replaced them with my mouth, working my tongue between her slick folds. As I licked and sucked the essence of her womanhood, she filled my senses so much that my cock could not resist a taste. Pulling off my boxers, I nuzzled between her legs, feeling the heat of her body burn into mine. Caressing the globes of her ass, I pulled her closer, wanting to feel every part of her.

  He hips rested on my thighs and her legs wrapped tightly around my waist. As I slowly entered her, she lifted her hips slightly, using her hand as support. My cock slipped between her wet folds and was imprisoned by the warmth of her sweet cage. Pleasure racked my body with each tender thrust. A hum of satisfaction slipped from her lips as she leaned against the strength of her arms to allow me to penetrate her fully. Her scent was intoxicating as the heat between us began to ignite. Pleasure drenched ou
r bodies as the feel of each other, skin on skin, mixed together, bringing us both to the ultimate release.

  When the sound of pleasure turned into whimpers of sadness, my heart ached with no other reason than feeling her warm tears trickling down my back. Holding her a distance no more than a couple of inches from my body. I raised her chin gently with my hand and asked, “Tessa, what is it?”

  “I’m falling in love with you and it pains me so that we can never be together.” The words were almost more than I could take.

  Looking into her tear-drenched eyes, I spoke the words I thought I would never say, “I love you, Tessa, and nothing will separate us, ever,” before capturing her lips.

  ~*~*~*~

  With only a few days until Colin’s party. Tessa still hadn’t found the right dress to wear. Agnes was thrilled when Jonathan suggested that the two of them go shopping. Even though Agnes is a wonderful lady, her taste was less than desirable. The frustration on Tessa’s face explained everything when they returned to the cabin empty-handed. Turned out that Agnes had chosen several dresses that were very conservative, more like what a nun would wear, while everything that Tessa had chosen was too sexy and risky in Agnes’ opinion. Her words to Tessa were, “Women need to show a little modesty. Always keep them wondering what’s beneath the garment.”