The Illicit Affairs

by Marí, Brittani

Chapter Sixteen

  Wesley

  INNOCENCE WAS SOMETHING PEOPLE took for granted. Your purity, in the beginning, was like a ticking time bomb waiting to erupt, waiting for a chance to disrupt your world. My ignorance of a perfect world was shattered far before my time. While still children, my father’s life of crime and violence gave my brothers and me a glimpse of who we truly were, who we were destined to be.

  ***

  I braced my hands on the edge of my desk, pushing my chair back angrily. “He still hasn’t talked?”

  “No, he hasn’t.” Jarrett stood in front of me. His face was filled with uncertainty.

  I looked at him carefully. He didn’t seem like himself. It appeared something was bothering him.

  “Is there something you’re not sharing with me, Jarrett?” I questioned.

  He swallowed. “We had some complications during the interrogation process.”

  “What types of complications are we talking about?” I pressed, intrigued by this new information.

  He looked down at the floor. His expression spoke louder than words. Unfortunately, I already knew what was coming. “He didn’t make it.”

  I looked at him in disbelief. “You mean you killed him?”

  Jarrett looked up at me before explaining. “I guess you could say that. Sadly, it’s a risk we take when dealing with interrogations. We have better results when we push them to their limits and make it clear we’re not playing games. However, he was a tough one to crack. His loyalty to whomever hired him overpowered reason.”

  I leaned back against the front of my desk, crossing my arms. “I’m aware of the necessary risks, Jarrett. We just need to be more careful. Adding murder to our growing list of issues is something we should try to avoid.”

  “By the way, Wes. He claimed he wasn’t the hired assailant. He swore he was simply hired to do a job.” He nodded.

  I ran my hands through my hair. “For fuck’s sake. I feel like this person is repeating the same lines the man I decided to recruit was using. Who is this person? He’s an expert at making people run in circles. I’m starting to believe he’s never going to slip up.”

  “I agree. Supposedly, he was told to be at a certain spot to throw us off the trail of the person who’s actually responsible. The information he was given was on a need-to-know basis.” Jarrett cleared his throat. “I feel like we’re dealing with someone who just might be in the same league with—”

  At that moment, Calvin decided to walk into my office. He quickly looked over at Jarrett, signaling him to leave. Once he was gone, Calvin shut the door behind him and took a seat in one of the empty chairs in front of my desk. He didn’t look at me. Instead, he kept his attention focused outside the window. It felt like minutes went by before he spoke.

  “I was about to catch a plane to New York when I was informed of a situation you’ve apparently been keeping to yourself.”

  I moved back behind my desk, cautiously taking my seat. I had an idea of what he was referring to, but I was smart enough not to tell on myself, in case I was wrong. He would have to be the one to mention it first.

  “I’m not your enemy, Wesley.” I looked over at him, waiting for him to continue. “I know we’ve had our disagreements in the past, but those are minor issues compared to our true enemies.”

  “I’ve never considered you my enemy, Calvin. Not once has it crossed my mind to think of you in that way. I’m well aware our blood runs thicker than anything else. It always will.”

  He turned in my direction. His gaze never wavered when our eyes met. “Well since we’ve cleared the air, let’s start by discussing Fredrick Hall.”

  I leaned back in my chair, studying him closely, fearing he just might know the information I had chosen to keep to myself for good reasons. I skimmed around the subject lightly.

  “I’ve informed you about our issues concerning him. Is there some new information I should be aware of?”

  He challenged me. “I haven’t quite figured that part out yet. I somehow believe you’re well aware of the information I’ve run across.”

  “Why don’t you tell me what you’re talking about, Calvin, then I’ll let you know if it is news to me.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, the news I feared rushing out of his mouth. “The girl.”

  “What girl? You know I have a reputation, so you might want to be more specific.” I raised my eyebrows.

  He rose from his seat, placing his fist on the front of my desk and leaning toward me. I remained seated, unintimidated. “I’m talking about Alek’s wife, who just so happens to be the daughter of Fredrick Hall.”

  “We don’t know if she’s a threat to us.” I looked up at him, unfazed.

  He paced in front of me. “How can you say that, Wes? She’s the biggest threat out there.”

  I realized my decision to keep the news from him before had been the right one. I could only imagine the irrational thoughts roaming inside his head. His thought process was elimination, but even if I were on board, I would’ve disagreed. Mia’s current position gave her the upper hand if she did prove to be our enemy. That was something my brother would never understand.

  “I’ve been keeping trace of her constantly. I have yet to run across something that proves she’s a threat. I don’t think she actually knows anything,” I stated.

  Calvin frowned. “Are you sure about that? What if she does know something? What if she and her father are in on this together? What if it’s all a sick ploy to bring us down? It’s a brilliant plan—now that I think about it. It makes perfect sense.”

  I rose from my seat. My next words caught me by surprise. “I think you’ve forgotten your place, brother. However, I’m well aware of my own. The situation with the girl is being handled in the way I see fit. I’m perfectly capable of dealing with this, without your irrational opinions.” I cleared my throat. “I’ve never gone to your place of business making demands. I would appreciate it if you granted me with the same respect.”

  “You’re right. I’ve overstepped my boundaries, but my concern is coming from a good place.” He slowly took his seat, rubbing his hands over his face.

  I took my seat, shifting in my chair. I had my own concerns about the situation, but refused to show my doubt to my brother. “I considered running it by you, but quickly came to the conclusion I didn’t need to. She poses a potential threat to many people, and I didn’t want to cause unnecessary alarm. However, as I’ve mentioned before, she’s shown no signs of actually being a threat.” I paused. “Now, her father is a different story. I just have no idea where he is, or if the information about him is even reliable. I have someone looking into it.”

  Calvin stood from his seat, looking down at his watch. “The thing about information, Wes, is it has to come from somewhere. Especially with it making its way to our father. Someone wanted us to know about this, or possibly even use this as a decoy for something bigger. My opinion is that he’s sending us a message for a reason. The girl planted in the middle of it all, well, I’m not too sure about.”

  He was right. The information had to have come from somewhere. I just needed to figure out where exactly. Who would want to cause such a commotion? Who would benefit the most from disrupting our lives?

  The answer was right in front of me the entire time. I couldn’t believe I had been so blind. My father was wiser than I thought. He knew the source right from the beginning. He didn’t know the entire story, but if he did, I knew what he would suggest.

  “We need to take her.” The words came out before I could stop them. I thought they were just floating around in my head, but I was wrong.

  Calvin heard me loud and clear. His response was immediate. “Do you think that’s wise, Wesley? I don’t think Alek would approve of you abducting his wife. It would only give him the ammunition to start a war.”

  “I think we both know every sensible decision has its imperfections. It’s just the way things work.” I rose from my seat, my decisi
on final.

  Calvin walked toward the door. “I can’t argue with you about that, Wes. I’ve been in plenty of situations where taking a huge risk was necessary. You just have to be prepared for the aftermath if it backfires on you.” He placed his hand on the doorknob. “I honestly didn’t think you would be willing to take things to that level. You’ve changed over the years. It’s something we’ve all come to terms with.”

  I looked around my office, taking in every detail. I’d built a legitimate life for myself, but I’d always known it would come to an end and I would be pulled back in. It was inevitable.

  “Yes, I have. However, a man never forgets where it all started and who he truly is. I’m confident I won’t have issues filling the necessary shoes again. I did wear them quite well.”

  He nodded. “Let’s hope not because it appears you’ve come back at a time where things need to be cleaned up a bit, rules set in place. Unfortunately, Justin wasn’t the best at keeping things in order.”

  I thought back to my conversation with my uncle and his opinions about my younger brother. “I’ve been informed of the issues at hand and plan to take the necessary steps to get things back in order. Which brings me back to my reasons for taking the girl. It needs to be done.”

  I didn’t say her name. It would’ve been too personal, to natural coming from my lips. Mia had quickly grown on me. I couldn’t deny it.

  He studied me closely before walking out the door. His words made me question my true motives. My reason for taking such a huge risk concerning Mia.

  “If it means anything to you, I’m glad you’ve decided to come back. Regardless of our differences and issues, I’m man enough to admit this is where you belong, Wesley. Surprisingly, I understand your reasons for walking away from it, but this is who we were born to be. It’s who we are.”

  I gave him an appreciative nod before he shut the door. Calvin was right. I’d known for a long time where I belonged. I just didn’t want to admit the truth. Deep down, I craved the rush of it. I needed to fill that void inside of me.

  I walked over to my desk, considering how I could get the task done. I was sure Alek had increased security for himself and his wife. It was the only sensible thing to do with him being such a huge target right now. My men could quickly get around it, though. It was one of the benefits of being who we were. It was why my family was called on for those difficult situations nobody else could handle. Our reputation and guarantee gave us power many people only dreamed of having, Alek included.

  I pressed the speaker button on my office phone, preparing myself to make a command I knew could potentially end a dozen different ways. My true motives became evident the moment the words left my mouth. My call was answered on the first ring.

  “Boss? What’s up? I haven’t reached out because she hasn’t really—”

  I didn’t allow him to finish. “I need you to put a team together Michael. Use the information you’ve gained from following Mrs. Johnson to get her out of there without causing too much of a scene.”

  There was a brief silence on the other end, but he quickly caught on. “You mean you want us to kidnap her?”

  I took a deep breath. “Only if you look at it that way. I should’ve taken her away from Alek the moment I found out about the attack. I just had hoped things would play out differently. However, things have grown out of our control.”

  “Yes, I agree. Alek’s increased security proves it. Luckily, I’ve noticed several time slots where we can get her alone. They’re just fairly small. He’s even went as far as assigning her an around-the-clock bodyguard, but I’ve memorized his routine. It shouldn’t be hard getting her out of there.”

  I was about to agree to an unspecified time when I realized I’d almost overlooked the perfect opportunity.

  “Don’t worry too much about the time slot, Michael. I have something in mind. I just need to look into it. Make sure you have your men ready when I make the call.”

  “Will do, boss.”

  I ended the call, realizing I would have to take a much more personal approach when detaining Mia. The thought of one of the men touching her inappropriately bothered me. I couldn’t take the chance of it happening. No, I would assist with this job on a personal level because it was a lot more than reassurance for the family business. It was for my own selfish desires, and to take her away from the one man I knew didn’t deserve her.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Mia

  THERE WAS NO SURE way to prepare for the moment your secrets started to come out, the white lies you’d told in your past started to catch up with you. I knew the moment I received the first message what was coming. I didn’t want to accept it. I wasn’t ready for it to all come crashing down around me.

  ***

  “Mrs. Johnson?”

  I looked over at the woman in my home, forcing a smile. She had been kind enough to bring a generous amount of her boutique’s dress collection to me. I tried to appear happy, knowing my smile had slipped throughout her visit. If she noticed my troubled mood, she didn’t say anything.

  “You haven’t told me which gown you would like to wear,” she reminded me.

  I had tried on a substantial number of dresses. They went from risqué to formal, but knowing my husband, I was going for something in between. He would want me on display enough to brag to his colleagues, but let it be known he was the only one to see the full package. I pointed to the one on the right. It was a sleeveless white gown with a full V-neckline traveling almost to the middle of the dress. It was slightly boxy, due to the era it was made in, accompanied by a separate silver fabric wrap with a medium-sized brooch embezzled with crystals around the hip area. The large bay window added an intense glow to the expensive fabric.

  She nodded, clearly relieved that I’d finally made my decision, after almost three hours, both of us on our second mimosa of the morning. The seating area of my bedroom was covered with gowns and accessories. The 1920s theme always proved to be an obstacle for me.

  “Wonderful! It’s one of my real vintage pieces. I was thinking the same thing.” She placed her hands on her hips before rummaging through a small suitcase on one of the end tables. “Now, let’s get to the accessories. I’m thinking something simple with the flattering appeal of the dress.”

  She picked up a jewel-like headband. It had a large white feather on one side. She took a satisfied breath after placing it on my head. “I’d say that’s all you’ll need. You need to wear your hair down. You’ll be the talk of the party.”

  I took her word for it, slowly removing the piece from my head, not wanting to look. I was still reluctant about having the party in the first place. I had several thoughts about all the ways it could end badly. However, my husband proved to be a stubborn man. So, I smiled, faking excitement, something I had grown good at.

  “Suzanne, I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to come by. I’ve just been dealing with a lot the past few weeks. It’s hard to find the time…”

  She nodded in understanding. “I don’t mind at all.”

  I pretended not to hear the sympathy in her voice. The news about Alek’s attack hadn’t taken long to get out. It was all over the news. The speculations surfacing were drugs, crime connections, and bribery that went wrong. I could barely keep up with everyone’s judgment and accusations. Sadly, I couldn’t even deny anything because I didn’t know if they were just speculations.

  It appeared I knew nothing about the man I called my husband. I was suddenly beginning to believe Avery’s opinions about him were for good reason. I struggled not to constantly turn on the news and listen to the accusations surfacing. They were starting to affect my own opinions about him. Some of the things being speculated about strangely made sense.

  I made my way over to the dresser, while Suzanne began collecting her things. I returned with her check and invitation. “Don’t hesitate to show up early, in case I need some help putting my outfit together.”

  When s
he looked down at the check, her eyes grew wide. “Of course, Mrs. Johnson. I’ll let myself out.”

  I took a seat on the sofa while she finished up. It wasn’t long before she made her way downstairs to the foyer. Once I heard the front door close, I nervously grabbed the remote. The flat screen was mounted right above the fireplace, and I held my breath as I turned it on. I had been holding back all day, but I needed to know. I needed to hear what they were accusing my husband of. It was something new each day that passed, and the more I watched, the more I learned. It was already on the news channel, and the gorgeous woman on the screen spoke words that made me question many things Alek had told me in the past. She showed him no mercy.

  “I think it’s about time someone dared to speak up about this. Alek Johnson is a man who preys on the weak and jumps into bed with the powerful. He had to know someone would come after him one day. It was only a matter of time.”

  Two news anchors were seated at an oval table on the screen. The man next to her started to speak.

  “Okay, Delia. If I’m not mistaking, it sounds like you’re praising the person who attempted to kill Alek Johnson—a human being. A judge. A man.”

  She pursed her lips. Her eyes were determined. I could tell she had no intention of backing down.

  “No, Mark. There’s a difference between praising someone for a crime and simply explaining why it might’ve happened. Judge Johnson has a known reputation, and it isn’t necessarily a secret.”

  He cleared his throat.

  “I guess I can understand where you’re coming from, but let’s consider every aspect of the situation. He plays a powerful role. He’s also someone who’s very good at keeping things in order. Is he a ruthless man? Yes, some people might agree. Has he been linked to the world of crime? Of course, there’s been some speculation, but let’s cut the man some slack. He’s being targeted by God knows who, and no matter how you put it, someone attempting to kill him is a crime.”

  The smile the women gave him was filled with satisfaction. The man might have beat around the bush, but he confirmed her point without even knowing it—even if it wasn’t direct. She leaned forward, giving him a hard stare.