But just as they were coming down from their cum, Alex’s cell phone began ringing. They both knew it was London again: he needed to get back to the negotiating table. But Alex was negotiating his future and the rest of his life with the woman and son he loved.
He ignored the call.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Selinda was out at the pool sipping rum and reading over their last distributions when her cell phone rang. When she saw that it was DayVon, she answered quickly.
“Hello,” she said. “Why haven’t you phoned me sooner?”
“They had me in what amounted to a holding cell,” DayVon said. “But I’m out now. My entire story checked out. They had no choice but to let me go.”
“And what about the situation? How is it looking?”
“Favorable. Both mother and son are in awe of me. But it won’t last long.”
“Why do you say that?”
“That Alex Drakos will not leave their side. He’s hovering over both of them, like a father goose.”
“So, what is your plan, Dajalla?” Selinda asked.
“I will have to act sooner than I wanted to.”
“Sooner? How much sooner?”
“Like right away. I must do something to solidify me and the boy against Drakos.”
“And if it does not work?” Selinda asked.
“Then we’ll have to take matters into our own hands. But our time is limited. I see that already. I need backup here, on the first plane.”
“Your brothers?” Selinda asked.
“Hell no,” said DayVon. “I need professionals.”
“You never use your brothers for anything,” Selinda said. “You hate them.”
“Just get back up here, and keep them out of sight. I need to act quickly.”
“Then act quickly,” said Selinda. “If you feel the door is closing, that means it’s closing. Don’t give Drakos a chance to get Jordan’s attention.”
“I won’t.”
“Drakos may be the father goose, but Jordan’s our golden goose. That money, and our connection to it, will run through him. Forget the mother. Focus on the child. Because if you win the heart of the son, you will win the heart of the mother. I know these things,” she said.
Then she added, “Keep me up to date,” but DayVon had already ended the call.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Oz and Jordan, with Lucinda Mayes, were in the kitchen, around the center island, by the time Alex and Kari showered and dressed and made their way downstairs. And Alex’s cell phone rang yet again. It was his negotiators in London, he already knew it. But this time, he moved away from the group and answered the call.
Lucinda tossed her blonde hair and smiled when she saw Kari coming her way. “I heard the rumors all around town last night,” she said to her, “but I didn’t believe it for a second. I figured it was just these old biddies around here still trying to make trouble for you and Alex. But then Faye calls me this morning and tells me it’s true, that the rumors are actually true, and I’m blown away. I just had to rush right over.”
“We’re still getting adjusted to it ourselves,” Kari said as she hugged Lucinda’s neck. A true friend indeed who used to throw Kari extra work at Lucinda’s Diner when Kari was struggling to stay afloat, Kari had no problem with Faye sharing the news with Lou.
“You said he was dead, and we all assumed it was right,” said Lucinda. “But it wasn’t?”
Kari sat beside Lucinda. She shook her head. “It wasn’t. I was a sixteen-year-old living in the hood. His mother knew I was powerless. She told me what she wanted me to know.”
“She wanted you and Jordan out of her son’s life.”
Kari nodded. “That’s exactly what she wanted.”
“The bitch,” said Lucinda, and Oz laughed.
But Jordan failed to see the humor. “That’s my grandma you’re talking about, Auntie Lou,” he said.
Lucinda caught herself. “Oh. Well, of course I wouldn’t want to speak disparagingly of your grandmother. I just . . . “ She looked at Kari. Jordan was dead serious, and she was surprised.
But Kari was worried about Jordan. As Jordan began pouring his mother a cup of hot coffee, she walked over and stood beside him.
“Hey,” she said to him.
“Hey,” he said to her as he poured.
“How you doing?”
Jordan nodded his head. “I’m doing okay, Ma. I’m good.”
“This has been some shocking news,” Kari said.
Jordan smiled. “That’s what they call it?” He handed the cup of coffee to Kari.
“What do you call it?” She accepted the cup.
“I call it a miracle,” said Jordan. “We thought Dad was dead. But he’s been alive all this time? It’s a miracle, Ma.”
Kari thought about it. And she understood what Jordan meant. “The question is,” she said as she took a quick sip from her cup of coffee, “what are we going to do about this miracle?”
“What do you mean?” Jordan asked. “We’re going to love him and help him and do whatever we can for him. That’s what we’re going to do. Right, Ma?”
Kari felt so torn she didn’t know what to say. She was so happy to have DayVon alive and well and in Jordan’s life. And seemed so happy to see Jordan again. He seemed exactly like the DayVon she used to know. And even Alex admitted his story checked out. He was in a shooting. He did suffer amnesia. It all checked out. There wasn’t even any proof that he was involved in any illegal activities either. It was all checking out.
And, if she was ever to admit it, she still had feelings for DayVon. Very strong feelings for DayVon.
But it wasn’t just about DayVon.
It was about Alex too.
“Just remember that Alex is your father now,” Kari said. “He adopted you, and has taken very good care of both of us. Don’t forget that, Jordan.”
Jordan frowned. “You know I won’t, Ma. But . . .”
“But what?” Kari asked, looking at Jordan.
“But DayVon is my flesh and blood. I came from him. I’m his son and he’s my father. Alex is my father, too, but . . .”
Jordan looked at his mother with confusion in his eyes. He pushed his glasses up on his face.
Kari sat the coffee down and pulled Jordan into his arms. “I understand, baby,” she said.
“What do I do?” Jordan asked as they stopped embracing. “I’m happy to have both of them.”
“You continue to be happy to have both of them,” said Kari. “That’s what you do. Being happy that your biological father is alive and well is a good thing, Jordan. Being happy that Alex is your father, too, is a good thing. You can have both,” she assured him. Although she wasn’t at all so sure if both men would agree.
“What are you two over here plotting and scheming about?” asked Oz as he came over to pour himself a cup of coffee.
“How to get rid of you,” Jordan responded, and Oz ruffled up Jordan’s curly hair, causing him to laugh and play-fight with his uncle.
Kari took her coffee and went and sat back beside Lucinda. “Hey, girl,” she said.
“Jordan’s happy to have his father back in his life, I see,” said Lucinda.
“Very happy. You see him.”
“And what about Alex?” asked Lucinda. “Is he happy?”
Kari glanced over at Alex, who was still on the phone. Then she looked back at her cup of coffee. “No,” she said truthfully, and then looked at Lucinda.
Lucinda exhaled. “Figures,” she said. “But what about you, Kari? Are you happy he’s here?”
Kari hesitated. “Yes,” she said, and took a sip from her cup of coffee.
“If I can recall the way you used to tell us about him, it was as if he was the love of your life.”
Kari nodded. “He was. But now Alex is.”
“But those feelings don’t just go away,” said Lucinda. “Especially when what you thought was the reason for his departure wasn’t really true.”
/> Kari nodded. “I know.”
Lucinda looked over at Alex as Alex continued to have his phone conversation. “Does Alex realize it?”
Kari looked at Alex too. She remembered how hard he made love to her before they made it downstairs, as if he was reclaiming her. “Yes,” she said. “He realizes it. But he doesn’t have anything to worry about,” Kari added.
“Maybe,” added Lucinda, and Kari looked at her.
Kari looked at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“DayVon is a very attractive man, is what I’m hearing. Alex is very attractive, too, but they say he’s got nothing on this guy DayVon.
“I don’t know who they are that says that,” Kari said, “but Alex can hold his own with anybody, thank you.”
“I hear you, girl, I hear you. You always defend him, no matter what.”
Kari looked at Lucinda as if she was talking Russian. She and Alex had had battles, they disagreed so much. But she wasn’t about to get into it with Lucinda. She had enough on her plate.
Alex completed his call and made his way over to the family just as Oz and Jordan stopped horsing around.
“London?” Oz asked his brother.
Alex nodded. “Yes.”
“Let me guess: the deal is falling apart if you don’t get your ass back there?”
Alex exhaled. “Something like that,” he said.
“Then you need to go,” said Oz.
“So do I,” said Lucinda as she rose to her feet. “I have a business to run. Just wanted to hear it for myself.” She gave Kari a hug. “Stay sweet,” she said to Kari. Then she walked around a gave Jordan a hug. “Be good,” she said to him.
“I will, Auntie Lou. You are coming to my birthday party next Saturday night, right?”
“I heard last night’s party was canceled and your parents changed the date, but I thought it was still going to be a surprise to you,” Lucinda said.
Kari answered for Jordan. “It was going to be a surprise party when it was going to take place last night,” she said. “But after the drama we had yesterday, Oz decided I couldn’t take any more surprises and canceled the party.”
“I know I got a call from somebody on your staff about the rescheduled date on yesterday,” Lucinda said, “but she didn’t say it was no longer going to be a surprise party.”
“She didn’t know at the time,” said Kari. “Oz was handling it and he didn’t know himself, at the time, what I wanted to have at that point.”
“Ma decided to let me in on it,” Jordan said, “because she didn’t want me to think she forgot about my birthday, but mainly because she didn’t think I needed any more surprises either.”
Lucinda laughed. “Then yes, I will be at your party next week, Jordan. I think half of Apple Valley plans to be there.”
“That’s good to know,” Jordan said with a smile. He was never the most popular kid in school, but he knew the Drakos name was. Everybody wanted in on any event a Drakos was having.
“Anyway, I’ve got to run,” Lucinda said, and said her goodbyes to Alex and Oz, too, as she left the penthouse.
Oz looked at Alex. “You need to get back to England, brother,” he said. “After what the suits said, we need that deal.”
“I know that,” Alex said. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Then why are you still here?” Oz asked.
Alex knew why. He didn’t want to lose his family, that was why.
But Jordan had a different take. “Because he wants to celebrate our great news, too,” he said.
Oz looked at the youngster. Celebrate? He thought Alex was celebrating the fact that DayVon Clarke was alive and well and looking to take over their hearts? Foolish boy!
But that didn’t stop Jordan from going there. “DayVon wants to take me out today,” he said.
Alex, Kari, and Oz all looked at him at the same time. “Take you out where?” Alex asked him.
“Just out with him,” he said. “Just a day out.”
“What did you tell him?” Kari asked.
“I told him sure. What was I supposed to tell him?”
Kari looked at Alex. Although DayVon’s story seemed to check out, she knew Alex still held his doubts.
“What’s wrong?” Jordan asked. “I can go with him, right? Right, Dad?”
“Only if I come with you,” Alex said. “Your mother and I.”
Jordan smiled. “I’m not a little kid,” he said. “I don’t need a chaperone to be with my own father.” Then he caught himself, and looked at Alex. “I didn’t mean that you aren’t my father, too. I didn’t mean ---”
Alex squeezed his arm. “I know what you meant,” he said. “It’s alright,” he reassured him.
Jordan smiled. He really did love Alex Drakos. He’d been nothing but good to him. But he was also thrilled to have his biological father back in his life. They had so much to catch up on!
“When is he picking you up?” Alex asked.
“Around eleven,” said Jordan.
“Your mother and I will come too.”
Jordan didn’t see where it was necessary, but he nodded. “Yes, sir,” he said. “I’ll go get ready.” And Jordan hurried out of the kitchen.
Oz looked at his brother. “As if you have nothing else in this world to do than to hang out with Clarke and Son.” Oz heard his phone ding. He had a new text message. He pulled his phone out.
Kari looked at Alex. “Oz is right. You really do need to go on back to London. I can hold it down here.”
“I know you can. But until this matter is resolved, I’m staying put.”
“Resolved how?” Kari asked.
Resolved to where I no longer fear I’ll lose you, Alex needed to say. “Resolved,” was all he’d say.
“I don’t know why the British can’t come to America to finish up the process anyway,” Kari said.
“The negotiations began in America,” said Alex. “But the finishing touches had to be made in London. That was part of the preconditions both parties agreed to before we began any discussions. There’s no way we can move it here.”
“Your lawyers just sent me a video,” Oz said, as he watched it.
“A video of what?” asked Alex.
Oz handed his cell phone to Alex. Kari moved closer to him, watching too, as Alex pressed the Play arrow.
It was Governor Berringer, at the end of a press conference, being asked a question by one of the reporters. “And what about you and your wife, sir?” the reporter asked. “How are the two of you holding up?”
“We aren’t holding up well at all,” said the governor. “Burying my only child has been the most traumatic event in my entire life. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. It’s been horrible. For both of us.”
“And you still blame Oz Drakos, despite the fact that the police said there’s no probable cause to arrest, and the State’s Attorney said there’s not enough evidence to file charges?”
“That’s because he’s a billionaire,” the governor said bitterly. “Any other citizen is last seen leaving a bar with an average joe, and then she turns up dead, that average joe would have been arrested that same night. But because Alex Drakos covered up the crime for his brother, there was no arrest. But that’s not stopping me.”
“Stopping you from what, sir?” asked yet another reporter.
“Stopping me from filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Oz Drakos and Alex Drakos,” said the governor. “My lawyers are preparing the paperwork as we speak. Law enforcement won’t take them to court, fine. But I will.”
The reporters were shocked. And although the governor left the podium after making that announcement, their cameras continued to click and their voices continued to yell out question after question regarding the lawsuit.
And the video ended.
Kari looked at Alex. “How in the world is he going to file a wrongful death lawsuit against you?” she asked. “You had nothing to do with her death!”
“But the gov
ernor believes he covered up what I did,” said Oz. “Even though I still say I didn’t do anything either.”
Then he looked at Alex. “How are we going to counter his narrative? We can’t afford the bad publicity, nor can we afford to settle any multi-million dollar lawsuits. Not right now.”
Alex knew it too.
“What are we going to do, brother?” Oz asked.
“Get me an audience with the governor’s wife,” said Alex.
Oz and Kari both were stunned. “What?” Oz asked. “How?”
“Just do it. Not through you, nor me, but through unofficial channels. Find out her routine and set up a meeting.”
“But I don’t understand,” said Oz.
“Me either,” said Kari. “Why her?”
“Because she’s been silent,” said Alex. “It’s been all the governor, all the time.”
“You think she disagrees with his crusade?” Kari asked.
“I think a grieving mother would be grieving right alongside her grieving husband. If that’s what that is.”
“What else could it be?” Oz asked. “Why would you think his grief is suspicious?”
“Somebody drugged you, and then made certain you reeked of alcohol. And although we dumped her body elsewhere, somebody may have killed the governor’s daughter at the scene of that accident. That shit started out suspicious.”
“And why is he coming so hard for you, too, Alex?” Kari asked. “I’m still wondering about that. Why is he coming for you? Oz is rich enough to cover a lawsuit on his own, and the governor’s people has to know that. But he keeps coming for you. There’s got to be more to it than what we think.”
Alex nodded. “I agree,” he said. “Get me an audience with his wife,” he said again, to Oz.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
“He’s picking me up in a limousine?” Jordan was surprised. He assumed his father was successful, but not that kind of successful.
Kari and Alex were equally surprised as they all piled into DayVon’s waiting limousine. DayVon, who was already seated on the backseat, was all smiles as they got in.
“I expected to see my son,” DayVon said, “but I get the whole of the family? How nice.” It was obvious to Alex that it was anything but nice to DayVon.
Alex Drakos: Branding Her Again Page 14