Max finally stops pacing. “Jax, I think for now, we should put extra security on everyone, and we need to find out from Raven about the adoption. I just feel like it’s a missing piece of the puzzle.”
I need answers and I need to keep everyone safe. “All right, but I want to talk to her about it myself—alone.”
Bella grabs my arm, “Jax, are you going to call and tell Mum what’s going on?”
The last thing I want to deal with right now is my mum. “Not just yet, Bella, I’m not even sure myself what the fuck is going on!”
I GET TO THE office early after trying to catch Raven at Starbucks. She never showed up there this morning but after racing to her school, I discovered she went in early. At least—for now—she’s safe. “Everything okay, sir?” Duke asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“You’re early today.” I snap. I’m pissed, but I don’t want to take it out on my employees.
“Yes, I just have some paperwork to catch up on. Can you get my sister on the line, please?”
“She’s already in your office, waiting for you.”
Wow, I wonder if she is going to rip into me, yet again. I head into my office and prepare myself to deal with Bella. “Hey, you’re here early.”
She gets up and hugs me, “Cut the bullshit, Jax, you really like her a lot, don’t you?”
Bella and I can read each other like an open book, so I can’t bullshit her.
“Why wouldn’t she tell me something so simple, like being adopted? Does she think I would think less of her?”
“No, Jax, I really don’t think so. Anyone who knows you would know you’re not that kind of person. That’s why I think there is much more to the story than we know. Did you go talk to her this morning?”
I sit in one of the chairs, remembering Raven on her knees, and fuck, I’m hard again! “I tried to catch her for coffee but she was already in school.”
Bella looks at her watch. “I was so preoccupied last night, I almost forgot parent teacher conferences are today and tomorrow.”
Well, at least I know Raven’s not running away from me for a change. “What time is your meeting with her?”
She gets up and heads toward the door. “In an hour, so I have to go. I know, don’t say anything, but you better get to the bottom of this and quick, oh and call Mum, please.”
I don’t want to make that call but Bella leaves me no choice. She is right, Mum needs to hear it from me about what is going on. The problem is that, I have no idea what the fuck is going on! Bella gives me a final wave before heading out. I take a deep breath as I pick up the phone and dial Mum, knowing I’m going to going to get an earful. I’m surprised she hasn’t just shown up here and taken me to task for putting extra guards on her without telling her. She must be pissed. She answers on the first ring, and usually, I can't even get her to answer the fucking phone!
“Hey, Mum, how are you?” I take a deep breath, and wait for the storm—my mother.
“Don’t you give me that how are you stuff, I already know that something is not right. If you were here, I’d box your ears, lad.”
I can never get anything past this woman. “Mum, you need to calm down. I put extra security on everyone because there’ve been some pictures and notes that I’m concerned about.”
Wow, she’s growling? This is a first. “Jaxson James Phillips, when did all of this happen and why am I just finding out now?”
When she uses my middle name, I know I’m in deep shit. “Now, Mum, remember your high blood pressure.”
Probably not a good idea to mention that. “Don’t even think of going there, son. There’s no need for you to remind me about my blood pressure. Just tell me everything, from the beginning. Maybe if you’d done that already, we wouldn’t have to worry about my pressure.”
My mum and I are very close. I don’t have a problem telling her everything I know about Raven or about the different pictures and threats. She’s been very quiet since I’ve finished. “Mum, are you there?”
“Yes, son, I’m just surprised. First, that you have kept me in the dark about the threats—you usually tell me everything. And second, that you have finally met someone that holds your interest for more than five minutes and this is how I find out about her. Really? I understand your need to protect us; you’ve always felt like it was your duty to keep us safe. But you need to keep Isabella and me informed about what’s going on. We’re not helpless women.”
I know they are capable of taking care of themselves, but it’s not easy for me to give up that kind of control. I’ve watched over them my whole life. “I know, but it’s just hard for me. I want to keep everyone safe. And after getting burned by Erica, I never thought I would be vulnerable again. I’m at such a loss with Raven. She makes me crazy mad and then crazy happy. She runs from me, a lot, and I don’t understand why.” Maybe she can shed some light on this, because I sure can’t.
“I raised you and Isabella to be direct and honest. Have you asked her, point blank, why she runs?”
I laugh, “Of course, and she said I’m intense and too much. Mum, I don’t think I’m like that.”
Now it’s my mum who’s laughing. “Son, life is not rainbows, fields of flowers, and butterflies. Its compromise, and unfortunately, you're not very good at that. I think it is time I met my grandson's teacher.”
Oh, crap. “Mum, can you just try and go easy on her? She has already pulled a runner more times then I like to admit to.” I know that no matter how much I protest, she’ll just do whatever she feels she should. We hang up, and I know, for sure now, that I’m so screwed.
MY NEXT PARENT IS Mrs. Vizzano, Michael Jr’s mom. She is as beautiful as her brother. This is going to be awkward. “Hi, Mrs. Vizzano, please, have a seat.”
“Please, call me Bella. I have to ask, have you figured out what you’re going to tell Michael Jr about you and Jax?”
This family is amazing. Everyone is so open and direct with each other. “Well, I can see that you and Jax are very much alike; you both jump right in,” I laugh.
“I’m not one to beat around the bush, and neither is Jax.”
I’m embarrassed that I’m involved with a student’s relative, but I have to deal with this. “I have never dated someone related to one of my students, so I’m at a loss. Do you have any suggestions?” I’m hoping she has some ideas.
“I spoke to my husband about it and he started saying something about every boy’s wet dream. I just cut him off,” she giggles.
“Yeah, Jax and my roommate, Marco, started in on that and I cut them off, too. Guess it’s a guy thing. Bella, I will do what ever you think is best for, Michael.”
“I think we should just tell him you and Jax are friends and leave it at that. Sometimes if you make more about it, then it becomes a problem,” she suggests.
I like her; she doesn’t pull any punches. “Okay, I agree with you. As far as school, Michael is doing great. He struggles a little with math, but my co-teacher, Jackie, has been working with a small group of boys on mental math. It seems to be helping.” I show her some of Michael’s papers.
“If you think he needs a tutor, let me know.”
I love it when parents take an active role in their children’s education. So many just think the work is done when the school bell rings. “He is a very sweet boy and pleasure to have in class. He’s very respectful of others and tender hearted.”
She smiles. “Thank you, his dad is away a lot so sometimes Jax has to step in to help. We are a very close-knit family.”
I wonder how much influence Jax has had with Michael. “Well, it shows. He’s a great little boy.”
After Bella leaves, I only have one more conference and then I am done for the day.
I PACK UP AND head home. As I round the corner to my building, I see Jax leaning against the car. Damn, he’s beautiful. I can’t help myself; I just stop and take him in. He’s wearing a fitted, charcoal-grey suit with a dark, violet shirt and a frigging bow tie!
“We need to talk. Is Marco home?” His eyes burn through me.
I shake my head, “No, he won’t be home for, at least, two hours. Come on up.”
As we head upstairs, I can tell he’s upset. We are barely in the door, and he spins me around. “Why are you hiding the fact that you’re adopted?”
I almost laugh, thinking, yeah, he is just like Bella, but then it hits me—he knows. “How do you know? I never mentioned it.” He probably had Max run a check on me!
“This showed up last night.” He shows me the picture that was taken outside the gym, with a threat. “I had to have Max run a check on you. You need to understand, I am high profile and with that, comes a whole lot of shit. Why are your records sealed and marked classified? Raven, what are you hiding?”
Clearly, he is really pissed off. But I think I should be the one who’s pissed off. He can’t just invade my privacy like that. “Jax, please leave.”
He glares at me. “What? You’re just going to throw me out—without an explanation? You need to know that I put security on you and Marco, as well as my whole family. You're going to have to tell me what the fuck is going on!”
I understand that he is worried and upset, but this is private. “Jax, this is a very private matter for me and the only one who knows all the details is Marco. I don’t know if telling you is the right thing to do. It may put you in more danger.”
He searches my eyes for the answers, I think. “Just tell me. We will deal with it together. I have a lot of resources at my disposal.” He doesn’t move, and I realize he’s not leaving until he knows everything. Maybe Marco is right. Maybe it’s time to share this with him. If he is a keeper, he won’t run for the hills.
“Okay, Jax. I was born in California. My mother was a heart surgeon and my father was an FBI agent. I was seven-years-old when I was kidnapped.”
I FREEZE AT THE word kidnapped. I’m feeling dumbfounded, not believing what I’m hearing. I step closer towards her, still in disbelief. “Oh, sweetheart, please don’t stop now, not when you’re on a roll.”
She sits down and takes a deep breath. “At first, the FBI thought I was kidnapped because of something that my father might have been working on, but as it turned out, it had to do with my mother. She was a top heart surgeon, who had just perfected some new technique, that could possibly save the life of a very bad person. That person was the head of a Chicago Mafia crime family. I was being held so that my mother would perform the surgery.”
I LOOK UP AT Jax and he raises an eyebrow at me, so, I continue. “In the process of all this, my father and his partner, Joseph Adessi, were able to rescue me. During the rescue, my father was shot. He lingered for two weeks in ICU before he died. My mother performed the surgery but the man didn’t make it. My mother felt she sent my father to his death, and she killed herself. I was left in the care of Joseph. He brought me to Washington D.C. to live with him. Joseph didn’t feel like I was safe, and after speaking with the director of the FBI, they agreed that I was young enough to be adopted and have a total name change. I was a very scared seven-year-old. I stopped talking and turned inward, trusting no one. I was entered into the Witness Protection Program and sent to live in a private boarding school in England. Eventually, a very nice family adopted me. They put me into therapy, and I was able to put the past behind me and move forward. That was, until, my adopted mother died from breast cancer. Well, then you know the rest. Oh, and while we're at full disclosure, my father and mother had a lot of insurance, which Joseph invested for me, so I’m a very wealthy woman.
His face turns to stone. “So when you and Marco were supposedly living on the streets, you really weren’t?”
I shake my head, “No. I used some of the money for a small apartment that Marco and I lived in until I went to college. Now if you’re done, can you please leave?”
His eyes cut me to the core. “Oh, no, sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere, and we are far from done here. How did you meet Marco? He is older than you, so I know it wasn’t in high school.”
I take some steady breaths. “I told you, I met Marco when I was volunteering at a shelter. I would go help out one day a week. It made me feel like I had some sort of family. He was also a volunteer there and we just clicked.”
His eyes search mine. “Max ran a check on Marco and he has no past until he showed up with you one day.”
Marco and I never talked about any of his past, we only look forward. “I told you, I met him at the shelter. Prior to that, I don’t know what he was doing. I just know he was always there for me.”
He takes my hand. “What’s your real name?”
Another deep breath and I’ll be done. “My real name is Cara Josephina Giaconna. I have not said that out loud in twenty years.” I get up and head toward the door. “Now, I think you should leave.”
He’s not budging. “I told you, sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere. I still have questions. Why do you think I should leave? Why didn’t you tell me any of this sooner? How much does the school know about your past?”
I turn to him, “I want you to leave because my brain is on overload right now. I didn’t tell you sooner because I really didn’t know you, and I didn’t think I would see you again after the first time I ran. The school knows nothing. My past is buried very deeply. I did nothing wrong but be born to parents who wanted to help right the wrongs in the world. I’ve suffered enough, now will you leave?”
He follows me to the door, takes a hold of my hand, but he’s not moving. “Raven, I told you, you don’t get to decide what I can and can’t handle. I’m capable of that all on my own. How do you know there isn’t a money trail?”
Another question. I just want this to be over. “Because Joseph made sure that nothing could ever be linked back to me.”
He runs his hands through his hair, and strokes his chin. His wheels are definitely turning! “How do you know that Joseph can be trusted?”
I put my hand on his shoulder and look into his eyes. “Well, I have to trust someone, and my father trusted him with my life. He’s now the Director of the FBI.”
“That doesn’t mean he can be trusted. Does he know what your adopted father tried to do to you? What about your ex-boyfriend beating you up, does he know about that?”
I shake my head. “No, I didn’t turn to him. I felt he did enough and I needed to stand on my own two feet.”
He paces and starts at his chin again. “There have been threats to my mum, sister, nephew, and now, you. Do you think this has to do with your past?”
I throw my hands up, “Jax, I honestly don’t know. I don’t think so. I mean, after all this time, why now? What has changed?”
I watch him fist his hands. His jaw begins to tick. I can tell he’s losing any calm he had. “Raven, being in the spotlight with me could be what has changed. If I would have known, I would have never put you in that position, but I guess it’s too late for that now!”
He reaches for the doorknob and I know he’s pissed off, but then he turns to me. “I need time to process all this and then figure out our next step. In the meantime, I’ve put guards on everyone; I’m not taking any chances.” He pulls me close to him and I just melt; he smells wonderfully of vanilla and spice.
“I’m not running for the hills, so you're just going to have to get use to me being here, and you're not running. either. Done! I need open, honest communication—at all times. If you’re scared, tell me, but no more fucking running!”
Just as he leans in to kiss me, the door flies open and Marco comes barrelling in. “Why do you have one of your people following me?”
Marco looks as if he’s ready to bust a gut. “Calm down, have a seat, and let me fill you in. Marco, I told Jax everything.”
He is looking back and forth from Jax to me like a Ping-Pong ball. “Oh.”
“I received another threat. It was attached to the picture
of Raven, outside the gym, the other night. I’m not taking any chances, so I added extra security, until we can get to the bottom of this.”
Marco’s eyes grow wide. Maybe he’s shocked, that I told Jax everything. “Do you think it has anything to do with Raven’s parents?”
Jax shrugs. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve made my share of enemies in my business. Nothing would surprise me, but I’m not about to take any chances.” He pulls me close.
Marco gets up. “I’ll give you both some space.”
Jax shakes his head, “It’s okay, Marco, I need to get going. I want to talk to Max and see if he’s found out anything new.” He leans down and gives me a long, soft kiss. “I will see you for coffee, in the morning.” It was not a request, it was an order. He leans in and rubs his nose up the side of my neck, kissing along it with little flutters. He takes my hand and kisses my wrist, and I feel a jolt right down to my toes. I’m lost. He turns and leaves me a jumbled mess.
Marco gets up, pulls out the brandy, and pours us each a drink. He hands me a glass, “This is just fucked up on so many levels,” he spits, looking as if he’s about ready to blow a gasket.
“Raven can you say something? Because right now, I want to scream!”
Like I don’t? I want to bury my head in the sand! “Don’t you think I want to scream, too? But what good would it do? I can’t change what has happened. If I could, I would go back twenty years to that awful day. Maybe I just need to walk away while my heart is still intact and before someone gets hurt.”
He snorts at me, “That’s bullshit. If you want this man, then fight for him. If you want a safe and happy life, then fight for it, but don’t fucking sit there and do nothing.”
I hate it when he’s right. I’m just tired, really tired of all the bullshit. “Marco, do you think Jax and I have a chance at making this work?”
The Unraveling of Raven (The Unraveled Trilogy Book 1) Page 8