It would be just the two of them this year. Her parents were in Germany spending six months with her younger sister who'd met her German husband online and promptly moved there to be with him. There was a slight possibility Connor would be able to get some time off to spend Christmas with them, but he hadn't been certain. He'd been maddeningly evasive about making plans to be with them.
With a sigh, Rebecca turned from the window and ran a hand through her hair, gathering it into her fist. She just had to get through this day and then she'd have a better idea of what the next few days might look like. But first, she needed to finish unpacking so they didn't come looking for her.
CHAPTER FIVE
ALEX TOOK THE envelope Jordan held out to him. He was careful to grip just at the very edge of it. No doubt the person who had given it to Jordan hadn’t been sloppy enough to leave prints, but at this point, he wasn’t going to take the chance of messing it up on the off chance that he had.
He looked at it, taking in Jordan’s name on the front but nothing else. Though he wanted to read the message inside, Alex laid the envelope down on the table instead. He needed to get it to the office to have them look it over. His gut instinct told him this was another attack by the person who had targeted BlackThorpe in the past. It hadn’t been as damaging as previous attacks, but maybe the person behind it had hoped the revelation would wreak havoc on his life. However, while the timing wasn’t great since his focus was needed on the situation with Alana and Justin, it hadn’t been the negative impact the man had likely hoped it would be.
Or at least, it hadn’t been for him. Likely Rebecca had a completely different view of the latest turn of events.
“Wanna go for a ride to the office?” Alex asked Jordan.
The boy’s eyes lit up as he nodded but then his brow furrowed. “What about Mom?”
“Go see if she wants to come with us. I’ll meet you back here in ten minutes.” Alex waited until Jordan darted out the front door before heading up to his rooms to change. Even though he'd taken the day off, he still felt compelled to show up in a suit in case he was needed for something.
Thankfully, it was only mid-afternoon so the people they’d need to see would be at the office. Still, Alex didn’t want to delay getting there too long. After grabbing his briefcase from his desk, Alex went back downstairs. Jordan and Rebecca weren’t there yet, so he went into the kitchen and grabbed a large plastic bag. He slid the envelope inside and then put it in his briefcase.
“Mom will be here in a minute.”
Alex glanced over his shoulder to see that Jordan had returned. “Do you want to grab a jacket?”
Jordan nodded then took the stairs two at a time before disappearing into Alex’s suite where he’d spent the previous night. As Alex shrugged into his own coat, the doorbell rang. Figuring it had to be Rebecca, he opened the door.
“You don’t need to ring the doorbell,” Alex said as he stepped back and motioned for her to come inside. “I’ll give you the code for the lock.”
Rebecca hesitated just inside the door, still wearing the black pants and gray jacket with a turquoise scarf she’d had on earlier. Her gaze circled the room before it met his. Once again, all he could focus on was that her beautiful eyes had lost the trusting adoration they’d once had when she looked at him. But he had no one to blame but himself for that.
The sound of heavy, rapid footsteps drew Alex’s attention. He looked over to see Jordan heading down the stairs toward them with energy only a teenage boy could have. The kid’s gaze moved between him and Rebecca, a hopeful expression on his face and, for the first time, it dawned on Alex that perhaps Jordan was looking for a family. Not just a father.
Alex hated to think that he would see disappointment on that face in the not—too—distant future. After all, he knew his future didn’t include Rebecca even if they were technically still married. In fact, now that they had reconnected, he figured it was only a matter of time before he was served with divorce papers.
“So why are we going to the office?” Rebecca asked a few minutes later as he guided the truck around the circular driveway and out to the gate.
“We’ve been having some…issues at BlackThorpe recently. In light of that, I find this revelation of my identity to Jordan to be a bit suspicious. I want to check the letter Jordan received for fingerprints. It’s a long shot, I’ll admit, but there’s always a chance.”
“And these issues have involved revealing secrets from people’s pasts?”
“Not all of them, no. But the last one did, which makes it plausible that this is another targeted attack on the company.” Alex glanced at the rear view mirror and saw Jordan watching him. “I’m going to have to fingerprint Jordan so that they will know to exclude those prints from any they do find on the envelope and letter.”
Jordan grinned when he heard that and Alex couldn’t help but grin back. It probably did sound exciting to a teen. Alex supposed he was lucky that the first time his son was being fingerprinted, it wasn’t for a crime.
Jordan spent the remainder of the trip asking questions about the process. Alex was happy to answer them, remembering when he’d been Jordan’s age, curious about so many things.
The guards didn’t hesitate to wave them through the gate, and the security guys waiting in the building’s foyer gave barely discernible nods when Alex lifted a hand in their direction before escorting Jordan and Rebecca to the elevator. The curious looks started when they stepped out on the executive floor.
“Hi, Kelsey. Is Eric in?” Alex asked as they approached her desk.
“He sure is,” Kelsey said with a wide smile, her gaze going past him to Rebecca and Jordan.
“Thanks.” Alex turned and motioned for them to follow him. Thankfully, they didn’t meet anyone else as they made their way down the hall towards Eric’s corner office.
“Hey, Alex,” Eric said when they appeared in his doorway.
“Hey.” Alex stepped aside so Jordan and Rebecca could come into the office with him. “How’s Staci doing? Pregnancy treating her well?”
Eric grinned as he got to his feet. “Once she got past the first trimester, things definitely got better. Hopefully, it will be smooth sailing from here on out.”
“Is Sarah excited about becoming a big sister?”
“Oh, yes. It’s all she talks about these days.” His gaze went to Rebecca and Jordan then back to Alex. “I see we have some company.”
“Yes,” Alex said as he motioned to them. “This is Rebecca McKenzie and…our son, Jordan.”
Eric’s eyes widened but to his credit, he didn’t allow his smile to falter as he held out his hand, first to Rebecca then to Jordan. “Nice to meet you. I’m Eric McKinley.”
As briefly as he could, Alex explained the situation. “Can you scan Jordan’s fingerprints and then run a scan of all the other prints on the envelope and letter. I’m thinking the guy might be using this situation in much the same way he used the information on Alana’s ex-husband, only to slightly different results.”
Eric nodded. “Definitely a possibility.” His brow furrowed. “Hopefully, this particular scenario is now at an end.”
Alex nodded, understanding Eric’s concerns. “Jordan and Rebecca are staying at the estate with me and the girls so they’ll be safe.”
“Good.” He turned his attention back to Jordan. “Why don’t you come here, Jordan?”
“We can sit down,” Alex said to Rebecca, gesturing to a couple of chairs next to Eric’s desk.
Rebecca stayed quiet over the next fifteen minutes as Eric talked Jordan through what he was doing. He patiently answered all the teenager’s questions even though Alex knew that it lengthened the process considerably. Alex was pretty sure the man’s unending supply of patience came from his dealings with his own child.
Alex fought the urge to fill the silence between them. Thankfully, it wasn’t too awkward since Eric and Jordan’s conversation kept it from being completely quiet. Rebecca didn’t even
glance his way once. She just sat there, dressed in the same outfit she’d used for traveling, legs crossed, hands folded in her lap. Though she still had long hair, it wasn’t as long as it had been when they’d married. So many small flashes of memory of the young woman she used to be kept coming to mind as she sat beside him. The young woman who had been his wife.
Alex leaned forward, pulling his cell phone from an inner pocket of his suit coat. He needed to have Rebecca out of his direct line of sight. Her presence was taking him back to a time he’d avoided for a very long time. So much had happened between then and now. Things that had changed them both from the people they’d been back when they’d said their vows. Letting those memories and emotions surface would only serve to muddy waters that Alex needed clear.
Clearing his throat, Alex got to his feet. “I’m just going to see Adrianne for a minute. I’ll be right back.”
That got Rebecca’s attention, and she looked toward him. “Do we just wait here?”
“Yes. I won’t be long.”
Once out of Eric’s office, Alex exhaled deeply and headed in the direction of Adrianne’s. If anyone could talk him out of these emotions, it would be his twin. Unlike Melanie, who had embraced his marriage and having a son as something wonderful, Adrianne had been more reserved and not nearly as accepting.
He knocked on the door frame then stepped into her office. Adrianne glanced up from her monitor, her brows lifting when she saw him. “What are you doing here?”
Alex paused before turning to close her door. He sank down into a chair across the desk from her. “I came in to have Jordan fingerprinted. He was given a note that told him that I was his father and where to find me. I want Eric to run the prints on the envelope and letter to see if we get any hits. He needed Jordan’s in order to exclude them.”
Adrianne nodded as she leaned back in her chair. “That doesn’t explain why you’re here, sitting on a chair in my office.”
Trust his sister to cut to the chase. “Just needed a break.”
“Having a little trouble dealing with the wife?” Adrianne asked, her tone tinged just slightly with sarcasm.
Alex tilted his head. “What exactly do you have against Rebecca? I thought you got along with her okay.”
Adrianne’s gaze slipped away but one blink and she was looking at him again. “It’s not really Rebecca I have a problem with.”
“Jordan?”
Adrianne shook her head. “Definitely not. I just have some personal stuff going on.”
Alex wanted to press for more details, grateful for the chance to focus on something instead of his messed up life, but he needed to get back to Eric’s office. “Want to come see Rebecca?”
After a quick glance at her monitor, Adrianne nodded and got to her feet. “Sure. Why not?”
~*~*~
Rebecca shifted on the chair. She glanced at the open doorway, wondering when Alex would be back. Eric seemed friendly enough, and Jordan was having a blast with the process of being fingerprinted and then having his hand scanned so he could get into BlackThorpe without any issues, but she was on edge. Eric offered to scan her hand as well, but Rebecca had politely declined. She didn’t intend to be around long enough to be making regular trips to this building.
“Well, hey guys.”
Eric’s greeting had Rebecca turning to see that Alex had returned with a pretty woman at his side. Was this Adrianne? She didn’t look like Rebecca remembered from fifteen years ago. That Adrianne had been on the heavier side with a bad case of acne and badly permed hair. She’d been reserved, more likely to be seen with her head ducked down.
This woman was none of those things. Her figure still seemed to be more on the curvy than slender side, but her skin was flawless and her blonde hair was straight and hung in a highlighted curtain past her shoulders. But the most stunning thing about the woman was the confidence with which she held herself. Observing her standing next to Alex, Rebecca could see the similarities between them in a way she hadn’t been able to before.
Rebecca got to her feet as Jordan approached Adrianne, a smile on his face. “Hey, Aunt Adrianne. I just got my hand scanned.”
The tension in Adrianne’s expression eased as she smiled up at Jordan. Yep, up. Rebecca almost smiled herself. Even though Alex was tall, Adrianne was on the short side. Jordan stood about four or five inches taller than his aunt. Rebecca figured it was only a matter of time before he was towering over her as well. At the moment, he only had a couple of inches on her own five foot six inch height.
“Rebecca, you remember Adrianne?” Alex’s words drew her attention from Jordan.
“Yes. Of course.” She approached them and held out her hand. The tension had returned to Adrianne’s face and though she took her hand and gave it a firm shake, her blue eyes looked at Rebecca from behind a pair of glasses, reservation clear in her gaze.
“Nice to see you again,” Adrianne said.
Rebecca was fairly certain the woman was lying though she had no idea why.
“Are we done here, Eric?” Alex stood with his hands on his hips, his long coat pushed back.
“Sure thing.” He lifted his hand with his cell phone grasped in it. “But if you do not want to face the curious masses, you might want to beat a hasty retreat.”
“Alex, my man!”
Rebecca watched as Alex rolled his eyes. He slipped his arm around Adrianne’s waist to move her to the side as he stepped back. “Hey there, Than.”
“Thought you were off today.” A man wearing a suit much like the two guys came to a stop next to Alex. He looked at Rebecca, curiosity blatant in his brown eyes, and the corner of his mouth quirked up. “And who do we have here?”
Rebecca looked at Alex. This was his territory.
“Than, this young man is my son, Jordan Mackenzie, and this is his mother, Rebecca.” Alex motioned to Than. “This is Than Miller. He’s part of the BlackThorpe administrative team.”
Rebecca glanced over when she heard Adrianne start to laugh.
“Not often I see that look on your face, Than. Sure wish I’d had my phone.”
“No worries,” Eric said with a chuckle. “I captured the moment on mine.”
Than turned to Alex. “Your son? Wow. Never saw that one coming.” He seemed to recover and held his hand out to Rebecca and then Jordan. “It’s a great pleasure to meet you guys.” Then he clapped Alex on the shoulder. “Well, congratulations, man. First Eric and Sarah and now you and Jordan. Wonder what Marcus is hiding. Wait. Does Marcus know about him?”
“No, not yet.”
“You might want to clue him in before office gossip reaches him. You’re lucky that his head is buried in the sand at the moment so that nothing is probably registering right now.”
Alex’s head dropped briefly before he nodded. “We’re going there after this.”
Than’s expression sobered. “No more news, just to let you know.”
“How’s Justin today?”
“Pretty much the same.”
“I’ll give him a call later.”
“They’ve arranged a twenty-four hour prayer vigil for Alana at their church.”
Sadness seemed to have saturated the features of the four BlackThorpe employees and the air was heavy with it.
Alex sighed. “Please send a company-wide email notifying everyone about it once you have all the details. I know there will be some who will want to attend.”
“Will do.” Than turned to Rebecca and smiled though the teasing look of earlier was gone. “It was a pleasure to meet you. Hope to see you again.”
Once Than had left them, Alex turned to her. “Do you mind making one more stop before leaving here? I’d like to introduce you to my partner.”
Rebecca nodded, though in some ways it felt like a waste of time to meet these people when she’d probably never see them again once things were settled between her and Alex.
“Let me know what turns up when you scan the prints,” Alex said to Eric before ushering
them out of his office. Adrianne stayed with them as they returned the way they’d come earlier but then stopped at a desk next to a closed door. The woman there smiled up at them as Alex said, “Is Marcus available?”
A momentary flash of panic ripped the smile off the woman’s face. “I uh…I’m not sure.”
Was her hand actually trembling as she reached for the phone sitting on her desk?
Alex waved his hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it. If he’s busy, I’ll take the blame for barging in.”
The relief that swept over the woman was palpable. “Thank you.”
Alex moved forward without hesitation and swung the door open. “Hey, Marcus. You got a minute?”
When Adrianne didn’t move any closer to the door, Rebecca also stayed put, her hand on Jordan’s arm. She got a weird feeling that they were bearding the lion in his den.
There was a mumbled reply then Alex turned back around and motioned them forward.
The lingering look of fear on the receptionist’s face made Rebecca pause. Who exactly was behind the door that instilled such a reaction in the young woman?
“Marcus’s bark is worse than his bite, but he still manages to scare away every receptionist we find for him,” Adrianne said, her voice low.
Rebecca glanced over at her. He couldn’t be too bad if the other woman hadn’t abandoned them yet. Slowly, she followed Adrianne and Jordan into the large office.
A man pushed himself up from behind the massive desk that dominated the room. He had dark hair and stood about as tall as Alex. When his piercing gaze landed on her, Rebecca had to fight the urge to step back.
“Marcus, I wanted to introduce a couple of people to you,” Alex said as he approached the desk. Clearly, the intense look on the man’s face didn’t deter him. “This is my son, Jordan and his mother, Rebecca Mackenzie.”
As the introduction registered with her, Rebecca realized that he never introduced her as his wife even though, technically, he could. She had to admit that she appreciated his discretion with regards to their marriage. Such as it was. Jordan didn’t even know that they had been married. Or that they still were.
Proof of Life: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 4) Page 5