Infamous Love: A Black Light Prequel

by Livia Grant

  "What the hell are you talking about? We've always known he came over from Mexico. He's been sending money back to his mother and sister forever."

  "Just because I knew he was of Mexican descent does not mean I knew he wasn't a legal resident."

  He saw the quiver of his mother's lips as she whispered a warning to let the subject drop. Her head moved slightly from side to side.

  Well fuck that.

  "What a crock of bullshit. You knew all along. You paid him cash under the table for years because it saved you a few bucks. Don't blame that on Juan."

  If there were a thermometer in the room, it would show the temperature falling like a rock as the two men stared at each other. There was a time in his life Jaxson would have backed down, afraid of his father. That time had past.

  His father covered his tracks. "Well, that's not how I remember it. And it's not how your mother remembers it either. In fact, she's sworn under oath so I'd be very careful with your accusations. I'd sure hate to see your mother in legal trouble because you shot your mouth off to the wrong person with lies."

  "So what? You just threw Juan and his family to the wolves? Blaming him?"

  "Damn right I did. He did something illegal. I had him deported."

  Jaxson was on his feet. "You did what?"

  "Sit down. You're acting like a brash child."

  "No, father. I'm acting like a person who cares about someone who was nice to me as a kid. Like a person who isn't afraid to call bullshit when he sees it."

  "Juan and his family made plenty of money with me over the years. If he invested wisely, he's going to be fine."

  "And if he didn't? He spent twenty years working for you and this is how you repay him? You make me sick."

  "You disappoint me yet again, Jaxson. You are still the idealist, trying to see the world through rose-colored glasses. Surely you can see that when you reach my level of power, difficult decisions must be made. You need to toughen up, or you'll continue to get run over in life."

  "Toughen up? Is that all you have to say about throwing the closest thing I'll ever have to an uncle or family friend to the wolves? Toughen up?"

  "I see you are still using your Bachelor of Arts degree with your melodramatic outbursts."

  Jaxson pushed his chair back and started for the door. He never should have come here. His father was only getting worse with time. Power was corrupting him.

  He was almost to the door when his father called out to him. "We had a deal. You promised. I've sunk a lot of money into advertising your presence tomorrow night when I make my official announcement. I wouldn't back out on your promise if I were you."

  Jaxson swung back to face off with the elder man who sat at the head of the table, cool as the cucumber he had just put into his mouth.

  The silence dragged on until Jaxson pressed him. "Tell me, Dad... are you still voting against anything that might help low and middle income families?"

  "If you are asking if I still oppose giving handouts out to people who refuse to carry their weight in society, the answer is yes.”

  “I see. Bet your still enjoying excellent health care while millions of Americans can’t even afford to buy vital medication or get treatment for their loved ones.”

  “Oh please. Cry me a river why don’t you?”

  "I see. And how about immigration reform? Environmental causes? Education reform? Have you changed your stance on anything since we last debated?"

  "I do not flip-flop. I am on the record on all of those topics."

  "Oh yes, I bet you are. How about your support for the LGBT community?"

  "Don't ask stupid questions, Jaxson. There’s no room in this country for sinners who choose to flaunt their queer lifestyles. Now, why on earth are you grilling me as if we were in a debate?"

  "Oh I don't know, Dad. Maybe because I'm still trying to figure out who I should vote for next year."

  That got a spark of agitation from the senator.

  "Come sit back down. I'd like to hear more about this girlfriend your mother tells me about."

  Jaxson shot his mother daggers. The whole reason he'd come solo today and planned on attending the gala the next night alone was to shield Emma from all of this kind of bullshit. Chase had met his parents enough to know to steer clear.

  "You leave Emma out of this. She has nothing to do with this discussion."

  "Of course she does. My campaign manager tells me that you settling down with an All-American girl like her would be good for our family image. Of course she needs to come tomorrow night."

  Jaxson answered with a belly-roll laugh. "That's a good one. You actually think I'd subject her to the toxic people of DC?" Then it dawned on him to ask. "And what would you know about her anyway?"

  His father finished leisurely chewing his bite of salad before answering with force. "I had the FBI run a background check on her and her family, of course."

  He didn't know how he got to his father's chair so fast. His body just flew at him in a hazy rage. "How dare you! You so much as say her name in the future and I'll ruin you."

  "Relax. You are too stressed out, Jax."

  "Say it. You're going to stay away from Emma."

  "I'm afraid it's too late for that. I sent Bonnie over to your loft this morning. If I'm not mistaken, they've already hit several boutiques. Bonnie has my gold card. Money is no object. I want her to look her best. Too bad we don't have a few more weeks to have her take a few pounds off."

  Jaxson's fist connected with his father's jaw so hard the older man's chair tipped sideways, crashing to the floor and depositing his father onto the priceless Ming dynasty carpet.

  "You are a piece of shit, you know that? You may have the rest of the world fooled, but I know the truth. You stay away from Emma. You stay away from Chase. You stay away from me. Got it?"

  Several security guards rushed into the room. One went to assist his father up, and the second stepped between the two men, pressing Jaxson back by pushing his chest.

  He could hear his mother crying behind him. He hated that he'd upset her, but in the end, her refusal to leave her father would forever hold her hostage to his bullshit.

  He was about to turn again to leave when his father was on his feet, approaching him as he rubbed his jaw. Raw fury shone in the elder's eyes as he pressed the security guard aside to stand nose to nose with his son. They were the same height and build, but Jaxson's youth would always give him the edge in a fistfight.

  Instead of pounding his son with his fists, his father hit him with threats instead.

  "Don't think for one minute that I can't bring your modeling career to a screeching halt. A few phone calls and your life of leisure goes up in smoke, and don't forget it. I am Gregory Davidson." Jaxson always wanted to laugh when his father would announce his name, as if his son might forget it. "Now, this is how it's gonna go. You and your girlfriend are going to follow through on the promise you made me and then you can gallivant off into the sunset. Just stay out of the limelight and don't do anything that would bring negative publicity to my campaign and I couldn't care less if you sit around eating pizzas and fucking like rabbits twenty-four seven."

  "You are some piece of work, you know that?" It was in that moment of clarity that Jaxson knew exactly what he needed to do. "Fine, I'll keep my promise. In fact, I'll even bring Emma to the gala for the photo op, but then I'm out of here."

  "Fine by me."

  The men squared off for several long seconds before Jaxson announced, "It was nice to see you, mother. My compliments to Cook. Let her know I'm sorry I couldn't stay for the next course, but I suddenly lost my appetite. I'll see you tomorrow night."

  Jaxson didn't stop until he was seated behind the wheel where he took several cleansing breaths, trying to steady his pulse after the run-in with his father. He was shaking with pent up emotion.

  He couldn't wait to get back to the loft and his lovers and best friends. His only shot at normalcy was with Chase and Emma. He hated putting the
m in danger, but he couldn't sit by idle while his father tried to bamboozle the entire nation.

  Chapter 19

  "I can't believe how much money you spent today, Chase. Isn't Jaxson going to be angry?"

  Emma and Chase's arms were so full they'd had to tip the doorman to accompany them in the elevator to Jaxson's Georgetown loft just to get all of their purchases upstairs.

  "Trust me, he won't be mad at all. He wanted me to help pick out some fun new clothes for you for our trip."

  "Clothes I get. But you bought shoes, purses, scarves, jewelry... hell even luggage."

  "Hey, it's all about the accessories, sweetheart."

  Emma caught her reflection in the mirrored elevator door and almost didn't recognize herself. New haircut and highlights... mani... pedi... designer clothes. She was a new woman.

  The elevator dinged their arrival at the top floor of the fourteen-story building. Jaxson had purchased the penthouse loft four years earlier and then remodeled it to the top-of-the-line everything.

  It was a long walk to the end of the hall. They'd been gone all day and Emma's feet were killing her. She'd worn new high-heeled sandals that proved to be fashionable, yet painful.

  Chase stepped in front of her to wrangle with the lock as he reminded her, "Don't forget, Jaxson's father paid for almost half of this stuff anyway."

  Oh she hadn't forgotten. The arrival of Bonnie, the senator's personal assistant, had confused her greatly. If Emma weren’t going with Jaxson to the gala event the next night, why would she need a grand ball gown? She'd tried to discuss it with Chase, but he'd gone all Dom on her and told her to be a good girl and just let them take care of her.

  They dumped their packages just inside the door on the foyer's Italian marble floor. Chase tipped the doorman for his help and showed him out before the two of them left the entrance, planning on collapsing into the plush leather couches of the open great room.

  Chase pulled them to a quick stop just inside the room. They hadn't expected Jaxson home for several hours, yet there he was, his back to them as he stood looking out the two-story wall of windows down onto the Georgetown University campus and surrounding neighborhood below them. He had to have heard them arrive, yet he maintained his perch.

  Something was wrong.

  She could hear the strain in Chase's voice as he questioned Jax. "This is a surprise. We didn't expect to see you home so early."

  It took Jax several long seconds to turn to greet them. His dark eyes looked stormy. The rock glass half-filled with an amber liquid shook in his hand as if he might drop it any second.

  Emma rushed forward, not stopping until she hugged him as hard as possible. Her choke-hold managed to free a chuckle from her Dom. "I missed you too, honey. Did you have fun today?"

  She could feel his arms closing around her as he hugged her back. His lean muscles were tense under his three-piece suit. She ran her hands up and down his back, trying to massage the stress out of him through the expensive fabric. The feel of Chase closing in behind her, turning her into the middle of their sandwich as he hugged them both helped Jaxson relax further. The threesome held steady, silently enjoying their innocent intimacy.

  "What an awesome hello. I needed this." Jaxson's voice sounded calmer already. "Did you two have fun today?"

  Chase answered for them. "Did you know Bonnie was coming over to take us shopping for the gala?"

  The men each stepped back, ruining their sandwich and leaving her feeling vulnerable and alone. Sensing her loose end, Jaxson pulled her to the nearby seating arrangement and sat, pulling her into his lap before answering.

  "Yeah, the old man was kind enough to inform me what he'd done after it was too late."

  Chase plopped down across from them answering, "I wish I could have seen his face when you told him to fuck off—that we weren't coming."

  Emma had tucked her head into the crook of Jaxson's neck, unable to see his face, but his silence in light of the question hanging in the air spoke volumes.

  Chase pressed him. "You did tell him, right?"

  "Of course I told him, but... well shit, you know him. He doesn't take no well."

  "That's tough shit. I don't care about myself, but we can't put Emma in that position." Chase persisted.

  "I agree, but..." Jaxson was hedging.

  "No but. Going is not an option."

  Emma tucked in closer, not wanting to hear the rising tension between her lovers.

  Jaxson countered, "He fired Juan. Fucking deported him and his entire family."

  "Holy shit. I'm so sorry."

  Emma had no clue who Juan was, but it sounded as if Chase were paying his condolences for losing a loved one. That confused her.

  Jaxson's voice was raising, he was as angry as she'd ever seen him. "He's as nasty as ever. Totally obnoxious on every issue we care about. Hell, we even threw punches before I got escorted out by security."

  "Then that's all the more reason," Chase insisted.

  "You're right. I just thought... never mind. It was a crazy idea."

  Emma wiggled in his lap until she could see Jaxson's face. She needed to understand what was happening. Why he sounded so uncertain. It was so unlike him. "What is it? What aren't you saying?"

  "It's nothing, baby. You look tired. Why don't you go in and lay down for a short nap. I need to take Chase out and show him an investment property I'm thinking of buying. We'll wake you up when we get back and are ready for some dinner and a little play time."

  He wasn't asking her. He was back to his Dom voice. He wasn't ready to discuss what had happened with his father yet. It hurt to know he couldn't trust her enough to let her know what was going on.

  She pushed to her feet and before she could say something that might end up with her over someone's lap, she stomped off to the bedroom with a sassy, "fine," as her only response.

  Just over twenty-four hours later, Emma was looking at her reflection in the three-way mirror in the oversized bathroom of Jaxson's loft. The day had been a whirlwind of preparations, not only for their upcoming extended trip to London, but unbelievably she was being primped to attend Jaxson's father's fundraiser where he would be announcing his official candidacy for the president of the United States of America.

  That she would even be in attendance was incredible enough. That the current plan was for her to be on the stage standing beside the candidate's son as the announcement was made was truly insane.

  She tried to sit sill as the make-up artist and hairdresser her men had hired to assist fawned all over her. The rented diamond necklace and teardrop earrings sparkled in the bright lights reminding her she wasn't in Kansas anymore.

  The last day had taken on a fantasy quality as she'd been coached and prepped on proper etiquette for hobnobbing with the rich and famous. Jaxson had told her at least ten times that he honestly couldn't care less about what anyone thought, yet he knew she was desperate not to do anything that might draw negative attention to herself.

  When the stylist finished and stepped away so she could get a good look at her reflection, Emma almost accused them of replacing the mirror with a life-sized picture of a princess. Her long, thick hair was atop her head in a magnificent up-do. Her eyes took on a smoky, mystical quality that only made her unique lavender eyes stand out even more. As she glanced lower, she loved the cut of her dress that accentuated her ample breasts tastefully while cinching in her waist to make her look thinner. It didn't hurt that she'd barely eaten for the last two days, both nervous and hopeful to shed a few pounds before stepping into the public eye with the men again.

  "Holy hotness. Emma, you look good enough to eat." Chase and Jaxson stood just inside the room, looking every inch the GC models they were in their black Armani tuxedos. Her eyes met their heated gaze in the mirror. She’d seen that feral look of desire many times before. Her body was conditioned to respond and right on cue, she felt a wet gush release into her new lace panties as her men moved closer, looking like predators ready to pounce.


  "Hello," she said simply.

  "Well, hello little lady. I think we should all stay home tonight." It was Chase teasing, yet the comment hit close to home.

  Jaxson replied, "Hey, I told you guys you can stay home. You don't need to go tonight. I can handle this on my own," he rationalized.

  "Like hell you can. After hearing all the shit your father has planned, there’s no way in hell you're going into the lion's den without your support crew." Chase didn’t back down, smiling at Emma supportively.

  She was grateful her lovers had sat her down the night before. They’d spent hours talking through the pros and cons of going as a group to the gala that evening. Her heart swelled with love for the men as she remembered how they’d left the final decision entirely up to her, recognizing she had the most emotional vulnerability wrapped up in how they went public with their relationship.

  Emma didn't like how defenseless her Dom looked in that moment. She was grateful that Chase seemed to step in, as if he knew Jaxson needed him to take the lead. Chase reminded them of their motto they’d adopted less than twenty-four hours before. "Where you go, we all go."

  Jaxson held out his bent arm, waiting for Emma to place her hand through the crook. Chase closed in on her other side, placing his arm around her waist. They made their way to the elevator linked, stepping in and all taking a deep breath, knowing this would be their last moment of peace for many hours.

  The lobby of their building was quiet, yet the row of news vans and paparazzi with their zoom-lens cameras trained on the glass door was already lined up outside, ready to greet them.

  Oh how she wished they could leave through a back door or something— anything to avoid having to see pictures of herself plastered on the front of gossip magazines with headlines like "Jaxson Davidson Dating Unnamed Grad Student." She'd especially enjoyed being described by the Chicago Tribune as his 'chunky co-ed.'

  The door was too narrow to retain their three-wide stride. Chase leaned in to kiss her cheek before dropping back to follow as Jaxson led her to the wolves.