About two hours later Jack went into his office to get some files and he saw the letter. It was in a sealed envelope that simply had his name on the outside. He opened it up and to his great dismay he read the horrible note inside.
Seems to me that the little whore that you run with has a big fucking mouth and rumor has it that you put her up to it. Revenge is best when it takes the ones you love. Valerie is dead. Guess now it's time to get rid of the boyfriend. I'll be seeing you soon, Jack.
Jack did not want to tell Alyssa about the letter. She had simply been through enough already, so Jack put it in his pocket and he headed to his father's office. He ran into his father in the hallway talking with some of the other associates. Jack stood there silently and allowed his father to finish addressing his employees and then Jack asked if he could speak with him privately. Edward invited Jack into his office and Jack closed the door. He then told his father everything about Alyssa's mother and her arrest, including the statement she made. Then he talked about the threats that were made to Alyssa and he showed his father the letter.
"I just found this. It was placed on my desk here at the office within the last two hours. I think Trevor Barnes is out to hurt Alyssa and anyone she cares about," Jack said as he handed his father the note.
Edward looked over the note and frowned. He called the district attorney and relayed the story to him. The DA's response was daunting. He told Edward that the letter and the threats could possibly be traced to Trevor Barnes but it was highly circumstantial and that any lawyer who had any idea of how to bring a good defense would get it thrown out as such. There was really no way to find out who else was involved unless Trevor talked and there was zero chance of that. Trevor Barnes was already serving a twenty year sentence and even if they brought him up on harassment charges, it wouldn't make much of a difference in his sentence and it would probably put Alyssa in much greater danger if they tried to go after them. Edward figured as much and honestly so did Jack.
Jack told his father that he was taking Alyssa and getting out of there for their own safety. Edward didn't argue and he simply told Jack that he had already done everything he could to take care of the Masterson mess anyway. The best thing for everyone is if he and Alyssa laid low for a while. Jack agreed and then in an odd show of affection, Edward hugged his son and told him to be safe. Then Jack went to look for Alyssa. He found her making phone calls and relaying official statements to newspapers on the firm's behalf. Then Jack told Alyssa that someone else would finish the calls and that they needed to leave right away. On their way out Jack grabbed another paralegal and he asked her to finish making the calls that Alyssa was working on and then he hurried Alyssa out of the building.
"Jack, what’s going on?" she asked as he was practically dragging her through the parking lot by her arm.
"Okay listen, I didn't want to tell you because today has been the mother of all bad days but Trevor Barnes sent someone into my office and left a note that basically threatens us both. I already talked to the DA to see if we could press charges but there isn't enough to go on. It's circumstantial and we can't prove that he had anything to do with what happened to your mom. We could probably get him for harassment but it would only add about 30 days to his sentence, if that. He would just seek further retaliation and it is not worth the risk," Jack said apologetically.
"Oh my God, what do I do?" Alyssa asked with tremendous fear in her voice.
"Well, we are going to go to your place and you are going to pack up some stuff and you are going to come and live with me. Just get your most personal things tonight and we will hire some movers to get the rest of your stuff in a few days," Jack insisted.
"So wait, you want me to move in permanently?" Alyssa asked in a very surprised tone.
"Well yeah. I know that this isn't the best way to take that kind of a step, but damn it Alyssa you are not safe where you live and there is a good chance that you are going to lose your job because the firm might close and even if it doesn't we lost so much money already that we will cut half the staff. So if you come in live with me I can protect you and take care of you. You won't even need to work if you don't want to. Plus we can be together now, the time for secrecy is over," Jack said with tremendous passion in his voice. Alyssa tearfully agreed and then they got in his car and drove to her house to pack her bags.
Chapter Nineteen: Sheer Elegance
When Jack and Alyssa arrived at Alyssa's apartment, Jack insisted upon driving around the block a few times to make sure that there were no suspicious cars sitting outside her building. Once they got inside, Jack shielded Alyssa just in case and he checked her apartment thoroughly for any signs of intruders. Finally satisfied that they were safe, he told Alyssa to start packing while he kept an eye out. He instructed her to get her most important things and anything she would need for a few days first and then they would see what else they could fit into his car.
Alyssa had a box of photographs and a small file box with her most important papers such as her birth certificate and her tax information, accounts numbers and similar items. She wanted to make sure to bring those things if someone else was going to be moving her stuff. Plus she realized that if Trevor's people did try something, she didn't want them to have access to this kind of information. Besides there was the possibility that she might not ever get to come back to her apartment again, and so grabbing these important items was a must. On that note she packed her sex toys into a box as well. She didn't want movers or anyone else to see them, plus if she was staying with Jack, they might just come in handy from time to time.
Then Alyssa went into the bathroom as she packed all of her makeup, hair care and feminine care products. She gathered up her jewelry and she grabbed all of the nice clothes and shoes that she used for work and just a few casual wear items. Jack told her to start bringing what she had ready to the door and he would start packing it in the car. As a precaution he took her house keys so that he could lock the door behind him, but still get in quickly if necessary. Alyssa secretly thought that Jack was being a bit paranoid, but then again he hadn't shown her the note that was left in the office. Instead he just told her that a threat had been made against them.
While Jack was busy carrying Alyssa's things down to his car, Alyssa was gathering up her laptop, her iphone accessories, her Kindle and a couple of her favorite random things. The figurine of a dancing bear that he mother gave her for her sixth birthday, her favorite book, and the stuffed elephant that her first real childhood friend had given her for her birthday. Alyssa wanted to make sure that she always had her special memories, everything else in the apartment were just things. If she lost them, then she lost them. She could deal with that if need be. She had what was most important. Jack opened the door and Alyssa told him that she had the things that she really needed or wanted. Jack picked up the elephant and shook it at her.
"Well we can't possibly leave without this," he said jokingly. Alyssa grabbed it away from him with an annoyed and somewhat embarrassed look on her face.
"It's not the toy, it's the memory it represents," she said firmly and then she lightly smacked him with the stuffed animal. Jack just laughed and he hugged and kissed her and then the two of them carried the rest of Alyssa's essential items down to the car. Jack told her that they could probably fit a few more things like clothes or something that could be squeezed in. So Alyssa grabbed a few more things from her drawers and two more pairs of shoes. Jack took them down while Alyssa shut off everything in the apartment and she made sure that all the windows were shut and locked and that the door was secure. Then she walked away from her apartment for the last time and headed down to start her life with Jack.
Alyssa had butterflies in her stomach on the drive over. When she was packing she was running on adrenaline that was fueled by the excitement and the possibility of being in danger. Now that she was headed to Jack's place she was nervous. She had never even been to his house before. That was actually a good thing because it meant
that it was less likely that Trevor's gang ever followed Jack there, but it made her nervous because she didn't know what to expect. Would there be enough room for her? Would her things fit in with Jack's? What if she moved all of her stuff in and Jack decided that it wasn't working out? Where would she go if that happened?
Alyssa's thoughts were interrupted as they pulled up to an elegant low rise building with curved glass that was supported by a polished granite base. The curvature of the structure positioned the windows for a perfect view of Manhattan's West Village. It was so glamorous that she thought that it looked like a hotel. When they went inside Alyssa felt even more overwhelmed by the high end décor.
There were several security guards in the lobby and Jack brought her over to meet the head of security and the building manager. He introduced them to Alyssa and told them that she was moving in with him. Alyssa felt so out of place that she didn't really know what to say but the staff didn't question Jack. Instead they wanted to scan Alyssa's palms and fingerprints so that she could be added to the security access system on Jack's floor. Jack explained that each floor was dedicated to one condo and that they extended to the length of the building. A hand scanner was implemented to ensure that only the residents had complete access to their respective floors. The manager told Jack and Alyssa that it would take about 24 hours to program Alyssa's prints into the system. Jack told him that was no problem and then he asked if the building staff could please help him to bring Alyssa's things up from the car.
Jack, Alyssa and four of the building's workers carried all of Alyssa's things into the service elevator. This elevator stopped in a small landing outside Jack's back door. Jack used the palm reader to gain access to his apartment and then everyone brought Alyssa's things inside. Alyssa was carrying the box that had her personal toys, simply because she would have been truly embarrassed had anyone else seen what was inside. Despite the sensitive nature of what she was carrying, Alyssa dropped the box once she was inside. Her mouth hung open and she looked around in wide eyed wonder. Jack's apartment was the height of luxury in no uncertain terms. It had a large and open floor plan and it featured a panoramic window view of the West Village skyline. Jack had beautiful furniture and impeccable decorating taste. There was fine art, hand woven area rugs and exquisite sculptures. Jack saw Alyssa's reaction and he walked over and gently placed his hands on her back.
"Welcome home, Baby. The truth is, I was hoping that someday we would be able to figure out something with work and that I could ask you to come and live with me. I know that we have both have a lot of really bad luck lately, but I think at least some of it is a blessing in disguise. You know? We don't have to hide our relationship anymore and now we can live together and be together as a couple should be," said Jack as he kissed Alyssa on the back of her neck.
"This is beautiful and I am so happy to be with you. I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you, but I have to admit I feel a little out of my element here. I'm afraid to touch anything," Alyssa said with a nervous laugh.
"No, Baby. You belong here. Please make yourself at home. We have four bedrooms and three baths. There is an outside terrace with a Jacuzzi, a fire pit and a fully stocked bar. There is a gym, an office, a library and then the kitchen and dining room."
Alyssa was still feeling pretty overwhelmed but Jack was clearly trying to make her feel welcome. Today had certainly been a hell of a day for the both of them. Here they were still adorned in their funeral clothes and in one day Alyssa had buried her mother, probably lost her job, confessed her relationship with Jack and then moved in with him. She was mentally and physically exhausted from the events of the day. After the building workers left she told Jack exactly that. She admitted that she was having trouble processing everything and that nothing felt real, like she was dreaming or something. Jack nodded his head and said that he felt that way too.
Jack invited Alyssa to sit on one of his suede leather couches and he grabbed them both some wine. Alyssa said she was unsure about drinking red wine over a white couch but Jack just laughed and told her that it was easily replaced if need be and that he wanted her to relax. Still though, she was meticulously careful with her drink. Jack suggested that they just cuddle up, have some wine and watch some TV, and just try to unwind a bit. Jack wrapped his arms around Alyssa and she put her head on his chest. In less than an hour, they were both sound asleep.
The next few weeks were an adjustment period for Alyssa, but she was getting used to living in the luxury condo with the man that she loved. Jack had hired a moving team to pack up Alyssa's things and move them to his place. He also sent a cleaning and maintenance crew to ensure that Alyssa's old apartment was in pristine condition for the next tenant. He knew that doing so would please Alyssa's landlord. Alyssa still had three months on her lease but the apartment manager was so impressed with the condition that she let Alyssa out of her contract and she refunded her security deposit in full. Jack smiled to himself because he secretly hoped that his efforts would help Alyssa to get out of her lease without any problems.
Things settled down a bit at the law offices of Coleman, Patters and Schleicher as well. They had lost of lot of clients and a ridiculous amount of money in the stock market, but it wasn't enough of a hit to shut down the firm. The police finished conducting their investigations and they discovered that Sam Masterson's cousin had secretly visited him several times prior to the escape. They dug a little deeper and confirmed that he had purchased three guns over the last five months. After presenting Masterson's cousin with the evidence that they had, it didn't take long for him to admit that he had smuggled the weapons into the hospital via bribing one of the orderlies. The hospital worker also confessed. When the arrest of these two men made the headlines, the police also released a statement that Coleman, Patters and Schleicher were in no way involved. This helped to restore their reputation and several clients returned and a few new ones hired the firm as well. The stocks started to go back up and no one was fired, although several associates and paralegals left of their own volition. The firm felt that over time they would be back on top once again.
In a pleasant turn of events, no one at Coleman, Patters and Schleicher seemed to care the least bit about Jack and Alyssa's romantic relationship except for Julie Carmen who was outwardly annoyed that she no longer had any means of bribing Jack. Consequently she found work elsewhere. Pretty much everyone else in the office liked both Jack and Alyssa and they were happy that they had found each other. The only person who did not seem pleased about their relationship was Jack's ex-wife, Jade. She made it a point to be downright nasty and unpleasant to Alyssa whenever they ran into each other. Jade referred to Alyssa as "Jack's low class whore" but this just added to Alyssa's popularity in the office. Everyone was so sick of Jade's drama and so they just stood by Alyssa whenever she came around. Despite the trouble with Jack's ex, Alyssa was getting along great with Jack's son, Jason. That made Jack very happy, especially when his son told him that he really liked her and that it would be cool if they got married someday.
One morning Alyssa was sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper when she came across an article that offered her some more good news. There had been a major jail riot and several inmates were killed. Trevor Barnes was listed as one of the deceased! Even though Jack and Alyssa had not gotten any more threats since she moved in, they were ever vigilant whenever they went out. Jack always drove a different way home to avoid being followed and they were constantly looking over their shoulders. At least now they could rest easy. The chances were that none of Trevor's associates would bother with them now that he was out of the picture. When Jack got up that morning, Alyssa showed him the article. Jack smiled and kissed her and told her that they would finally be able to live in peace. Then Jack suggested that they go out somewhere special to celebrate. Since Trevor and his crew had made it clear that they were out to hurt Alyssa, the couple had stayed inside Jack's highly secure condominium nearly all the time. Despite th
e luxurious conditions, it felt like a jail cell at times.
Jack made reservations at one of the nicest restaurants in town, a place called Golden Elegance where the featured dishes were adorned with flakes of real gold. Alyssa protested at going to someplace so expensive but Jack insisted that she get used to the finer things in life. Besides he told her that he had wanted to take her there for a long time and now that the worry of being attacked was past, it seemed like the right time to live a little. Alyssa wrapped her arms around Jack and thanked him and then she went into the bedroom to try and find something to wear. All of her clothes were nice business wear but nothing she had was fancy enough for Golden Elegance. Jack entered the room as Alyssa was tearing through her wardrobe. He asked her what she was doing and she told him that she was trying to find something nice enough to wear for their big evening out.
"Well I have to stop by the office and do a little work and grab some files for the Kingsington hearing on Monday. How about we leave early and do a little shopping and we'll get you something perfect to wear. I think I need a new suit for the occasion too. Let me see if I can get you an appointment at my salon. You can get your hair, nails and makeup done while I run by the office and then we can go to dinner," Jack said happily.
"Oh my God, Jack. That is going to cost too much," Alyssa started to say when Jack interrupted her. He walked over to her and he took her hands in his.
"Alyssa, we live together now. We are a couple and I hope that we always are. Please let me treat you to something nice. Over the last year you have had so much hardship and sadness. Today we got the news that all of that is over. We can finally move on. So please let's just celebrate today, okay?"
Alyssa smiled and nodded and then Jack called the salon to see if he could get her in right before their dinner. His stylist usually required appointments to be made weeks in advance but Jack convinced him that it was a special occasion and that he would be extra generous with his tips if they squeezed Alyssa in. Once the plans were all set and Alyssa was ready, they headed out to Fifth Avenue to indulge in the high end merchandise of the finest shops in New York. Alyssa had never even attempted shopping in this district before. She was very excited to see what the buzz was about.
Alyssa's Desire Page 18