Coming For What's Mine Read online

  It took everything within me to be civil around her, to be a damn gentleman and not pull her into one of the empty rooms in my father’s office and ravish her. I knew she was squeamish and innocent, but that made me want her all the more. That morning when I had gone by my father’s office to pick up some papers he had left for me on his desk, I found her there alone.

  I could not control myself. I had to find out what she tasted like. I told myself to go easy, so that I didn’t scare her. But my little kitty once coerced, turned into a tigress. Had her irritating friend not come in and interrupted, I would have been able to taste my tigress a little more deeply.

  But then her friend had redeemed herself when she told me about the bar they were going to and invited me to come along. Of course I didn’t have time for that, I had two meetings and a dinner date with my father and one of the heads of Macon Corporation, a company that was the major founding behind my father’s campaign and would more than likely be the major founding behind mine, if I decided to run.

  However, the thought of Journey loosened up with a couple of drinks had me picking up my phone postponing my meetings. And when I walked into that bar packed full of hormonally charged youths to see her sitting at the table smiling at me in a way that let me know she too was hormonally charged, I knew it had all been worth it.

  I should have felt guilty for taking advantage of one so young, but like I said, it was something about her that called to me and it transcended age and time. And then she told me she was a virgin. I told myself to stop there, to not go any further. A virgin? That could get messy. She could get attached and become clingy.

  But then she opened her plush lips and said she would love for me to teach her how to make love. Every nasty dirty thing I imagined doing to her flashed in my mind and my sound reasoning fled, coupled with the massive amount of liquor I consumed that night.

  I couldn’t get enough of her. I had planned on just making love to her once and then taking her home, but I had not counted on her feeling and tasting so good. I had not counted on her being the best I ever had. I took her again and again even when she told me she was sore and couldn’t take any more. I simply soothed her with my tongue and brought her to peek, until she was begging me for relief.

  When I woke up that morning reaching to make love to her one more time only to find her gone, I was pissed. And then I realized I had done something that I’ve never, ever did, which was to have unprotected sex. A man in my position could never afford to make such a mistake.

  I wasn’t worried about disease, because I had been so busy of late; I had not been with a woman since my last medical exam. I had pulled Journey’s records months ago and knew all there was to know about her, so it was safe to say she hadn’t been with anyone since her last medical exam. But I knew there was a possibility that she could be pregnant.

  However, it didn’t frighten me as much as I thought it would. Even after that night we shared, I wanted more of her. I felt like only the edge of my hunger for her had been assuaged. I went by the office to see her the next day and ask her why she slipped out of my bed like a thief in the night, but she wasn’t there.

  I tried calling her, she wouldn’t answer my calls. I got very busy with some things from work and my father’s campaign that I was only able to try and seek her out a couple times a month, but each time, she slipped through my fingers. My evasive butterfly she became until she disappeared altogether.

  Yes, I wanted her back to punish her for killing my child, for being a deceitful little witch in sheep’s clothing. But I also wanted her back because I needed— I needed to have her body again. I needed to have her repeatedly until I got her out of my system, until she was no longer my obsession.

  I put my arm around her waist and pulled her towards me. Maybe I’ve lost my mind. I didn’t recognize the man I’ve become. I find myself jealous of the strangest things. First, the love and dependency she had for her older brother and now the damn car seat she leaned her head against for comfort. I felt that it was my job to comfort her. It was me she needed to learn to lean on.

  “It’s alright, sweetheart.” I whispered so that only she could hear me. “I know you’re afraid. The unknown is a frightening entity. But you don’t have anything to worry about, I will take care of you and Ayana, I promise.”

  Journey

  There was something wrong with me. I closed my eyes and told myself it was impossible to feel this safe in the arms of the man who had just brutally tore my family apart. He squeezed me tighter and his strength seemed to seep into my bones and envelope me, wrapping me in a protective area where no one could get to me.

  By the time we made it to his helicopter, I had nearly fallen asleep in his embrace. And of course, like she always did whenever I feel asleep, Ayana woke up, ready to be fed. Jo told the other agents to wait for us in the helicopter, leaving us alone in the SUV. I’d hoped he would leave too, but wasn’t surprised when he didn’t.

  I looked down as I unbuttoned my shirt. He put his arm on the seat behind my head and used his other hand to gently move my locs behind my back. I guess I was going have to get used to him watching me feed her. I could tell in his eyes he really did think it was beautiful. It was strange, I didn’t understand his attitude at all. How could he go from wanting me to have an abortion to all of sudden being so deeply in love with his child?

  Unless—

  “Thank you for not killing my seed.” He said quietly, looking down at us as he gently rubbed Ayana’s cheek.

  Something was wrong here. I looked up at him, but his gaze was so intense that I quickly looked away. With jerky movements I nodded.

  “You’re welcome.” I whispered and like a bucket of cold water, a realization hit me.

  His mother had lied.

  I played back over that day in my head. I had just found out I was pregnant. Silly me had been living with the symptoms for months, but had thought my period was acting up, which it sometimes did. Sometimes I wouldn’t get it for months, although I would still have the blotting, cramping, and cravings. I always felt fat during that time because I ate like a pig. So my appetite increase and the little weight gain I had didn’t raise any major red flags.

  It wasn’t until after six months without having a period and worse than usual blotting that I got a little worried and went to the doctor. I sat there in shock as he told me that I was pregnant and even showed me my baby on a sonogram. A plethora of emotions raced through me. Excitement and fear. I wondered what Jo was going to say when I told him or what my family was going to say.

  The doctor told me I was six months and that felt overwhelming because that meant in three months I was going to give birth. I felt like I didn’t have enough time to prepare mentally for that. I called off work that day and kind of just roamed the city lost in thought. It was while I was sitting in a little coffee shop drinking a cup of tea that I looked up and surprisingly saw Alice, Joseph’s mom sailing in.

  She was so regal and beautiful. I could remember thinking that she didn’t fit in this small coffee shop for college students. Two men dressed in black suits and dark glasses came in with her and stood by the door. When I saw that she was heading towards me I nearly choked on my tea. I had seen her a few times at the office, but she never spoke to me. She was like a queen and I just a secretary.

  “Can I join you?” She asked. I straightened in my seat feeling extremely underdressed in my Proud to Be a Nerd t-shirt and jean skirt. She stood before me in an expensive cream suit with what I believed was a dead cream fox wrapped around her neck. Whiffs of her expensive perfume that was a blend of vanilla and power floated to me to overshadow the smell of the Lavender Chamomile tea I was drinking.

  “Please,” I told her removing my bag and jacket from the chair opposite mine. She pulled out the chair and eased down into the seat.

  “Can I get you anything, ma’am?” The barista asked coming from behind the register to take her order. I had never seen them come from behind the register to
take an order, which meant Alice Warren’s regal presence was enough for the manager to send one of his employees to her. She looked up as if startled.

  “Oh! No! I’m perfectly fine, thanks for asking.” And then her sharp gaze came back to mine, the young barista forgotten. Feeling a need to try and impress the woman, seeing as I had just found out I was pregnant with her grandchild, I asked her if she was sure she didn’t want anything.

  “This will be a quick visit, dear. I have a meeting with the Duchess of Langbural in ten minutes.” I nodded looking down at my tea. One thing I had learned about the wealthy, they were notorious name droppers.

  “It has come to my family’s attention that you are pregnant with my son’s child.” I did spit my tea out then.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry!” I said reaching for a napkin. How in the world did she know that? I had just found out.

  “But, how do you know that? I’ve only just found out myself.” She chuckled.

  “Aren’t you adorably naïve. There are no such things as secrets from a man like my son. He is a very powerful force here in Washington. As you know, he will soon be running for his father’s seat in the Senate and then shortly after president of these great United States.” She spoke her passion filled words as if she was standing in front of a room full of press. I began to get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  “Yes ma’am, I am aware of your son’s impressive future.” My words were soft because my heart was breaking. Before she’d come in, I’d been sitting here fantasizing about the possibilities of what could be. The look in her eyes brought all those thoughts to a savage death.

  “So, you can understand why he sent me to have this talk with you?” Now she wore a look of pity that only served to twist the knife in my heart. As if she could see my hurt, her eyes softened.

  “I’m so sorry to have to be the one to break this news to you. He was so angry, that’s why he didn’t come himself. You can imagine a man of his position has a lot of women set out to try and trap him this way.”

  “Trap him!” I looked around embarrassed, I didn’t mean to yell that. She placed her hand on mine and I was astonished at how cold it was.

  “I just had this talk with another young lady around your age just a month ago. For the life of my husband and I, we can’t quite understand why he likes them so young.”

  “Why are you here?” I asked her so ready for her to be gone. The sadness in her gaze deepened.

  “Joseph sent me here to clean up his mess, as usual. He wants you to get an abortion, dear.” My mouth dropped as rage flooded my system.

  “No!” I closed my lips and took several deep cleansing breaths. When I spoke again I had more control over my vocal levels.

  “No. You tell him neither I or this baby need anything from him. He can just go on with his illustrious career and just pretend like we don’t exist.” She chuckled again.

  “I wish it were that simple. You can understand why he can’t afford to leave loose ends. If the press got wind of this, it could be the end of his illustrious career. Hell, it could be the ruin of our family. I know my son, he will never let something like that happen.” She touched my hand again and I wanted to snatch it away from her frigidness.

  “Journey, you’re so fresh and innocent, I can understand what attracted him to you. But this can be a dangerous place for a girl holding such a thing as an illegitimate child over the head of a man like Joseph.”

  “But that’s just it. I’m not holding my child over his head. He can continue on with his life as if he never met me.” She inhaled before she reached in her bag and pulled out a manila envelope.

  “Listen, I want to help you. In this envelope is a credit card my son cannot trace, it’s enough money on it for you to live comfortably for the next six months.” Her eyes fell to my Proud to Be a Nerd shirt. “Somehow, I knew you would be against his wishes and you’re such a sweet girl, so I took the liberty of making a way for you to escape him. You must leave today. I will have a driver waiting on you to take you to the address in this envelope. Go back to your apartment and pack as little as possible. If Jo gets wind that you refused the abortion—” she paused as if she couldn’t bear to say the words.

  She didn’t have to. Michelle had already told me how dangerous the political world was. Folks committed suicide left and right in these parts. Fear washed over me imagining what the ten second slot on the news would say.

  “Journey Reevers, a botany student at Georgetown University was found dead in her apartment. Cause of death, suicide. Investigators believe she took her own life because GMO seeds were ruining the planet and there was nothing she could do about it. In other news, BINGO, the singing dog sang the Star-Spangled Banner Friday night at the Washington Nationals game.

  Clearing her throat, Alice continued. “This is an undisclosed address. Jo won’t be able to find you here, but you can’t stay. Just lay low till you have your baby and then wait three months before returning to your family. And Journey, whatever you do, never come back to Washington again.” I looked at her confused.

  “Why can’t I just go back to my family now?”

  “You need to give Joseph some time to forget about you. If he finds you now, he will force you to abort your child.” She looked at the crushed look on my face and reached out and touched my hand again.

  “I’m so sorry this happened to you, darling.” Then she stood and as grandly as she came, she left.

  As I looked up to the handsome man next to me, I wondered why she lied. There was love in his eyes as he looked down at his child. Suddenly it felt like I could breathe again. I mean yeah, it was horrible he was forcing me to be his mistress, but it was a great relief to realize he didn’t want our daughter dead. I smiled and he sucked in his breath.

  “What is it, beautiful?” He whispered, curious at the sudden lift of my spirits. I bit my lip as I shook my head. The game had changed slightly; I no longer felt that I and my child’s life were in danger in Joseph’s hands. Maybe that was premature thinking of me, but I didn’t.

  “Nothing, just wondering if you know it’s inappropriate to watch me breast feed.” He chuckled as he gently rubbed his thumb along my bottom lip.

  “Not when it’s my child you’re feeding.”

  ********

  “Oh Jo! It’s beautiful!” I cried as he brought his black Aston Martin to a stop in front of a small Victorian-style farmhouse that sat back a good distance from the street. While I was attending school here in Georgetown, I would often walk in this neighborhood to clear my head. I loved this neighborhood with its old-world style homes, but none so much as this one. It reminded me of a country cottage.

  I used to just stop here and stare at it, imagining what it looked like on the inside. I turned to look at him amazed as he sat back watching me, once again looking like the distinguished gentleman behind the wheel of his expensive sleek luxury car.

  “How did you know?”

  He chuckled. “How did I know what?”

  “How did you know that I loved this house?” He looked over at the little house.

  “How do you know that’s the house I bought for you? Maybe I bought this one.” He pointed to the house across the street. My face burned with embarrassment. I had not considered that.

  “Oh! I guess I don’t know.” He put the car in reverse backing up to the gate in front of the house I loved.

  “Open the gate.” He said to no one in particular. My hand flew to my chest when his dashboard that already made the car feel like a spaceship began to talk to him.

  “Welcome back, Mr. Warren.” A female voice purred over the speakers before the gate started to open. My heart raced with anticipation and amazement as we seemed to glide up the long drive that was lined on both side with old Sakura trees.

  A sound of pleasure escaped my lips when suddenly the wind blew, causing a shower of blush pink petals to rain down on the car. Quickly I opened the window not wanting this opportunity to pass and turned in the seat so
that I could stick my head out the window and look up at them as they rained down on us. I closed my eyes feeling their gentle caress against my face as the wind blew through my locs.

  “Amazing!” I cried feeling like this moment was a gift from God. One should never let such a moment pass and not take advantage of it. When I slid back in the car, Joseph was looking at me in awe and hunger.

  “You have flowers in your hair.” He reached over to pull one out.

  “Aren’t they pretty?” I said sliding back down in my seat. He shook his head.

  “Not as pretty as you.” He whispered. I bit my bottom lip trying not to blush from his words, but I knew I was failing miserably. When he finally brought the car to a stop in front of the house, I had to force myself not to jump out of it like a kid. But I could barely keep still from the anticipation that was strumming through my veins. I rubbed one of the leaves of a flower vine that was growing up the side of the house just needing to do something with my hands.

  With a grin on his face Jo took his time taking Ayana’s car seat out the car. He knew what he was doing.

  “Do you want me to get your bags now or—” I didn’t let him finish, he was torturing me.

  “Later, let’s go in!” I cried losing control. He chuckled as he walked past me taking a pair of keys out his pocket.

  “You shouldn’t tease me like that.”

  “Why not? You look so sexy when you beg.” I bit my bottom lip again. Why did he keep saying stuff to make me blush?

  “And you look a whole lot sexier when you blush.” I turned my head to hide the smile. Jo could be quite charming when he puts his mind to it.

  However, all thoughts fled when he finally opened the door and we stepped in. I had dreamed of looking inside this house, wondering what I would find.