CHAPTER 46

A few hours later, a tired Evangeline stood knocking on her sister's door. When the door flung opened, and Adriana stood smiling at her, she greeted. "Hey sis." And hugged her sister, "Where are the twins?" She asked, stepping in.

"It's so good to see you." She smiled, "The twins are in their room. They should be here soon. You look..."

"Jet lag." She complained. "I need a quick bath, but I'm so tired."

The twins ran in to hug her. Dropping her bags she said, "Hey cuties." She lifted the lighter twin, Elizabeth, but dropped her immediately, "You've grown on me, Boo." Elizabeth laughed happily. Ethan punched her and tongued out at his twin. "Don't be fooled." He teased his twin, "You're still very tiny." They started pulling each other and soon started arguing

Perplexed, Evan moved towards her sister and whispered, "I can see they are still always fighting and arguing."

She whispered back. "Every freaking second they get."

"Wow." She watched them, amused. The twins continue to argue while the sisters looked on until Evan brought out the food she had ordered earlier. "Who wants potatoes, fries and chicken?" The twins ran after her as she dashed for the kitchen. Their mother was relieved. She packed Evan's bags and dragged them to her room. When she got to the kitchen, the twins with their aunt had settled down and were eating. She joined them too.

"So, how are you?" Evan asked her sister, who gave her the eye, to let them talk after the twins were in bed.

"But, I am okay." She replied out loud for the twins' sake, "Work is hectic, though. Mom and I still haven't figured out the missing dough part. He claims he knows nothing about it. But he's linked to it all."

"Interesting." Evan said as she passed the chicken laps. "I had an interesting moment some couple of minutes ago. I wasn't supposed to be here till later tonight. I'm still pretty shaken up about it."

"Later tonight? It's late already." Adriana said, checking the wall clock in the kitchen. It was 7 pm. "What happened, though?"

"I'll fill you in soon as I get a shower. Do you know anything I could do? My backaches. I think from the travelling here and there."

"Definitely go shower." Adriana advised. "You could use a massage too. I can help with that."

"I'll do it." Ethan said, butting in. "I'll do it, Linne." Elizabeth said too.

"Aww." She rubbed Ethan's hair and patted down Elizabeth's. "Aren't you cuties a darling! Maybe I'll let you both do it."

Adriana rolled her eyes, "Trust me. You don't want that."

Evangeline smiled and stood up, "Don't I know that?" She excused herself and went to shower. The bath was so warm she started to doze off in the tub. Tiredly, she got out of the tub and dried herself, then slipped into the bed. It wasn't until later, when she felt someone enter the room that she woke up.

"Hey! Sleepyhead, You okay?"

Evan sat up, rubbing her eyes, "I'm sorry. Look at me, I'm supposed to be here to help, but I'm so tired."

Adriana nodded, understanding her sister's plight. She sat down beside her. "It's okay. Your presence is all the help I needed anyways."

"The twins?" She checked the time. It was late into the midnight

"They slept after getting another bowl of food. Ethan eats as an elephant." Evangeline laughed, then covered her mouth so she wouldn't disturb the children sleeping down in the other room. "I was so raw last night." Adriana told her, "When he left, I cried myself to sleep, along with the kids."

"I'm so sorry about that."

Her phone started to ring. Adriana reached for it and gave her the phone, "it has being ringing for a while now."

"Oh." Checking her phone, she saw it was Jason. He had called four times already. She dropped the phone on the dresser.

"You won't call him back?"

Remembering how during the trip, he had continuously ignored checking up on her. Instead, James had been the one he spoke with all through, she didn't think he wanted to speak with her. "No."

"Did something happen?"

"Matter of fact, yes." Then, smiling she dismissed the urge to speak about her uncertain issues when her sister was in a dire situation, "But leave that for now. Let's talk about you."

She sighed heavily. "I'm devastated."

"Did he tell you everything?"

"Yes. He did. Every irritating bit." Her eyes got misty again, "I was a pun in their plan. Apparently, his cousin saw me in the news when I got called to bar, and Noah was made to get me." Laughing hysterically, she said. "I fell for him" she rubbed her eyes as the tears began to fall.

She patted her sister's back as she pulled her in for a hug. "I'm so sorry this is happening to you right now." They stayed that way until she had quietened. "It's alright. You'll be fine. Everything will be alright." Her phone began to ring again, seeing that it was Jason, she ignored it.

"Okay. You really need to tell me what's going on." Adriana said, picking the call, she said, "Hey you. No, it's Adriana." She eyed her sister viciously, "Yes, she got in safe. Thanks for the ride." smiling at what he said, she replied, "I'm fine. They are okay too." When she dropped the call. She chastised her sister. "He just wanted to know how you were doing."

"It didn't look like it from the drive here. We were in a good place. I think." confused about the drastic change in him. She told her sister about the kiss. "We kissed, and it was intense. We probably would have had sex."

"Wait, what? When?"

"Never mind. It meant nothing to him. Anyways, he looked at me with those guilty poppy eyes like he regretted it and we haven't spoken about it. Then we kissed again. I pulled away."

Her sister murmured "wow!"

"We were good, you know. Planned a weekend getaway."

"When?"

"This weekend, before you called. So I had to cancel."

"No. no, wait. You cancelled?"

"Yes. He completely understood. I told him why and he agreed to reschedule. But then, the drive here, he completely neglected me. He was only asking James about me. Like he could have asked me. Instead, he spoke with his staff. It kinds of made me feel neglected."

"He might have his reasons. It would be best if you spoke with him." Suddenly smiling. She said, "Tomorrow, you go over there and speak with the man, okay?"

"No. I'm here for you. Not him."

She wasn't going to let her ruin her relationship this time, "Either you go, or I get him here." She threatened.

"I'll go, mother." She smiled and threw a pillow at her. When she threw it back and stood up, Evan asked, "Good night?"

"Yes, goodnight."

CHAPTER 47

The next morning, Adriana packed some clothes for herself and the kids and told her sister they would be spending the weekend with her parents. Last night, she had come up with the plan after speaking with Jason in her room. He told her about the car that's been tailing him and now Evan. In her anger, her sister hadn't remembered to tell her she had being followed. Worried, she agreed to send her sister over, and she would stay with her parents when he insisted she shouldn't be alone. "You can take some clothes, stay with Jason."

"Why? Does it have to do with the weekend getaway I told you last night?"

"No. It's about the car tailing you, which you forgot to tell me."

"I'm sorry, it slipped my mind last night." she dropped the duvet and got out of bed

"How can something that big slip? You didn't want to tell me."

"I was worried about you and with Noah..." She kept quiet when the twins came in. "Morning, you two." They hugged her. They were dressed for school

"Get your clothes." She whispered. Then to the kids, she said, "We are staying at grandmas for the weekend."

"Yaay!" The kids jumped up excitedly.

"We will go from school. I will be back here later in the evening to get some things." She gave her sister the eye, "Don't let me meet you. Go to..." She eyed the twins and let her sister pick up the name. "Kids, we're running late for school. Pick your bags and let's go." They all left Evan's room, "I made breakfast." Adriana said as she left.

Evangeline yawned and got down from the bed. Checking her face in the mirror, she gasped. Her eyes were swollen, and her lips fuller. She stood up to check her stomach. Jason had been right. She was beginning to show. Her face was a sight to behold. If this were the pecks of being pregnant, she certainly wanted to be. Rubbing her stomach, she smiled. "Hello there. Want to go meet daddy?"

****************

Robert Swiss followed his wife's advice and decided to meet the person. First, they sent some men to the place before he texted the address to the number and the time. When all was set, he waved his wife and went to the location. Getting there, he settled into a corner where he could watch the person come in. Some minutes passed before he did walk in. when he did, Robert stood up. it was Noah Monterey. "It was you all along?"

"Yes." Noah said, standing at the table. "May I sit?"

Robert gave him a distressing look. He didn't hide the displeasure this meeting was for him, "Please yourself."

Noah decided he would be better off sitting than standing while they talked. So, he sat down and apologized instead, "I'm sorry."

"About?" looking around, Robert checked his men out. They were ready and at alert. Though it was a bar, people were seated in twos and threes, chatting and having their petty talks. He had chosen a public place intentionally. At the entrance, two of his men stood in the black outfit, their hands in their pocket, holding their gun, he knew. Somewhere behind him, two others were there too. He watched the man sitting in front of him and asked, "What are you sorry for? Putting my family in danger of ruining my first daughter?"

Sensing he was surrounded too, Noah played safe. "I am sorry for everything. And I came alone." he looked at the door, trying to tell the older man he knew they were his men and that any slip from him would be fatal. "I mean no harm."

He didn't even bother dignifying that with a response. Instead, he stared at the man who had used his daughter to get through to him for revenge. He felt like hitting him.

Noah watched the play of emotion on his face, and he saw how he squeezed his hands in a fist. He knew what that meant. Robert Swiss wanted to hit him, and he could totally understand. Hell, he had strangled any man who toiled with Elizabeth that way. "I'm sorry. I'd want to hit any man who toiled with my daughter that way too."

Flexing his hands, he replied, "Then you don't mind being hit then?"

Noah looked towards the entrance again. "Please tell your men to stand down. I'm feeling really uncomfortable."

"Better get used to it. They won't stand down because I don't trust you."

Sighing, he sat up straighter, "I came here to let you know I'm not the enemy you are looking for." he explained himself, "See, I did come for revenge, as a Monterey. And I did move your money." He quickly added, "which we are not giving back."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because we lost a lot. I lost my parents and uncles and a whole lot."

"And you've killed lots too."

He raised his hands in surrender, "True. We are guilty. But in this war, you started it. Surely, you should expect a comeback and some losses. For one, you should be thankful you didn't lose no one."

Robert stood up angrily. His men started to move closer, "What?"

Sensing the tension in the room, Noah calmed him down. "All I'm saying is if you think about it long and hard, both families and other lost dear people. You didn't"

He signaled to his men to hold off, and they returned to their post but stayed at alert. "I lost fifteen years away from my family."

"I'm sorry."

"You need to stop saying that. Anyway, what do you want?"

"As I said, I'm not the enemy you should be looking for. Someone is making me take the fall" when Robert kept staring at him hard. He added, "I stopped this stupid plan of draining your account years back. I haven't taken a dime in five years."

"But my wife noticed this some weeks ago, and the money has been moving all the while. Your handwriting was all over the place." Then he paused, and something struck him as odd now that he said it out loud, "Which is suspicious."

"Yes, why would I want to be caught when we haven't even gotten to the highlight of the plan yet?"

Robert gave that a thought too. The Monterey or any gang in the suburb of Miami had a code they operate. When they strike your finances, you hardly find the traces. He had handled enough cases to know how the gang operates. Only a few would let themselves be exposed, and by then, the gang would have gotten what they wanted. Unless the Monterey have what they need, which he desperately doubted would be Adriana, they have nothing yet. So, if all evidence pointed at Noah, it meant one thing; someone knew about their history and was using that against him. It was a set-up. He stood up immediately, frightened. "If you're right, something is wrong. I need to go home." picking up his car keys, he asked, "Do you know who?"

Noah shook his head, "Not now. I just wanted you to know you haven't figured it out. And that's a bad thing."

Robert nodded, believing the man. "Thank you. If I may ask, why are you doing this?"

"Because I love your daughter."

Somehow, Robert didn't doubt him. He looked at him, nodded and signaled to his men. They relaxed as he walked out of the bar. The two at the bar followed him while the other two waited until Noah left the premises.

While Robert and his men drove home, he told them to work on extra security, both at home and the office. The men got to work immediately. He dropped some off at the courtroom, and his driver, with an officer, followed him home. Two men were stationed at the law firm while three were to parade his house night and day. The first chance he had, Robert Swiss told his wife, his encounter with Noah. "I believe there's more to this."

"Then it's good it was you who went alone. I would have shot that brat who so brazenly ate all my food and sat down several times in my home looking at my girl with those eyes." She ranted.

"I almost did, too." He admitted to her. "But, then I just wanted to hear what he had to say and be out before I do something I might regret. I think he loves her. It's why he stopped his plan."

"How do we know he isn't lying again? Love my butt." She snickered.

"He's not, and we will have proof soon. I've put my men on it."

"Okay then."

"Is Adriana coming over?"

"Yes." Mrs. Swiss answered, "And Evan is here. Adriana said she should stay with Jason but I don't like that at all."

"Then let's inform Jason to tighten up security. We need to be extra cautious henceforth.

$CHAPTER

CHAPTER 48

Evangeline opened the door to Jason's room. Even as she walked in, she wondered what to do without him in the house. The maid served her some dinner and she ate alone. Fleeting of emotions were at war within her. She couldn't help but feel he was avoiding her on purpose or why else wasn't he home now? And why wouldn't he let her come to his office when she called earlier that she was coming over? Starting to regret coming over, she showered, changed into her night robe and curled in his bed. Determined not to sleep till he came in, she searched through her handbag which was beside her on the lamp table. Thankfully, she had packed some books. She brought one out and began to read. She had barely read three pages when she started to yawn and was asleep by the time Jason finally made it home.

When Jason got home around midnight, he stepped into his bedroom to find her curled in his bed. He stayed back, scared of what would happen if he moved closer. He had deliberately stayed at the office so she could be asleep before he came home. He was scared of the way he felt around her. Her growing stomach was doing things to him. Or maybe it wasn't the stomach but the woman herself. And though he wanted to feel this way again, he didn't want it to be so soon. Not when his wife's dead body laid barely cold in her casket.

Most disturbing though was the news that James had shared days ago about his parents being murdered. He had filled him in on the pilot's story too and how the war between the founding families had claimed lives, his parents included. A war believed to have being brought on by Robert Valdez. Though he didn't blame the Swiss for his lost, he knew they played a role in it too. He was stuck with feeling angry or letting things slide. They didn't pull the trigger or cause the clash, all they did was sentence guilty men to jail and now people died. He knew that. What he didn't know was how it would look to the Swiss and Evan especially. He needed to let her know he didn't hold it against them. But he needed time getting his acts together. And he was brooding to. Brooding over the loss of his parents whom he believed he would have understood better had he grown up with them. When they died, he had felt nothing for them.

Fact be told, it had been more of a relieve. It didn't hurt at all. But now, knowing they died not a natural death but because some people felt they had to go without even considering the poor son they had, and how he would feel, he felt angry. That anger was what made him stay away too. if he let her see this side of him, she wouldn't get it when he tells her how he had lost his parents.

He went to the bar and filled his glass with drink. He drank gratefully, loving the sting of the drink behind his throat. Exhausted, he went to his room to sleep and stopped short to stare at the woman in his bed. She knew this was his room. Why was she here? Why didn't she stay in Ellen's room where she slept the last time?

Evangeline tossed and turned in his direction. She turned again, apparently having a dream. His legs moved of their own accord to the bed. The duvet that covered her was parted from her curvy boobs down to her stomach. She had on a transparent robe that covered lacey bra. Sighing, he sat down beside her and pulled the duvet up to cover her. Then he found himself staring at long smooth leg too. He covered that up. Either it was long he had sex or this woman right here was making him hard in a way he never had before.

"Jase." She muttered.

Jason tensed. Only Ellen used that name. Somehow though, Evan had picked that particular name for him too. It was like both women were made just to confuse him while turning his world upside down.

"Jase, let him go."

She was doing it again, muttering while she sleeps. As she kept muttering in her sleep, Jason realised his late wife, Ellen, had been right after all. Evangeline does sleep-talk. He tried listening to whatever she was saying. The words came only in ragged breaths.

"Love."

He sat up straight. Did she say "Love?" Unsure, he bent closer. His left ear, pressed closer to her lips, and though he stayed there a while, no sound came out from those lips. Warm air fanned his ear instead. He moved back and turned to stare at her. Her lips formed an irresistible L-shaped. He stared at them. They were fuller and pinker, a result of his blooming baby in her stomach. Done with the games and heartaches, he let his heart guide him this time as he took her lips gently.

Evangeline woke up to the arousal. Jason's mouth was demanding hers to open. They were gently nudging, his tongue pushing forward too. She opened up for him and was swept up in the current of kisses. This was something more. It was not like the chaste kiss they had shared the other day. These were passionate and intriguing and exciting feelings she never thought she had. Her stomach fluttered happily, and she felt hot fluid drop in her panties. Embarrassed, she tried pushing him away. But he wouldn't let go. He held her head in place and continued to kiss her.

His hands started down on the night robe and pried them open. The cool night air blew her open boobs, but they were covered by his warm hand before she could feel the chill. She gasped as his warm hand palmed her skin. His tongue found the perfect time to plunge in deeper. Pulling away, he loomed over her and settled beside her. She sat forward, willing him to continue. When he hesitated, she pulled him closer and delved in his mouth too.

Jason started to draw a light circle around her breast through the sheer lacey bra. He could feel her nipples hardening. As his hand found her open mould, she tensed.

"It's okay." He encouraged as he busied his hand with her strap.

She let him unhook it. Their eyes met and locked sensually as he let her robe fall off her shoulders. He took his time drinking in her voluptuous curves. He had always guessed she filled up in the right places. She was sexy and inviting. Slowly, he moved closer to her and resumed kissing her. But this time, it was brief. His mouth slides down her neck. Then her neck collar. Finally, he found her hardened nipple. With a gentle suck, she became lucid in his hands. While he worked that breast, his other hand pulled and rubbed the other nipple. Evangeline gasped then flinch as he gently bites at her sensitive nipple. He continues to work on both boobs, alternating between both at intervals with his hands and mouth until she climaxed. Then he began to act frenzy, apparently needing to sate himself too.

He removed her clothes with practised precision and gently too. All the while, conscious of her budging stomach. When she was completely naked, he proceeded to undress her. Like he did him, fast and smooth. Evangeline let her gaze travel down his whole length. He was stone rigid, and his arousal made her tingle sweetly in her inner thigh. Satisfied with the look in her eyes, Jason joined her in bed. He laid down and gently lifted her on him.

Evangeline was going to protest. She wanted him in deep rides with her. But before she could, he pushed her down in one stride, forcing her to take the whole length of him at once. She moaned out in pleasure. They soon found a rhythm. She swinging down to move deliriously on him while he jerks upward to drive himself deeper into her. Their moans and groans with their passionate lovemaking sweat filled the air. Their lovemaking continued until the early hours of the morning. Both demanding and getting their fill of each other. Exhausted, they had both fallen asleep.