Chapter 9
Yara
Ihadn’t thought when I threw myself at James. But now in his arms, I felt like everything…might just be okay.
His dick had certainly done wonders to ease my mind.
Everything was coming together, he was taking the news better than expected. But there was still another part of this.
My ties to his daughter.
Fuck. And I just fucked him again. His dick is literally still inside of me. There’s no explaining a second time now that I know who he is.
James moved to the chair, settling us on it, keeping me on his lap, his length buried.
I could feel it hardening again and contained a groan of appreciation.
He ignored Mateo entirely, directing his words to me.
“What do you mean, exactly, that the other two men will be in your life?” He cocked his head.
“She means that we are going to be one big family. All of us. Together,” Mateo grunted from across the table. He had listened to my request to stay out of this…mostly.
“And you two agreed to this?” James’s voice wasn’t judgmental, just genuine curiosity, his dick stirring again. It propelled another wave of desire.
“She is worth it. Even if it means dealing with two pendejos.”
I didn’t know much of Spanish, but I had looked up the words he used the most. I didn’t snap at Mateo for his insult. He was handling me with James better than I expected. “It won’t be easy,” I admitted, because it wouldn’t be.
Three men when I hadn’t been with a single one for so long would be a challenge. But if that meant my baby would be with their father? If that meant I could be with the three men who had stormed their way into my heart?
I was up for it.
“Where is the other man? Kazi.” James cut through.
“He’s in Florida. We just got back from there, but we will need to go back.” I had already made my mind up, I didn’t want to be separated from him any longer than I needed to be.
“Florida?” James questioned, his green eyes dimming. “I’ll be going there tomorrow on business.”
Mateo stood to his feet. “Let me guess. I bet I know where you’re going.” He told James the town.
“You’re right.” James stiffened. “How?”
“What he said,” I echoed in confusion. “Why would James be going there? What do you know that you haven’t told me?”
Mateo helped me off James’s lap, settling me carefully onto my feet and back into my pants. The emptiness left me longing for another round. Wetness dripped down my thighs as I leaned against the table and cringed at the sensation.
I need to pee and take a shower.
“James, your silent partner. What is his name? Was he the one who pushed you to use Yara’s services?”
James stood next, walking away from us, putting his pants back on before pacing the room. “Steve, yes, he was the one who suggested it, but he doesn’t know that Yara was my…my date.”
Steve.
I didn’t recognize the name. It sounded close to another…but there wasn’t a possibility they could be the same person.
“Keep it that way,” Mateo growled, cracking his neck.
“Mateo,” I said in warning.
“I need to make a call.” He cast his eyes around the room. “Don’t let her out of your sight.” He offered me a lop-sided smile before exiting the room, leaving me alone with James.
Your daughter isn’t dead. Your daughter isn’t dead. Your daughter isn’t dead.
Now that we had fucked again, it was nearly impossible to keep this secret from him. How could I burrow my way into his skin with this between us.
It wasn’t fair.
“James?”
He was staring blankly off towards the window. He jumped when I called his name, but continued to look away from me. Clearly caught in his own world.
“Do you think you’ll be able to handle this? It’s going to be a lot. A baby. Two other men.”
“Men walking in on me fucking you…” he added humorlessly.
“Yes. Even if the child isn’t mine, I’m ready to step up, ready to fall back into that role.
Life is built on insanity and choosing the correct steps to find your happiness.
With you, even now with so many unknowns, I feel happy.
For the first time in years.” His voice broke before he quirked his lips.
“There is no doubt of our connection either.”
My face heated. “I was going to call you sooner. I was going to return, but then…” I sighed heavily. “I had a stalker, an ex-boyfriend.”
James’s eyes snapped to mine. I could see the fire in their depths, recognized that he was angry on my behalf.
Putting my hands up between us, I explained, “It’s okay. He’s…well, he’s gone now.”
“Gone,” James echoed, he smirked. “Mateo and Kazi…who are they?”
“They’re good men,” I said, not able to keep the defensive tone out of my voice. The implications in his words were clear.
“To you. I suppose as long as you don’t get caught up in whatever mess Mateo is a part of then it doesn’t matter.”
“Mateo isn’t caught up in any mess,” I argued, my irritation prickling along my skin.
“No? I caught the first part of his call before he moved away. He’s on the phone with his boss. He’s asking questions about someone whose name is Isaac? Iza? Something like that.”
Izzy.
What’s going on?
My heart beat its way into my throat. “I’m going to the bathroom.” Before James could stop me, I ran out of the conference room.
I didn’t stop at the bathroom, as much as I desperately needed to. Instead, I continued until I found Mateo outside my office. He was just ending his call.
“What have you done? How is Izzy tied to this?”
Mateo’s eyes widened in surprise. “How did you—Izzy is fine. She isn’t going to be hurt.”
Storming past him into my office, I slammed the door shut and locked it before he realized what I was doing.
“Yara!”
Kazi had been acting weird. Mateo was being shifty.
My instincts were riding me.
I hadn’t heard from Izzy since her encounter with the man I had set her up with last night.
Johnson Hall.
He had come to meet me, he had seemed perfect for her, but now there was a crippling unease that settled its way in my gut.
Pulling out my phone, I called her.
She didn’t answer.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
How could I be so careless?
I had zero idea what was going on, but I was going to figure it out. I opened my computer searching for Johnson Hall’s file.
It was missing. As was Izzy’s file. The only ones who had access to delete them were Emil and Kazi.
But why would they do that?
Next, I decided to look at the reunion photos. Maybe I could get some hint, anything to go off of.
I didn’t expect to see Johnson Hall in the pictures.
He fucking knows her.
I called Izzy again.
No answer.
And again. And again. And again.
Every missed call was another stab of anxiety.
What have I done?
Finally, after dozens of calls, she picked up.
“Hey mamacita!” The words were awful, but her voice was welcomed.
“Where are you?” My concern bypassed niceties.
“What’s wrong?” Izzy asked in confusion.
“Where are you?” I repeated.
“I’m with Maddox and Oliver. What’s going on? You’re starting to scare me.”
Thank fuck. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know. I had my go-to guy check him out, but then I just had this FEELING, and I wish I acted sooner.”
“Yara, you’re scaring me,” Izzy’s expelled.
“Izzy, you need to leave that hotel. Tell Oliver and Maddox. That man from last night wasn’t who he said he was. You know him! He was in the reunion photos! Leave now. Go home, get away!”
But Izzy didn’t reply, I heard another voice, distinctly male but unfamiliar, and I realized she had lied. She wasn’t with Oliver and Maddox.
The call disconnected.
Internally, I was panicking. I was too far away. What could I possibly do?
Against every voice in my head, I called Oliver.
“You can kill me later, but Izzy’s in trouble. We were talking, but then I heard noises and the phone disconnected,” I spit out.
There was a delay before he responded.
“Speak,” Oliver demanded.
“I fucked up.” I quickly explained to Oliver what happened.
How the man that Izzy met up with knew her.
“Something isn’t right! My security team has never failed before, I even ran it past Emil. There’s more to this.” There was. And I had a sinking suspicion Kazi and Mateo were involved.
Oliver swore. “We will find her, but you better hope it’s in time. She is mine. Nobody else is allowed to have her.”
Regret and understanding slapped me in the face. The years of Oliver’s disgusting tendencies storming together. “I fucking knew it. You obsessive freak! You’re no good for her either!” I screamed, but it was no use.
He hung up on me, and just an instant later, my office door slammed open.
A red-faced Mateo standing on the other side.