Michael (13 page)

I was pleased to see Michael falling back into his roles as father and brother but I couldn’t help but notice the look in his eyes. And when I had tried to discuss what was going on with him he reassured me that everything was fine and it was all a part of the natural healing process. And of course I understood, it made sense but a month had passed and his birthday had bought about another round of unreadable emotions. But I didn’t say anything. Instead, I planned our usual family dinner and flew his sister and family in from Texas to share in the festivities.

“I’m so glad you could make it.” I hugged Leah and took her bags from her leaving them at the door. “Michael is next door helping Liam with a fabricated car issue so I could sneak you in.”

“Glad to know. What do you need help with?” She pulled her dirty blonde hair into a messy bun and pulled up the sleeves on her light sweater.

“The caterer will be here in an hour, Jayda should be back with the balloons any minute now. And Alex is picking up the cake. I could use help setting up outside. I wanted to have the campfire going when it cooled off tonight.” I led the way to the backyard. I loved that the season had just changed and the leaves were beginning to follow suit.

After setting everything up outside, I had a glass of wine and Jayda had arrived. We spent a few minutes spreading the balloons around the room before the caterers arrived and began setting up the buffet. Alex had come and gone a few times over the course of an hour and had been amazingly helpful considering the newborn strapped to her chest.

Everything was set as Michael entered the house and headed straight to the bathroom for a shower. I headed to the bedroom to keep him distracted as everyone filed into the back of the house and into the formal dining room.

“Hey.” Michael said as he exited the bathroom, a white towel wrapped tightly around his waist. He leaned over and kissed my lips. “Sorry I got tied up at Liam’s we started playing with the Mustang and then the kids all went down for naps so we shot a few games of pool.”

“It’s no problem. I’m glad to see you two hanging out again.”

I followed him around the room with my eyes as he got dressed, putting on the clothes I had left out for him and raking his damp hair back. It had taken a while for him to decide to cut it and trim own his facial hair so much so that I had forgotten about the clean cut Michael.

“Ready?” He asked.

“Yeah. Let’s hope Nathan and Mack don’t keep us waiting, I’m starving.” I replied slyly knowing that he’d be surprised to see that his sister would be joining us in addition to his brother and Alex.

I could always count on Krishna to put a smile on my face. I couldn’t hold back my excitement as I wrapped my arms around Leah lifting her into the air. Something about having all of my favorite people in one place change my morale and made me focus on what was really important, my family.

“I can’t believe you flew in for a birthday party. What did Krish have to say to get you here?”

“Absolutely nothing.” She sipped from her glass. “She sent your jet.” She laughed and hugged me again.

“Really? She’s paying that fuel bill.” I joked as I wrapped my arm around my sister and walked out onto the back patio where it seemed everyone had flocked. I greeted everyone else while hanging tightly to Leah.

Krishna had gone all out; the music was playing throughout the yard and house as wait staff circled with hors d’oeuvres and flutes of champagne. I ignored the trays of alcohol and sipped on lemon water as everyone else indulged. I did however join in on cigars with Liam, Nathan and my brother-in-law Eric.

After an hour or so we filed into the dining room, all taking our usual seats. It was the best part of any week made better by Leah’s presence. I waited for the room to quiet before starting the toasts.

“Another year. One of the hardest, I must add. When I checked into rehab, knowing it was the right thing to do before things had gotten any worse, I blocked out all of this, the importance of my family in this whole process. And then Dad passed and it reminded me that you all are the roots that keep me standing. And I’ve been struggling, coping with losing him has been a battle in itself and I’m getting through it with help.” I looked at Krishna who returned a smile. “I guess I’m just trying to say that I’m grateful, no, I’m blessed to be here and to have made it through such a difficult year. And I love each and every one of you for sticking by me and my crazy.” No one said anything, they just returned warm smiles. Krishna gently squeezed my hand when I sat. I cleared my throat. “Let’s eat!”

***

“I’ve been waiting all night for this part.” I said as I unzipped my pants.

“What part is that?” Krishna asked playfully.

“The birthday sex part. Get over here!” Krish playfully pulled away. “Now, woman!”

“Well, if you insist.” She straddled my lap fully dressed in her orange dress and heels. I hiked the dress up and pulled her underwear aside. “And this is how you want it?”

“I want it every which way I can get it, it is my birthday.” I smiled deviously and plunged into her, cupping my hand over her pouty lips.

I had surrendered control to Krishna and relished in having her take me and give me all of herself. She left me satiated and I drifted asleep just after 3 a.m.

***

“Let me take you out for your birthday.” I was up late talking to Krishna on the phone. Just a few weeks and I had fallen hard for her. I had learned more about myself and my own issues in the few weeks of her company than I had with my time previously spent in therapy. It was no secret that I was a wreck, it came with the territory, and it was in my blood.

There was this big issue of loss surrounding the Scott men. My sister had been immune to the crazy while Liam and I along with our father were endlessly recuperating from the loss of women in our lives. I had lost my mother and a woman I swore I’d spend the rest of my life with. Abandonment, the fear of it was certain to plague me. But I knew Krishna Daar, in all of her exotic beauty was the permanence I had been longing for.

“I can’t keep letting you spoil me this way?” She laughed.

“It’s your birthday. I should be able to spoil you.” I begged.

“So, after my birthday, you’ll ease up on the spoiling, just a little?” She asked curiously.

“I promise. But how long before I’ll get to see you again?” I couldn’t get enough of her.

“How tight is the security at your place?” She asked.

“Pretty tight, why?”

“Because if you just ring the bell of a random apartment, and say you have a delivery, any Tom, Dick and Harry will let you in.” She chuckled before the knock came vibrating through the apartment.

“You are a thousand kinds of crazy.” I had opened the door and pulled her close to me, closing the door and pressing her small frame against it. I took her warm lips to mine, enveloping her in all the lust that had been building between us. She pulled back for a breath.

“Missed me?” she managed with a short breath.

“You have no idea.” My lips slammed to hers again. I lifted her and she wrapped her legs around my waist with a graceful ease. I carried her to the bedroom where my spot had been vacated to greet my surprise visitor. “You’re killing me.” I finally breathed after putting her down on the large bed, the dark blue comforter enveloped her as I had enveloped her lips a thousand times in the past week.

“I think you might have found your kryptonite, Superman.” Her top came up over her head allowing her dark hair to fall against her chest.

“I can’t argue with that.” I went to her. I allowed my lips to taste every inch of the brown skin that captivated me at every turn.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say..” she smiled devilishly, “…never mind”

“You’d say what?” I kissed the ripeness of her breast that shyly protruded from her grey lace bra. “You’d say that I’ve fallen in love with you?” She simply nodded. “And I have.” I pulled back from her watching the blue in her eyes glow against the light of the bedside lamp. “I am crazy in love with you, Krishna Daar.”

“I love you too, Michael Cruz.” She closed the gap between us, biting my bottom lip and scratching my bare chest. It was so easy to be with her. It was so easy to love her. She was so real and natural.

I eased her body beneath mine taking her jeans, panties, and bra off in the process. I had no trouble ridding myself of the briefs and pajama pants I’d been wearing. I wanted to know her fully. I wanted to take her apart piece by piece and somehow rebuild her encompassing pieces of myself wherever she needed. I wanted to be the man that completed her. And in this moment, the moment we first made love I wanted to know that I was going to be the last man to ever have her this way.

Without a second thought I kissed her as I eased every inch of myself into her, nothing between us but an undeniable passion. She moaned as her neck arched back, her red lips parting. I paused relishing in the moment. With each additional stroke I felt the desire to release grow. I couldn’t help but spend every one of those seconds with her lips against mine, tasting her moans with each thrust.

“Michael.” She panted. “Michael.”

“I love you, Krishna.” I pulled her body even closer. Her hot thighs gripped my hips as I stared into her eyes. The love she felt for me made her anything but my kryptonite, she was my saving grace and I knew without a doubt that I had to marry her.

***

“I’m telling you. I’ve looked myself. If they can’t find anything and I can’t find anything, this man is essentially a ghost.” Liam said leaning over my desk. I had been back to work for weeks now and the stress of finding out who Charlie Jenner really was, it was consuming me.

“So, he’s lying?” I asked. “Give me something more. It’s been weeks or searching.”

“He exists on a superficial level. He has photos and articles and special mentions out the ass. Just ask any charity, they know who Jenner is. But that’s where it ends. There is no bank account, no social security information that fits.”

“But he’s living somewhere. And the money from these charities is building community centers and such. There’s no way he’s all bad. But to be concealing his identity, he has to be hiding something.” I replied.

“That’s exactly the thinking I had. I’ve had him followed. He’s rents a small mansion in Baltimore, drives a leased car. Both registered to a Charlie Jenner.”

“I bet that name gets a million pops.”

“That’s just it. Charles Jenner gets a million pops but Charlie, just one, and it’s a deceased infant.” He tossed a file onto the desk. “And this woman, the infant’s mother, popped in the National Missing Person’s Database, disappeared from her home in Florida two years ago, remains found about six months later. Now I’m not one for jumping to conclusions but I’d say we need to keep your wife away from this psycho.”

“Shit!” I pulled out my phone. “Krishna is on her way to a winery in Virginia with him.” I called her number; my hands shook thinking about the worst case scenario. If any of this was true than I’d kill him before I gave him the chance to hurt Krishna.

“Keep calling.” Liam darted from my office sweat on his brow as we had both erupted into fear. My phone buzzed in my hand.

“Krishna.” I said into the phone clenching to my desk.

“Michael, what’s wrong? You sound funny.” She said. I heard music in the background.

“Where are you?”

“Still at the house. Charlie is running a bit late.”

“I’m heading home. Don’t leave. We need to talk about this guy.”

“Oh goodness, Michael. Why do you have to do this? You always make something out of nothing. You have to stop. It’s driving me mad.”

“Listen to me. I don’t think this guy is who he says he is. He could be very dangerous and I—”

“Hold on, this is him calling now.” She clicked off the line and I stood pacing my office. I knew she wouldn’t believe me. “Michael, I really don’t have time for this.” Krishna said when she returned to our call. “I’m leaving now. I’ll be back tonight. I love you.”

“Krishna!” I yelled. Liam stood at the door. “You need to listen to me. I’m not making this stuff up. Do not leave the house with him; I’m on my way home.” I ended the call.

I rushed pass Liam, down the elevator and out to my car. I knew I was right about this guy, my gut told me so. And I also knew that Krishna wouldn’t believe a word I said. So with the folder in hand I marched into the house after barely parking the car, up the stairs and into the bedroom. There was no sign of Krishna. I sat on the edge of the bed looking at the information Liam had collect on Charlie. I didn’t know what to do except to call in my own investigator and to have Krishna tailed.

I returned to the car for my phone and Krishna came walking up the drive.

“What happened?” I asked rushing towards her, pulling her into my arms.

“Nothing happened.” She pulled away. “You asked me not to leave. I met Charlie down at the gate to give him the reservation info for the tasting. Told him I was sorry for cancelling.” She side stepped me and went into the house. I pulled my car into the garage, grabbed my phone and headed into the house and up the staircase.

“Krishna, listen.” I said barging into the bedroom. She was standing with the folder in her hand.

“What is this?” She looked through the papers, the photos of the woman. Graphic photos Liam had managed to acquire.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. We don’t think Charlie is who he says he is. We’ve run the name, Krishna. Our guys are good. They got nothing except this name that popped up at every turn. All the others, not him.”

“And? What are you trying to say? He stole someone’s identity?”

“It’s way bigger than that. But that’s part of it.” I sat down and pulled her down beside me. “You said Charlie moves around a lot. That he doesn’t like to settle down. Maybe he was in Florida when this woman went missing, when she was murdered. And I don’t know for certain but I don’t want to take the chance that he’s after you too.”

“This is ridiculous. Charlie’s a good guy. He does amazing work. He’s my friend, Michael.” I cried.

“I know he’s your friend and I can’t deny that he has done some remarkable things here but he doesn’t exist, not to the government. Until we know more, you have to stop spending time around him. Stop letting him in the house and around the kids.” She didn’t say anything. She just nodded and left the room.