Maid To The Billionaire: Forever His (Part Three) (Billionaire Romance) (5 page)

VICTORIA

When I left the dining room, I really thought that I was going to be sick. I couldn’t even imagine going through what Alex’s parents have been through and surviving it. I went up to Michael’s room and even though I had the monitor in my pocket and I could hear his even, unlabored breaths, I was still in panic mode until I saw him. He looked so peaceful and perfect and I was tempted to pick him up and hold him. I wanted to feel him in my arms, make sure that he’s real. I knew that was me being selfish, so I pet his soft little head and sat down next to the crib instead. I sat there and watched him sleep and I wondered what my life would be like if he was taken away from me now. I shivered and realized that was the only thing that could ever possibly convince me to take my own life. I sat there for close to an hour with those depressing thoughts running through my head and by the time Alex found me there, the sun had gone down around us and the room was dark.

He did the same thing I had done first; he put his hand gently on Michael’s back to feel the rise and fall of his chest and then he pet his soft hair. He knelt down next to me and laid his head in my lap. I stroked his hair gently wondering what he must feel like to find all of this out after so long.

“Are you okay?” he asked me after a while.

“I’m good baby. How about you?”

“I’m okay. It’s hard to mourn someone that you never knew. I feel so bad for my parents, and really guilty for all of the things I thought about them in the interim.”

“But like you said, you didn’t know. So, their behavior rightly felt strange to you, and wrong. But I keep looking at our little angel and trying to imagine their pain and I can’t even come close.”

“You’ll never have to feel that kind of pain… I’m going to make sure of it.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

VICTORIA

When I woke up the next morning, Alex was gone and there was a note on his pillow. It said
, “I have to work for a few hours and then meetings with lawyers. Call me if you need ANYTHING and take one of the security men with you if you go anywhere. I love you!”

“I love you too,” I said aloud to the room. I missed him already. I got up and picked up the baby monitor. There was no noise coming from Michael’s room at all. I grabbed my robe and when I pulled open the bedroom door, Karen was there talking to the new upstairs maid.

“Good morning, Victoria.”

“Good morning,” I said quickly, turning towards Michael’s room.

“He’s not in there.”

“What? Oh my God! Where is he?” That quickly I could feel my blood pressure go up and my heart race.

Karen’s face fell and she said, “Oh dear, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. Mr. Reigns has him down in the sunroom.”

“Alex?”

“No, James.” I had to take several deep breaths to get my heart rate down. Karen watched me with wide eyes and then she said, “I’m so very sorry.”

I managed a smile and said, “Don’t be, Karen. I overreacted. Thank you for letting me know.” I smiled at them both and went down the stairs. James and Michael were indeed in the sunroom. James had his back to me but I could see Michael’s little face looking up at his grandfather as he held him out in front and sang to him. He was singing,
“You are my Sunshine”
and Michael looked enthralled. I waited until he finished and then I said, “Good morning.”

James turned towards me and looking abashed he said, “Oh, you caught me. Good morning.”

“It was a beautiful rendition, wasn’t it Michael?” My baby was craning his neck and his beautiful eyes were trying to track my voice. It’s the little things like that when you’re a parent that makes your whole day. James noticed too. He smiled at the baby.

“You hear your mama, don’t you handsome boy. Here you go, there’s your mama.” He handed him to me and said, “Thank you for him.”

I laughed. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you like him because there’s a definitive no return policy.”

He looked sad and I realized that probably wasn’t the smartest statement in lieu of what he’d told us the night before. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive of me.”

He shook his head. “Please don’t apologize; I know that you didn’t mean anything. You know something Victoria?”

“What sir?”

“First of all, stop calling me sir. It’s James. Anyways, I absolutely cannot stand Cassandra. I never could. I didn’t care that she was from the same social class as Alex, she was just rotten to the core and I knew it the first time I met her. I don’t know if Alex told you or not, but I’m a pretty good judge of people.”

“He did tell me and I agree with you about Cassie, I’ve always thought the same thing.”

“Well what I wanted to tell you is that I think my son did about one hundred percent better this time. I read all the crap the tabloids printed and I could care less about any of it. Anyone with half a brain knows they don’t print the actual truth in those rags. If Alex loses a customer or two because of it, that’s their loss. I honestly don’t think anybody in this day and age is going to care anyways. My point is I hope you’re not letting any of it bother you. I know that all of this unwanted attention is probably new to you.”

“It definitely is… and I was really worried about it at first. I wasn’t worried about how it made me look; I honestly could care less about that. I was worried about Alex’s business and I am worried about my son reading it someday. You know with the internet now, nothing ever goes away.”

He nodded and then looked at the baby who had snuggled against my chest and went back to sleep. “He’s a Reigns, so he will have to be taught about the press and the paparazzi at a young age unfortunately, but I don’t think they’ll be able to tell him anything that’ll make him think poorly of his Mama.”

“Thank you.”

He nodded. “I’m going to see what Cook has cooking in there. I’ll let you two get on with your morning routine.”

He left and I sat in the rocking chair next to the window. The sun was streaming in and I leaned back and closed my eyes. After a minute Michael started fussing and when he did, I opened my eyes just in time to catch the flash of a shadow at the window. I screamed causing the baby to cry. I didn’t realize there was security inside the house, but a huge bald guy came running in.

“What is it Miss?”

“There was someone at the window.” He called on his radio for back-up as he ran out. I took Michael and went out of the glass-enclosed room. I was suddenly afraid to stand next to a window; what was happening?

“Victoria, are you okay?” James and Cook ran out from the kitchen.

“Yeah, there was someone at the window. Security went after him.” Cook put his arm around me. James looked torn as if he was thinking about going after them himself. Before he decided to do that, the big guy came back in. He was talking on his radio and carrying Jason by the scruff of his neck. I lost it as soon as I saw him. I pushed my poor baby into a shocked James's arms and while the security officer still held him, I slapped him hard across the face. “You son of a bitch!”

The security officer’s lips twitched. Cook was laughing outright and poor James still looked shocked. “You know this guy?” Mr. Security asked me.

“Yes, unfortunately. This is Jason Bowers, my ex-boyfriend.”

The security officer whose name badge I can see now says “Joe,” tossed Jason into a chair. I could see then that his hands were cuffed together at the back with a pair of plastic cuffs. “Don’t move,” he said, threateningly. He got back on the radio and gave his superiors Jason’s name. They told him the police were on their way.

“What were you doing here, Jason? How did you even get on the property?” I wanted to slug him again. The coward wouldn’t even look up at me.

“He’s not talking to me either,” Joe said. “Of course as soon as I got ahold of him I shoved his face into the pavement and cuffed him. I guess he’s not fond of foreplay.” Jason was still looking at the floor.
I looked at Joe and asked, “Did someone call Mr. Reigns or should I do that?”

“He’s been called,” Joe said.

“Good, thank you.” I took the baby from James’s arms and told him, “I’m going to feed him and then shower. Will you let me know if they need me before that? I can’t stand here and look at him or my kick-boxing classes are going to start kicking back in.”

James smiled and said, “You pack a mean punch there. You go on ahead and I will definitely call you if they need you.”

Still shaking from either fright or fury or both, I headed up the stairs. I sat in the nursery, far from the window even though it was upstairs, and fed Michael. He ate like a little glutton, finally passing out like a drunk on New Year’s Eve. I put him down gently in his crib and taking the baby monitor, I headed for the shower. I showered quickly and dressed. When I came back out, there was another security officer at the door of Michael’s nursery. He saw my curious look and took out his I.D. and held it out to me. I went over and looked at it and then I handed it back and peeked in at the baby.

“Thank you.” He gave me a nod and I went back downstairs to see what was happening down there. I found them all still on the sunporch, only now there were two more security officers and two police officers and one man that looked like a detective in the room as well.

“Vicki!” I turned around and Alex was there. He opened his arms and I folded into them. “Are you and Michael okay?” I nodded and pulled back just a little so that I could see his face.

“We’re fine. I’m sorry you have to keep rushing home. You’re never going to get any work done.”

He laughed. “I don’t care, as long as you two are okay. I hear I shouldn’t make you too mad either. Dad says you fight like Ali.”

I laughed too. “Not quite… but yes, not making me angry is a good thing.”

“Did this idiot say what he was doing here?”

“Before he went upstairs he didn’t say anything.”

“His mouth probably hurt,” he told me with a wink. I looked in at Jason. He looked so pathetic. Just a year ago he was on top of the world. He had a great job and a big circle of friends. I have no idea how he fell so hard so fast. He was still looking at the floor and refusing to speak.
The man in the suit came over to me and said, “Mrs. Reigns?”

“Victoria,” I said. I wanted to say, “Not yet,” but I wasn’t sure that was appropriate in this situation.

“Victoria did you see Mr. Bowers outside the window?”

I nodded, “But, I only caught a flash. I don’t know if he was actually looking in or just running by.”

“It doesn’t matter. This is private property either way. I’d like to know how he got in here. I had trouble at the gate.”

“Who was there when you came through?” Alex asked.

The detective looked at his notepad and said, “Elliot.”

Alex shook his head like he didn’t know him but I had a sudden thought. “What’s his last name?” The detective looked down again and said, “Hanson.”

“Oh my God!”

“What?” Alex and the Detective were both looking at me.

“Elliot Hanson is Jason’s best friend. They’ve been friends since they were kids.”

“Damn it!” Alex’s face was bright red and his fists were clenched. He took out his phone and called the front gates. “Is Elliot Hanson still here?”

“No. He left about a half an hour ago.”

“Okay, I need his home address.”

“I’ll get it for you sir and call you right back.”

“Just text it, thanks.”

He disconnected the call and looked at me again. “What does he look like?”

“I haven’t seen him in a while, but last time I did he had short dark hair and a mustache and goatee. He’s about six foot and he’s broad shouldered, usually.”

I heard the sound of a text tone in his hand. He glanced at it and said, “Okay baby, thanks. I’m going to go with them.” James was standing behind me.

“I’m going too,” he said. Alex looked at his father like he was going to protest but something in James’ face changed his mind.

“Alex… what if it’s not safe?” I had a really bad feeling about this. I didn’t want him to go. I was suddenly afraid for his life.

“I’ll stay out of their way and let them do their job, but when they have this creep in custody, I want to be there to hear what he has to say for himself.”

I nodded slowly. I was worried and I felt sick, but I wasn’t going to be able to stop him. If I thought I could get away with going, I would go too. “Be safe.”

“I will.” He kissed me softly and said, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” I watched him go, surrounded by his security staff. The two officers that the detective left behind were getting Jason to his feet. He looked like an old man trying to stand up, Joe’s tackle must have done a number on him.

I walked up to him and he flinched. Good, I want him to feel afraid and humiliated. The sight of him alone disgusted me. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to waste my time hitting you again. I just want you to know how disgusting I think you are. The only place I ever want to see you again is in court.”

“You don’t understand,” he whispered.

“What Jason? What is it that I don’t understand?”

“They’re going to kill me.”

“Who?”