"I don't think she likes me very much."
Matt thought his ex-fiancée had a grasp of the obvious as he watched the firefighters drench the last embers of his burnt car.
"Can you blame her? She owned half of Houston Enterprises and it's one thing to try to blackmail me over it."
She widened her eyes.
"Blackmail? That's a harsh word don't you think?"
Matt thought it damn fortunate for Elizabeth that C.J. was pregnant. He couldn't be absolutely sure his best friend turned lover wouldn't dropkick her if she had the chance. Even if hormones pushed her in that direction, C.J. had been protective of the new life growing inside of her.
"Blackmail's exactly what it is darling and it's mighty pathetic you'd have to resort that to get me to marry you but it's not working is it?"
She folded her arms.
"Oh Matt…what glorious times we shared together…if it hadn't been for her…I know surrendering to our mutual passions in her bed wasn't the most sensitive of all decisions but we just couldn't contain ourselves any longer and…"
He put his hand up not wanting to hear any more details. Yeah, it had been good between them in that way…but what could he say? He loved getting down and dirty with beautiful women, quite a few of them and while he'd thought he'd loved her…the truth was the chaos of the past year had thrown him too quickly into her arms. That and that thing he had for women that he rescued.
"Enough Elizabeth…it's over between us and you have my corporation. You'd best spend your time making sure you don't sink it into the ground by the next fiscal quarter okay? For your own good…and that of your so-called silent partner."
She bristled at that.
"I do have a partner in case you're implying otherwise. Someone who knows all about you and…her…in your past before I even met you."
Since he hadn't really known her that long, that bit of information didn't help.
"That doesn't narrow it down all that much does it?"
"It's not meant to Matt…I want you to be confused and wondering, always looking over your shoulder for him…or her…or even them. I want you to squirm until you remember how good it was between the two of us."
Matt thought she was taking this thing a bit too far. A firefighter walked up to him.
"It's out but it's bad as it looks…a total loss," he said, "We'll fill out a report for your insurance company."
"What caused it?"
The firefighter looked solemn.
"It's not an engine fire for sure," he said, "We're bringing in an arson team because it looks suspicious."
Elizabeth sighed.
"Matt…who would do such a thing? Who would hurt you like that through torching one of your beloved cars?"
He didn't know, couldn't begin to guess but wasn't going to speculate in front of her. He thanked the firefighter who nodded and left them.
"Really Matt…this is just so…diabolical…," she said, "I mean you're being an absolute jerk to me but still…it's so hard to believe."
He scratched the back of his neck wanting to get out of here.
"Do you think it's the same guy who crashed our wedding?"
Matt shook his head.
"No…he's locked up. I'm going to find out after I got the report. In the meantime, I've got to get to the office."
She smiled.
"Me too…and despite what you might think…or have heard, your company's in good hands."
"Glad to hear it…after all it's not my concern anymore," he said, "C.J. and I are picking up a lot of our former clients."
Her mouth thinned into a line.
"Good…All I want is the best for you Matt…you'll see with time that we're meant to be."
She walked away and Matt just shook his head before calling his uncle to pick him up and take him back to the office. He had to figure out who had blown up one of his favorite cars and why.
C.J. looked at Delilah wanting to do a roundhouse and knock her flat on her ass. But she remembered, thou shall not engage in kickboxing while expecting.
"I don't have time to talk to you so I think you should just move along."
Delilah smirked.
"How did you do it anyway?"
Now C.J. felt lost on top of being annoyed.
"Do what?"
"Get knocked up inside maximum security prison."
C.J. put a hand on her hip.
"Say what?"
Delilah's smile widened and she just looked like a harpy.
"You went and visited him didn't you? That anchor who got locked up forever after murdering his accomplice in a grand scheme to defraud the American public."
"Excuse me…"
But Delilah clearly had just gotten started.
"Your lover…you too were photographed together many times. I found some photos of you in the Daily Mirror's morgue. Quite the scandal when he turned out to be a psychopathic killer…"
To say the least but C.J. had weathered that situation well. No, testifying against Robert at a prelim hearing hadn't been her favorite activity but it helped get him in prison.
"You denounced him publicly but in private…you went to visit him and now you're pregnant."
C.J. had some problems connecting the two. Delilah just stared at her.
"Are you on something?"
The publisher shook her head.
"No…not at all," she said, "It's just that you're pregnant with his baby and I'm about to go to ask for a jailhouse interview with him to get his side of the story."
C.J. felt shocked at the allegation but didn't want Delilah to see it. She shrugged.
"Whatever…but my baby's father is none of your business," she said, "but it's not Robert's."
Delilah snickered.
"So you say…but we shall see."
C.J. supposed that she would but she had to head back to the office.
"So how did you do it? Did you do it naturally or get him to secure a…sample?"
C.J. just stared at her.
"What…and where do you come up with this crap?"
Delilah beamed.
"I have my sources which I can't reveal."
Bad sources, C.J. thought because she knew damn well who fathered her baby and very likely, when. And where. Just not which time or position…but why was she breaking it down into pieces anyway?
"Whatever…I got to go," she said, "You do what you have to do with Robert while I head back to work…but if you publish anything saying that he's the father…I'll sue your ass and your paper for libel…and by the end of the day I'll own both."
Delilah's mouth dropped.
"What…?"
"I'll keep the paper not the other…excuse me."
She walked away from the witch feeling satisfied with herself hoping to hear the last from her for at least a while. Her feet hurt, she had to hit the john…again and she had a ton of work to do.
