Disclaimer: I own nothing
Well I am on holidays all. Not sure if I will be posting for the next month but I will be doing a bit of writing so be sure to see a few chapters when I get back. Hope you enjoy this.
At 10.00 the next morning they were sitting around the dining table enjoying the brunch that Tate had prepared when the doorbell rang. Everyone turned and looked at Alex who was just as perplexed as everyone else. She wasn't expecting Sofia until 12.00pm, hadn't even had a chance to broach with the others the idea she was forming to have a several series interview.
Sighing she got up from the table, waving away Tate's offer to get the door so she could eat and headed out of the kitchen. The doorbell rang again as she was walking down the hall, well someone was impatient.
"Hold your horses, I'm coming" she called throwing open the door, jaw dropping in disbelief at the audacity of her visitor "I have nothing to say to you"
"Too bad I have plenty to say to you" he growled catching the door as she tried to close it on him and shoving it so hard open again she stumbled backward into the hall table, crying out as the corner of it dug into her hip.
She looked up wide eyed, disbelieving what had just happened and seeing the anger in the blue eyes in front of her, seeing the redness of the face she became truly scared for her own welfare. She was very glad her lover and friends were here.
"Tate!" she cried stepping away from the advancing man
"Do you know what you've done!" he roared as he kept coming forward "You've ruined me"
"What the bloody hell is going on" Tate stormed as she came out of the kitchen upon hearing her lovers frantic cry. Tyler and Olivia were right behind her "You!" she growled as a pale frightened Alex hurried to her. "Get the hell out"
"Stay out of this" the bellowing man yelled "It's all your fault you she man"
Alex felt Tate tense ready for a fight
"Don't" she warned "He'll press charges, lets not give him the satisfaction". Feeling more secure now in the arms of her lover she glanced over at her friend who held Tyler back by the arm, all the while looking like she wanted to kill with her bare hands. She turned back to look at the man in front of her, he was a complete stranger to her a far cry from the man who she worshipped growing up.
"As I said before I have nothing to say to you, you clearly have no concern for me or my welfare, you set me up with a murderer for Christ sake and are now taking his side over mine."
"He's innocent" her uncle claimed "He was set up"
"He tried to kill us all" Alex laughed humourlessly "I don't know what this is about, but it sure isn't about Jonathon"
"You're a Cabot for God sake act like one" her uncle went off on another tangent and Alex struggled to keep up.
"You aren't a Cabot, so don't you dare tell me what to do" Alex stormed, her own temper surfacing "All my life I toed the line and did everything I was told, followed my mother's dream. It cost me my job that I enjoyed, it cost me my friends and several years of my life. My mother died thinking I was already dead. I've had enough, from now on I am living the life I see fit"
"Even at the cost of your reputation, your family and the Cabot Estate" her uncle hissed
"All my relatives are distant and I haven't spoken to them since I got back, their choice by the way. I couldn't give a toss about my reputation in New York, I no longer live here and the Estate is under my sole control, not a thing happens without my say so. If I find out otherwise I will kill whoever is responsible, after I sue the asses off them" she watched him carefully, what was he on about?
"What about your aunt and I?" he tried next
"You should have thought about that before you took the side of a murderer" Alex crossed her arms and gave the famous Cabot stare
"We're ruined you know, financially. He took it all, lost it. He's racked up a debt larger than several African nations combined. I invested with him when he said you two were dating and it was serious" her uncle was now pale and Alex felt no sympathy for him
"Let me guess he promised once he had married me he would gain control to the Cabot Billions and be able to pay it back" Alex gave a humourless laugh "You are so gullible Uncle Bill, he probably would have cleaned me out, killed me then disappeared somewhere in South America"
She paused as his face turned red again, his ire returning.
"I suggest you sell your family estate and take what you can"
"You heartless bitch" he roared lunging forward. Alex found herself pushed into Olivia's arms as Tate and Tyler caught him easily, holding an arm each "Think of your Aunt"
"Like you are?" Alex snorted "You're only trying to save face in front of your cronies" Alex sighed "How much does he owe you?"
"10 million" her uncle replied and Alex sighed shaking her head, he always had been hopeless with investing
"What about Aunt Angelique?"
"5 million"
Alex gently disengaged from Olivia and walked down the hall towards her office. Olivia stared at Tyler in disbelief then hurried after her friend, catching up with her just inside her office door and grabbing her by the arm.
"Alex you're seriously not thinking of paying him are you?"
"Olivia please, just let me do this and get rid of him. If it's any consolation I'll hardly miss it and I intend to write out the check to his wife. He won't be able to touch it. Hopefully she uses it to leave him"
"Jesus Alex it's 15 million" Olivia gaped
"Actually I intend to write one for 20. It sets Aunt Angelique up for her oncoming later years. Don't fret Olivia, I've written bigger checks, the bank won't even blink"
"Bloody hell, how rich are you?" Olivia stared at her in fascination
"Does it matter Liv?" Alex looked up from writing the check "I know you, Tate and the guys love me for me, not my Billions" she turned back to writing the check, missing Olivia's double take. Billions? Alex tore the check from the book and placed it back in her drawer. She'd have to remember to bring all her financial papers with her.
Looking up she saw the look on Olivia's face and grinned, coming around the desk to give her friend a quick hug
"My family invested wisely in the computer industry, a little thing called Microsoft. Not to mention Apple. Oh and we have some investments in mines in Africa, Russia and Western Australia. Just to name a few."
Leaving Olivia to follow her at her own will she returned to where her uncle was waiting with Tyler and Tate standing nearby but no longer holding him back. Alex handed the check to Tyler, not wanting to get within arm's length of her uncle
"That should cover your debt and some. It's made out to Aunt Angelique so you can't lose it all" she offered up a smirk as his nostril flared "Hopefully she uses it to leave your sorry ass" she turned to Tyler "Tyler can you show the unwanted guest out" and turning her back on the now spluttering man returned to the kitchen.
While Tate and Tyler were busy escorting the man out she took time to go to the freezer and check it for ice. Finding a pack of frozen peas she wrapped them in a towel and made for her bedroom, snagging Olivia's hand on the way and towing her after her.
"What's up Al?" Olivia asked as she locked them inside the room and then shoved the ice in her hands. Olivia frowned wondering what was going on. That was until Alex sunk onto the yet unmade bed with a groan and pulled her track pants down far enough to reveal a livid bruise.
"Jesus Alex" Olivia hurried to her friend and gently placed the frozen peas on her skin, causing the younger woman to wince "And you still paid him"
"Not him, my aunt" Alex mumbled into her pillow, hissing as Olivia pulled up her top to reveal more of the bruise. She used gentle fingers to explore the damage.
"How the hell did he do this?"
"He shoved the door open when I tried to close it. I stumbled back into the hall table" she groaned, damn that hurt, even if Olivia was being careful. "Don't let Tate in here until my uncle is long gone, I don't want her charged with murder"
"I wouldn't blame her if she was" Olivia admitted but when the tentative knock came on the door she stood and hurried over to it, only opening it a crack to find a concerned Tate and Tyler "Go see if you can rescue brunch or better yet start an early lunch, we'll be out in a bit"
"Is Alex ok?" Tate tried to peak over her shoulder to see in "Why won't you let me in?"
"Tate she is fine, a bit upset. She just wants to talk a bit, we'll be out soon" and with that she closed and locked the door again. Going back to the bed she climbed on before pausing in horror "You like didn't have sex on these sheets this morning did you?" she asked wiping her hands on her pants and Alex burst into laughter.
"God your disgusting" she chuckled "No, not this morning anyway"
"Alex" Olivia whined, not quite knowing what to do.
Outside the room Tate and Tyler were a bit perplexed upon hearing the laughter but were satisfied that Alex wasn't too upset and returned to the kitchen. Brunch couldn't be saved and after checking the fridge and freezer and finding nothing that held their interest they turned to the take away menus that littered the outside.
"Chinese, Italian, Thai, Pizza, Mexican, Indian" Tate shook her head
"She even has one for a burger joint" Tyler chuckled
"Well from all of those I vote for Italian" Tate sighed and Tyler agreed as they pulled down the menu to study it
Alex was sure the whole apartment complex heard the explosion when Tate finally saw the bruise on her hip and back. It took a lot of fast talking by her and Olivia to convince Tate and Tyler not to hunt her uncle down.
Tate wasn't happy with her for not telling her sooner and Alex just rolled her eyes as they sat down for lunch. While they ate the pasta and garlic bread Alex outlined what she had in mind for Sofia. They were intrigued if not a little wary, especially Tate. Tyler said she would need to call her family and Alex understood that.
After the early lunch she took time to freshen up and dress in casual jeans and shirt. She left her feet bare, her hair out and was devoid of makeup. Tate whistled at her and stole a kiss, she loved her lover relaxed and dressed casually just as much, if not more than how she was dressed up for the previous evening.
Tyler came out of the spare room and gave her the nod, with strict provisos. Alex would ensure they were met or no deal.
When the doorbell rang at midday the others made themselves scarce. She frowned as she got closer to the door. It must be a nosey neighbour with a baby. She'd have to shoo them on quick as she was expecting Sofia any minute.
Swinging the door wide she swore her jaw became unhinged when she saw Sofia standing there next to a loaded pram, looking slightly bedraggled and holding a baby that looked no more than a few months old. A baby that was letting the world know he was unhappy.
"Sofia what in the world?" Alex stepped back allowing the woman to trail the pram full of paraphernalia in. She carried the little boy gently in one arm, a large briefcase securely on the pram within reach of the other. Her usually neat hair was breaking free of its once tidy bun and her suit jacket seemed to have some spit on it.
"Alex I am so sorry, the babysitter cancelled" Sofia begged her with her eyes as Alex shut the door "I was too scared to ring in case you didn't want to meet anymore. I can't afford that" she admitted ashamed.
Alex waved away her concern and ushered the harried woman into the lounge helping her arrange the pram and get seated on the couch before sitting in a chair opposite her. She wasn't surprised when Liv, ever the kid/baby magnet came out to see what was going on. She looked just as stunned as she was at seeing Sofia with a baby as she sat down in another chair.
Sofia herself was busy apologising stating that Antonio was hungry as she had skipped his feed to get here on time. Did they mind if she fed him first, he usually settled afterwards. Alex was no ogre, the baby came first and as she sat and watched the young mum undo her blouse while her mind was busy connecting dots.
Once little Rafael was suckling contently she watched as Sofia lovingly trailed a finger lovingly over a plump cheek before looking back up at Alex with a gentle smile.
"Thank you for understanding"
"I wish you would stop apologising. One would think I deserved the Ice Queen tag if you don't" Alex muttered earning a chuckle from Olivia which in return earned her an icy glare.
"Sorry" Sofia said sheepishly causing Alex to shake her head.
"Now, what does little Rafael have to do with getting you downsized?" Alex asked and Sofia promptly burst into tears. Stunned Alex looked across at Olivia who shrugged and then as one the two women got up and moved to sit either side of Sofia reassuringly.
"What is it?" Alex asked the sobbing woman
"I had no idea...he never told me...he just pursued me relentlessly and he was so good looking and charming and I caved. When I told him I was pregnant he hit the roof" Sofia sniffed, trying to settle so Rafe could eat "It was like I'd done it deliberately. Imagine my surprise when he said he was married with a family and I needed to get rid of it. I was shocked I told him no, next thing I knew I was writing the society pages, they couldn't fire me without due cause." She sucked in a quick breath before continuing.
"He brought in a guy from a rival paper and has made my life hell since. He didn't even help when Rafe was born prematurely and spent weeks fighting for his life, just callously told me having a bastard better not prevent me from returning to work on time"
Alex and Olivia stared over the top of her head in disbelief. Alex sighed, having already done the research on the new owner of the paper and recognised the name of the man. He was an ass in college too. She wasn't at all surprised when she thought about it. Rich, good looking men appeared to be all the same, such little spoilt brats.
"You should have reported him, mothers are entitled to maternity leave" she informed.
"He said I hadn't built up enough hours" Sofia cried "Wasn't it bad enough I was now earning half what I was before, I had to sell my nice apartment and rent a one bedroom in a rather seedy part of the city. It's not fair"
"No it never is" Alex sighed and noticing Rafael had finished his meal smiled "Why don't you give Rafe to Olivia, she's a natural with kids and we can discuss my offer"
Sofia looked at Olivia who was smiling at her gently. She trusted the detective, after many years working crime she knew the detective was very caring when it came to victims and children. Searching the pram she located his burping rug and gently handed her son over to eager arms, watching as the Detective placed the blanket over her shoulder then lay Rafe against it. One arm supported his rump while the other hand alternated between rubs and gentle pats.
"If you smell anything toxic from him bring him back and I'll change him" Sofia offered as the detective stood
"Better yet give me your diaper bag and I'll get Tyler and Tate to do it" Olivia grinned evilly and Sofia laughed pulling out said bag from the rack under the pram and handing it over. A quick adjustment from Olivia and she took the bag and strode out.
"Let me get this straight" Sofia asked stunned "You are offering me several exclusive interviews regarding your work for the International Crimes Committee"
"Yes" Alex smiled at her dumbfounded look.
"This would involve me returning to Montana with you" Sofia was stunned "Where I could also do an exclusive interview on your private life there, with your partner, on the ranch"
"As long as you don't name the ranch or the town it's in" Alex nodded "Or mention the surnames of the owners"
"Ok, so the interviews are good but need to be run past my boss who is so far up my married exes ass he will probably say no and try and send someone else" Sofia sighed coming to the reality of the situation.
"Leave that to me, they'll have an incentive to send you" Alex shrugged "Besides you will probably get more if you freelance and I introduce you to a couple of contacts at some other more reputable papers"
"I would also be writing an article on your life out in Montana and how you met your lover"
"Which if you do well in I might just hire you" Alex calmly offered her trump card and sat back to wait.
"Hire me?" Sofia's asked confused.
"Yes, I've been getting a lot of interest lately about writing about my life experiences to date. Memoirs makes me sound old." Sarah eyes were wide as saucers and Alex chuckled just as there was a commotion from the back of the apartment and they looked up in time to see a slightly green Tyler bolt past the door being chased by a diaper carrying, laughing Olivia.
"Um can someone help me" Tate yelped "that's so gross buddy, don't you have a tap I can turn off"
Sofia exchanged a surprised look with Alex before they both hurriedly stood and raced for the kitchen where they burst into laughter at finding Rafe laid bare on the table while firing a steady stream at a ducking and diving Tate.
A little drama, a bit of humour, hope you enjoyed it. Lots of reviews = lots of chapters when I get back.