MR. MORENO'S SURROGATE ✔️

28 - Elijah

With her hand in mine, I lead us out of my office, opening the door and closing it behind us as we walk out. We walk to the bar to meet Cayson and Daro there, and as soon as Cayson turns around, he has a wide grin on his face. Fucking hell.

"I hope nothing's broken," he says, cackling.

"Grow up." I say, rolling my eyes at my annoyingly immature brother. "We have bigger things to worry about than what's broken in my office. Daro, you're keeping watch over Leilah while she's here. Let her have her space, just don't take your eyes off her, not once, am I clear?"

"Crystal," he says, grabbing her hand from mine and bowing his head to her.

"Cayson, let's go. And take your head out of your ass and drink some goddamn water. You need to stay focused. Leilah, we'll be back shortly. Take a walk around, do whatever you want." I say, right before turning away and walking back to my office.

We walk into the office and I sit in the chair behind my desk as Cayson pulls up a chair next to me. I ring the front desk's line, and I tell them to bring back the people I'm meeting with, and then we sit there, waiting on our company.

"So you two are fucking each other now?" Cayson asks out of the blue.

"That's none of your business." I say, avoiding the topic of conversation, but he's adamant.

"It's my business now that I've seen her panties lying on your office floor. Let's not forget that she was lying on top of this desk naked and holding you to her like her life depended on it."

"That's because you don't know what something called privacy is," I retort.

"Well I didn't think I'd walk in on you fucking the woman you swore up and down that you hated."

"Well, things change."

"So you two just woke up one day and decided not to hate each other anymore?"

"When do you ever stop talking?" I say, irritated and aggravated at his constant questions. Just then, there's a knock at the door. "Come in." I say, straightening myself up.

After an hour or two, I'm coming down to my last meeting with a man named Gray Hernandez. He sits down in the chair in front of me and begins to speak.

"I've come to deliver a message." he says.

I look at Cayson and he looks back at me, a grin of amusement on his face.

"Go on." I say, allowing him to speak.

"Marco has requested to meet with you without the girl. He says he has very important news about the death of your father," he explains.

That's where he's fucked up. What makes him think I'd even consider bringing her to a meeting with him of all people? His son came to my reception and tried to murder my wife and child, so he paid for it with his life. There's no doubt in my mind that he's not vengeful, and not bringing her only means that he's trying to set me up.

"You've got about a second to get out of my office. Tell him I won't be coming. Are we done here?" I ask, clutching my gun in my hand.

"I'm afraid not."

In a swift movement, he pulls out his gun. Before he even has the chance to aim, I pull mine out, and I pull the trigger, sending a bullet through his shoulder. Already standing to my feet, I walk over to him and I punch him square in his face, listening to the bones in his jaw break. I kneel over him to punch him again, then I grab his jaw, making him scream and writhe beneath me.

"Tell me what he's planning or I will not hesitate to blow your fucking brains out," I threaten, my jaw tight with anger as I put the barrel of my gun to his skull. When he hesitates, I yell in frustration. "Did I fucking stutter?!" I tighten my finger on the trigger and he cries out, putting his hands up.