DECEPTION: It's Complicated (Book Two)

Chapter 20

She was admiring the eggs. It was glorious; she beat him to getting these five but thrilled with this particular one. It was the one she had desired; it could be a means to an end for her. She felt a slight flutter in her abdomen. She placed her hands over the expanding belly. "Well, little one, I may have a way to get to your daddy. Then we'll see."

She was going to keep it. That in itself could lure Jonathan back to her. Her anger still burned but she couldn't stop thinking about him. The want and need driving her. She had abandoned any pretense of hiding what she desired any longer.

He was it. It had to be him, no one else. Cameron was a problem. That would have to be dealt with. This Winter Egg was the key.

Tallis came up behind her and waited to be acknowledged. The two toned eyes turned towards her and she nodded. "I've set up the auction for the eggs; need to take pictures before we go online." Charlotte gave her all but the rock crystal, encrusted in diamonds and moonstones one she was caressing. She moved to take it from her hands. Instead it was held tighter to her chest.

"No, this one I keep, I have plans for it."

"But, it was sold for nine million sixteen years ago - we could get ten times that now. Isn't that the goal? We, you wouldn't need to do anything else. You and the....complication...baby" Tallis still had a hard time with that. "Baby could be set for life. No more running around the world." Charlotte rounded on her, rage smoldering behind those eyes.

"THAT IS NOT YOUR CONCERN. I am in charge, you do as I say. My child will have a complete family. I will deal with this my way, I don't need nor have I asked for your counsel. You will DO AS I INSTRUCT. I'm keeping this egg. It means something." She was looking dreamily at the object. What was going through her mind was anyone's guess. Tallis knew her boss. "GO, now." Returning with the four eggs she and Decker took photos, secured them in the locked shipping container with the other retrieved acquisitions and put up the auction. For some reason, Charlotte had insisted on a two month timeline. The others thought that was insane, to sit on something like this for that long. It gave all the more chance of something going wrong.

It was her call, they did as they were told and would monitor the site daily, until the time was up. Tallis figured she would be about seven months along by then. She couldn't fathom why she was keeping the brat. She didn't understand any of this. Charlotte had always been difficult and obtuse but the goals had some kind of symmetry to them.

"I know the next place we're going. Memory just popped up. China....we have to go to Guangdong, Pearl River District. We can then go to Tibet, I can't remember what's there, but the Buddhist monks have what I want." Tallis booked the flights, hoping they would get there before Jonathan Black.

The twins weren't thinking about another trip to retrieve one of the depositories, they were trying to figure out how to help Charles.

"We could just give them the book and hope for the best." Gunter was the only one to say anything. "Do you actually care....I mean, if you were already going to give them that damn book?"

"Besides, boss didn't I hear you could make a copy anytime you wanted too?" Jonathan was trying the shush Jordan. Didn't want that discussed, with Percy in the room.

That statement had Percy attentive and listening very hard to what was being said. He had just been musing, not involved in the discussion, letting it wash over him. But now, how could Jonathan just re-create the book anytime he wanted. Did he have a scan? No that couldn't be it; this building had been searched and probed several times since the start of this brouhaha. Both twins were arguing, by evidence of their hand gestures. It was definitely an interesting development.