Tuesday, October 18, 2016
T
he main house...
"Maya," Trey called out as all four of them settled in the couches. They all looked relaxed, giving off the idea that nothing was wrong.
"Boss?" she said upon appearing. Trey's finger twitched a little but otherwise he was relaxed.
He turned his head in her direction and smiled a little, looking every bit a worried man trying to be polite. "Please give us five bottles of water."
"Okay."
She disappeared and Trey shared a wry grin with Mitch who was shaking his head. She returned before long and served them the waters, hurrying to leave after she'd placed the extra one on the coffee table.
It was almost as if she could sense the trouble looming.
Trey wouldn't blame her even if he could, because Billy and Jason, though relaxed, looked like wickedness personified. Their smiles were evil and creepy instead of normal.
And though he wasn't sure what he looked like himself, Trey was sure he didn't look entirely clueless either.
"Maya," he called, pushing back a smile when she flinched and stopped. "Sit with us for a moment. It's been a while since we chatted with you."
He saw the crease in her forehead. Obviously, she didn't know this was a thing he often did with the real Maya—a checkup. "I'm very busy, boss —"
"I insist," he cut in with what he hoped was a warm smile. Though hesitant, she sat down on a single couch, completing the circle.
The plan had been quite simple and straightforward. Since Lexi's location was botched because the device wasn't working well just as Trey had suspected it wouldn't, they had just one more option.
That was to question her—make up things that might be half true or complete lies, and based on her answers, let her know for sure that they've caught on. "How is your husband?" Trey asked, watching from the corner of his eye as Jason sat up and reached for a bottle of water.
He saw 'Maya' clutch her dress in her hands, the slight twitch in her eye being the only give away as to the fact that she didn't know what to say. So he decided to 'help' her. "Last we spoke, you mentioned he was sick and I gave you some money to move him into a nursing home."
"Yes," she murmured, looking slightly relieved. She completely missed the smirks that passed around.
"So how is he?"
"Still being monitored," she responded carefully, looking down to affect sadness. Trey caught Jason's eye and was sure they were thinking the same thing; she knew how to act. And she had chosen a safe answer on the spot. "I had planned on checking in on him today but I lost track of time."
"I see," Trey said with a sigh, drinking out of his bottle.
"What of your daughter—Miranda?" Jason chipped in, winking. He sounded every bit a playboy. "Man, I miss her. I remember how —"
Mitch smacked his head, saying, "You're married now you idiot. Leave poor old Rain alone." He smiled apologetically at 'Maya' and Trey was amused about the fact that they were equally good actors.
"Rain is—she's fine. I haven't heard from her in a while but she was okay the last time we spoke," she answered, her confidence level rising with each word.
Mitch set his water bottle down and stood, walking towards the back of her couch with hands deep in his pockets. "You remember when I was younger and Jace and I used to come around? We always ended up making a mess."
He chuckled slowly. "But he and Trey were worse. Do you remember what you named them?"
"No," she murmured, her hands squeezing her dress even tighter.
Mitch smacked his forehead like he had forgotten something. "Right. You always were forgetful but George never loved you less. It's sad he's unfit now."
She sighed, and though it sounded like a relieved one, she spoke next, making herself sound sad. "I miss him dearly." She paused and lifted her head. "What names did I give them?"
"Tom and Jerry—after the animated cat and mouse," Mitch replied, moving to a spot next to her.
"Oh, I remember now," she said, giving them a shaky smile.
Mitch and the other three shared looks because she obviously thought she had fooled them and would be able to get away with it. Trey tilted his head to the side, and with an arrogant look, he asked, "Do you?"
Mitch crossed his arms over his chest, standing over her with a strange smile. Her eyes widened a fraction as if it had finally dawned on her what they'd been doing. "You... You —"
Trey stood as well, gulping down the rest of his water. "Maya's husband died about a year and a half before I got married," he said. "But he was an amazing man, the only one who could save us from getting beat by her."
Jason leaned further in his seat. "She does have a daughter, but she was much younger than us and we saw her as a little sister. She also died while us three were in high school. That is why any girlfriends of ours were like Maya's daughters."
"Which is why," Mitch chimed in, "I couldn't understand why you forgot Sam. I introduced her not very long ago, and the real Maya isn't a forgetful person."
"And," Trey added, coming to a stop behind her chair, "it was Mitch and Jace who earned the names Tom and Jerry. I never fought stupidly because my father raised me to hide my true feelings."
"I think you realize now that we've got you," Trey continued. "Actually, I've been suspicious for a long time. Maya doesn't call me boss but you did everytime. She isn't afraid to make me clean floors dirtied by me but you smiled and did it yourself like it was okay.
"It's safe to conclude you aren't Maya. In fact, it has been confirmed by an outside source that you are someone else playing Maya." Trey squatted in front of her. "Who are you?"
She chuckled, then before they knew it she was full on laughing. She laughed so hard that it began grating on Trey's nerves. She clearly didn't know what predicament she was in.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked when she calmed down. "No matter what you do now, you're already too late. She's gone to him and you didn't even know —"
"Actually," Billy cut in, "we did."
'Maya' rounded on him with a glare. "He did not," she said, tipping her chin towards Trey. "He made a mess while trying to find her."
"It was an act," Trey said, straightening to his full height. Then he smirked as he backed away into his seat.
"That's ridiculous," she spat, scoffing.
"He was actually angry, yes, but it was because I let her go. So he thought it would be a good idea to play clueless while venting his anger," Billy explained with a shrug.
She sank back in her seat. Then after a moment, she looked up and smirked. "Regardless of your reasoning or plan, she's as good as dead. Ethan has got her, and the only thing keeping him away from hurting her is the man behind the scenes.
"Ethan doesn't know it yet, but the one steering the whole thing wants her alive. If Ethan finds out the man never intended to let him have keep and slowly torture her, he'll finish her off." She eyed Trey. "You wouldn't want that, would you?"
Trey was quiet for a while because he was extremely angry, and to keep himself from hurting a girl, he stayed put, clutching at the armrests of the couch. When he spoke, his voice was lower and deeper than usual.
Even Billy's eyes went slightly wide when he felt the malice radiating off Trey. "I'll ask again," Trey began, "and if you fail to answer, forget I'll treat you like a woman." She huffed, knowing full well that her back was to the wall now. "Who are you and why are you getting yourself into this?"
Reaching up, she used her hands to undo the edge of the mask, pulling it off to reveal her actual face. "Does it ring any bells?"
Trey was past frowning. Anger simmered deep within him, just close to the surface. "Quit playing around," he snarled, clawing at the couch's fabric. "Who are you, why are you in my house and what do you get from it?"
She laughed again. "Your dad didn't tell you?" This time Trey did frown. "I'm his first child, Carter Robinson. Your dad took everything back when you, the legitimate child, was born to him. He has you in his will instead of me, and if I can't have it, you won't either."
*
Trey sat still for a long moment, the boys looking at him as they tried to discern his mood. But his face was blank, a vein in his neck popping. Otherwise, he was still.
"What?" He finally whispered, a frown marring his face. "What are you talking about?"
"I said—"
"I heard what you said!" he snapped suddenly, scaring her. Mitch and Jason shared looks of concern. "I want to know how he fathered a brat like you—"
"A brat?!" She shrunk back, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "How dare you call me a brat? I'm older than you, you little—!"
"I don't care, actually, about how we're related," Trey cut in, regaining his calm, even if only temporarily. "Right now, I need to find my woman and kids; you're going to help with that. Then after, we can settle this matter."
Carter growled, glaring straight at Trey who was looking elsewhere. At this point, she was really wishing him the worst.
"Billy," Trey called out.
"Sir."
"Call Andrew over please, and check if the location is finally stable. We'll take care of the rest here," he instructed.
"Sure." Billy stood, making his way towards the stairs.
Trey tapped his fingers against the arm of the chair as he thought of what to do next. "So that's your drive as to why you're doing this?"
Carter rolled her eyes. "Call it that if you want to. But I won't let a chance to get you out of the way go past me."
Trey let out a dry laugh. "Have you considered the fact that I might want nothing to do with his property? I have mine."
"Whether you want it or not is not the issue here," she argued. "Your name is there on the will, and unless you die, it will be coming to you."
"Whoa," "Easy there," Mitch and Jason said simultaneously. Then Jason continued, "Unless he dies? That's what you want?"
Carter tilted her head to the side. "I never said that, did I?"
Jason exchanged uneasy looks with Mitch, because as things seemed now, they could be plotting to do away with Trey. Logically thinking, that would enable whoever wanted Alexandra for himself to have her without restraints, and Carter would have Andrew's assets passed on to her.
It would be a perfect solution for them, and the guys didn't like it.
Trey broke the silence. "There's a much better alternative, don't you think? You could just tell Andrew to change my name to yours, especially since I'm not interested. He's going to be here in a bit so you can do that."
"It's near impossible, you idiot!" she yelled in response, anger surfacing. Mitch and Jason got hold of her, even though she showed no sign of advancing further. "You're his legitimate child and I'm nothing but the child of his former lover! You think the law would choose me over you when you're still alive?! I have to make it so that there's no option but to let me have it."
"There's still—" Trey broke off, swallowing his words, his right eye twitching at the blunder he'd been so close to making. He had almost told this woman—who possibly wanted him dead—that even if he died, the babies were his next of kin and would still receive everything instead of her.
That could've made her want to take them out of the way too as well as Alexandra herself, and it would've been foolish. So he forced himself to focus on the main goal for the day.
He nodded at Mitch and Jason, who began binding her hands and legs with a single rope, ignoring her protests, then continued speaking while they worked on that. "Though we put a tracker on Alexandra, it seems to be malfunctioning. It's been hours and it's still moving—"
"Of course," she spat. "Provisions were made for that possibility. The building they're in rewrites signals from trackers, whether they're detectable or not."
Trey was amazed, but that made him itch to make a tracker without boundaries. "Therefore," Carter continued, "it's still moving though it's a mere five-hour journey from here. We're not stupid."
"Thank you for telling us. We don't have to waste any more time trying to read it then," Trey said, then with a clap, he sat up. "You'll be leading us to the place ma'am."