Mr. Big Daddy (The Mr. Big Series Book 3), page 6
"I will," I said and sighed. Then, I texted Luke.
ALEXA: Luke can you come up and see me?
Luke texted me right back.
LUKE: Be right there.
In less than a minute, as Mara and Jan and Candace passed the iPad around, taking down info on the website that was hosting the video, Luke popped his head into the room.
"What's up?"
"We'll leave," Candace said and handed the iPad back to me. "You two need some privacy."
I nodded and gave her a faint smile.
Once they were gone, Luke came over to me and took the iPad. He watched for a moment and then shook his head.
"Jesus..." He closed the window and sat down on the side of the bed. "I'm so sorry," he said. "We obviously have to do something to stop this."
"I don't know who did it -- your mother or Blaine. Or both of them. Whoever did it, it doesn't even matter."
"I don't think my mother would actually meet with Blaine or work with him directly. Indirectly, perhaps. If he was to send her information or videos, she wouldn't hesitate to use them to get what she wants -- bad publicity for you."
"But why? It has to hurt you as well as me. We're married. We're having a baby! Can't she see that when she hurts me, she hurts you?"
"She must not understand that I love you and nothing she does can change that and make me want to give you up." Luke leaned forward and kissed me on the lips tenderly, his hands on my shoulders. "That's why I think it must have been Blaine. He's the one with the motive to hurt us. My mom wouldn't want your reputation to be hurt."
"Those are nice words," I said and leaned back, covering my eyes with a hand. "But she did show me those pictures as a way to make me leave you."
"Yes, leave me. She wouldn't hurt my reputation, no matter how unhappy she was with our marriage. I just don't see it."
"Well, Blaine -- or both of them -- have put the video out there now. Soon, I'll be the talk of campus and graduate studies, if anyone finds out."
"I'll contact Pete Moran and see what he can do about it."
I made a face, not wanting anyone else to see the video, but we needed to find a way to take the video down.
"Should we call police about it?"
"We'll see what Pete says," Luke said. "That's evidence of assault. Police will probably want it so they can lay charges against Blaine for harassment and who knows what else."
"Okay," I said, reluctant to have to speak with any police about what happened years ago. I'd tried to put the experience behind me, but it never was. Not completely. Often, I'd have nightmares, remembering him stalking me and waiting to abduct me when I had my guard down after a late night on campus back in Oregon. How he wouldn't let me leave his apartment after an argument, how he'd threatened me, hit me, and then forced me.
Raped me.
I tried not to remember it, so seeing those video images, seeing the abuse happening live, made me feel sick in a completely different way than I felt with morning sickness.
Luke was already on his cell calling Pete.
"Hey, I have a question and a problem," he said and took my hand. "When Alexa broke it off with a previous boyfriend, he didn't take it well and raped her, videotaping it. I think he released the video to one of those gossip columns, Tatters, that likes to trash the reputation of wealthy celebrities and socialites. Is there anything we can do about it?"
Luke listened for a moment. "I thought so. Do you want me to call or can you on our behalf?"
Luke listened and nodded. "Sounds good. Let me know."
He ended the call. "He'll contact the ADA, who is an old college friend and see what's up. One way or another, we'll get that video taken down from Tatters, and we'll do what we can. Pete will let me know. We’ll likely get a call from the police, but it all depends on whether they think they can prosecute. The least will be a police report, depending."
"Okay," I said and sighed. "I'll leave the matter in Pete's good hands. I don't ever want to see anything to do with Blaine or my past with him again, if I can help it."
"I know," Luke said and leaned forward, kissing me. "I'm so sorry about this. Let me take care of this."
"Thanks."
He stood up and went to the door. "I'll send the crew back in for another visit, if you're up for it."
"Yes, please," I replied. "I need a diversion."
He nodded and then left the room, leaving the door open behind him.
In a few moments, the girls arrived back and entered the bedroom, plopping down on the bed beside me.
"So, tell us," Mara said, her eyes wide. "What's happening with the video? Are the police going to get involved?"
I shrugged. "Luke called his lawyer and he'll contact someone in the Assistant District Attorney's office to see what the protocol is. As far as I'm concerned, I just want it to be gone. As if I don't have enough to worry about with a crazy mother-in-law, a crazy sociopathic ex-boyfriend and a prejudiced PhD professor. I just want to hide away from the world. I wish I could drink so I could get drunk, but I can't even do that," I said with a rueful laugh.
"You'll have to be satisfied with your besties consoling you, and helping you through this," Jan said. She lay beside me, her head propped up on one hand. "I could start a website that trashes Blaine's reputation. I could write blog posts about him, detailing everything he did, how he went to jail, how he's on probation, how he's a degenerate who raped his ex, the whole story."
Candace shook her head. "That might feel good, but it would likely just start a war and incite Blaine to even worse things. Besides, it would hurt Alexa as well. It would put the story out there and right now, there's only a few hundred people at most who know about this. If you go viral, there could be millions of views of any video and that wouldn't be good for Alexa and Luke."
"No, please, I appreciate the sentiment, but I think it's best to lay low," I said, agreeing with Candace. "As much as I'd like to see the son of a bitch back in jail and shamed publicly, it could send him over the deep end. He could come after me to kill me. He tried to kill Candace already."
We all looked at Candace, who was still recovering from her fall.
"Of course, you're right," Jan said. "I didn't think of it that way. What a bastard. I hope the police find him and soon. He's a menace to you.
"To all of us," I said. "Anyone close to me is at risk, if he goes even further off the deep end. Sad to say, but you guys might be wise to avoid me at all costs."
"Never," Mara said and put her fist in the center of the four of us, arranged around me on the bed. "All for one and one for all, right?"
"Right," Jan said and put her fist up to Mara's. Candace followed suit but I didn't.
"You guys, I totally appreciate the support, but I would prefer it if you would lay low and not be seen with me until after they find Blaine and put him back in jail. I'd be happier if you did because then you won't be on his revenge radar. Luke can afford private security for us. None of you can do the same so, maybe after today, you guys should avoid me at all costs. No visits. Not even any Facebook or Instagram likes or posts or comments, okay?"
"Lexa!" Jan said, frowning. "I don't like that at all. He's destroying your life. You can't let him succeed!"
"No," I said firmly, hating that I had to do so, but determined to protect my best friends. "This is the way it has to be, okay? After today, you guys go back to Manhattan and that's it. No contact until he's back in jail."
"Aww," Mara said. "What about updates on your pregnancy and how it's going? We need the juicy, girl..."
"I'll send you private messages and we can always Skype, but no public comments and no visits."
They all looked glum, but I realized it was for the best.
That bastard...
Chapter Ten
Luke
I escorted the Three Musketeers to the edge of the property after a tearful goodbye with Alexa. They all agreed to only contact Alexa in private, to avoid attracting Blaine's attention -- just in case he wanted to hurt one of them in revenge.
"I'm sorry you guys have to leave early," I said after helping to load their overnight bags into the back of the car. "I know Alexa wanted you to stay for supper, but I guess she's really nervous now and thinks you should start avoiding her now."
"I hate this," Candace said. "Blaine can't possibly think I'd stop being Alexa's friend. I think I should keep in contact. Mara and Jan can lay low. I'm not giving up my bestie. You can tell Alexa later, when she's more willing to hear it, okay?"
"Okay," I said and closed the door after she got in the car. "I think you're right, but Alexa may argue..."
"May? You mean will argue, right?" Candace said with a laugh.
"Right."
I waved at them as they left for Manhattan, sad that Blaine had so much power over our lives that Alexa had to distance herself from three of her best friends -- at least in public.
I knew that in private they would all still support each other. I hoped the police found Blaine before our baby arrived, or else it would be a very sad outcome on an otherwise blissful day. A new mother should be surrounded by family and friends, who can help her get through the challenges.
On Alexa's part, she stayed in bed until after supper. My father, John and Felicia kept me company, and I was glad that my father was so strongly on board with me and Alexa and the pregnancy. It was a relief after my mother's betrayal.
Alexa finally joined us on the patio once we had all finished our meals and were outside to enjoy the clear autumn night, the stars really bright.
She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and stood behind my lawn chair, one hand on my shoulder.
"Have you eaten?" I asked, sitting up, surprised that she had come down without asking for help.
"Yes," she said. "I snuck a bite of steak and some potato but that was about all I could stomach. Maybe later."
I stood and opened a lawn chair for her, and she sat down beside me.
"How are you, dear?" my father asked, blowing his cigar smoke the other way. He held up his cigar. "Do you want me to put this out?"
"No, please, don't," Alexa said with a smile. "It reminds me of my grandpa, who used to smoke a cigar on special occasions."
"Well, if it bothers you, let me know and I'll put it out right away. Don't want to be that guest."
"You could never be that guest," she replied.
For the next hour, we spoke of the weather, the stars and the coming holiday. I'd asked John and Felicia and my father not to talk about the video and issue of Blaine unless Alexa wanted to. So, we talked about everything under the sun except the one thing that was the most important and top of our minds.
My father checked his watch and sat up finally, close to nine o'clock. "I better get back into town," he said and stood up with difficulty. "I have some work to do first thing in the morning."
He went over to Alexa after snuffing out his cigar in a small tin can filled with sand. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, squeezing one of her hands.
"Thanks for inviting an old man to the party, and being so gracious, considering what my soon-to-be ex-wife did to you."
Alexa frowned. "Are you getting a divorce?"
"I'm considering it," he said and sighed heavily. "If she and Blaine have been in contact, well, that's too much. I hoped that maybe she'd come to her senses once she realized that you two were happy and were having her grandchild, but she seems to be off the deep end over this. I've had a private detective following her and will be getting a full report tomorrow morning, and if I hear she's so much as tried to contact him, she's getting divorce papers this week."
"Oh, I'm so sorry I'm the cause of all this," Alexa said and I could hear the sadness in her voice.
"You're not. She is. Don't you forget it. It's her fault because she's so damn prejudiced against anyone who isn't blue blood. Which she isn't, of course, but she has pretensions of being so. Without me, she would be nothing."
We all got up and walked my father to the car, where he had already stowed his overnight bag.
"Thanks again," he said and kissed and hugged both of us. "I'll let you know how tomorrow morning's report goes and what's next."
"Thanks, Dad," I said, my heart warming that he was willing to go so far to do what was right. He really seemed to be a changed man.
We waved goodbye as he drove off, and I sighed in contentment.
"At least my dad is on our side," I said and smiled. I pulled Alexa into my arms and we kissed.
"He really is," she replied, and I could tell she was happy about it. "I'd be so happy if we could all have Christmas together every year. My parents, your dad, John and Felicia, Dana and James, and of course, the girls. But not this year. I don't want to put any of them in danger."
"I don't think we have to worry that much, but maybe next year, okay? We have a honeymoon to take."
"Next year," she replied and together, arm in arm, we walked back to the patio where John and Felicia were, lying beside each other on the patio chairs.
"Aren't you two getting cold?"
"We're enjoying the stars too much. The meteor shower should start around midnight, if you want to watch it."
"I'm game," Alexa said. "I've been in bed all day and feel like I could stay up until dawn."
So, the four of us stayed up well past midnight, wrapped in blankets and drinking hot spiced tea while we waited for the peak of the annual meteor shower.
I was happy to have such good friends. Despite the early awkwardness between Felicia and me, we were now well past that and I was only happy for John. He really seemed in love with her and she with him.
That made my heart warm.
"So, CTO mine, are you up to work this week or do you need more time off?”
John shook his head. “I need to get back to work as soon as possible,” he said. “Immersing myself in something technical will help distract me.”
“It’s up to you,” I replied. “What's on the agenda for this week?"
"We're going to hear back about our bid for the defense contract."
"Of course," I said, forgetting that we'd put in several bids in the past month for a few top tech contracts with the DoD. "How could I forget? Time flies when you're worried about a psychopathic ex-boyfriend coming after your loved ones..."
After I said it, I regretted it, knowing it would upset Alexa. It was a careless attempt at a joke, and I reached over and took Alexa's hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't really mean that."
"Yes, you did, and you were right to. We all have to be concerned for our safety because of Blaine."
"Yes, but I've been more excited about the baby and that's why I forgot that the deadline to hear back was this coming week. Not because of Blaine..."
"It's okay, you can tell the truth. All of us have been preoccupied with family matters."
"Hopefully, Blaine will be caught and go to jail," John said. "Then we can all breathe a sigh of relief and get on with life."
"See?" Alexa said and turned to me. "This is all my fault."
"No," Felicia said, her voice firm. "Don't blame yourself for the actions of someone else. He's clearly a psycho. He's responsible, not you. You were the victim, Alexa. Don't blame yourself or he wins."
"It's hard not to, considering I picked him as a boyfriend and fiancé. What does that say about me?"
"Rapists and murderers don't wear a sign on their foreheads," she said. "Sometimes, they're really good at hiding who they are and just how sick they are until it's too late. Blaine's like that. He looks normal from the outside and says all the right things, but inside he's a black hole of hatred."
Alexa nodded slowly. "Yes, that's Blaine all right. Black hole of hatred. It's why I broke it off with him. Once we were together long enough, he started letting his true self show. Maybe he figured he was finally secure enough with me that he could show me who he really was, but I didn't like it. He always blamed everyone else for what went wrong in his day. If he had a problem at work, it was some other guy's fault. If he got a speeding ticket, it was the cop who was just trying to make a quota and should be after a real criminal. If he was in a bad mood, he would find things to get mad at me about. Little stupid things, like the milk was expired, or we ran out of coffee, or there was a bleach stain on his favorite black t-shirt, or he couldn't find his cufflinks and I must have put it somewhere."
Then, Alexa stopped and stared off into the distance for a moment. "From what I've read, that's typical of abusers. They are perfect partners at first, doing everything right, and then when things are secure enough, they start controlling their partner. They start abusing them. That's what Blaine did with me."
She looked at me. "I feel so stupid."
I reached out to her and took her hand. "You weren't stupid. You were doing what any human would do -- trying to be happy. You found someone who tried to make you happy, but he was really just trying to find someone he could control. What's his background?"
"Not good, and I used to wonder about him, why he didn't want to talk about his past, but I know why now of course. He had a bad family life. His father was abusive to his mother. He and his siblings were always afraid of what their dad would be like when he returned from work, especially if he was drunk or started drinking. They hid in their bedrooms after he came home from work if he was drunk, and often went without dinner to avoid upsetting him or becoming a target of his wrath. That kind of experience growing up has to warp you."
"That's too bad, but you know, everyone has a choice to behave a certain way. He should have gotten therapy if he was struggling with violent tendencies."
Alexa shrugged. "There's still a part of me that sympathizes with the young boy who was once totally innocent -- who was himself a victim. He's still responsible for his acts, but he didn't choose to have a wife-beater and child beater as a father."
"No, he didn't, but he can choose how he behaves now," Felicia said. "He tried to kill Candace. He raped you. Now, he's harassing you."
Alexa nodded and sighed heavily. "I don't want to talk about Blaine anymore. I want to watch the stars, okay? Let's just forget that Blaine even exists."
