I know I’m a dominant presence in Alexa’s life, but I also know I’ll need more than a strong hand and weighted odds to be able to convince her of our plan. She must be made to understand that under no circumstances will I ever submit her to personal risk and danger. Thankfully, I will have a few people on my side before we embark on such a discussion.
Finally, we arrive at South Beach. I open the car window hoping that the crystal-clear sky and the smell of the ocean spray will lighten her mood, but it is clear to me that this change of plans has heightened her anxiety, maybe even sparking anger. Nothing I haven’t handled before, just the circumstances are now more extreme.
We stall at a boom gate before security allows us entry and we descend into the darkness of the garage. A security team surrounds us as we pull in to park and Martin turns off the engine with a relieved look on his face that I register through the rear-view mirror. A bystander would have to conclude that our arrival, surrounded by such heavy security, indicates fame, politics or the filthy rich! Alexa takes a deep breath before allowing me to escort her out of the car. She indicates for the children to stay behind in the car and promptly shuts the door on them.
‘Jeremy, tell me what the hell is going on here?’
She is seething, not a good start.
‘We can talk about it in the apartment, AB. Not here.’ I shift her aside and quickly open the car door. ‘Come on, kids, you can hop out now. I have a surprise for you upstairs.’
I help them shuffle out of the limo, more to avoid her death stare than anything else and we make our way to the lift. If we weren’t in Miami, I would swear I’d been frostbitten by the icy atmosphere.
Martin enters a convoluted code and the lift finally begins to ascend. When the elevator doors open, even I’m taken aback at where we find ourselves. It’s a penthouse suite that looks out toward the aquamarine waters of Biscayne Bay and the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.
I’m temporarily distracted by the view as the kids rush past calling out, ‘Daddy, Daddy’, and then I notice that both Adam and Robert are standing by the mirrored bar in the centre of the room. While they are in the midst of hugs and introductions, I turn to Alexa, whose face has gone from furious red to deathly pale and for a moment I don’t know quite what to think. She appears to have gone into shock so I gently guide her to the lounge, sit her down and fetch her a glass of mineral water in between greeting the men.
It has been a while since I’ve seen Adam but I’ve known him for almost as long as I’ve known Leo, and that’s well over a decade. He isn’t as tall as his older brother and has a stockier build, but he has the same light brown hair and blue eyes and seems as friendly and outgoing as ever.
Robert looks simultaneously relaxed and nervous, which I suppose would be the case when your children first meet your ‘new man’. It’s weird to think that they need to go through what we’ve just been through with the kids. Everyone has appeared pretty adaptable to date so hopefully that will continue.
It has taken the children all of two minutes to notice the swimming pool just beyond the sliding glass doors so now they are hassling Alexa for a swim. ‘Please, Mummy, please. Can we? We’ve got our swimmers in our luggage. Can we?’
I’m not sure whether she is going to faint or be furious, which is strange because she is usually so easy for me to read, but then again, I’m still adapting to the ‘mother’ version of Alexa.
‘Why don’t you ask your father? He seems to have more of an idea about what is going on than me,’ she responds quietly and I swallow my discomfort at her words, knowing that our change in plans has hit her hard.
The kids take her words in their stride and merely bounce back to Robert. ‘Go on, dad, please, can we?’
He looks toward Adam, who shrugs. ‘Sounds like a great idea to me.’ He picks up the intercom and asks for the luggage to be brought up. Robert walks over to Alexa and affectionately squeezes her shoulder; she doesn’t respond.
‘How about we leave you two alone for a bit?’ He glances cautiously at me. ‘I’ll get the kids organised. We can talk later.’ He gives me a very blokey ‘good luck, mate, she’s all yours’ look before bunching Elizabeth and Jordan up in each arm. ‘This way, kids. Let’s take a look around.’
Martin remains stationed at the lift doors looking nonchalant.
I walk over to AB and kneel down before her so we are at eye level. She is sitting still though shivering and deathly white. ‘Please, have a drink of water. You need some colour back.’
She eventually swallows a little as I bring the glass to her lips. The last time I knelt before her like this was at the InterContinental when I asked her if she would spend the weekend with me. God, what am I asking her to do now? Is it any better? Shit. She might hate me forever.
‘Alexandra …’
‘Don’t you dare “Alexandra” me, Jeremy.’ Her voice is low and lethal. ‘What the hell have you done?’
‘We are meeting here to work out the next step.’
‘Next step! My next step is perfectly clear and has been since I received the letter. I am giving the Witch what she wants so she will leave us alone. That is my next step, J.’
‘Well, unfortunately, I beg to differ.’
‘You can beg to differ all you want but that’s what I’m doing.’ She gets up off the lounge and strides over to the lift where Martin is standing and attempts to press the button. I’m not sure whether she truly expects that she can leave, or is just proving a point to herself. Martin blocks her, knowing that she is not to leave the apartment without my express consent. ‘Martin, please?’
He shakes his head but remains resolute. ‘Sorry.’
‘There are other options, sweetheart. Honestly, we can get through this without her blackmailing you.’
My words and Martin’s actions seem to break something within her as she spins around and lashes out toward me, her small fists pounding against my chest. ‘Don’t you understand, there are no other options.’
I hold her against me as her bravery dissolves and she bursts into tears, knowing she is fighting an invisible fight, shadow boxing. A fight that we know we can’t both win. I’d do anything for her not to be going through this anguish, not to experience the pain she is being forced to experience. It’s hurting both of us and I vow that Jurilique will pay for putting her through this nightmare. I lower her body back onto the lounge, still holding her tight.
‘You must understand that you are not alone in this,’ I say with the same level of intensity, and add with conviction, ‘I will not allow you to hand yourself over to that evil woman, Alexa, under any circumstances. As I said before, it will be over my dead body.’
‘God, Jeremy, please … you can’t … The kids … the risk … you have to let me go, you must. I survived once, I’ll survive again.’
Oh god, this is almost killing me, just as it is breaking her. She is so distraught, so fragile.
‘I don’t think you understand me, sweetheart. I’ve lost you to her once. I will never allow that to occur again. I’m sorry it has to be like this, but it is the only way.’
Her sobbing reaches new heights causing the pain in my chest to intensify as if I’m being stabbed. Her face looks as if she is experiencing the exact same sensation. This is the first time she has reacted this way since receiving the letter, almost as if she is finally giving herself permission to express the distress she must be feeling, knowing the kids now have their father around. She has experienced