Alex - 10 Days of Torment Ch. 24

© 2022, All rights reserved -- mimaster

Maggie's team starts investigating; Christina whores herself

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday Morning, May 20th -- DAY 4

Billy and Kalinda walked hand in hand into the kitchen of the Edwards home to find Alex standing by the island, finishing a cup of coffee. He was dressed in a sharp grey three-piece suit with a red power tie. It was in stark contrast to the naked couple that had just strolled inside, having completed the trek from the pool house.

"Good morning, love birds. I trust you had a good night's sleep... eventually," he teased.

"Love birds?" Kalinda laughed nervously, trying to play innocent.

"Relax, Kal. He's not wrong. We spent the night in a nest that's practically designed for that kind of thing," Billy noted. "Besides, you just got done trying to do everything you could not to admit what you're feeling inside. He can probably see it in your eyes."

"I wouldn't go that far," Alex noted, bringing the conversation back to reality and the reason they were in his house to begin with. "If I were that good at reading people, I wouldn't be in the mess I'm in to begin with. Then again, I really don't have much to go on with this Brandi. I've been focusing my angst on Gerard this whole time. Are you sure she's... evil?"

Billy shrugged. "No. But enough red flags are going up in my head that I think we need to assume she is until we prove she isn't."

"I agree," Kalinda added. "We need to see her as a threat, just like him. What's with the suit?"

Alex shrugged. "Maggie says we need to leave the investigating to the professionals. If she and I don't do what we're supposed to do, which is go about our normal routine, then it might tip them off. So... I'm going to work. I can't really phone in what I do. Not until the middle of the week. Wednesdays are my only real free day, and I still work. I just don't go to court like today."

"And Wednesday is free because you're watching your hotwife get fucked," Kalinda nodded, recalling what Maggie had told her in the debriefing they'd had. It wasn't a judgement. It was more of a comment of fact. One that Alex understood.

"Most of the time. There've been a few times I've been uninvited. But yeah... it was something I used to really look forward to. Now... I'm regretting ever getting us into this... life."

Billy shook his head. "It's not the fantasy that was wrong, buddy. It was neither of you vetting out who Christina got involved with. There are apps and websites you could've used. You should have met her bulls first. Felt them out. Got to know them together before making such a leap. I get why it happened the way it did. She was hurt by you ignoring her needs, and she wanted to inflict some of that pain back toward you. So she went out herself and found the first guy that fit the description of she was fantasizing about. Because of that, now there might be more to this than either of you would've ever signed up for. Regardless, we're going to figure it all out."

"Bill's right," she said, calling him a name that Alex still wasn't used to. But he was starting to understand. After all, they were still holding hands. "I promise we'll get to the bottom of this, Alex."

"Well, rest assured, I'll pay you both whatever it costs. I just need to know she's safe. If she's just in Vegas having a good time, then I have to be okay with it. I pushed her there... and I can't deny that there's a part of me that still wants this for us. I'm just scared she's in danger. None of the things that we know are happening right now make any sense. Especially if Gerard isn't even with her."

"We're on it, Alex. You have our word," she said for both her and Billy. It was already a partnership that seemed unbreakable. They were together in their mission. In truth, money didn't factor in. They were there because of they wanted to be. It was the right thing to do.

"Alright. You can use the house as your base if you want. I've left the code for the garage door on the refrigerator. Come and go as you please. Billy, you have my cell. Kalinda, I know you have Maggie's. Let us know if you need anything. Anything at all. I'll make sure you have it."

"Where is our little Black Widow," Billy questioned, using the Marvel character name they'd established the night before.

"Natasha Romanoff?" he laughed. "Maggie took the kids to school. I'll be meeting her at the office. Like I said, we've got to make this all as normal as possible. There're no security cameras here that they can tap into. The only info they'll have that we know of is from the GPS they put on our cars. So, we've got to show we're going about our day like we would normally. At least that's what Maggie says. I'm a bit late, but I go in late on Mondays a lot. It's not unusual. I just hoped I'd get to see you before I left. That said, I gotta go. I'm due in court at ten. I assume we'll meet up here tonight to see what you've found out?"

Kalinda looked at Billy, who nodded. "Yeah. If we're not somewhere else."

"Somewhere else?"

"We don't know where this is going to lead us, Alex. There's a chance we might end up in Vegas before this is all over. I doubt it'll have to come to that, but we're prepared to do whatever we have to. For now, we're going to get dressed and head to my office. I have a few things I think we need to look into."

"Alright. Well, we'll talk later then."

"Yes. I promise. In the meantime, try to relax. It's going to be alright."

"I wish you could really promise that too," he sighed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday Morning, May 20th -- DAY 4

"Maggie, are you going to be picking us up too?" Sarah asked from the back seat.

"Yes, Munchkin. I'll be here."

"Do you know the rules?" Tommy wondered from the passenger seat of her cute, sporty Mini Cooper.

"Do you mean which direction I need to come from, Tiger?" she replied, putting her hand on his thigh and squeezing it lovingly.

He was thrilled inside that she was calling him that. It made their connection seem special, which in reality it was. "Yeah," he nodded with infatuation in his eyes.

"I do. Your mom told me. I'll be here on time. I promise," she smiled. It was a reminder that while Christina wasn't there, she wasn't trying to replace her. She was simply stepping in. That didn't mean she wasn't taking that responsibility seriously, however. Maggie loved both of them like they were her own children. In fact, she knew she'd sacrifice her own life for theirs to protect them. And they felt the security in her response.

Stopping, she let them out along the curb. "Have fun. Make sure you learn something today," she said as they got out.

"We will," Sarah sang out happily as she took off down the sidewalk.

Tommy paused. "Maggie?"

"Yes?"

"Are you really living with us now. For real?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes. It just seems too good to be true, and dad has always said that when things are like that, they probably aren't."

"Well, those are really wise words, most of the time. But in this case, it really is true. One of the things your dad and I are going to do today at work is draw up a rental agreement. I'm going to be paying to stay in the pool house. It's going to be my home. So I'm going from here to my place to get what I need so we can create the agreement."

"You... you have to pay to stay with us? Why?"

"That's how the world works. I'm not part of your family, so --"

"Yes, you are," he insisted.

"Not technically, Tommy. It may seem like that. We feel like family. And that's one of the reasons I want to live there. I don't have any family anywhere near here. I'm from Arizona. Being at your house makes me feel like I belong somewhere."

"You do. With us. I don't understand why you have to pay."

"Because that's what adults do. To be honest, I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't pay my share. It's not fair for your parents to foot the bill for me. And it's part of me also wanting to be independent. To be able to come and go as I please. You'll understand when you get older."

"I hear that a lot. Doesn't seem like I ever do, though."

"Ha. Well, I tell you what. One of the things I promise is that I'll help you with those kinds of things, okay. You can ask me anything, and I'll do my best to explain whenever I can. I won't always be able to tell you everything, but when I can, I will. Do you understand?"

"You mean about my mom, right?"

His statement shocked her, although she didn't know why. Tommy was incredibly bright, and intuitive. He was also quietly inquisitive. Still, she wondered, "What do you mean?"

"I know there's more than just her being with Brandi. She's with other people too, isn't she."

"Okay, what would you say if I told you that might be true. Would that upset you?"

"No. I don't know. It's all confusing. I just want her and dad to be happy. And together."

"Me too. That's what they're working on, sweetie. But yeah, relationships can be complicated. When couples have been together for a long time, like your parents, they can kind of wonder what it would be like if they were with someone else instead. They can get tempted. Do you know what that word means?"

"To do something bad, right?"

"Yes, most of the time. When it comes to being married, or having a serious boyfriend or girlfriend, being tempted would mean thinking about or actually cheating on them; that's being with someone else without the other person knowing about it. But in your parents case, they've talked about it. They've communicated their feelings, because they don't want to hurt each other. And they've kind of decided together that they're okay with it, at least for now. So you've seen how they've been hanging out with others of late."

"Like Sandra and Mandy."

"Yes, Tiger. And I know it all must be confusing, like you said. And I'm sure it is for them too. It's kind of a new thing they're doing. Instead of being tempted, I'd say they're just exploring a bit. But they're not leaving each other, if that's what you're worried about."

"Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Exploring?"

"I'm... I'm not sure I understand your question."

"You... you slept in mom and dad's room last night."

"You know about that?" she asked, her eyes smiling. She was trying not to let the panic she felt run through her show on her face. Instead she accepted his conclusion.

"Yeah," he said sheepishly.

She let out a long sigh as she processed his question. She wasn't going to lie to him. He and Sarah had already been through so much, and their world was spinning out of control. In fact, they had no idea just how out of balance it might be at that very moment. None of them did. Maggie was deciding in seconds just how forthcoming she was willing to be.

"Yes, I did. It was something we both wanted to do, but I initiated it."

"What's that mean?"

"It means it was my idea. Are you okay that I did that?"

"Had the idea, or being with my dad?"

"Both. I don't want you to be mad at me. And I don't want you to think I'm trying to take your mom's place or anything."

"I'm not mad. He was happy this morning. Really happy. So were you. That's why I wanted to know if you're going live with us. It makes us all happy. We know you're not going to be our mom or whatever."

"Are you speaking for Sarah too?"

"Yeah. She doesn't know why you and dad... you know. She doesn't need to know that. She's too young."

Maggie laughed. "Well, aren't you just the perfect big brother, looking out for his sister."

"I try to."

"You're doing more than that, Tiger. I'm proud of you. Look, I promise we can talk more about this later if you want."

"Nah, I'm good."

"Okay. Then you should probably get going so you won't be late for class."

"I've got ten minutes," he said, looking at the clock on the dash.

Maggie leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Nevertheless, it's better to be on time that pushing it." She gave his hair a quick tousle, and he got out and closed the door.

Looking through the window, he stopped. "I love you, Maggie," he said nervously.

She winked and smiled. "I love you too, Tommy. More than you know. I'll be here to pick you up. I promise."

"Okay. Have a good day today."

"You too."

She watched him walk confidently toward the front door of his school. It was the same gait his father had. One that said he owned the world inside those walls. It made her proud. Still, as she drove off, she couldn't help but think, "They just want their parents together. We better find out what Chris is doing quick before she screws it up and throws all of this away."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Late Monday Morning, May 20th -- DAY 4

Maggie sat at her desk, typing out a summary of the most recent court case that Alex had concluded just hours before. He'd yet to return from the court house, but he'd been too busy documenting the results in his laptop in real time as the proceedings wrapped up, and he fired off an email almost as soon as the judge hit his gavel on the sound block. She wasn't surprised Alex won the case. She wasn't even surprised by the monetary amount that had been ruled in the favor of his client in the litigation, even though it was substantially more than what was originally requested. She was a bit amazed that the court placed a lien on the defendant corporation to ensure swift payment of the fines and related court costs involved. It was a move Alex had made at the last minute, arguing that the inevitable appeals would cripple his client in a case that was relatively cut and dry; he needed to be able to move on, while the defendant was in a position of power, willing to drag out the payment and hope for a better outcome through the appellate court.

It was unusual that a judge would bypass that inevitable process and make the defendant pay right away. It was one of the flaws of the system; a foreseeable outcome delayed by legal tactics. In this case, a delay in those funds was going to crush Alex's client, and he was able to present a concise, compelling argument for just that. How can if be fair to so clearly be in the right, yet punished with the idea of losing everything you've worked your entire career to build because the unscrupulous party at the other table had more wealth and more perceived power. The little guy that had actually invented the process was going to be steamrolled by the big corporation that took it and made a fortune, unwilling to make good on the contractual agreement between the two because of a perceived loophole. It was a calculated risk on the defendant's part. One they'd used many times before. They just didn't count this time on Alex being at the other table.

"Damn, he fucked them over," she grinned as she took his cliff notes and entered them into the structure the office used. It was a format that she herself had developed, for quickly documenting the findings of a court so they could file it in their system instead of waiting for the paperwork to find it's way from the actual court system to their office. She wanted to have that information on hand as quickly as possible to head off any potential roadblocks. In this case, she was able to fire off a series of emails and information to the law offices of the defendant, spelling out the ruling and what was expected regarding the lien, and the structure of the payment that was to be forthcoming. In essence, Maggie was telling them where the money was to be wired, how it was to be handled, and the consequence if that wasn't carried out by the end of business the following day. And that was being done in real time; the request for notification being fired off before the ink was dry on the judge's proverbial signature.

She was filing the printed version of that form in the cabinet in Alex's office when he walked in, briefcase and laptop in hand. He didn't notice her as he closed the door and put those items on his desk, plopping into his chair. He was far too focused on his phone, looking at it intently. She knew he was looking at a video, and could tell from the expression on his face that he was both mortified and aroused. She waited in the corner, not moving, watching his decision-making process. It came as no surprise that he opened his laptop, putting the phone aside. He was concentrating on opening up the video player, and it was obvious to her that he'd uploaded whatever he'd been sent to his personal email so he could view it on a much bigger screen.

"Want me to lock the door on my way out?" she teased.

"OH MY GOD! MAGGIE!"

Her girlish giggle belied the thrill inside of actually catching him in the process of pulling down his zipper. "Yes, sweetie?"

"You scared the shit out of me! What are you doing in here!?"

"My job. I was filing away the report on the Simmons case. Nice job... and great touch getting Judge Kimball to approve the payment right away. I didn't see that coming."

"I... thanks. I can't... you're... you really startled me."

"I don't know why. I wasn't at my desk, but my computer is on. You would have seen it if your weren't buried in your phone. Plus, the light was on in here. That's usually a sign that I'm inside, because you turn it off when you're out of the office. I know we didn't get to meet up before you went to court, but I do work here. I'm your extra special executive secretary."

"Extra special?"

"Think of me as a regular executive secretary, but with benefits," she winked.

"I... I don't understand." She walked over to the door, but instead of leaving and locking it on the way out, she simply locked it. "What are you doing?

"Giving you the privacy you need. Something has you grabbing for you cock. What did your naughty hotwife send you?"

"Huh?"

"Sweetie, has all the blood gone to that magnificent cock already? You seem to be having trouble hearing me."

"I... what's going on?"

"You need to tell me that. You came in here, closed the door, looking at something on your phone that you clearly forwarded to your email, and now you're intent on jacking off to it. What did Christina send you?"

"It's...."

His pause was frustrating, to both of them. He was upset that he'd been literally caught in a compromising situation, but more annoyed that it was delaying what he'd intended to do. She was leaning toward unhappy as a description of her current state, a bit disappointed that he wasn't more forthcoming with answering her questions. "Alex, have you forgotten our dynamic?"

"Our dynamic?"

"Yes. The existing power dynamic between the two of us. While I'm your executive secretary here at work, and I'm willing to let you cash in on the extra special clause I'm adding to my title, the fact remains that at all times, whether we're here or not, I'm in control when it comes to our personal relationship. Don't think I won't punish you here. I know what happened between us this weekend was a line too far --"

"You're in charge? Here?"

"I'm in charge everywhere whenever your wife isn't around. That's the deal, which we'll be making very official in a little bit. I went home and got my rental agreement so you can draw up one for me to live in the pool house. You're not having second thoughts about that, are you? Because I already promised Sarah and Tommy that I was going to be living there. If that's going to change because you're going to renege on that, you're going to have to be the one to break their hearts. I'm not doing that. I love them."

"I do too. I... I'm just very confused right now."

"That's because I'm keeping you from jacking off to whatever she sent you, and that's got you unsettled. Let's get a few things straight real quick so we can move on with our day, shall we. Am I officially moving to Laguna Beach tonight or not?"