Chapter 124 Security - T.J.'s POV
Madz is crying again. It's the third time this week that I'm standing outside her bedroom door and listening to her sobbing.
She doesn't have to do this. I'm a hundred percent sure there is a way she could be surrounded by family. Or maybe it's the hormones, what do I know?
Our little Madz is pregnant. Where did the time go? I remember her as a little girl who was obsessed with ballet, who looked at us like we held all the world's answers.
I know she's not a little girl anymore, she's an adult capable of making her own decisions, and I will help her if that's what she wants from me.
I've prided myself in protecting my family. We're not blood related, but they've looked after me since I was a boy, even more so when my mother died and it was just me and my father. They took us as theirs without a doubt, so I will look after theirs until I can't anymore.
Madz wants to know why I don't have a girlfriend. Maybe I'm too lazy to have one, and I've never met someone I wanted in my space all the time. I think it might get boring after a while.
If I need to get laid, I go on a dating site and find someone who wants the same thing. We have sex, scratch what needs scratching, and everyone goes on their merry ways.
No attachments, no risks.
Nobody really wants Madison to be with Miguel. I too had my reservations in the beginning, just because he's related to Ben, but I've seen the way he looks at her. He will hang the moon for her if he could, and isn't that the type of man you would want your daughter to be with?
And I feel really guilty for having to keep this from him, especially after he asked me to have his back. I hope he can see it from Madison's perspective, she's protecting their child. At the end, that's all that matters.
A month goes by, I check in periodically with Uncle Alessandro, ensuring him we're good and asking for updates on Ben. I don't tell him about the pregnancy, though, because it's not my place to tell him.
Madz drags me to a fucking cooking class, because I can't keep on getting takeout according to her. That made her happy, but only for a little while.
In fact, the only time she's truly happy, is when we went to the doctor and they showed the baby on the sonogram.
Afterwards, she's back to being depressed, and I don't think that could be good for her or the baby.
So I make a split decision.
One that might betray her.
I buy a burner phone, and I call Miguel.
He doesn't pick up the first time I call, so I call back again the next time. This time, he does pick up.
"Who is this, and why are you calling me." He cuts straight to the chase.
"Well, hello to you too." I drawl. "I thought you might have missed me, but I guess not."
"T.J?" He recognises my voice immediately. "Where the fuck are you with my woman!"
My family might not know this, but Miguel is more like them than they think. I know he only wants to protect Madison.
"No need to get aggressive." I joke. "Listen, she's safe, and remember that this was her choice. I'm only here to keep on an eye on her. The bigger question is, how far are you on eliminating Ben?"
"Can I talk to her?"
"No, she doesn't even know I'm calling you, and she's going to be really pissed off if she finds out that I did." I sigh. "But she's a little sad, I think she misses you."
"Jesus." I can hear how much this is tearing him apart. "Getting rid of Ben is harder than I thought. He's fucking smart, he knows how to cover his damn tracks. I met with Katherine's father, turns out she was protecting him all along. Apparently, the father had an elicit relationship with a sixteen year old, and he thinks that Ben might have used that to blackmail Katherine."
"Listen, the longer you take to figure shit out, the longer Madison stays in hiding. She trusts you to get the fucking job done." I also don't think I can take it to hear her cry anymore, but I can't tell him that. "Have you seen Lucille yet?"
"She's coming to New York this weekend." Miguel clears his throat. "And don't tell Madison, I don't think she likes Lucille, but she left the Navy and is coming to work for me full time."
"I hope she doesn't stay in your house, Madison is going to hate that if she finds out." "Of course not, I'm not stupid." He sighs again. "I'm still fucking staying at the hotel, I'm probably safer there right now, anyway."
"Are you still being followed?" I frown, there's just no way Ben can be that powerful.
"Yes, whoever it is, sure have a lot of money."
"You think Ben is using the money he stole from the firm?" Something is definitely off. "I can get some guys from my company to tail your tail, just to get an I.D. or something."
"Now you're talking. Let them contact me, if we work together maybe I can catch one of them and get some intel."
I don't want to know how he's going to get the intel. Miguel reminds me of my father a little bit, they are military, and probably goes to whatever length they have to in order to get what they're looking for.
"Tell Madison I love her, and I miss her."
"Just fucking kill Ben and tell her yourself."