Antonio rushed to Janet’s building, a couple of hours before the funeral was over, to connect with Jason and Alyssa on the footage Dan sent him. On his way to the elevators, some women walked in capturing his attention. Both were made up beautifully—super models. They were looking around confused for a moment.
“I’m sorry. We’re closed for today.” Antonio greeted, walking back over to them.
“Sorry. Hi, I’m Valerie and this is my wife Yolanda. We’re friends of Jason and Alyssa. Are they here by any chance?” She held out her hand for a handshake. Antonio accepted, shaking her hand and nodding to Yolanda.
“Yes, they are. Right this way.” Antonio led them to the
Chapter 8Antonio’s eyes were rendered with shock as he looked around the Sweet Sweepers headquarters to see several investigators and police surrounding the building. People were crying and answering questions outside telling Antonio something big had taken place. He got out of the car and walked around the building to see what the hell was going on. He found one of his colleagues taking pictures of the building and some blood spray on the sidewalk. Antonio walked past witnesses to look up to the top floor to see the window shattered. “Antonio?” His coworker Officer Haynes looked over to him after taking pictures. He walked over a few feet away from the actual crime scene to talk to him. “I thought you were on suspension ‘til further notice.” “I am. What the hell happened here?” Antonio asked, his eyes c
Chapter 9Julissa woke with severe morning sickness. Her stomach rolled and saliva started to form in waves in her mouth. She raised her head from the comforts of her bed as she struggled to open her eyes. This was the worst she felt in terms of pregnancy. She even moaned when she sat up with her head spinning like crazy.It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to her surroundings, but once they did she became startled and then confused. She wasn’t in her bedroom. The room was an elegant hotel setting—big comfy king-size bed and white sheets. The room was plain and beige, unlike her room. Now, she started to panic. She hurried, feet touching the floor, ready to run for the door.Her stomach protested though as she gagged and felt her stomach repel her meal from last night. She ran for the sink which was, thankfully, outside of the bedroom. She threw up and heaved over it. She looked up at the mirror of herself. Her medium-length brow
Chapter 10Janet greeted Jason as he entered the room. Seeing Dan in a hospital bed caused his heart to drop. They hated Dan, sure. Over the past year, though, they saw a shift within him. Not a huge one, but he made subtle progress to, at least, being his friend if not father and daughter or father and son. Janet, more so in the last year, has noticed herself shift into being exactly who Dan wanted her to, after running for so long from the person she was. How can she be an angel born right from the demon’s cloth?“What are the doctors saying?” Jason asked immediately going to Dan’s side.“He is a healthy old man. The doctors want to know his diet.”“Then, how?”“Maybe the stress. You didn’t see him at the funeral. He wasn’t himself and he had this look in his eyes that reminded me of how he used to look at us after mom passed. He isn’t taking Bianca’s death well.&rdqu
Chapter 11Jason walked out to the parking garage full of rage and angst only his father could conjure up. He thought, at least, he was over this anger towards him. But the one thing that got under his skin the most, was him trying to tell him how to be a good husband and father. How, the fuck, dare he? Dan Sanders believes he is the father and husband of the year but he was clearly losing in everyone else’s mind. The son of a bitch was far too vain for his own good.As he gathered his keys, he heard an engine rev and looked up now back to the reality he was forced into. He saw a young man who looked to be, maybe, nineteen with curly black hair and light caramel eyes, like his. His jawline and nose seemed vaguely familiar, as well, but this young man was a much darker tone. So Jason thought nothing of it. His car, however, was intriguing. A sparkling white Bugatti—brand new. Jason walked over to him.“Wow, this is nice.”
Chapter 12Alyssa unbuckled her son from his car seat and walked up to the house, heart racing and anxious. She already knew what to expect—happiness, joy, regret, backlash. Her sister and father were the two most important people in her life. She had left them, ran away to paradise with a man they never met, and now was back to introduce her son to them. Things weren’t going to go over well.Jayceon cooed and looked around trying to touch the pretty lantern decorations that her sister hung last year. It was cool November now. A full month and some weeks since she has been back and she wished Jason was here with her, but she didn’t want to invite him yet until she was comfortable enough with them first. She knew her father. He wasn’t Dan, but he would surely feel some kind of way concerning his daughter and this man.Nekiesha, her sister, opened the door first screaming and yelling, “Who is it!” as loud as she
Chapter 13Janet got out of her car walking nervously into the store for a pregnancy test. This would’ve been her first time going to the store or anywhere publicly without an escort. The Sex Doctor was on hold until further notice. She did damage control by making it more convenient than the actual reason. They were on a business hold, but she quit and Jason quit. No one besides them knew that. It wouldn’t be too long before she would have to make a statement about it, but until then she walked as casually as possible—sunglasses and all.She was still in her funeral dress and heels, but nothing to make her stand out. She wanted this trip to be as smooth and non-embarrassing as possible. As she walked in, the store was packed, and that caused her to swallow her pride and go quickly to the aisle with the pregnancy tests. She grabbed the one she saw online and headed for the checkout, waiting in line impatiently. Everything was going sm
Chapter 14Antonio sat while Janet helped Dan settle in into his home. She had insisted that he didn’t go back to that place but it didn’t bother Dan one bit that Fairchild was killed there. In fact, it was the reason he wanted to go back. The sick bastard found comfort in knowing she was killed in his home and hoped her spirit would never be able to rest stuck inside his house forever. That would be her hell, surely.“I don’t see how any of you can be so calm with everything that happened. Does being here creep any of you out?” Janet asked hugging herself.Antonio wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. “I have been in worse situations. Crimes scenes tend to not be a problem.” He looked at the spot where Fairchild was killed in the hallway and flashbacked to that night. “They cleaned up rather well.” Antonio complimented.Dan agreed. “At least they are good for something.&rd
Chapter 15Dan remembered why he installed the tracker on Julissa’s car after the police raided his home, per Antonio’s idea. Julissa was the weakest in his mind, next was Rock when it came to keeping secrets and bending under pressure. She had the most reason for revenge and fewer reasons to protect them. He didn’t trust her and assumed her to be the killer of Fairchild.Dan followed the car’s last known location. The trail went cold only a few hours before, luckily for Dan, as he sped off on the highway. There was a rage boiling in his gut that he knew Julissa was working for Chris. It would be the only one to make sense. It was the route Dan would’ve done.He had to start thinking smarter and free himself of any doubts he had before. Chris was always one step ahead of him it seemed, planning everything to last the detail: paying Bianca and her mother to curse him, knowing Dan couldn’t resist her charm, her
One Year LaterJason fixed Damien’s tie as he prepared for his first day on the job as the Sex Doctor. His hair was cut into a tapered style, head full of curly hair spilling over his face with a fresh fade on the sides. He fidgeted a lot as Jason helped him dress.“Nervous?” Jason asked but already knew the answer.“What if I can’t do this? What if I screw up?” Damien asked, doubting himself and ready to pull the suit off.“Do you want to do this, Damien?” Jason asked picking up his suit jacket.Damien sighed then as he swallowed a huge gulp of spit. “Yes,” he said determinedly.“Then, you have everything at your disposal for you to do so. I showed and taught you everything I know to prepare you for this business side of things. All you have to do is charm your clients.” Jason encouraged.The door opened then as Damien looked at himself in the mirror. “Oo
Chapter 50 Antonio took a deep breath as he entered the nursing home he dreaded all his life. A hand touched his right shoulder and then another soft hand grabbed his rough one. Both Julissa and Janet were there to comfort him in this time where everything seemed so uncertain. It had been years since he even spoke to his mother, far too afraid of the outcome. They all waited in the guest room, holding their breath as the nurse went out of the room to escort his mother to them. Antonio fixed his collar as he cleared his throat. A beautiful, Latin woman came into the room looking sad at first, but her eyes lit up once she saw her son. “Antonio?” “Hi, mother!” Antonio stood up as Julissa and Janet helped him go to he
Chapter 49Dan returned home to see his boys at the dining table, one drinking the other not, waiting for his return. After a quick shower and advising them to do the same to wash away the grime and blood and guilt, they sat back at the table, Jason in some of his old clothes and Damien fitting something old of Dan’s. They all looked exhausted.“I’m proud of you boys,” Dan said, taking a shot of his drink. “I couldn’t have asked for better sons, despite everything. I know you all will carry the Sanders legacy on. Which is why I have some things brewing. But since Ross is gone, I will have to find a new lawyer.” He paused looking at Damien. “I want us to get your name changed to Sanders, Damien. You’re part of the family now.”“No offense, but my name is all I have left of my mother. No thanks to you and Chris.” Damien argued back.Dan only nodded, understanding. “You are part
Chapter 48The quiet, eerie police station after dark only had a few officers there on duty during this shift. The rest went out on patrol which would, thankfully, give Antonio enough space to do what he needed to do, as quickly and efficiently as possible. There was a cold suspicion that Haynes was there. Of course, he would be to handle all of Chris’s needs; hopefully, it would lead Antonio right to him. Now Christopher Sanders was on everyone’s hit list.His key still worked for the back door as he tried to go to the evidence room without being caught or making too much noise. If things were filed correctly, Christavo’s gun would’ve been placed with the rest of the things on his person. He rested his hands on his hips as he walked forward, taking every breath with a step. His eyes glanced around the low-lit room searching each shelf for the gun.The door then opened to the police station causing Antonio to hide in between shelves, sq
Chapter 47 The smell that hit their noses once they opened the door was something all the men couldn’t deny would be embedded in their memory for all time. Dan had seen dead bodies, dealt with them, but the amount of stink in his home would never seem to clean itself after Eric Ross's dead body laid in his living room. Damien started to gag and hold the door frame for fresh air as Jason just covered his nose, closing his eyes as well. “Is he supposed to smell like that?” Jason asked, turning his head. “Ross had always been a smelly fellow. Go get the bleach and towels out the kitchen.” Dan commanded as he inched closer to the hallway to grab some gloves. “Here.” He handed some to Damien as he covered his nose and mouth with his arm. 
Chapter 46 Jason immediately lowered Dan’s gun down to invite him in. “Damien?” He wrapped his arms around his little brother, surprised to see him, but more so now that they had all the pieces together could welcome him with open arms. Janet walked over to him as well hugging him to Damien’s surprise. The sibling’s embrace was rather heartwarming as Damien didn’t know what to do with the affection. “What happened, Damien? Have you taken your old man’s advice?” Dan asked, folding his arms as Damien pulled away from the twins. “I read the letters, but it still doesn’t mean I trust you. Chris has been…he didn’t come back from the hotel and neither did your lawyer. Did you murder them?” Damien asked outright to Dan.
Chapter 45Dan turned back to Alyssa, surprisingly, holding his gun, saving his ass. He smirked before she held the railing remembering the pain in his side from the knife. Alyssa ran over to him to check on him. She looked concerned at the sight of blood and started to panic.“I’ll go get help…” She was just about to get up until Dan grabbed her arm with his bloody hand that covered his stab wound. Alyssa turned back to Dan concerned.“Thank You.” He said, holding her arm tight. “I was wrong about you, Alyssa. You definitely belong in this family.”“Dan!” Jason yelled as he ran up to check on him. He placed his arms around him to help Dan move to get him help from a nurse as Alyssa followed. Once stitched and saved, Janet walked in with Jayceon on her hip as Alyssa immediately reached for him, worried for her son. He was stashed inside the elevator with a nurse while the action happened. Jaso
Chapter 44Chris walked casually as if he wasn’t a wanted fugitive up to the floor where Antonio was. His rage fueled his mission. The humiliating way Dan spoke about his mother and their sister, made Chris want to lash out. Janet and Jason wouldn’t listen to him and it was clear enough he was losing Damien. He refused to let Daniel beat him at his own game.The hospital floor was barely lit as the elevator door opened. There was barely anyone on the entire floor, which would be perfect but also didn’t sit right with him. He walked along the wall cautiously, hands reaching in the back of his jeans for his hand-tailored knife. He paused peaking around the corner as he noticed Janet walking out of the room on her phone.He was definitely in the right place. The only person he truly worried about was Dan. He was the only one he knew that could take him down. Several guards walked away on Janet’s command, which Chris found od
Chapter 43Dan walked into the Sanders building with a basket of fruit and a stroller full of toys as he looked to Janet and Julissa there, Jason and Alyssa with his grandson. Antonio, luckily, made a full recovery and they were all heading back to the hospital as soon as they changed and got some food in them. “I’ve come bearing gifts.”“Well, well, well, Dan Sanders trying to be a good father. Hell is about to freeze over.” Julissa teased as she took a grape from the basket.“I may have come to realize I have been preparing my children for the real world a bit too harshly. I want a new start with my grandkids, including Jayceon. I can take him off your hands for a couple of hours while you guys…” His hands swirled in the air looking for the correct word to use, “…handle business for today.” He saw the look Jason gave Alyssa with doubt. “I will only go home and try to fig