Chapter 12 — Her mystery man

****Joe's POV****

“What the hell was I doing?” I slammed my head onto the steering of my car. “Where the hell am I going to? I look like a freaking clown right now.”

Megan was back, hell and hearty, worse she was with someone knew and he stuck to her like a gum.

Protecting and shielding her from the public, who the hell was he to her?

I caught Carl's reflection from the side mirror approaching my car.

“You're still here, thank goodness I thought you'd already left for Raven Vogue.”

I sighed, unlocking the car and signalling that he could come in.

He was strangely silent for a while.

“You can say or ask whatever is on your mind, Carl, stop holding back, right now I need someone to smack me on the head so I can know if I'm dreaming or this really is a reality.”

Wharp!

My head resounded as Carl landed a hot slap on the back of my head.

“Ow! Carl, what the hell?”

“You asked for it?” He shrugged.

“I'm your boss damn it! Do you know I can order your death right this minute?!”

“Before you became my boss, we were best friends and Joe, I think you really do need that order for yourself,”

I glared.

“Megan is back in the states, completely transformed, completely over you! You're a mess and she's moved on, what are you going to do about that?”

I shook my head.

“Megan? She can never resist me, that's for sure, she's always been head over heels in love with me, there's no way she'd ever get over me,” I stammered.

“You don't sound so sure…”

“I don't know man, things are complicated now.”

“How so?”

I sighed.

“She has a man.”

Carl burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“Nothing is funny, Carl, she has a man, she has back up, we need to find out who that man is and who the hell he is to her, I'm pretty sure he hid her all these years, he's no ordinary man to have done that so smoothly. Nothing has ever stayed hidden from me, Carl, this is the first.”

Carl nodded, finally getting my point.

“I’ll have my men investigate him, in the meantime, don't change the topic… is this just about him hiding her all these years or is there more to this? Are you… somewhat jealous?”

“Jealous?” I scoffed. “Hell, no, if I wanted Megan back I'd get her back with a snap of fingers.”

“I don't think she's that easy anymore.”

I shrugged.

“We weren't legally divorced?”

Carl opened his mouth wide in shock.

“You slimy bastard, don't tell me… you'll be a total jerk Joe.”

“I don't care, I can't just stand seeing her free like that, she was mine and remains mine, you know I never share.”

Carl smirked.

“What are you going to do about Miranda?”

Adjusting my seatbelt I smirked.

“She was just a temporary one, she can choose to stay or leave, I don't care.”

“She's really fuming right now.”

“It would be a shame if she didn't. Go make the order right now,”

Carl shook his head after getting out of the car.

“Alright, boss.”

“Also…” I cut him off. “I need to know more about Megan, how long she's been back in the states, what she does and….” I looked away. “If she's dating anyone.”

“On it.” Carl said, slamming the edge of my car.

************

I pushed the door to my room open angrily, untying the knot on my tie.

Megan's words kept replaying in my head.

“That's my past, and I'd be glad if no one brought it up anymore…”

Damn it, Megan, I know I did you wrong but this is even worse. I thought you were bluffing when you left the estate and felt you'd be back in days.

And now I was suddenly, your past? We'll see about that.

Just then my phone started vibrating, again. It had been ringing non stop since the headline release. From my Dad, the gang, business associates, everyone.

“I really don't need the nagging right now,” I said, shutting the phone off. “Damn it.”

I switched it back on.

“There's no running from this, I need to face it head on.”

As if waiting for the phone to power on, my dad's call came in.

“Hello, Don.”

“Brat!” His voice resounded from the speakers. “What's this news I'm hearing, Megan is back?!”

I scratched my head pacing the room. “I'm as surprised as you are, father, what do I do?”

“Oh now, you're running back to me for help. You messed things up with her and now karma is playing a fast one on you, you'd better try reaching out to her, resolve things, that man she's with… he's deadly and Joe, Megan knows too much about our family.”

“What are you talking about father? Who the hell is he?”

“Don't use such a tone on me brat.”

“Just answer the question, who is he and how is he connected to you?”

“How do you immediately conclude he's related to me?”

“I know you, Dad, and I know how deadly the people connected to you are,”

He sighed.

“I can't say much, Joe, all I have to let you know is, that man he's deadly and being with Megan makes him even more deadly, to us, to the empire! And he knows just the right tool to go for.”

“Tool, what do you mean?”

The line went dead. And that made me even more anxious than ever. Who was this man and what connection does he have with our empire?

I dialled Carl's number.

“I was just about to call you, boss.”

“Any news on the man?”

“Things are complicated, we can't speak about it on the phone.”

“Let's meet in 30 minutes.”

*********

The club boomed with activity, but I was at the far end of the club, secluded and far from sight. Smoking on a Cigar.

Carl showed up 5 minutes later.

“I almost didn't recognize you.” He snorted.

“What news do you have about the man?”

Carl sighed, taking a deep breath. “It's a strange one. He's no ordinary man.”

He dropped a document on the table, urging me to pick it up. I stared hard at him before picking it up and going through the content.

“What the hell?” I exclaimed.