MR. MORENO'S SURROGATE ✔️

41- Elijah

I didn't know what to say. About what she'd asked me. It was strange because... I didn't know why. I mean, I've always taken my job seriously but I've never noticed that, in Leilah's words, I put my job before myself. I've always been ready to do the next thing, even if I've just been shot or damn near killed.

I shake the thoughts away and I grab my coat from the coat rack at the front door. By this time, Leilah's making dinner and Maverick is sound asleep in his nursery.

"Be back soon. I love you." I say as I walk out the door, hearing her say 'I love you' back to me.

I get in my car and I drive over to Cayson's place. I step out of the car and I walk up to the front door. I knock on the door and I wait a few seconds before Cayson opens the door and hurries back into the house.

When I walk into the house, I see Cayson, Daro, and Karla sitting around the table in the living room. Daro looks stressed, Cayson looks drained, and Karla looks flat out worried. I take off my jacket and I throw it over the back of the couch where I'm sitting before I sit down.

"Fill me in." I say sitting down, intertwining my fingers, and resting my arms on my legs.

"It's terrible," Daro begins. "Everything is just piling up. It's all just so confusing."

"Let's just cut to the chase, hm?" Cayson interjects. "Dad's not alive. He's always been dead. This whole thing was staged and we've figured out who's behind it. Some woman by the name of Carrie Bernhum (ber-num). She runs one of the biggest cartels in the world aside from us. Doing some research we've found that she's been a nemesis of our mother when she was alive and it's rumored, not yet confirmed, that she was also a mistress of our father's along with.. Aunt Rosa."

"You're telling me this affair with Aunt Rosa was going on long before I was born?" I say in disbelief.

"Long before you or Cayson." Daro says apologetically.

I nod my head, taking everything in. I sigh, closing my eyes for a second before saying anything.

"So what was this issue between her and our mother?" I ask.

"Well, she's an ex-wife." Daro says. "Oh, I remember her like I'd just seen her yesterday. I can see why you're father was swooned. She was a vixen," he says, chuckling "beautiful brown hair with these blonde highlights. A body shape you'd never forget, she was amazingly put together. She always dressed in tight dresses and heels and wherever she went, men would fall to their knees for her, your father included." Daro explains.

"Okay, but what's the deal though?" I say, getting impatient.

"Well, as your brother explained, she was his mistress. But of this, she had no idea. She had always thought that she was the only one, even after their divorce. When he finally ended things with her and admitted he was married, she had been furious at him, and even more with your mother because she had thought 'What more is she than I?'. Anyhow, a little after the split, she found out she was pregnant with his child."

My eyes go wide. I look at Cayson and his eyes are as wide as mine are.

A child?

"Wait, a child?" Cayson questions. "But how? Where are they? I mean..."

"I'm getting there." Daro says. "When she told your father, Rafe decided he wanted whatever they had to be put in the past and pushed her and the child away, even begged her to get an abortion. He loved your mother and didn't want that child interfering with anything. It was one think to cheat on his wife, but another to have conceived with another woman as well. So, when he began conceiving children with Diana, Carrie was livid. She's had hatred for this family since then, even now. As far as where they are, I'm guessing they're here in our city."