Off Camera Affair 4 (The Motor City Drama Series)

OFF CAMERA AFFAIR 4

THE MOTOR CITY DRAMA SERIES

By Jazz Jordan

SMASHWORDS EDITION

PUBLISHED BY:

Platinum Life Publishing on Smashwords

This novel is a work of fiction. Any similarities to persons (living or deceased) is coincidental and a product of the author’s imagination.

Copyright © 2014 Jazz Jordan

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission.

Books In This Series:

Off Camera Affair 1

Off Camera Affair 2

Off Camera Affair 3

Off Camera Affair 4

CHAPTER 1

I landed in Costa Rica’s capital, with handsome Santiago Moreno at my side. The man was exquisitely exotic, from his long, curly hair to his bright eyes, an alluring shade somewhere between green and hazel. He also had those kissable lips, not to mention his jumbo-sized manhood that was juicier than any tropical fruit. Mmm was the only word I could think of to describe our sensual midnight interludes.

I truly felt as if I’d found my soulmate in Santiago. Although we’d only been together for three and a half months, we’d known each other for two years, and he had helped me through the most frightening time in my life. I shuddered at the memory of the horrors I had endured at the hands of Frank, my ex, and his bitter, insane ex-wife, Tisha.

Before landing the position of lead news anchor at Channel 5, I had worked as an investigative reporter. Despite my abilities to uncover the truth about Detroit’s most high-profile corruption scandals, I was blind to the web of lies Frank was weaving right under my nose, in the very home we shared.

All I had ever wanted was a man who would love me and help me build a family of my own. Deep down inside, part of me wanted to believe my life was almost perfect. In the 7 Mile neighborhood where I grew up, almost was better than most folks could ever hope for, so I figured I’d done pretty well for myself.

I didn’t want to be one of those insecure women, checking my man’s cell phone and digging through his pants pockets. I wanted to trust him. After all, without trust, love can’t grow. Unfortunately, I’d failed to see what Frank was up to until it was almost too late.

It turned out that his divorce from Tisha was all part of his twisted scheme to kidnap my daughter and kill me so he could claim millions in life insurance money. Had it not been for Santiago’s skills as a private investigator, I would have been six feet under, and my daughter would have been growing up in some foreign country, thinking my conspiring murderers were her real parents. I owed my life and even my baby girl’s life to Santiago.  

As looked down at Crystina, nestled in my arms, I was so grateful that I almost burst into tears right then and there. I hated even entertaining any thoughts of Frank and Tisha or their grimy ways, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the text message I’d gotten from LaNaya, my sister: "Sorry 2 bother U on your vacay, but U need 2 call me as soon as U get this. Tisha escaped from jail & U won’t believe what happened with Frank."

What’s wrong, Kai? Santiago put his arm on my shoulder affectionately.

Yeah, you look sad. Aida, his daughter, looked up at me. The pretty, brown-skinned girl had inherited his long, curly hair. She was nearing her seventh birthday but possessed more maturity than the average high school student.

I looked at the two of them as I rocked my baby in my arms. It was supposed to be a fun family trip. I was excited about attending the wedding of Santiago’s sister and meeting the Morenos, and I didn’t want to ruin the mood by mentioning the disturbing text message from my sister. Then again, I didn’t want to keep secrets from Santiago either, so I handed my phone to him.

He frowned as he read the message. No, this can’t be. I don’t understand. How did Tisha escape?

I don’t know. I tried to call LaNaya to find out, but I’m not getting any reception.

He reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. You wanna try mine?

I shook my head as I watched passengers lining the aisle. Let’s just wait till we get off the plane.

He rubbed my back. It’s gonna be okay. You have nothing to worry about. Even if Tisha makes her way down here, I’ll handle her. On top of that, I have three sisters. She’ll have her eyes clawed out if she tries to come near you.

I smiled. Trust me, if that bit… I covered my mouth to stop myself from cursing in front of the children. "Excuse me. If that individual shows her face in my presence, I’ll take care of her personally."

Who are you talking about? Aida asked.

A mean lady who broke out of jail, Santiago explained.

How did she get out? Don’t they have bars and guards and cameras in there?

You’re so smart, Aida, I said. You just asked the million-dollar question, but your daddy and I aren’t sure of the answer. Crystina fussed a little in my arms as I stood up in the aisle. I held her closer to me and kissed her forehead. Baby girl, we’re here in sunny Costa Rica, and we’re not gonna worry about Tisha or any of her craziness.

"Verdadero." Santiago nodded.

Recalling that it meant true, I answered, "Si."

Very good. He grinned at me. I have a feeling you’ll be speaking better Spanish by the end of this trip.

If we can sneak away for some one-on-one conversations by the beach, you might make me fluent in Español—or at least fluent in your tongue, I thought. I didn’t feel too guilty about thinking naughty things with the kids around; parents had been getting their groove on since the beginning of time, and Santiago and I were no different. I knew family life didn’t have to be boring. On the contrary, I was anticipating many exciting adventures in the world’s most beautiful country.

***

I stood next to Santiago and the other travelers as we watched luggage spin around the baggage carousel. A few feet away, Aida was pushing Crystina around in her stroller. My baby girl smiled. Aida was so cute and cautious as she weaved around passersby. I was happy to see that the two girls were getting along so well; it was an adorable sight.

Santiago and I couldn’t help but smile at them and then at each other. The look in his eyes mirrored the emotions in my heart.

Just as I was about to utter the three words that would take our relationship to another level, my cell phone rang. I opened my purse and saw LaNaya’s name light up on the screen. Hey, girl. What’s going on? I asked.

Hey, sis. I’m glad you made it there safe. Soak up some sun and fun for me.

Yeah, I will, but—

Listen, I can’t talk long. I’m setting up for that Women’s Empowerment event I told you about. Tyler Perry’s the keynote speaker. It’s my biggest gig ever. Anyway, did you get my text?

Yeah. Tisha escaped? What the hell?

Nobody knows how she got out, and they haven’t caught her triflin’ ass yet.

Oh God.

To be honest, I’m glad you and Crystina are down there. Who knows what shit would pop off if y’all was still here in the D. At least y’all are thousands of miles away from that crazy bitch.

True! I paused. You said something in the text about Frank. Did he escape too?

Naw, but he did, uh…try to kill himself.

What!?

Yeah, that fool used some sort of makeshift knife to slit his wrist. He’s in the hospital now.

Something about this whole thing seems very…off. My heartbeat doubled as I thought of several awful scenarios. I could picture Tisha donning a disguise, squeezing her slimy self into some stolen scrubs. With a little bit of trickery, she could have easily sneaked Frank out of the hospital and they could have ridden off into the sunset like a demented Bonnie and Clyde. But instead of robbing banks, they wanted to steal lives—mine in particular.

Tisha and Frank have always been off. That ain’t nothin’ new.

Yeah, but—

Don’t worry, girl. They’ll find her ass. Just enjoy your trip.

That’s the plan.

All right. Well, I gotta go. It was good to hear your voice, and I’ll tell Mama you’re okay.

Good luck on the event tonight. I know you’ll do great.

Thanks. I’m gonna see if I can holla at Tyler about putting me in one of his movies.

I chuckled. Girl, you’re too much.

Yeah, well, watch me laugh all the way to the bank with my big-ass Hollywood paycheck. I’ll talk to ya later, sis. Love you, and give my niece a kiss from me.

I will, and I love you too. Thanks for offering to tell Mama I made it here okay. I tried to call her, but my reception goes in and out. I sent her a text, but you know that’s not her forte.

"Forte? Listen to you, sounding all sophisticated."

Is this your bag? Santiago asked.

I nodded at him, then spoke into the phone. I’ll talk to you later, sis.

Mm-hmm. I hear your man in the background. Y’all gonna mess around and give my baby niece a sibling.

Girl, you’re a trip. Bye.

I hung up the phone with a big smile on my face. I smiled even bigger when I noticed Santiago’s rippling bicep as he grabbed my second suitcase off the conveyor belt. We only planned to be there for six days, but I’d packed plenty of things for Crystina, including toys, several cute outfits, and enough diapers and wipes to last until the next millennium. Santiago had made it clear that even though Costa Rica was one of the most modern countries in Latin America, it still wasn’t the sort of place where we’d find a CVS on every corner. In addition to the things I’d packed for Crystina, I’d also brought along some of my fabulous wardrobe and a wedding gift for Santiago’s sister.

What do you have in here? Santiago asked, grinning as he picked up my luggage. Despite the heaviness of the bags, Santiago carried them with ease. He looked so good in his short-sleeved, button-down white t-shirt and jeans that I wanted to blurt out ¡Ay, papi!

We all walked through the sliding glass doors together, out into the beautiful Costa Rican sun. The air was warm and humid. Aida strolled Crystina up the sidewalk, and Santiago and I followed behind them with the suitcases.

"¡Tío Fernando!" Aida shouted and waved as we approached a silver Jeep Cherokee parked in the arrival area. The SUV was equipped with off-roading gear.

A tall man got out of the Jeep, wearing a wide smile. He was the spitting image of Santiago, except that his skin was a dark mocha color, and his wavy hair was cropped short. Damn. If all the men here are this fine, this place must be a single sista’s paradise, I thought as I watched Aida’s uncle kneel to hug and kiss Aida.

This is my brother, Fernando, Santiago said, and this is my girlfriend, Kai.

Fernando wrapped his arms around me and kissed both of my cheeks. Nice to meet you. Santiago tell me lot of you, he said. Although his English wasn’t perfect, his dimpled smile certainly was; it was obvious that good looks ran in the family.

It’s nice to meet you too, I said.

Fernando looked down at Crystina. "Ay, que linda. You have baby? He raised his thick eyebrows and grinned at Santiago. What a surprise!"

This is Kai’s daughter, Crystina, but she is like my daughter too.

It touched my heart to hear Santiago claim my child as his own.

Mama will be much happy, Fernando said. "Mi madre ama a los bebés."

Kai doesn’t speak much Spanish.

Oh. I say Mama loves babies…and we love make babies too.

I smiled and nodded; I certainly didn’t need any translation for that. In fact, if the opportunity ever came around, I would have welcomed the chance to have Santiago’s child. We had never used protection anyway; we had already agreed that whatever happened was meant to be. Given my medical history and the miscarriage I’d had years ago, I didn’t think pregnancy was likely, but if the stork did decide to pay me a visit, I would have been thrilled to give Santiago a son. At first, Santiago always made sure to pull out, but the weekend before, in the throes of passion, he had filled me with his love seed. The thought of the sensation made my mind drift a little.

I was jolted back to reality as Fernando slammed the trunk, closing our suitcases inside. I unsnapped Crystina’s car seat from her stroller and secured her in the back seat of the Jeep. She cooed a little as I sat next to her, then wrapped her tiny hand around my pinky finger. Aida sat on the other side of her, Santiago rode shotgun, and Fernando sped off down the highway.

As I took in the sights of the tropical trees and the combination of classic and modern architecture, Santiago and Fernando spoke to each other in Spanish, with Aida chiming in occasionally. Ever so often, Santiago made sure to ask if I was okay. I knew he was concerned that I would be offended because they weren’t speaking English, but I wasn’t. I wanted to be fully immersed in the ways and culture of that beautiful place.

A few minutes later, we arrived in his hometown, Cartago. As we neared a residential neighborhood with homes nestled in the mountains, my heart began to pound harder. I was so nervous about meeting the rest of Santiago’s family, especially his mother. I wanted to make a good impression.

I pulled my compact mirror out of my purse to check my reflection. I retouched my lipstick and added a bit of gloss, then fingered-combed my straight, shoulder-length weave into place.

Santiago turned around and noticed me fussing over my appearance. He blew me a kiss and said, You’re beautiful, Kai.

Thanks. I grinned, then took a deep, calming breath, in utter awe of him and my surroundings. Having grown up on Detroit’s west side, I never would have thought I’d have my fabulous newscasting career and I certainly hadn’t dreamed of being fortunate enough to share my life with a beautiful daughter and a man like Santiago. I’d suffered through my fair share of drama to get what I wanted, but all that pain only made my joy so much sweeter.

Fernando pulled up into the circular driveway of the beautiful estate and parked behind a blue Range Rover. There was a large main house and a small guesthouse, both stucco, with Spanish tile roofs. The yard featured exotic-looking flowers that spanned the colors of the rainbow, and the panoramic mountain view in the distance was just breathtaking.

"Bienvenido," Fernando said.

Santiago said, "Bienvenido means—"

Welcome. I know. I smiled. "Gracias. I’m so happy to be here."

CHAPTER 2

As we walked into the Moreno home, Crystina’s eyes grew wide. She flashed her adorable grin and said, Yeah, Mama! She had just celebrated her first birthday a month ago, so she wasn’t talking much yet, but the sight of the gorgeous home understandably inspired her to make the most of her vocabulary. Looking around, I felt like I wanted to rejoice right along with her.

In the front entrance, there were shiny marble floors and a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. I noticed a winding staircase leading up to the second floor. The living room had plush beige carpet, a fireplace, and brown leather furniture. Straight ahead, I saw an updated kitchen, featuring marble countertops and stainless steel appliances.

A middle-aged woman in a maid’s uniform came out of the kitchen. She extended her arms and said, "Oye, Santiago."

He gave the woman a hug and kissed her cheeks. It’s so good to see you, Anna.

Aida ran over and wrapped her arms around Anna. I missed you, Anna.

"Did you miss me or my atol de naranja?"

Aida smiled.

Anna pinched her little cheeks. You have always had a sweet tooth. She then looked up at me. And you must be Kai. She winked at Santiago. You bring home a pretty one, eh? She looked at Crystina. And what a beautiful baby!

Thank you, ma’am. It’s nice to meet you, I said.

What!? You no call me ‘ma’am.’ I’m Anna, and I hope you bring appetite, ‘cause I gonna cook lotta food tonight.

"Did you make atol de naranja?"

"Si, and your abuelita made flan." She gently squeezed Aida’s shoulder. There will be plenty of dessert for you tonight, sweet one.

***

Santiago, Aida, Crystina, and I headed over to the guesthouse to get settled. It was a cozy, two-bedroom unit, like a smaller version of the main house. The bedroom Santiago and I would share featured a king-sized bed with a bamboo frame. The floors were hardwood. Outside, there was a picturesque view of the mountains. The place felt much more like some exclusive resort than the home of my boyfriend’s family.

Aida stood in the doorway, holding Crystina on her hip, quite comfortable in her role as big sister. Is it okay if she sleeps in the room with me? she asked.

That’s nice of you, Aida, but I don’t know. It’s probably best if Crystina stays in here with me, since she’s in an unfamiliar environment, I said.

Aida frowned a little.

Listen, if she does okay tonight, maybe she can sleep in the room with you tomorrow.

She smiled. Cool!

I took out Crystina’s portable crib and started to set it up in the corner of the room.

Is it okay if I play with her in my room till you finish setting up her crib?

That’s fine, but not for long. She needs a little nap, so she isn’t too cranky at dinner.

Okay, Aida said. She whisked Crystina away and sang Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star as she walked into her room.

Santiago came out of the bathroom just in time to catch a glimpse of me bending over to secure the corner of the crib. He playfully patted my booty and said, "You’d better stop teasing me like that, mami."

I stood up to face him. And just what are you gonna do about—

Before I could say another word, Santiago kissed me with such passion that I feared I might faint. As his tongue danced with mine, my panties moistened.

I wanted him right then and there, but I knew it wasn’t a good time, so I pulled away. We’ve gotta get ready for dinner soon, and—

You’re right, but I will have my dessert tonight. He squeezed my butt cheeks.

That’s not fair, I said, doubting my ability to wait another second to feel him inside of me.

He kissed my neck and then my earlobe and whispered, "I mean it, Kai, and I’m not talking about flan or atol de naranja, baby. The only sweets I want are yours." He stroked his fingers over my crotch.

Even though