Wanted By My Ex-husband

When The Past Calls

“Oh, my goodness! You kids nearly gave me a heart attack,” Duke screamed as he rushed towards the twins.

“What happened?” he asked Justin, the responsible one, ignoring the man who stood behind them until he cleared his throat roughly to get Duke's attention.

Duke, still on his knees holding the children, raised his head and locked eyes with the man.

“You should learn to watch over your kids more carefully. I nearly ran over your little girl.”

Duke tilted his head to the side and raised a brow at the man's arrogant statement. “You nearly ran over a child, and instead of apologizing, you're giving me a lecture?” Duke asked.

He looked around the restaurant; a few eyes had turned to them, listening keenly to their conversation. They stood in the middle of the restaurant, slightly blocking the entrance and making it hard for anyone to leave or come in.

The tension between both men only seemed to escalate when Duke rose to his feet and grabbed the man by his collar. His other hand clenched firmly by his side, ready to throw a punch.

“Give me one good reason I shouldn't have you arrested?”

“Because you'd also be penalized for neglecting the children left under your care,” the man smiled mischievously.

Duke let out a sigh and accepted his defeat. A part of him knew he was responsible for this mess, and when he remembered they hadn't told Eleanor they would go out to get something to eat, he quickly urged the server to pack up their food.

“Where are you going?” the man asked.

“I don't see how that is your business…”

“Fred. My name is Fred.”

“I didn't ask for your name.”

Duke walked around him with the kids and stepped outside the restaurant. Fred followed behind them, keeping a good distance until they got to the car parked under a mango tree that was withering in the summer breeze.

“Why the hell are you following us?” Duke snapped, finally getting away from public attention.

“My boss asked me to make sure the kids were okay, and also tell their mother what happened,” Fred answered. He was tasked with finding out who the kids' mother was, and he couldn't fail the job.

Duke, suspicious of the brute man's attitude, saw a woman old enough to fill in as the kids' mother walking towards them.

He quickly ran up to the woman after ensuring the kids were inside the car and hugged her. He looked back at Fred from the corner of his eye and tightened his hug on the stranger.

“I'm so sorry, babes,” he said aloud.

“What's going on?”

Fred stepped up and got a closer look at the woman when Duke let her go. She had nothing in common with the two children, so he assumed they must have been adopted.

“You must be the mother of the twins,” he said to the woman, who barely had time to utter a word before he continued.

“My name is Fred. My boss asked me to see that the kids were safely returned to their mother. You see, I nearly hit your daughter,” he sighed.

In awe of Fred's confession, the woman took a step back and stared at the unfamiliar faces of both men who had pulled her into a corner.

Duke stood behind Fred, trying his best to give the woman a sign to lie about being the kids' parent by tweaking his eyes occasionally and making hand signals in the air.

“I see,” she sighed and focused her attention on Fred. “Who is your boss?”

Fred was hesitant to answer, but after a moment of troublesome contemplation, he responded, “Mr. Caesar, director of Apex Law Firm.”

Duke's eyes nearly popped out of his skull when he realized that Eleanor's ex-husband might have seen the twins and might also be the reason he asked Fred to meet with their parents.

“You should drive more safely,” the woman said. “And tell Mr. Caesar to rest assured that I won't press charges against him for putting my children in harm's way.”

“Thank you.” Fred bowed his head with a smile. “Have a wonderful day and stay safe with the kids,” he smiled before leaving.

Duke placed a hand on his chest and took a deep breath to slow his raging heartbeat.

He turned to the woman, but she had a frown on her face. “What was that all about?” she asked him, but Duke didn't answer.

He was distracted by the voice of Eleanor calling out to him as she emerged from the airport.

“Um... Thank you so much, ma'am. I appreciate your help, but my best friend can't see both of us together.”

He passed her a business card and patted her back before running off to meet with Eleanor.

Eleanor hugged him and kissed his cheek. “I'm sorry I kept you guys waiting. Shall we go home?” she said cheerfully.

“Of course,” Duke smiled wearily. “The twins are waiting for us inside the car.”

Duke was nervous while he walked Eleanor to the car. His palms were sweaty, and so was his face. But when Eleanor noticed this, he simply smiled and said, “I shouldn't have worn a jacket under such harsh weather.”

“Yes, you shouldn't have,” she responded before getting into the car.

The drive home was quiet because the twins had given into the sweet embrace of their sleep and dreams. Duke kept glancing at Eleanor, who was occupied staring at the city and mesmerized by the little change Baycrest had gone through.

When they finally pulled into the driveway of Eleanor's quaint new home overlooking the city, Duke felt his nerves tighten. He parked the car and took a deep breath, his heart pounding from the truth eating him up.

“Ellie,” he started. His voice was shaky. “I need to tell you something.”

Eleanor turned back to the kids to make sure they were still sleeping and then turned to Duke. “I'm tired. Can't this wait?” She asked, but he simply went ahead with what he had to say.

“While you were taking care of your immigration papers, the kids and I went to a nearby restaurant. The twins wandered off on their own and I didn't realize it until they came back with a man who said he almost ran over Sophia.”

Eleanor gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Oh God! Are the kids hurt?”

“No. They're fine,” Duke assured her, his grip on the steering wheel loosening as he prepared himself to drop the bad news. “But there's something more. The man who brought the kids back. His name is Fred, and he works for Caesar.”

Eleanor’s face paled. “Caesar? Do you mean…”

“Yes,” Duke interrupted. “I think Caesar might know you’re back. Fred said his boss asked him to make sure the kids were okay and to report back to him. I think Caesar sent Fred to find you.”

Eleanor was quiet, but a thousand thoughts waged war in her head. She looked at her kids sleeping peacefully in the back seat, and her expression changed to one of great determination and resolve.

“Caesar won’t get anywhere near my kids,” she said firmly. “I’ll make sure of it.”