Page 54 of Miss Trust

He tipped his chin. “Mr. Daniels said I had another month to pay back the money. I’m good for it.”

Even more interesting. “I’m not here to talk about Mr. Daniels, but I am here to speak with you. Got a ten-minute break?”

He looked towards the man in the office.

The boss huffed a breath. “Make it five minutes, Fitch.”

We walked to the side of the garage.

John immediately lit a cigarette. “What’s this about?” He was jittery like an addict.

“We’re here on behalf of Victoria Larson.”

His eyes went wide. “What does that bitch want?”

My fist clenched, but I reminded myself I never lost control. Instead, I let my voice take on a deadly calm. “She needs you to forgo your parental rights. In exchange, you’d no longer be liable for child support.”

“You guys lawyers?”

Caleb spoke. “Yes. I’m an attorney.”

Fitch took a drag on his menthol cigarette. “How is she paying you? On her back?”

My jaw tightened with anger, but I stayed on task. “We have paperwork for you to sign.”

He inhaled another drag. “Last I heard the kid might be dying. I don’t have to pay if she does, right?”

I moved quickly. Before I could even register what I was doing, I had him up against the wall, my forearm to his windpipe. Fury set over my eyes like a red haze.

Malik put his hand on my arm and whispered one word. “Boss.”

I retreated, watching as Penelope’s piece-of-shit sperm donor coughed, trying to catch the breath I’d stolen from him. Frankly, I would’ve preferred never hearing him breathe again, but I’d have to settle for tightening the screws. “Mr. Morrison is here to oversee the paperwork. Once you terminate your parental rights, any future obligation to pay child support will be negated.” I’d let Tory decide if she wanted to go after back support. “Your cooperation will also ensure I don’t speak with Mr. Leonardo Daniels and change the terms of your agreement with him.”

Daniels was a local loan shark I knew. In my early years I’d kept a couple of sharks on my payroll, but I chose to get out of the business of lending money because it was always pieces of shit like the one in front of me who were the clientele.

He sputtered. “You can’t talk to Mr. Daniels. I’m in debt already, and I won’t be able to get out—”

“Your choice is simple, then. Mr. Morrison will walk you through the process.”

Caleb nodded. “Yes, I will.” He pulled out the paperwork and started reading it to Fitch. “If you’d rather think it over, and have your own counsel review it, I can pick it up later.”

I hated the option, but understood Caleb’s position not to pressure the man. But he was already reaching for the pen.

“No. I want it done. I’ll sign it now.”

John Fitch signed away all rights to his beautiful daughter with a hasty stroke of the pen. While it most certainly was a relief to see him do so, it also caused a level of loathing I hadn’t fathomed was possible.

“Contact Victoria ever again, and you will wish your only problem was owing Mr. Daniels.”

I turned on my heel, needing to leave before this rage inside of me erupted into violence. I’d never felt this way before. At the edge of losing control.

Once we were in the car, Malik didn’t speak, choosing to drive in silence. I expected him to head to the club, but instead he took me to my gym, pulling in front.

“Go sweat it out, boss.”

A man of few words, but wise beyond his years. I got out of the car, giving him a meaningful look. A brutal workout was just what I needed.