Page 9 of Secret Redemption

“I think we need to talk,” he said to Ava who was in her father’s arms and trying valiantly to hold the tears in. She nodded.

“You two aren’t the only ones that need to talk,” growled Frank Drake, who looked as surprised by it all as he did.

Zack nodded, and out of respect for the older man agreed. “Yes Sir, I think we do. But first, I need to apprise you of the situation that’s currently happening. In light of this development,” he said, nodding his head to his now sleeping son, “we need to do it now.”

Ava’s mother stepped forward and went to take his son away from him. Zack instinctively moved back, a growl in his throat.

She hesitated, “I was just going to put him in his room so that you can talk.” Helen once again held out her arms for Riley.

Zack knew she was right and gently as if he’d had years of experience switched his son into his grandmother’s arms.

He watched as she left and Ava followed. “I’ll just be a minute,” she said as she turned back to look at him.

“Ava,” he said, and she stopped again. “Pack. You are all coming to stay with me.” His tone brooked no argument, and for once in her life, she did as he asked without argument and nodded.

Chapter Four

Zack watched as Ava walked through the door to what was obviously the bedroom.

“I think we need to talk son.”

Frank’s voice caused Zack to swing around to face him. The man was as imposing as he had always been and Zack knew it was time to pay the piper and face him.

Frank grabbed the brandy decanter from the side table near the window and poured one before holding it up to Zack who shook his head no. He had a to keep his focus sharp with Zin running around.

He was anxious to get out of there and get Ava and his son to the safety of his place, god his son. He still couldn’t believe it. He waited impatiently, knowing that he owed it to Frank Drake to listen to what he had to say.

Frank turned, and the man’s steely gaze assessed him. “I suspected it was you, but Ava would never say, so her mother and I just left it,” he said and took a swallow of his drink. “She was heartbroken for months, and we couldn’t figure out why, and then she told us about the baby. We were shocked as you can imagine, but she was so adamant about having the baby, and she’s our little girl, so of course, we wanted to support her. The first time I saw her smile in months was when she saw that tiny baby wriggling on the scan, and they told her it was a boy. She was so damn excited. We asked her about the father, and she said she had cared for him, and that despite trying to contact him he wouldn’t return her calls.”

Zack watched as Frank Drake clenched his fists before continuing.

“I’ve been in the United States Army all my life, and have been in situations that have scared the hell out of me and made me feel helpless. But none of them made me feel as useless as when my baby girl was pregnant and nursing a broken heart over a man that didn’t have the decency to return her calls. We were there the day Riley was born, and I was the first man to hold that precious boy in my arms.”

Zack clenched his own fists at that and went to grab a drink after all. He chugged back a slug and relished the burn as it went down. “You know why I didn’t return her calls, Frank.” Zack watched as a look of regret touched the man’s face.

“I do. That and the reaction you just had to Riley is the only reason you don’t have my fist in your face.”

Zack hid a smile as if the man could take him. He had too much respect to say it though.

“I am sorry for this whole situation, and I hope to God above that you step up and look after that child and do right by my daughter. I see how she looks at you, she loved the father of her son and she still does. I’ll say it again. I hope you do the right thing.”

“Are you saying that you want me to marry Ava?” Zack asked, and surprisingly the idea wasn’t as heinous as he might have thought. He cared about her, he wanted her in his bed more than anything, and nobody had ever compared to her. Then there was Riley. His boy needed a father, and he was fucked if he was going to let anyone else be that to him, even if that someone was Frank Drake.

“I’m saying I expect you to do the right thing. If that’s marrying my daughter and making sure your son has your name, and his mother does too, then yes, I expect you to marry my daughter.” Frank said no more, just continued to study Zack.

Zack could hear Ava and her mother rustling around in the other room. He resented being pushed like this, but he also wanted his son to have his name, and he wanted Ava too.

“And if I don’t?”

“Then you’re a bigger fool than I thought, and when my beautiful daughter does find the boy a father who is man enough to step up, I’ll smile and walk my daughter down the aisle.”

Zack clenched his teeth. No way would anyone except him be a father to Riley, and the thought of Ava walking down the aisle to another man made him want to tear the room apart. He could feel his blood pressure rising, and the need to hurt someone was so strong that he wished Zin was there so he could punch the bloody Russian. He paced back and forth, hands on his hips, then turned to Frank.

“Riley is my son. I’ll be at his graduation by his mother’s side, and not because you’re threatening me, but because it’s what I want.”

Zack turned away then and missed seeing the big smile on Frank Drake’s face.