Page 182 of The Wright Man

Bella's mouth dropped open. Her entire body jolted like I'd slapped her across the face.

I didn't stop.

"He has a baby," I said softly. "A son. And another one on the way."

Bella blinked. Once. Twice. Her mouth opened again, closed. Then she stood up and sat right back down like her body didn't know how to hold the betrayal.

"Wait. Wait. What?"

I nodded, the weight of it heavy in my bones. "I didn't know. I had no idea. But when I saw that baby—"

My voice broke. I looked down, forced the words through clenched teeth.

"The baby looked like her, Bella," I whispered. "Like Maleeka. Same nose. Same chin. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I just got in the car and drove, but I didn't even make it far."

Bella sat frozen, her hands balled into fists on her knees. Shock warred with disbelief on her face, but it was the pain in her eyes that almost unraveled me.

"I pulled over," I said, my voice barely a whisper now. "And I called Maleek. I was shaking too bad to drive. He came and got me. Brought me here."

Maleek cleared his throat and picked up where I left off. "She was in shock. I didn't want to leave her alone. She needed me. I came through."

Bella didn't move for a beat. Just stared at me like she was trying to process a hundred things at once. Then she blinked, sat back, and let out a slow, controlled breath.

"I'm going to cut off Gavin's dick," she said calmly, "and make him wear it like a pendant."

"Bella—"

"No, no, let me finish," she said, holding up a finger. "Like a little charm. Like a twisted Pandora bracelet. Just snip and string."

Maleek made a low noise that might've been a laugh, but he smothered it with a cough.

I laughed—just a little. A hollow, watery sound. "Not sure that'd go with his little cubic zirconia collection."

Bella continued, eyes narrowed. "You gave that man your youth, your loyalty, your grief, and he gave you a second family and a slap in the face with a paternity test. Nah. We need to march. Or riot. Or at least set his car on fire."

Maleek let out a dark, humorless chuckle, his jaw tight. "You can have whatever's left of him after I'm done," he said, voice flat and lethal.

That one wasn't a joke. Not even a little bit.

"Okay, okay." I sat up straighter, placing a hand on each of their arms to hold them in place. "Gavin is scum. Subterranean, sewer-dwelling scum. But I want to handle it. Myself. That goes for both of you."

Bella opened her mouth.

"I mean it," I said, sharper this time. "I've let too many people make decisions for me. Gavin doesn't get to be one of them anymore. And neither do y'all. No cutting off dicks or setting cars on fire... I'll settle for divorce papers."

Bella crossed her arms. "Fine. But if you hand them over with a lit match, I won't stop you."

Maleek made a noncommittal grunt. I cut him a look. "I mean it. Stay out of it."

He didn't promise, but he didn't argue either.

She looked between the two of us, something softer creeping into her expression now. She saw it—us. The way Maleek's hand never left mine. The quiet way our bodies leaned toward each other without even realizing. The decision that had already been made.

"You're really doing this?" she asked, her voice quieter now. "You two?"

Maleek answered before I could. "Yeah," he said simply. "We are."

Bella looked at me, her eyes glossy but fierce. "Then I'm with you. Both of you. No matter what."