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“Eleven and nine months.” Reagan turned around then and headed back to her room. Oakley tried not to fall apart.
When Reagan’s door clicked shut, Liam slowly turned back to her, wonder on his face. “You kept the baby?”
“She’s not yours,” she said flatly.
“The fuck she isn’t. I was the only one in your bed back then.” He carded a hand through his hair, his composure faltering. “You fucking disappeared and had my kid?”
That did it. Oakley lost all
sense of self-preservation and stepped forward, poking her finger hard to his chest. “No, I had my kid. If you’d like your abortion money back, I’ll write you a check. That’s all I owe you. Now get the hell out of my house.”
He didn’t budge. “She’s got your voice. And she’s beautiful. And young. You know how perfect she could be for the market right now? I could help her. Help you.”
She shoved him hard. “Oh my God, you find out you have a kid and the first thing you see is dollar signs? Fuck you, Liam. I want you out and away from me and my family.”
He grabbed her wrist in a painful grip before she could shove him again. “You hid a pregnancy from me. Kept my child away from me. How do you think the courts would feel about that if I file for joint custody?”
Blind fear trampled over her. “They’d never give you that. You’d have to admit to statutory rape.”
“We were recording in Vegas that summer. Age of consent is sixteen. I checked when you got pregnant. Didn’t want you running to the police in some snit.”
Her arm shook beneath his hold. “Please, Liam. Just let us be.”
“I loved you, Kris,” he said, his voice gentling. “You were all I wanted. I would’ve made you a star. Instead you chose this life? Single motherhood and letting some playboy musician warm his dick in you when he’s got nothing to do in between tours? You’re better than that. My kid deserves better than that.”
“I deserved better than you,” she said, her anger surging despite her fear. “And that playboy musician has taken better care of me in bed and out of it than you could’ve ever managed. You can’t imagine the things he does to me, how good he makes me feel.”
Rage filled his eyes, letting her know that old jealousy button could still be pushed. Even after all these years, he thought he owned her. And that told her all she needed to know. Vulnerability spotted, gun aimed. She stepped closer, her voice low and calm.
“You knew you couldn’t get a real woman to touch you so you manipulated a child into your bed. That way you could look like you actually knew what you were doing. You’re fucking pathetic.”
Something ugly and hateful twisted his features and though she sensed it coming, she held her ground. His arm lifted and the back of his hand hit the side of her face with brutal force, knocking her sideways and stinging like a son of a bitch.
Dizziness took her for a second, her ears ringing, and she grabbed the side of the sofa to keep from falling. That would leave a mark.
Good.
She put her hand to her cheek and tasted blood on her lip. “Do it again, you fucking coward.”
Liam surged forward like he was going to do just that. But before she could even brace herself for the blow, the door burst open. Pike was like a bullet coming through, giving Liam no time to process his presence. The right hook landed square, Pike’s fist connecting with Liam’s face, and Liam went sprawling to the floor in a crashing thud. Pike followed Liam’s descent, shouting and hitting him a few more times, but it was clear Liam had been knocked out cold.
“Mom?” Rae’s quavering question filled the air, her fear apparent, and Oakley rushed over to Pike, grabbing his shoulders before he could swing again.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, he’s out. Not in front of Rae,” she said urgently.
Pike turned, anger still hot in his eyes, but when he glanced up the stairs and saw Reagan, his fists unfurled and he released a harsh breath. He stepped back from Liam’s prone form and dragged a hand through his hair, looking altogether undone.
“It’s okay, baby, just give us a second,” Oakley called up.
Pike reached for her, his expression pained, as he touched her cheek. “I couldn’t get in fast enough. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s nothing.”
“I want to fucking kill this guy,” he said, low enough for only her to hear.
She could feel the residual fury and adrenaline rolling off of him. If she left him here with Liam, it may only get uglier. “He’s out. We’re okay. We’re all okay. Just take a breath.”
He inhaled like an angry bull and let it out.
