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Chapter Eleven
Swiping at the unexpected tears, Alia gave herself a mental kick.Okay, stop it. Booker’s not Paul.He wasn’t anything like her ex-husband. That asshole had screwed up her life enough and she refused to give him any time in her head or let him have any more power in her life.
Her last conversation with Paul, the one that had made her flee San Diego, had almost convinced her to pull her weapon. Silly bastard couldn’t believe she’d refuse his offer.
It had only taken two years of living in hell with a workaholic drunk, for her to throw in the cards. Young and naïve, she’d never known a person could be both but it turned out she was wrong.
She was also wrong about him being an upstanding citizen; his work mostly hovered on the borderline between criminal and shady. She’d never regretted her decision to leave him, especially after Ruby had entered the picture to help her raise Kean.
Veering back to their conversation, the one that had prompted her to relocate as far away from San Diego as possible, Alia felt the anger rise yet again. The same fury that had flooded when she’d sat in front of him… her mouth hanging open and disbelief raging at his stupidity.
“You want me to—what? Be a surrogate for you and your new wife? Are you insane? Working all those hours, drinking all that booze and hiding your business dealings from the law has finally disintegrated the last of your smarts. You’re over the edge, pal.”
Paul had leaned forward, earnest, the hot-shot dealer selling the biggest deal in his life. “We just want you to donate your eggs for the IVF process. You have Kean,my son, and I’ve never intruded or interfered in your life with him, have I? I knew he was happy with you and Ruby, and during those years, I’d have been a piss-poor dad anyway.”
“Hey, bud, if we’re being real here let’s at least be truthful. You never interfered because work came first; it’s your mistress, your fun… hell, your whole reason to get out of bed every morning. You didn’t give a shit about me or your son. Give me a break; as long as we didn’t interfere with things important to you, life was good. ”
“Okay, true. But that was eight years ago. I’ve changed, remarried to a lovely girl and she wants a baby. I mean, shereallyneeds a baby… my baby. Adoption won’t work for her. I’ve tried everything, trips, gifts, big brand new house, pets, hell I’ll do anything, but she’s miserable for a baby. And the final tests prove she’s infertile.”
“You’re breaking my heart.”
“Look, I’ve made a lot of money. I know you haven’t taken any from me; my lawyer has come back time and again to say you’ve refused and that you only signed the trust papers for Kean.”
“As if I didn’t know you were using us as a way to shield your profits.”
Paul had waved away her reply. “As his biological father, I have rights too.”
Furious, she’d pointed her finger in his face and spat out her anger. “You gladly signed those rights away in court to give me full custody.”
Paul had smiled sadly. “Something I’ve always regretted. Nowadays, with all my influence in the political arena, Alia, my pet, I could have that overturned just with a snap of my fingers.”
Hardly able to breathe, she’d hissed, “You’d go that far?”
“He’s a good kid, strong and smart. Any man would be proud to be his dad.”
At that point fear had paralyzed her. “What are you talking about?” She’d moved to San Diego after Kean had been born for just this reason—to keep Paul out of her and her son’s life. “When did you see him?”
“Oh, don’t get your shit in a knot. I haven’t broken our agreement. But I could so easily. Drop a few lies, talk to some valuable allies I’ve amassed along with my fortune, and things could be totally different. You and I both know it, so don’t mess with me, Miss Bigshot FBI Agent.”
“Let me get this straight. You’re blackmailing me for my eggs, so you can give my child to a woman half your age to raise. It ain’t gonna happen, bud. And if you so much as touch a hair on my son’s head, I’ll come for you and I’ll be carrying my bigshotFBI-issued weapon.” She’d stood to leave but he’d held her wrist, leaving a bruise to remind her of that conversation for many days.
“Just think about it. You’ve had Kean all to yourself. The baby I gave you. Now I want a baby for me. It’s not too much to ask.”
“You’re crazy, Paul. Nuts! Loonier than a bat with rabies. What you want from me is more than I’d ever be willing to pay. Leave me and Kean alone. Get yourself another donor and lie to your wife.”
“That’s just it. I guess I didn’t make myself clear. You’remychoice for the mother, not hers. I want another kid like Kean. And I always get what I want. Think about it. I’ll give you a month.”
Two weeks later, Alia had settled in her new home on the island of Oahu. A helpful realtor had found a house with high walls around a good-sized yard. She’d added a top-of-the-line security system. Then she’d tried to forget about the shadow hanging over her.
Tried…
