AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When he steps out of the kitchen, Ford looks at me with intense eyes. “Did he speak with you?”
I grit my teeth as I nod.
“He said there’s someone who claims to be having his baby.”
I almost choke on those last words. Even saying it out loud doesn’t seem real.
I’ve always used protection.
I flick on the coffee machine as Alex’s words from Costa Rica swim around inside my brain, trying to make sense of everything.
“I know it sounds bad, but has a paternity test been—”
Ford cuts me off with a terse nod, and I turn away as tears prick the backs of my eyes.
“Henry and the Board were the first to be approached, and they organized one immediately. From the looks of things, Rey, this has been in the works since before you went to Costa Rica, but the results only came through this morning.”
My responding nod is slow, resigned, as Ford continues to speak.
“She’s come forward to request a settlement, citing that she doesn’t want to unnecessarily upset Alex’s wife; otherwise, she’s going to sell her story to Keller Media.”
I make myself a cup of hot tea, and as I finish, I spot Vaughn hovering outside the door of the kitchen, his face frozen in thought.
“I’m going to call my guy. We’ll dig deeper.”
He walks closer, sets his whisky down on the kitchen counter, and pulls his cell from his vest pocket.
He keys in the number, his eyes locked on me as he barks instructions down the line.
“Research everyone she’s ever come into contact with, starting with most recent interactions. Work colleagues, neighbors, her OB-GYN, and all records you can find. I need it yesterday.”
He hangs up. “Now we wait.”
By the time Alex has showered and changed, I have a whole new narrative ready to present.
“You want towhat?”
Alex sits forward from his place on the opposite sofa, sloshing his tumbler of Macallan all over the leg of his pants.
I clear my throat and repeat myself. “I want to meet her. I need to speak with her in person. Woman to woman.”
He scrubs his free hand down along his face with a weary sigh. “Can’t we just pay her the damn money and put it to rest?”
“NO!” My voice rings out alongside Vaughn’s and Ford’s.
“We do our due diligence first, DeMarco.” Vaughn leans across the coffee table, spearing Alex with an obsidian stare. “Something’s not adding up.”
“I don’t buy it.” My words have all eyes shooting to me. “It’s too convenient. The timing. The circumstances. Going to Henry and the board to ‘save my feelings.’ It feels much too contrived. She’sassumingthat you’ll do whatever it takes to stop this news from reaching my ears. That you’ll pay out without a second thought.”
Alex looks at his hands, clearly needing a minute to absorb what I’m saying before I softly murmur, “I’m not believing it, not for a second. No matter what that test said. It’swrong.”
His eyes shoot up to meet mine, apparently hearing the conviction in my tone.
I slip from my seat beside Vaughn to round the low coffee table between us and slide onto my husband’s lap. Cupping his face in my palms, I hold his whiskey eyes with fierce intent.
“Lita always told me that my intuition is my gift. She was right.It is! And it’s telling me—no, it’sscreamingthat this is bogus.Somethingis off.”
He shakes his head, a frown firm on his usually carefree face, and the sight just about kills me. “Sunshine, I—”
