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Pulling out of the drive, my mind whirled with so many possibilities I didn’t know what to think. Instead, I looked over at my brother and spoke, “I need a favor.”
Chapter Twenty
Montana
“He’s fucking lying!” Snoopy roared, jumping to his feet. I had massive respect for the man who protected my father all these years. There wasn’t anyone more loyal than Snoopy. He was a trusted brother. One I could always count on. That would never change, but seeing his reaction to the shocking news, I knew he knew nothing about it.
“Prez, I swear, I’ve never even been to West Virginia,” Snoopy stated, looking at my dad. “If I knew, you know I would never have left her.”
“Sit down, Snoop. It’s got to be a mistake.” My dad sighed.
“Afraid not, Prez,” Mercy said, sitting up. “We have the blood work right here. The rules haven’t changed since the club started. When a brother joins the club, there is blood work. When a brother sustains an injury, they need to have a blood test. When a kid is born, there is a paternity test. When a President takes a woman, especially an ol’ lady, a full medical exam is required. Not only for her protection, but for the club. Your own wife Virginia had the same exam, Prez. It’s just how things are done. When Montana made his intentions clear about Tessa, she received the same exam. Part of that exam is bloodwork. Tessa’s bloodwork is a 99.8% match to you, Snoopy. She is your biological daughter.”
“I want a retest done!” Snoopy shouted.
“Oh, there will be one done,” I muttered, glaring at the angry fucker. “But first you are going to tell me how you know Tessa’s mom?”
“I never met the bitch,” Snoopy growled. “Like I said before, I’ve never been to West Virginia. Fuck, kid, I’ve never left the fucking state.”
“Not true,” Popeye grinned. “You were with us last year when we went to Vegas. Remember?”
“And don’t forget that time in Barbados when we went fishing,” Happy added.
Snoopy grinned. “Yeah. That was fun.”
Slapping my hand down on the table, I growled before this meeting got out of hand. “Focus, assholes. I want this shit cleared up and wrapped in a neat fucking bow before I tell my woman that her father is a part of my club.”
Shame grinned, opening a folder. “Alright, you Rejects, listen up. The time was 1996, Bill Clinton was President, the Macarena was topping the charts and Princess Diana wised up and divorced that cheating bastard. The cost of gas was $1.12 and Tickle Me Elmo was all the craze. According to club records, not much was happening during the time of Tessa’s conception. Prez, you were still the President of the club. Montana was getting ready to turn eighteen. I went back through the files and I’m sorry to say, Montana, but Snoopy is right. For the entire year of 1996, he was here in New York.”
“What about Tessa’s mom?”
Vicious opened the file before him and sighed. “I didn’t have much time to gather information, Montana. This is what I got. Evelyn Marie Jackson, born August 3rd, 1979, in Charleston, West Virginia to Jacob and Martha Jackson. A straight-A student, Evelyn, was a member of the 4-H club and played the piano. A talented pianist according to school records, Evelyn auditioned for an alumnus at Juilliard in her senior year and was offered a full scholarship until she dropped out after one semester, returning home to West Virginia where Tessa was born five months later.”
“So, Tessa’s mom was in the city?” I asked.
“Yeah. From August to December 1995.”
“That’s a brief window, Montana,” Mercy said, leaning back in his chair. “Four months, to be exact. There is no way we can trace her time here.”
Looking at Snoopy, I asked, “And you don’t remember Evelyn?”
Snoopy shook his head. “Sorry no.”
“Fuck,” I groaned, looking at Vicious. “So sometime between August and December 1996, Snoopy met and fucked Evelyn. Is that what you are saying?”
The brother nodded. “Yeah. It’s the only time she ever left home. When she returned, she got a job teaching piano lessons to little kids and worked part time waitressing to put food on the table.”
“I can’t go to Tessa about this shit with no more information than we have. She’s going to want to know what’s going on.” Looking at my watch, I cursed. “Shit. She’s gonna be here any minute.”
“I say don’t tell her about the paternity,” Snoopy advised. “Wait until the new bloodwork is back. That gives us time to figure this mess out. Tread carefully, though. Tessa is a smart woman. Just stick to questions about her mom.”
“And when the bloodwork comes back, stating that you are her biological father, what then?” I countered.
“Then I’m her father,” Snoopy shrugged.
“What about the other stuff, son?” my dad asked.
“Fuck if I know, Dad. My one lead is now dead. I do not know who’s blackmailing Tessa or who orchestrated everything since her return. All we know is that some damn charity calledMon Châtimentis behind Tessa’s blacklisting. We do not know who started the charity. Nothing.”
