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Pulling up to the mall, Val parks the car and we all amble out ready to shop. It’s then that I remember, I can’t afford to be doing this. I freeze in the middle of the parking lot, it takes a minute for the others to realize I’m not following before they turn back.
“What’s wrong?” Lexi asks. I’m too ashamed to meet her gaze so I just shake my head.
“Bitch, use your damn words!” Nate snaps sassily. I dart my gaze to his and glare.
“This was a stupid idea.”
“What, why?” Leah asks with concern thick in her tone.
“I can’t afford to do this, I’m sorry, can we just go?” I say as I turn, ready to head back to the car but Val’s words stop me.
“Oh, hell no. You listen to me, Katie. I’ve been where you are. We are going to go shopping and spoil the shit out of our niece so you can either sit in the car and sulk or you can come help us pick things out for Addy. Think of it as our belated baby shower gifts. Plus, I promised Beck I would get you guys everything you needed for the baby.” To say I am fucking grateful for these amazing women is an understatement, I’m so blessed to have each of these girls in my life. Nate bumps his shoulder into mine and winks.
“Who are we to deny them the chance to spoil our girl and you never know, they may take pity on us poor folk and buy us that Gucci bag we love.” I gape up at him.
“Youwant that Gucci bag, not me,” I admonish. He just rolls his eyes and waves me off.
“Bitch, please, I helped you birth that watermelon. Aunty Nate deserves an expensive gift for having to see your vagina be destroyed.”
Fucking hell, trust Nathan to have us all laughing to the point of tears. “I’ll buy you the bag, babe,” Leah says through her laughter. Fuck, I really needed this time with my girls. I missed them so much.
Saint
Pulling up around the back of the court house, my nerves begin to get the better of me. It feels fucking amazing to finally be home. We got in late last night as Devon refused to fly in any earlier, claiming that being back in the US wasn’t good for him. It took more self-control than I thought I had to not laugh at the prick. He flew first class and forced me to fly coach, or he wouldn’t allow me to keep Adalyn with me. Needless to say, I wore a baseball cap and hood the entire plane ride so no one recognized me and snapped a pic while I’m covered head to toe in bruises. David—Devon’s head of security—puts the car in park before he and the other three guards get out, leaving Devon, me and Addy alone in the car. He turns sideways and peers over the back of his seat, watching as I pull Addy out of her car seat and carefully place her in the baby carrier that is attached to my front without waking her.
“Do as I said and you walk out with your bastard.” I bite down on my tongue to keep from ripping him a new one and nod. He eyes me for a moment longer and I can tell he doesn’t trust me to keep my word and say what he wants me to. “Don’t fuck this up or I’ll make sure your other leg is broken.” My nostrils flare in anger. Yes, my right leg is in a moon boot but it’s only a fracture thanks to that cunt David taking a baseball to my ankle the night they beat my ass nearly a week ago.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I force past clenched teeth. Devon thinks I’m about to stand in court and say that Katie is lying so he can retain custody of Addy. Truth is, none of them have any idea what I’m about to do in there.
“Let’s get this over with,” he snarls, then raps his knuckles against the window. The door is opened for him. It takes effort on my part to climb from the back in a moon boot with a baby strapped to my front. None of them offer a hand as I climb out, then reach back in for the nappy bag that I sling over my shoulder. Addy hasn’t been settling for a couple days since we ran out of Katie’s breast milk. She doesn’t like the formula so I’m hoping to get this shit over with so my baby can finally eat from her mother.
Six guards surround us as we make our way to the front. My steps falter when I see them standing out the front of the court house. The closer we get the harder it gets to keep my mask in place. If I slip up now, he’ll take Addy and run. I need to do this. He bought my daughter and I have the proof that him and Jackson never went through the right channels for the adoption. Katie’s eyes fill with tears when our eyes meet. She looks to the tiny bundle strapped to my chest and tries to come to me, but Crue wraps an arm around her waist, holding her back. Beck, Darius and Corvin all look to me with blank looks on their faces. They know me and know I wouldn’t be here with this cunt if I didn’t have to be.
“Saint, please,” Katie begs as we pass by. I keep my gaze ahead and ignore her. The moment I hear her begin to sob and shout for me to give her Addy I nearly crumble, until Devon places a hand on my shoulder and laughs.
“Don’t worry, boy, you’ll never have to deal with that sissy and that whore again. You get to keep the bastard and do whatever the fuck you want after we get this shit over with.” If I didn’t have my baby strapped to my chest, I would have punched this asshole in the mouth for speaking about them like that. “Make sure you let the courts know that you recant your statement you made to the news. Tell them I adopted her legally and that everything is above board.”
“Of course, pops,” I say with way too much fake enthusiasm as we enter the courtroom. Devon leads the way toward the front. I spy Troy next to Devon’s lawyer and keep my face blank as Devon introduces us.
“Saint, meet Colin Vaughn and Troy Hughes.” I reach out and shake each of their hands.
“You okay, kid?” Troy asks.
“He’s fine, just being a punk and got into some trouble, right son?” Devon answers for me. I force a smile.
“Yeah, my mouth seems to get me in shit, as Pop said.” Troy nods and acts like the sight of my bruised face doesn't bother him but I can see in his eyes, he’s fucking furious and knows who is responsible for it. How Devon has no fucking idea that Troy has been on retainer for us for years, I have no fucking idea. I mean, the guy was there when we announced we were the owners of BCD’S.
I take a seat on the pew as Devon speaks in hushed tones with his lawyers. I spy out of the corner of my eye Beck, Corv, Darius, Crue, Katie, Lexi, Nathan, and Leah sliding into the row opposite me. I fight the frown from breaking free at the sight of a girl who looks similar to Alexa slip in beside Leah with two guys, they’re fucking twins! A middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair pushes through the little gates and heads for the desk opposite Troy’s, then turns and speaks to my friends but I can’t hear a word. I quickly turn away from them, hating that I’m stuck on this side. I look down at my little girl and wonder how a father couldn’t love their own flesh and blood.
Devon Morgan is a heartless bastard. How can he stand here with his head held high knowing he bought his own granddaughter to use as a pawn just so he could manipulate his own son into signing over everything he was meant to inherit? My mother left the stipulation in her will that I had to be running the company by my twenty-first birthday in order for Devon to get a cut. She hated him as much as I do from what he’s told me and that was her way of making sure I would always be okay financially.
I could never do that to Adalyn.
“All rise.” Silence descends over the room as we all stand for the judge and wait for her to be seated before we claim our seats again.
“Councilors, you’re on the docket for the case of Morgan Vs Hastings,” the judge says.
“Yes, your honor, my client is prepared to not press any charges against Mr. Hastings and the birth mother of his daughter if they drop all the accusations against him and agree to pay the sum of five hundred thousand dollars for slandering him online,” Devon’s lawyer says.
