Page 40 of Burn (Smoke)


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And if you’re thinking that ain’t your kid, then let me remind you since you were drunk the night it happened. One of those damn piercings of yours punctured the condom. It split. You cursed like a damn sailor, but then we fucked again on your birthday, so I figured you’d gotten over it. Found out two days after your birthday that I was knocked up. I hadn’t realized my period was late.

Go get the damn paternity test and do something with your mistake.

Leslie—aka Chyna

I stood there, holding the paper in my hand, staring at it. She was real convinced I was the dad. What about the Jagger dude? Had he gotten a similar letter? Where was he? This couldn’t be happening. I didn’t remember my condom breaking. She could have made that up.

Finally, I looked up at Blaise. “Where is the Jagger guy? He’s gotta be the dad. Not me.”

Blaise frowned. “Jagger is the baby’s name. Jagger Henley Ward,” he said, picking up an envelope and handing it to me. “Birth certificate is in there. Along with a letter from Leslie, saying she gives up all rights to you.”

My stomach turned. I needed to sit down. I couldn’t be given a baby. What the hell had she been thinking? What kind of mother talked about their kid like that? That was completely fucked up.

I glanced over at the tiny human. He was asleep. Chyna was positive he was mine. I wasn’t the only guy she’d fucked. But if she was telling the truth and the condom had broken, then …

I dropped my head into my hands. This could not be happening to me.

“Holy shit,” I muttered.

“She dropped him off sometime before I got here. No one saw her, but I did have the security cameras pulled up. Can’t say I’ve ever seen such a coldhearted bitch before. She didn’t even kiss him goodbye. It was fucking awful to watch,” Liam said. “He was sitting outside the back door in the car seat for over an hour. She left a bag of supplies and the envelope with him.”

I lifted my head and looked at him. “She just left a baby outside, alone?” I asked, horrified.

He nodded. “Yeah. Fucking cunt.”

“If he’s yours, then you’re taking him. Figuring out what to do with him. Carmichael said he’d check him over, but you need to get a pediatrician. I can get you in with Cree’s. She’s excellent,” Blaise said.

I stared up at him. “You’re saying I have to keep him?” I asked.

Blaise raised one eyebrow. “If he is yours, then yes. It will take a little time to get the birth certificate changed and get things set up if you plan on giving him up for adoption. But good fucking luck with that once Trinity and Aspen get their hands on him. You take a baby into that house, and those two are going to claim him real damn fast.” He shrugged. “Maybe Levi and Aspen will want to adopt him.”

What? Fuck. My head was spinning. This was too much to think about. I didn’t want the kid being adopted by someone I knew. If he was mine, then I wanted to hand him off to a family and not have to see him again. That would be weird, having him there in the same house as me. But Blaise was right; Aspen and Trinity would get attached. I couldn’t take him to the house, but then I couldn’t take care of a baby. What the hell did you do with one? I had only ever held Cree, and he had been eight months old then. I’d never held a new one or changed a diaper. What did they eat? Milk?

“How long do you think I have to keep him?” I asked.

Blaise shrugged. “I don’t know. Never had this come up before,” he said sarcastically.

“I can’t take care of a baby,” I said, looking from Blaise to Liam. “Would Maddie do it?”

Blaise’s expression hardened. “You aren’t bringing my wife into this. Get her all attached to a baby, then take it away. Fuck no. This is your responsibility.”

I looked at Liam, thinking maybe one of the girls here could keep him, but before I opened my mouth, Blaise glared at me.

“Your responsibility,” he repeated.

My gaze swung back to the tiny human. Fucking hell, little dude. You’d better hope I’m not your dad. I’m not a horrible bitch, like your mom turned out to be, but I don’t know shit about babies. Damn, you’re one unlucky kid.

He moved then, and my eyes went wide. What was he doing? Was he going to cry? His hand went to his mouth, and he moved his head back and forth over his fist. Was he looking for his thumb? Was that like a baby thing they all came out doing? Should someone help him?

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