Page 19 of Royal

I take the pen and do as he asks with Royal looking over my shoulder, and then I sign a hundred more documents, confirming the transfer of money from James’s trust fund to me.

I give over my bank details and the clubhouse lawyer offers to take over the trust fund for Donovan. I agreed to it because I know Andrew has had enough of dealing with all this with his family issues.

Andrew takes out his laptop, and Marie offers him the diner’s Wi-Fi password. She’s been eavesdropping the whole time, and I don’t blame her. I would, too.

“Okay, I just transferred it all to your account.” And the lawyer for the club, whose name I learned is Scott, is setting up the trust fund thing for Donovan because that’s more complicated.

“Do you mind checking your account to see if it’s pending?” he asks, and I take out my phone, typing in my details.

Right there on the screen is all the money, showing the transaction is pending, and some has already been deposited.

Andrew grins. “I met with your bank’s manager today, and he was happy to expedite everything.”

I’m rich.

I can get out of that crappy trailer and I will never have to wonder if I have enough food to feed Donovan and myself ever again.

Andrew hands me the paperwork I need to keep, and the lawyer for the club, Scott, takes the trust fund documents for Donovan. “I am going to get all of that worked out.”

Then they leave.

I look at Royal and see he is speechless, too. “Holy shit,” I say under my breath, and he bursts out laughing. He kisses my forehead, and I giggle. “I’m glad you called your lawyer.”

He grins, and we slide out of the booth. “Well, all of us in the club are millionaires, and he is the one who handles all of our shit.”

What?

“Holy shit,” I repeat, and it’s like I’m in a daze.

Royal holds my hand as we run across the road to the pharmacy. “You know what? I’m quitting.”

He laughs loudly, holding the door open, and we walk straight to the manager. “Hey, I just wanted to say that I’m quitting, effective immediately. You guys have been so good to me, and now I’m going to be a stay-at-home mom to my son.” At that, my eyes fill with tears.

I will miss them, but I miss my son more when I’m at work, and I can now spend more time with him.

They all tell me they understand and I hug them goodbye. Some of the girls shed a few tears, but it is all dried up by the time I step out.

“Let’s go get your boy.” Royal is happy for me, and I honestly don’t know how to feel. I know I have been very blessed, and I won’t take it for granted. I will pay it forward.

Royal pushes open the day care door, and I almost fall to the ground at the sight of my ex’s mother in her classy outfit, right down to her high heels.

Royal

One second, she was fine, happy, and shocked, and now she is scared. I can feel the vibe change in her. Her eyes are locked on a woman standing at the front desk dressed like she is going to a fucking meeting and not a day care.

“I’m sorry, but you can’t pick him up. You are not on the list, and I have never seen you before,” Cindy says.

Naomi is pale at hearing Cindy’s voice. “Look, here is Donovan's mother now.”

Then it fucking hits me that this woman is here to take Donovan. I put my arm around Naomi, moving her behind me. She briefly tucks her face in my back, and I know she is collecting herself.

After a moment, Naomi moves to stand beside me, squaring her shoulders, and I try not to grin at seeing that. I know underneath her softness is a fucking badass that will come out to play for her son.

The woman smiles, but it’s forced and fake. “Can we speak alone?” she asks Naomi.

“Whatever you must say can be said before me. She is my woman, and I don’t like how we walked here and how my woman reacted to you,” I say.

She looks at me, her eyes moving up and down my form like she is disgusted. “It seems that I was correct and that she is not a fit mother hanging out with the likes of you.”

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