Page 81 of Love and Other Lost Things

This was an absolute nightmare. She needed more time. A plan.

“Come on.” Matteo yanked harder.

Jane wrenched her arm away. “No.” She stumbled backwards, back into the doorframe leading to the living room. “You can’t force me to go with you.”

Matteo laughed and backed up, holding up his hands like he was surrendering. “Fine. I can’t force you.” He paused, looked at her sideways. “But I am taking my daughter.”

Jane’s heart hammered in her chest. She could barely breathe. “No.”

Matteo shrugged. “Either you both come, or Scarlett and I are going alone.”

“You can’t take her.”

“The hell I can’t.”

“I won’t let you.” Thank God Scarlett is at Hannah’s. But Scarlett couldn’t stay there forever. Matteo would find her, and he would take her. He’d done it before.

“She’s my flesh and blood, and you kidnapped her and took her across state lines. I could have you arrested.”

And then it came to her. The only way out.

Jane stood up straight. “She’s not your flesh and blood.”

Matteo’s head jerked back like she’d been the one to hit him. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“She’s not your flesh and blood. You’re not her father.”

“Well, then who the hell is her—” And then Matteo’s gaze slid past her, to the front door. And that’s when Jane heard Nik’s voice.

“Jane?”

Jane closed her eyes. “Oh God.” She’d never had a chance to close the door before Matteo had hit her. Nik must have heard the yelling. Nik must have heard everything.

Matteo looked from Jane to Nik and back again, and the disbelief on his face would have almost been comical if her whole life weren’t imploding.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Matteo grunted. He waved a hand in Nik’s direction. “This guy?”

Jane slowly turned around to find Nik standing in the doorway, his face as pale as she’d ever seen it.

“Is it true?” he choked.

“Nik, listen—” Jane began, but then stopped. How could she explain this to him? And with Matteo standing right there. This was a nightmare.

“Tell me,” Nik barked.

Finally, Jane nodded. “I don’t know. But I think you could be.” Now that she had seen the similarities on their faces, she couldn’t get past it. Every time she looked at Scarlett, she saw Nik’s cheekbones, his nose, the arch in his brow.

“Fucking hell,” came Matteo’s voice from behind her now. “Why should I believe any of this?” He balled his fists. “I’ll get a lawyer. I’ll get custody. I want proof that she’s not mine.”

“That’s a great idea,” Mom stepped in, agreeing readily. Too readily. “You’ll get your proof. We’ll get a DNA test.” She bustled over to the entry table and yanked open a drawer. “I’ll give you my phone number, and we’ll arrange it for tomorrow. In the meantime, there’s a motel out on Route 8. You can check in there.”

Jane gaped at her. She didn’t want Matteo in a motel on Route 8. She didn’t want him anywhere near her or Scarlett. What was Mom thinking?

Matteo’s gaze swung from Mom, who was holding out a scrap of paper with her phone number on it, to Nik, who had stepped in front of Jane and crossed his arms protectively. Finally, Matteo snatched the paper from Mom. “Fine.”

He headed for the door, and though it was a wide hallway, he intentionally veered left, invading Jane’s space as he brushed past her. Jane’s body tensed, an automatic reaction. It was like she’d egged him on because in the next second, Matteo’s broad shoulder slammed into her collarbone, sending her flying back into the doorframe and knocking the wind out of her again.

Nik covered the space between them in three strides, grabbing Matteo by the shoulders and yanking him away from her. From somewhere far away, Jane heard him tell Matteo to stay the fuck away from her, and then a scream, probably from Mom, as Nik flung Matteo across the hallway and toward a vintage mirror that hung by the coat rack.

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