Page 30 of Ex-SEAL Bad Boy

With my father’s lawyer’s considerable skill and clout, it can be accomplished relatively discreetly.

Questions are naturally going to arise as to how and why he is fighting for custody of a newborn, no matter how reclusive he is.

Plus, there is always the chance that Lena will talk unless she is being paid to keep quiet.

As much as I want it not to be true, Sophia probably isn’t wrong in suspecting that if my parents have anything to do with this; it’s probably dirty. That’s just how they roll.

This is getting increasingly tangled, and I have to figure it out before I allow it to go any further. I have to be discreet, though. If my parents suspect I’m digging too deeply into their scheme, the repercussions might be unpleasant.

Not that I suspect that they would physically harm me, but there were other ways they can make my life unpleasant. Look how easily they were able to frighten Graham off.

What I am more apprehensive about is the other parties involved. While Mother and Father may have reservations about applying too much pressure, others won’t be so reluctant.

Harrison Whitmore is a powerful man with powerful friends.

The enormity of what I now face is becoming more apparent.

What I need to do is have that conversation with Lena, and that will require Sophia.

Digging deeper into this whole situation could put her in danger too. I don’t want to do this, but she has become an essential cog in this machine. I am confident I can protect her with my training, but it could get messy.

I really have been unfair to her, I pushed her away when all she did was ask for me to be honest.

I just don’t like people digging into my personal life.

What am I afraid of? My affair with Alexa Farrell had not ended well, but there was no violence. There is another side to that story that apparently neither Melanie nor Sophia know.

If I can convince her to come back, maybe I’ll explain.

Walking over to my window and looking out over the vast expanse of ocean illuminated by the light of the full moon, I am reminded of both the insignificance of one person and how that same one person can set in motion a chain of events that can rock the world.

It’s a phenomenon commonly referred to as the butterfly effect. It’s based on the metaphorical example of the formation of a tornado being influenced by minor events such as a distant butterfly flapping its wings several weeks earlier.

What if Nelson Mandela had never moved on from attending herds of cattle as he had as a boy? What if JFK had died as a sailor in World War II as he nearly did?

What if my actions, as insignificant as they are, not only damage the Blackwood family but also have some other significant consequences, particularly if Harrison Whitmore is ensnared in a scandal?

That, however, is still to be determined.

I awaken early, get dressed, and jump in my car. I have to see Sophia, and the best way to force her to hear me out is to see her in person

When she answers the door, it looks like she’s just rolled out of bed. Her eyes are barely open, her hair sticking out wildly.

Somehow, I find her even more beautiful in this state.

“Get dressed, I have to talk to you.”

She frowns and tries to slam the door in my face, but I stick my foot in to prevent it from closing.

“Come on,” I insist. “You are going to want to hear this, I promise.”

Reluctantly, she backs away from the entrance, allowing me to enter.

“Just say what you have to say and leave me alone.”

“Walk down to the beach with me, please. The fresh air will wake you up.”

I wait for her in her bedroom as she throws on a sundress, showing off her bronzed shoulders. I can see waking up to this every morning.

---