Page 48 of Tangled with the Tight End

“Gabriel.” His voice is serious. “I’m sorry to call so late, but I’ve compiled everything from the security team and wanted to get it into your hands as soon as possible.

“Thank you, Baron.” The last person I want to think about is my ex. But if Norah is the fantasy that won’t go away, Sloane is the nightmare that lurks on the edges of my consciousness.

“The report was sent to your email….” He pauses for several seconds. “Are you in the position to discuss the new findings?”

“Yes.” The interior of the private plane is empty except for two flight staff up near the cockpit. They tried to engage me ina conversation, but my sullen frown sent them scurrying in the other direction. “It’s safe.”

“Truman indicated that Sloane was seeing Finn before you left town and was living there with him while you were gone. She only returned to your house a few days a week.” Likely to coincide with my phone calls to Gino.

“Where was my son during this?”

“She took him to Finn’s house with her.”

“Go on.” He may think his words impacted me, but they don’t. I expected nothing different. Although it does anger me that she dragged our son to this man’s house–this man who doesn’t want or like children, which was why she left him with me. Exactly who watched him for the last two years?

He clears his throat and says, “He was able to get a couple of her friends to admit that she had sex with several different players and other wealthy men during the period before Gino was conceived. All hook-ups where she used tampered condoms.”

“I used my own condom.”

“Which this one friend said happened intentionally because the men weren’t stupid. But she’d get around that by insisting on providing oral sex and switching out the condoms when the guy was…. Preoccupied. And there were a few times she slipped drugs in the drinks.”

Son of a bitch. Now it makes sense. The eagerness she expressed to put the condom on. How she managed to get pregnant with protection.

“Thank you.”

“I think you should get a DNA test done.”

“I did when he was born. I received my own test, took the sample without her knowledge, and the results were conclusive. I’m Gino’s father.” And he looks just like my side of the family, making the test unnecessary.

“Good. I was concerned that she was attempting to pass off someone else’s child as yours.”

“I thought of that from day one. The other….” I rotate my shoulders to ease the stabbing pain in my back as the engines fire to life. “I’m not surprised but couldn’t figure out how she pulled it off.”

“About Gino….”

“What?” My stomach cramps. If she thinks she’s getting him back from me, she has another thing coming, I’ll fight her for eternity on that. Making sure he stays with me is my number one priority and why I hired the top divorce and custody lawyer in Florida, and Truman Security to investigate everything about Sloane.

“An older woman who works for Finn has been watching him since Sloane started living there. This woman says that Sloane ignored him for days at a time, and he basically lived with her in her quarters.”

“Son of a bitch.” I lurch upright at the same moment the pilot announces to fasten our seatbelts and prepare for takeoff. That bitch. If she wasn’t going to take care of him, she should’ve sent him to live with me in the first place.

“I know these are not things you want to hear, but they all help our case.” I’ve not known Baron for long, but he’s a standup guy and a cutthroat lawyer. I know if there’s any chance of keeping Gino full-time with me and paying the least amount possible in alimony, he’ll come through for me.

“Thanks, Baron. I appreciate everything from your thoroughness to your insistence on keeping me informed.”

“You’re welcome. Are things going well with your son?”

“Yes.” For the first time, I smile. Nothing else may come from our trip to Evergreen Lake, but I’ve increased my bond with my son. The most important thing that I could’ve accomplished.

The blonde flight attendant stares at me like I’m a piece of chocolate. Not interested, so don’t even try. I shake my head and turn to face the window.

“At the end of the month, I’ll need you to take him to see a therapist and a pediatrician. I’ll set up the appointments.” Another part of his thoroughness is insisting that everything is documented.

After hanging up and taking off, I read every detail of Truman’s file. The more I read, the angrier I become until it feels like my brain is pounding out of my skull. My son was raised by Havana Lopez. She’s an unmarried, older woman, originally from Cuba, who adored him. I didn’t think reading it would leave me feeling like this.

Before I realize what I’m doing, I ring Norah’s number.

“Hello?” Just hearing her voice soothes some of my irritation.

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