Page 37 of Outlaw

He was silent for a moment, then released me to turn me around to face him. There was a concerned expression on his face, but his eyes clearly told me he was prepared to forgive me. That would make this much worse. My guilt would continue to mount if he did. At some point, I was going to suffocate in it.

“About?” he asked me.

Nervously, I licked my bottom lip.Just say it, Branwen. Get it out.

“Stevie’s father isn’t dead,” I blurted out. “I said he was because, to me, he was. I never intended for her to know him. It was selfish, but I had my reasons, and they were wrong. I won’t justify myself or my actions.”

Hudson’s face looked surprised, but there was no anger or accusation in his gaze. He reached out and took my left hand in his. “Okay. You lied. It’s good that you’re clearing that up. Stevie’s father being alive doesn’t affect us or how I feel aboutyou.”

Oh, but I wasn’t done yet. I took another deep breath.

“But it does,” I said. The regret in my tone was thick.

I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and then crossed my arms over my chest, as if they could protect me from this. “I couldn’t find my birth certificate. I looked for it for over a week. I wasn’t sure if I needed to drive to Florida to get a copy of it or if I could get one online, and if so, I didn’t know how long it would take. I decided to call and find out from the clerk’s office.” I paused realizing I was talking fast.

No longer able to look at him, I tilted my head back slightly and looked at a water stain on the ceiling. “The lady told me I did need a birth certificate to get a marriage license. She asked me questions about the date of the wedding and was checking to see the quickest way for me to get a copy…and then she asked me when my divorce would be final. I was so confused. She went on to say that my records showed that I was married and had been for five years. To him. Stevie’s dad.”

I didn’t tell Hudson his name. He never needed to know that. Linc was dangerous. I’d already lied to Hudson. I was hurting him. I would not let him get near the world that Linc lived in. He needed to remain oblivious to it.

“What?” he gasped as horror filled his eyes. The same horror I’d felt when I found out.

“That night—when I met him at the club in Vegas, when I got pregnant with Stevie—we drank a lot. I know I told you that already, but it’s important because that was how it happened. We were talking about favorite movies. I said something aboutThe Hangoverbeing one of mine. He told me there was a chapel that did a fake wedding, complete with Elvis, for people to doThe Hangoverthing. We thought it sounded hilarious at the time. Or I did at least. He took me there, and we did it. But it seems we didn’t get the correct package.” I stopped and closedmy eyes as I took a deep breath.

“I didn’t want you to know. I was embarrassed and afraid you’d call off the wedding.” I looked at him again. “There was no funeral. I went to find him. With his name on the marriage certificate, I had tracked him down. I had divorce papers drawn and took them with me, along with the marriage certificate. If I could get him to sign them, then after they were filed and finalized, it would be a thirty-day wait period before I could remarry.”

Hudson ran his fingers through his short blond strands of hair. “Jesus, Branwen,” he breathed as he began to pace, looking pale and slightly panicked. “You could have told me the truth. It sucks, and, yeah, I would have been upset, but you don’t need to lie to me. We are getting married, and I need to know I can trust you.” He was talking as he rubbed the back of his neck.

He still thought we were getting married. I wanted to hug him and tell him how sorry I was, but I wouldn’t. I wasn’t done yet. He was about to change his mind.

“He saw Stevie. He was suspicious and refused to sign the papers until he had a paternity test done. When he got the results, he used the divorce as leverage. He would sign them, but only after Stevie and I lived with him for a year.”

“WHAT?!” Hudson shouted, his face turning red now.

I’d never heard him raise his voice, and I stiffened but continued, “He doesn’t want to be married to me, but he wants to get to know his daughter. He feels robbed of the four years of her life he missed.”

“Like fuck! He can’t blackmail you, Branwen. He’s manipulating you. I’ll call my lawyer, and we will go see him today.”

“Hudson, no,” I said, shaking my head. “You can’t.”

He stared at me, his brows drawn together, his face was flushed. “Why? Do you want this?” he asked, looking anguished.

“Of course not. But you don’t know him. He can demand it, and if you try and stop him, you won’t only fail, but you’ll also be putting yourself in danger.”

“Danger?” He spat the word like it was ludicrous. “I have the best lawyers in Nashville. I sure as hell can stop him. This isn’t legal, Branwen.”

“Trust me when I tell you that even your lawyers can’t fight him. He has power. A lot of it. That power goes to very high places.”

He shook his head. “No one is above the law.”

“He is.”

Hudson let out a hard laugh. “He has you brainwashed. You don’t know this man. You met him and fucked him one time. He can’t—”

“That’s not the truth either. I do know him. He just didn’t know me.”

Hudson’s eyes narrowed. “What does that mean? Is he famous? Are you married to a celebrity?”

I let out a hard laugh. “No. He’s not famous. It’s just that he hadn’t seen me as an adult. He didn’t recognize me.”

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