Page 65 of Bossy Baby

“I know.”

Why did Hayley have to sound so sad? It was breaking Mac’s heart.

“That man,” Hayley said. “He said that someone was pretending to be you.”

Mac nodded. “I have a reputation. About what jobs I took and…how I took care of them.”

“How you killed,” Hayley said.

Tears burned behind his eyes, but Mac refused to let them fall. He hadn’t cried in twenty years and he wouldn’t start now, even if it felt like his heart was being torn out of his chest. “How I killed,” he admitted.

“How’d you get out?”

Why did they have to discuss this? Hayley needed to leave him.

After Mac didn’t answer for several minutes, Hayley huffed. “How’d you get out?”

“Lance helped me fake my own death. I supposedly died in an explosion. They found my DNA on a body.”

“Mac’s not your real name.”

“It’s the name I chose.” His floor needed a good cleaning. Now that Hayley was leaving him, Mac would have plenty of time to clean. If he even stayed around. Mac couldn’t imagine being in the same town as Hayley, though. Not if Hayley was afraid of him. And Mac couldn’t touch.

“I like Daddy better.”

Mac jerked his head up. Why the fuck was Hayley smiling at him? “What?”

Hayley pushed back his chair before rising. He walked to stand in front of Mac.

“Move back,” Hayley ordered.

Mac made room between the table and his chair. Hayley plopped onto his lap. Naturally, Mac’s hands went to Hayley’s hips.

“Now as I was saying.” Hayley splayed his hand on Mac’s chest. “I like the name Mac. It suits you. Daddy is still better.”

“I don’t understand.” Why wasn’t Hayley running from his house screaming? “You get that I killed people, right? I was a hired killer.”

Hayley nodded. “I bet you were really good at it too.”

“Of course I was.”

“But you’re even better at being my Daddy.”

“I don’t think so,” Mac said. “I messed up. I should have told you earlier.”

“I knew you weren’t ready.”

“What the fuck! You knew? Who told you? Caleb? Mitch?”

“They know?” Hayley narrowed his eyes. “Who all knows? That’s dangerous. No one should know!”

“You know,” Mac pointed out. “How do you know?”

Hayley gave Mac a small smile. “Remember when I told you about my Papa Brandon?”

“Yeah.” Mac had heard all about Hayley’s parents and brothers.

“You have more in common with my papa than we both knew. From the things you didn’t tell me…I kind of put things together.”

---