Page 9 of The Bargain

He took a step toward the door before turning back to me, his lips pursed into a thin line. “Don’t make me chase you, Ms. Collins. You won’t like the result.”

“We’ll be here. I trust my motherly abilities and Timmy does deserve the best. As long as the terms of your contract are fair, I won't object.”

He nodded sharply and left.

I let go of my bravado as soon as he closed the door behind him. I started to pace the floor, my hands shaking with adrenaline. I’d been scared to lose my boy, so scared. And it could still happen - not because of the drugs, but because of who I was.

I had voluntarily cheated that man. Had lied to his face. My intentions were commendable of course. I knew Timmy would have been miserable with him, but I felt like I was making a huge mistake.

Still in my pajamas, I gently picked up Timmy so as not to wake him and made my way up to Dee's apartment. I needed her guidance, her advice.

I needed to hear her say I was doing the right thing.

“I need to tell you something,” I said as soon as she opened the door. I was not even surprised to see her all made up already.

“Does it have anything to do with the Porsche that was parked by the entrance?”

I sighed with a nod. “How do you know about the car?”

“Raoul went for donuts. I intended to prepare you a nice breakfast. Just put Timmy down in the bassinet in my bedroom and I'll get us coffee.”

I sighed after putting him down and gently brushed my fingertips on top of his soft dark curls.

I looked at him for a few minutes, hoping once more that I was not making a mistake.

When I walked back into the living room, Dee and Raoul were already sitting side by side in front of a plate full of donuts and looking at me like expectant parents.

I explained to them the visit of the older Beaumont and his proposal.

“So, Eddie was a Beaumont?” Dee asked with a whistle once I was done.

I shrugged. “I guess so; he never said.”

“A Beaumont…” Raoul shook his head. “You know they'd donated a wing to the hospital? A wing m’hija.”

“Do you think Opal knew?” Dee asked, tapping away on her tablet.

“I don’t know. Why?”

Dee looked at me with doubt in her eyes. “I love you kid and I loved your sister, but this pregnancy -” She sighed. “This was so unlike her. Even high as a kite, she required a condom.”

“You don’t think -” I shook my head. “No, not possible. She wouldn’t play with the life of another human like that.”

Dee looked at me for a few seconds and I knew what she was thinking and maybe there was a chance that it was true, but I didn't want to think about that. I didn't want to put dirt on my sister's memory.

She turned the tablet toward me. “The Beaumont kids don’t have many photos online. The only one I could find, after a quick search, is this one from ten years ago. Was this the man that came to you?”

The photo was of two boys and a girl all dressed in black. It was captioned, 'Dean Beaumont twenty-four, Lea Beaumont twenty, and Edward Beaumont eighteen. At their father’s funeral, Francis Beaumont II.'

I smiled sadly at the photo. Eddie looked strong, his hair beautiful and lustrous. He actually resembled his brother then, before years of drug use had changed him into the thin man he'd been when he'd met my sister. I could only see part of Lea Beaumont's face in the photo. She was looking at her younger brother with concern, but Dean... Dean was looking straight at the camera, his emerald eyes hard and full of anger and reproach. He looked ready to set the world on fire.

“Yes, it’s him. His eyes looked eerily similar today.”

She nodded, turning the tablet toward her. “I’m not sure this is a good idea, Amber sweetheart. That man is not going to take it lightly if he ever finds out you’re not Opal. They have billions; he can crush you without breaking a sweat.”

“Actually, I think she should do it.”

Dee and I looked at Raoul with mirroring shock. The man rarely intervened in what he called ‘chica drama’ and yet, I think that this was the first time I've heard him go against Dee.

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