Page 35 of Still Burning

Halle-fucking-lujah.

I held the paper up to Nixie. “Zero percent,” I said. “Not mine. You might want to give Anson a call and tell him the news. You’re gonna need a ride home.”

I gave the doctor back the results. “Thank you. You have no idea how fucking happy you just made me.”

She took them, but said nothing, looking uncomfortable and like she’d rather be anywhere else right now.

“But the lab!” Nixie called out behind me.

“I intend to pay them a visit on my way back to the club,” I informed her, not turning around.

I’d seen all of that woman I wanted to. She’d tried to saddle me with another man’s kid.

“What do you mean? You can’t go by there! They can’t tell you anything!” At this point, she was well past panicked.

As I exited the room, I heard the doctor asking her to please keep her voice down.

Salem and I were going on our ride after all.

13

Tex

When I pulled my truck into the parking lot, I couldn’t get out of it fast enough. I wanted to see Salem and tell her Nixie’s baby wasn’t mine. Just thinking about seeing her face when I told her had me grinning as I jogged from the parking lot to the entrance.

Anson had been working the security gate when I pulled in, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him. I’d let Nixie handle that.

Pushing open the door, I headed down the hallway and heard voices in the kitchen and figured I’d check there first. Salem was often with Goldie and Nina. The smell of garlic and butter met me, and Goldie glanced over her shoulder at me from whatever she was getting out of the oven.

“She’s not down here,” Goldie called out. “Last I saw her, she was going for a walk outside.” She turned and set the sheet pan of bread on a hot pad. “But before you go looking for her, did you see the baby?”

I smiled and shook my head. “Nope.”

Goldie’s brows creased. “Why not? It was the ultrasound appointment, wasn’t it? That’s why Salem was so adamant that you go.”

“Baby ain’t mine.” It felt so good to say that. Like a brick wall had been taken off my shoulders.

Goldie’s eyes widened. “What do you mean, the baby ain’t yours?”

I wanted to find Salem and tell her all this, but I knew Goldie would chase me down if I didn’t tell her now.

“Seems Nixie has a regular who comes to Toxic to see her. He’s married, a deacon in his church, and he’s paid her for head several times. She found out that he worked at Lab Corp in town and blackmailed him to fake the paternity test.”

He had also cried like a fucking pussy, begging me not to tell his wife.

I’d gone into the lab on my way home and demanded to talk to whoever had handled the paperwork for the test. I’d stuck the test results Liam had given me in my glove department when I’d not wanted Salem to find it in my room before I could talk to her about it. The woman at the desk had said it was one of two people, but she couldn’t be sure which one. But they were both there. He had been easy enough to pick out because he’d gone pale the moment he saw the test results I was there about.

“Holy shit,” Goldie muttered, then started smiling. “Go find Salem and tell her!”

“That’s what I’m trying to do.”

She waved her oven mitt at me to go, and I headed for the back door. Goldie let out a squeal as I left, which made me chuckle.

The backyard was empty. I scanned it left to right, then decided to go right and walk around that way. There wasn’t much to see the other way.

It didn’t take me long to circle the place. My anticipation had me walking at a pace that would be considered a jog for most folks. I called her name a few times, and when I got nothing, I headed back inside to check the bedroom.

Goldie looked up at me, and her excited face fell when she didn’t see Salem with me.

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