Page 14 of Second Shot

My stomach twists, all sorts of scenarios racing through my head. And despite finishing off three-quarters of a bottle of scotch, I suddenly feel stone-coldsober.

She places her hand on the guy’s arm, and I feel the touch like a blow to thegut.

With deep olive skin and dark eyes with slicked back hair like one of those douchebags on the cover of a fucking magazine, the guy is too good looking for his own good. Gray slacks and alligator-skin shoes. White button-down shirt with sleeves rolled to the elbow and the first few buttons undone, exposing dark chest hair. He’s got the whole pretty-boy look that makes me want to punch him in his perfect, bleachedteeth.

I hate him immediately. Especially when he looks at Brynne with a possessiveness that only I have the right to, making the caveman inside of me stand up and bang his fists against hischest.

Brynne says something to him in a hushed tone that has him turning his gaze back on me. His jaw begins to tick, and his eyes roam up and down my body, sizing meup.

That’s right, fucker. Take a good look. He’s tall, but I’m taller, and outweigh him by a good thirty pounds ofmuscle.

Brynne says something else that has his nostrils flaring, but he gives a small nod, placing his hand on her shoulder, before turning and heading back towards the parkinglot.

A million questions itch on my tongue, but I keep my mouth clamped shut, and I realize that it’s fear of knowing the truth that stopsme.

She adjusts the baby on her shoulder. I can’t see its face, only the dark blue jumper with the hood covering the kid’shead.

Blue.Which I assume means it’s aboy.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I finally ask, “He’syours?”

She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth and gives a smallnod.

Fuck.

More silence. She keeps looking at me like she’s expecting some type ofreaction.

I don’t know what I’m supposed to be feeling, but I know what I shouldn’t be – jealousy. What started out as a small flicker when I saw her touch the guy has become a burninginferno.

“You two married?” I nod towards the parking lot, where I can see the guy watching us from the driver’s seat of a MercedesBenz.

Pompousass.

“Who?” She glances over her shoulder, following my gaze. “Me and Felix?” When she looks back at me. her brows are drawn down like she’s the one confused. “He’s just afriend.”

I want to call bullshit. Friends don’t look at friends the way he’d been looking ather.

“He’s not the...” I swallow hard, struggling with the word. “Father?”

“No.” Sheshifts the baby in her arms and I get the first glimpse ofhim.

Blue eyes blink up at her, and a small smile exposes deep dimples in bothcheeks.

I take a step closer, my breathing speeding up. “How old ishe?”

Brynne hesitates before answering. “Threemonths.”

I can practically feel the adrenaline releasing into my blood as I do the calculation in myhead.

There’s no fucking way the kid is mine. Even as I think it, I know thetruth.

“Kane, I…” She looks terrified. “I’m sorry. I…was going to tellyou-”

“Tell me?” The words come out louder and with more anger than I intended, and I see her flinch. Grinding my back teeth, I breathe in through my nose and try to gather some semblance of patience. But I’m holding onto threads. Because I’m more than angry. I’m fucking pissed. “All right. Then tellme.”

She opens and closes her mouth, tears gathering in her eyes. But I’m all out of compassion. I just want to know the truth. To hear it from herlips.

“I…”

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