Page 24 of Treasure and Tarot

Nine

“Sebastian, we need to talk.”

Sebastian blinked at Colton. “How the hell did you know where we were?”

Abby was napping in one of the little rooms in the back of the hotel. Xander had put up a little blow-up bed in there for her, and she had been playing with her Legos and her babies before she just crashed.

Sebastian had his yoga mat out and was looking through his legs upside down. Colton.

“Be quiet, she’s asleep. You’re not supposed to be here. I’m doing yoga. I’m trying to be Zen.”

“I’m pretty sure Zen and Namaste are completely different cultures, and?—”

“Shut up! What do you want? Come on.” He rolled up out of his downward dog and stormed across the room, taking Colton into the one adjoining conference room that was blessedly empty. “What do you want?”

Colton blinked at him. “I have a confession to make.”

“So confess.” He didn’t really want to hear what Colton had to say right now. He was tired and upset and not at home.

“I was looking for your desk. I wanted to see this proof that you had about me giving up my parental rights.”

Sebastian just stared, his head beginning to pound. “I swear to God, if you jimmied the lock on my desk, I’m suing you. That is unprofessional and shitty.”

“I didn’t touch the lock. You can look and see. That drawer flew open, and that paperwork was right there.”

“What, so you’re saying the ghosts were like ‘here, look and see’?” He didn’t believe this.

“Hey, I saved the hourglass, and I picked up all the cookbooks.”

“Am I supposed to say thank you? Did you film it? Because that would be a good thing for your show.” Damn it, he was so tired of this shift. He just wanted a normal life like normal people. He didn’t want to deal with this nonsense right now.

“No. And no, I didn’t film it. I didn’t expect you to say thank you. I just wanted you to know—” Colton stopped and sighed. “I wanted you to know that I have those papers, and I’m sending them to a lawyer and a forensic guy because I didn’t sign it and I have proof that I didn’t sign it. It’s not legal.”

“So what?” Oh, God. Colton was going to try to take Abby. He was going to get them out of his house. “I want you out of my house.”

He was going to have to sell everything and just take Abby and run. “How could you? You just show up. You have only seen her once. She doesn’t even know your name really. What you know, you were nice to her once, and you decide you’re going to take her from me?”

“What? No, Jesus. No.” Colton scrubbed a hand over his face. “I have no intention of taking her from you. But someone, my parents and their lawyer, pretended to be me, signed my name, took away my choice in the matter, and drove you off so I lost you and my daughter.” His eyes gleamed with what Sebastianthought was anger, but not at him. “I intend to make them regret it.”

“And me? Are you going to make me regret it?” He watched Colton carefully, that flash of temper intimidating.

“No.” Colton’s expression softened. “You didn’t do this.”

“I didn’t. I didn’t even—You don’t understand. I called and called, and it was nothing, then that letter.”

“They… Well, I won’t tell you what my folks said. It’s embarrassing and downright dehumanizing, and I’m ashamed of them. They were keeping us from contacting each other, honey. Like, actively. I’m guessing they kept my old phone and used it to keep you contained. They told me it had gotten broken in the cave-in. So I had a new one with a new number.”

“They think I’m a gold digger. They think that I got pregnant on purpose.” Sebastian was building up a head of steam. “They think I want their motherfucking money, and I don’t. I don’t want your money. I didn’teverwant your money. I needed to let you know that you were going to be a father. I never asked for a dime. And you know what? I managed this all by myself. Well, with Xavi and Xander, which isn’t all by myself, but it wasn’t with you.”

Colton nodded, holding his gaze, face so serious. “You’re a stud. You did great, but that doesn’t make me any less mad at them, because I would have been here. I would have been here for her, even if you and I decided we weren’t going to be together. I’m her father—biologically, I know, but I would have done all of the things. I would never ever have let you or Abby swing in the wind. I was coming back after this job to see you. I never was—I didn’t just walk out on you. I thought I was calling you, and that you just weren’t answering.”

That sucked big hairy balls, because it was too late now, wasn’t it? Now Abby was three, and he had three years, four, of just hating Colton with all he was, and he didn’t know if hewanted Abby to be part of a family that would do something like this.

Colton’s jaw tensed. “I can see you thinking hard. I get it. I do. My family sucks, and you don’t know if you can trust me. But I hope you’ll give me a chance to prove to you that I was trying, and that I want to help. And I—Well, what I want as far as us is neither here nor there right now, I guess.” His smile was wry.

“I don’t even think that I’m ever going to… I’m tired, Colton. My house isn’t my house. I’m just tired.” And he wanted to sit and sob.

Someone had tried to fuck with his baby.

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