Page 60 of Live Love Steal
“When you got back into my court a few years later, I knew why.” He shifted to Sharon. “And you...”
“What about me? I don’t have a record.” She pointedly slid her eyes at me as if to say, But he does.
“You remind me of his mother.”
I stared at the table, because like hell I was going to let that woman see my face.
Even Sharon knew the correlation was not a good thing. She remained quiet.
“Here is my order. You cannot take your son out of state. If you do, I authorize the Commonwealth to pursue kidnapping charges. Do you understand what that means?”
“I can’t move?”
His mouth clenched into a thin line. After a moment, he spoke again, “You can move. Your son cannot.”
Her mouth dropped open. “But what about the child support?”
Everyone in the room went still.
That check Jackson flashed to the lawyer crawled its way back into my memory. All I’d have to do is say the amount. She’d cave.
But that wasn’t how this was done, and I’d be damned if I screwed up at this point. I was iron. If she walked out of here with custody of Noah, I’d approach her with both checks in my back pocket. If the ten grand didn’t convince her, twenty-five would.
The judge opened the lawyer’s folder again. “Ah, yes, I’m amending that. While Noah is in your custody, you will receive…” he scanned the pages, landing on a figure. “Three thousand, two-hundred and fifty-two dollars a month. Paid on the first. Per the original court order. Any additional monies forwarded to you during the month will come out of the next month’s check.” He slapped the folder shut.
Sharon stared at him. “What do you mean, out of the next month’s check? How will I afford…” Her mouth hung open.
“I suggest you get a job. Noah is seven, there are before and after school day care programs, and…”
“He’s a criminal!” Sharon stood up and pointed at me.
My lawyer covered her mouth because she had warned me about this. I bet she enjoyed being right.
“Sit down, Miss Kayne.”
“Ask him where he was last night.”
She had no way of knowing. No way.
“He was at the hospital with you and your son.”
My lawyer cleared her throat. “I beg the court’s pardon, but she went home.”
Sharon flushed red. “Only because he told me to.”
I looked at my lawyer.
“He did not order you to, Miss Kayne, you left on your own accord.”
“What about his girlfriend?”
Now she was dragging Isobel into this. I glanced at the ink again. I’d rubbed it almost completely off. But the memory of it remained.
The judge pinched his brow. “Decision stands. Adjourned.”
“What? I can’t live off three thousand a month! What about alimony? He owes me!”
The judge paused at the door to his chambers, the one that didn’t go into the hallway where all my biker brothers were waiting. “Do you pay alimony to her, too?”
