Page 68 of Secret Baby Daddies
Luc picked me up and carried me bridal style to the informal living room. He put me down on one of the couches and knelt in front of me.
“What happened?”
I shook my hands out, suddenly filled with anxious energy. I needed to pace. If I ran, I would’ve taken off but that was not something I believed in. I stood up and paced the length of the room back and forth while the guys settled on the couches and watched me. I didn’t know where to start. I’d talked to Maddox about my dad and I’d assumed he’d tell Jace and Luc but I wasn’t sure.
“What happened with your dad, sweetheart?” Maddox rested his elbows on his knees. “I hope it was okay I told Luc and Jace what you told me about him.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. I like that we don’t keep things from each other.” I tried to shake out my hands again but nothing worked to soothe my frayed nerves. “I went home to find my check and grab a few things and—”
“Home?” Jace’s scowl was intense. “Here?”
I shook my head.
“My apartment. I went on my lunch break. My dad showed up. He just showed up. It was the middle of the day during the work week and he just popped over for a visit from Houston. Knowinghim, he was already in town for business and just happened to remember me.”
“That apartment isn’t your home.” Luc frowned like I’d insulted his manhood. “You live here. With us.”
“The nerve of that guy. I mean…he just showed up out of nowhere. He’s been a piece of shit my entire life and he thinks that because he finally decided to visit me that I’d just roll over and beg for his love? No! Just…no! He looked old. I don’t remember him looking that old. I’m pissed. I’m pissed that he found me. I’m pissed he showed up. And I’m pissed he tried to guilt me into going with him.”
“Going with him? Where?” Luc glared at me but I knew it wasn’t meant for me personally.
“Houston! He wouldn’t let me close my door on him. Aaron almost called the cops on him.” I let out a frustrated groan. “I hate him. I hate him so much! After everything he did and everything he took from me he thinks he can just stop by for a surprise visit and try to control me?”
I realized they were each looking away from me and not saying anything to agree with me. They were just listening and sitting there.
“What? Why are y’all being weird?” I looked at each of them and felt a flash of panic strike me. Something was wrong.
Luc took a deep breath.
“What if things weren’t the way they seemed?”
I took a step back like his words were physical threats. “What? What do you mean?”
“Aw, fuck, Harley. We did some digging…” Jace ran his hand through his hair. “We found some things that don’t paint the same picture as the one that was painted for you.”
I felt a crack form along the top layer of my heart.
“You did some digging? Why?”
None of them wanted to answer. The crack deepened. The longer the silence drew out the more I wanted to wake up from whatever nightmare I hadn’t known I was in.
“When you told me what happened with your dad we went to him to find out what the fuck was wrong with him.” Maddox sat on the very edge of the couch, poised like a spring. “We didn’t tell him we knew you but he just spilled his guts, Harley. He’s a broken man.”
I felt a cold sense of doom slip its hands down my arms to take my hands in a painful grip.
“He’s a broken man?”
“The things he said…they rang true. We just needed to make sure we got the full truth so we dug up the divorce filings. Things aren’t what they seemed.” Maddox looked to his brothers for backup. “Right?”
I was going to throw up.
“How did you… You know my father?”
“We know him.” Luc stared at me hard, looking for signs of cracking, I was assuming. “The business world is pretty small here, little bunny.”
The crack splintered through me. Their words were hitting like atomic bombs in my head and I couldn’t keep up. My stomach knotted.
“You’re in business with him?”
