Page 76 of The Love Scam
“You figured out my combinations but not that?” As he waited (calmly, to his credit), she added, “Donna seduced both of you that month. And before you ask, I don’t know why—she’d been distancing herself from us for a while. IswearI had no idea, Rake. I didn’t know about any of it until she met us at Subway, announced her pregnancy, ordered a foot-long club, and disappeared from our lives.”
“You remember the lunch order?”
“I don’t know if the plan was to get pregnant so she’d have a rich baby daddy or if she was just getting close in order to scam you in a non-baby-related way.”
“Huh.”
“It’s, um, none of my business, but—”
“Of course I wore a condom! We’djust met.”
“Right, right. Sorry.”
“One she handed me.”
“Ah.”
Rake was rubbing his eyes. “Jesus Christ. So I’m either Lillith’s dad or uncle.”
“Yes. And since it’s long past time we settled the issue, let’s—”
“Nope.”
“What?”
He’d plucked a sealed white envelope she instantly recognized from his pocket and waved it at her. “See this?”
“Yes, you’re holding it ten inches away from my face.”
“Good. Watch.” And he tore it in two. “Lillith’s my daughter.”
“Rake—”
“She’s a member of our family and it doesn’t matter if it’s Blake or me, because she’smydaughter and I’ll take care of her now and that’s how it’s gonna be. I don’t give a shit about the test.”
“Well, that was all very dramatic and impressive, except I also got an email from the lab. And a pdf file. And they’ll mail me another hard copy if I ask. So it doesn’t actually change—”
“I’m. Lillith’s. Dad.”
“Got it.” Not that destroying a paper copy of the test results actually changed anything. But Rake had a point—one way or the other, Lillith was a Tarbell. And as incredible as it sounded, they actually had bigger problems than playing “who’s got the Lillith.”
“Glad we got that straightened out. And getting back to your weird hobbies—Delaney, they’ll catch you.” He had leaned forward and taken her hand in his. Gripped it. “Maybe not this week, but it’s going to happen. You won’t survive prison.”
“Whoa! Who said anything about going to prison? I’ll be—”
“Do not say ‘fine’ to me, don’t pretend it’s okay. You’ll fucking hang yourself if they lock you in a room and never letyou out.” His words were fierce and blunt, but he looked… afraid?
“Rake,” she began, amazed.
“You’ll die in there. Please stop what you’re doing. All this. Please.”
“I’m a grown woman,” she said, squeezing back until her knuckles whitened; he didn’t seem to notice. “And these are my choices. You’re wonderful to worry… it’s more than I deserve. But tomorrow you’re going to do what you need to do—and I will, too. And either way, Lillith will be safe. And no matter what, I’ll never be sorry we met. Just sorry about the manner of it.”
“Please stop the hits.” He leaned forward and rested his forehead on her shoulder, and she was amazed to feel him shaking.
“I can’t.” No. That was a lie. “I won’t,” she clarified. “But I don’t think you’re giving me enough credit. I’ve never even come close to getting caught. They can’t say anything, you know. They’re trapped.”Like I was.
“You don’t do it very often.”
