Page 191 of The Consequences of Love and Vengeance

“Mr. Lawrence, is your client of sound mind in your opinion?”

Drago’s lawyer looks to his right. I can’t see his face to know what he’s saying, if anything, and it pisses me off.

Don’t do this, Drago. Don’t give up on Gabriel like this. Just don’t,my thoughts silently plea, begging him even though he’s not looking in my direction.

“Yes, your honor, he is.”

It’s then that Drago turns his head, looking behind his lawyer’s head, finding my gaze.

I want to punch him in the face until our eyes lock and I see devastation staring back at me. It’s the plea in them that I don’t understand at first. He’s silently begging something of me, but what?

Instincts are urging me to go to him, and then I remember he’s just given up all of his rights to his son and the same anger that manifested when Drago walked away from us reappears.

“It seems neither parent is fit or doesn’t want the hardship of raising a child, so where does that leave us?” he addresses the social worker again, and I’m not surprised at the judge’s brass jab at D’s expense. Although Drago doesn’t seem to be paying him any attention, his eyes are still locked on mine, begging me.

My thoughts and gaze are cut off when my father’s lawyer stands, stealing my attention. Patrick places one hand over his wrist on his opposite arm.

“Your honor, if I may have the floor?”

“Mr. Camden,” the judge draws out. “What business do you have with this case?”

“My client, here”—he turns slightly, nodding his head down in my direction—“wishes to petition the court for sole custody of Gabriel Acerbi, seeing how he doesn’t have another relative here requesting custody.”

I take a steady breath, trying to calm myself.

That’s it?

Drago isn’t going to fight for his son. He doesn’t want him.

I watch him leave, my eyes never leaving his body until he’s slipped out the door.

How can this be happening right now?

* * *

He’s mine.

Maybe not officially yet, but legally Gabriel has now been awarded to me, pending my petition.

The judge wants to make sure I’m a good fit, and there aren’t any relatives hiding in the woodwork that would be better than me.

No one is better qualified than me. That’s not being presumptuous. I know in my heart of hearts that I can care for him better than anyone. I didn’t believe that when I had hopes that he would leave the courthouse with Drago, but being how the cards fell, I do now.

Petitioning the court for custody was only my backup plan if Drago didn’t step up to his role as Gabriel’s father. Hearing him denounce his rights to his son broke something inside my chest loose.

How could he do it?

How could those words leave his mouth?

How could he not want Gabriel no matter the cost?

I know he wasn’t conceived out of love. He wasn’t planned, yet, even I realize sometimes the paths we don’t see for ourselves are often the best things that can come along.

I never planned to fall in love with a child whose genetic makeup wasn’t part of my own, but I did, and I don’t regret one single second of it.

I call bullshit that Drago isn’t better equipped to protect him. He’s kept his brother and sister out of their father’s world. I have no doubt that he could do the same where Gabe is concerned.

“So, why didn’t he?”

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