Page 45 of Black Mark's Heart

Thirty minutes later, the door buzzer rang. I walked over to see Jeremy at the door. I pressed the buzzer to let him up and put the kettle on. When he knocked on the door, I opened it to find my father standing beside Jeremy. I burst into tears instantly.

"Oh, Mora." Marshall pulled me into his arms. He stepped us back so Jeremy could come in and close the door.

"I'll make us all some tea," Jeremy informed us and walked into the kitchen.

"Dad, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen," I sobbed. "I don't know what to do."

Marshall took a deep breath. "There is nothing to be done. You will do exactly as you did with Jacob. We will hire a nanny to help you with the children. From now on, to protect your lover, whose name you will never mention to anyone ever again, you will leave the country to carry on your affair. Am I clear, Mora?"

He was telling me I couldn't tell them directly who the father of my child was. I nodded my head against his chest.

"I would, however, advise that you tell your lover about his children," Marshall soothed.

I started crying harder and shook my head.

"Mora, he has an obligation to support these children financially. You earn good money, but it's not that good, and the job isn't secure," Marshall reminded me.

"Actually, as the sole manager of the Carnival, she's going to be sitting pretty by summertime," Jeremy butted in.

Marshall looked at him, then to me. "Darius said it was a dead weight, that's why he signed it over."

"It was for him," I explained to Dad, sobering as I did. "He didn't handle it personally and needed to pay all the management staff in his company, then the teams at the events."

Dad looked at me. "And you're not doing that?"

"God, no!" I smiled for the first time all day. "I'm managing the entire thing. I've spoken to the universities and offered concert day management as a portfolio experience for students about to start their final year of music studies. I already have more applications than I need, so they will handle the event on the day. I have decided to use the same applications to create coordination teams for each event, so that will give a lot more experience to the others. The kids are young and into the music scene, and I only have to pay them a third of what Dare was paying the event staff."

Marshall looked impressed. He looked to Jeremy, who smiled at him. "You told me yourself. She takes after her father. When Dare finds out the profit she's going to make, he's going to claim he's been swindled."

Marshall huffed. "He can consider it back maintenance."

Jeremy smirked, "So, baby number two. Keeping it close together. At least Jacob and the new bub will be able to play together."

"Speaking of which," Marshall started, "Where is my grandson?"

"Having tummy time." I indicated the floor, wiping the tear residue from my face. Dad walked into the lounge room. I looked at Jeremy. "Thank you for bringing him. I thought he'd be fuming."

Jeremy put his arm over my shoulders and escorted me into the kitchen where our tea was waiting. "He was not happy to know I knew about Jacob before him. I wasn't putting myself in that position again. Plus, he loves you, Mora. He already knew you two were still banging each other. He sort of expected there'd be more grandchildren.”

"Zander's moving out tomorrow," I mourned. "He's angry with me."

Jeremy shifted uncomfortably. "I know he's seeing someone else, but Zander really cares for you, Mora."

"He told me Dare has been unbearable since he found out about Jacob?" I inquired, because Jeremy always gave it to me straight.

Jeremy quirked a brow. "Unbearable is putting it nicely. He's been a walking warhead. He's also stopped seeing the other couples of the Fehu," Jeremy informed me quietly. "You cancel one couple, everyone accepts you're busy. You cancel two running and tell them you can't make time in the foreseeable future..."

"He's angry at the brotherhood?" I asked, surprised.

"They took you from him, Mora," Jeremy reminded me. His eyes tracked to Jacob in my father's arms. "They took his family from him."

***

"I can't believe how much he looks like Dare," Rebecca cooed, bouncing Jacob on her knee. "He called me when he found out, you know. Told me he'd seen you with a baby and hated it."

I frowned, stirring my tea. "He was already angry that day. It wasn't a great day for him."

Rebecca nodded, placing Jacob down. He took a moment to get his bearings and started exploring. "I can't believe he's crawling so well already. Nigel was still learning to roll over at seven months, but Jacob is like a rocket.”

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