Page 61 of Accidental Irish Daddy

I’ll tell him. Not now. I’ll wait until he’s ready to hear me. All I owe him is an opportunity, after all.

***

The nausea’s started to subside, so I think I’ll go in and try to work a couple of hours. Now that I’m pregnant, I’m going to need to work as much as I can before I start to show. Although, I’ve heard legends of pregnant strippers still making money on the poles. Don’t think I want to put myself through that kind of potential drama. As it is, I’m going to have to take it easy on the pole tricks.

To my surprise, Grant came home a little while ago. He went straight into his study with barely a word to me. I guess whatever’s happening at work is still going on. I’m going to leave him alone for now.

I’m in my room, looking through my clothes, trying to decide what to wear for tonight. Even though I’m not so nauseous anymore, I still feel like trash. Maybe I should stay home.

The doorbell rings. Grant’s still in his study and doesn’t need to be bothered any more than he has to be. I call out from my room, “I’ll get it.”

I walk down the stairs and the doorbell rings again.

“I’m coming!” I open the door and my stomach drops into my shoes.

Liam stands on the doorstep in a white tank top and dirty jeans. He reeks of beer with a faint hint of vomit and he’s scowling at me from under heavy-lidded eyes. I take an involuntary step back.

“What are you doing here?”

He pushes me aside and steps into the foyer. “Just came to see my niece’s new digs. Nice place you’ve got here. How’s your hubby? Is he treating you well?”

A streak of terror fills my bones.

“Get out,” I glare at him. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Oh, I’m right where I’m supposed to be. And I’m not leaving until I get my money.”

“What money? I already gave you this month’s rent. And I’ve been paying you on time. Just like we agreed.”

“Well, that was before I found out that your little situation’s changed. Marrying a billionaire’s quite the comeuppance for you, eh? I’m thinking maybe I should raise my rates. Cost of living inflation, you can call it.”

I blink at him, angry and terrified all at once. “That’s extortion. I don’t owe you any more money, Liam.”

“Yes, you do,” he says, advancing on me. “You owe me for pain and suffering for leaving me in the lurch while you galivant off with Mr. Moneybags! Does your husband know what you do for a living yet? I’d bet he’d love to hear about you selling your snatch all over town—”

“Excuse me, can I help you?”

I look over Liam’s shoulder to see Grant standing by the stairs, his brow furrowed in anger. Liam turns around to him, a big smile on his face that usually means trouble.

“If it ain’t Mr. Fancy Pants,” he says. “Well, how do you do? I’m this little lady’s uncle and former legal guardian. That is before she started running around town showing her little ginger tail.”

My face goes beat red. I can’t believe him right now. I step between them, facing Liam. “You really need to go, Uncle Liam,” I say to him. “Please. We can talk about this another time—”

“We’ll talk about it now,” he growls at me and grabs my arm. “You owe me and you’re going to pay—”

He gets in my face and in the next instance, Grant reaches over my shoulder and shoves him back, hard enough to make him release me and nearly stumble onto his ass.

Grant steps around me so that I’m behind him, fronting my uncle off as he gets his footing.

“I believe my wife told you to leave. I think you’d better do just that.”

“Or what?” Liam laughs. “What are you going to do, Fancy Pants? You gonna slap me across the face with a silk glove?”

Something flashes in Grant’s eyes that I’ve never seen before. In the blink of an eye, his face changes. Shadows cast over his brow as his jaw clenches. He takes a step towards Liam.

“Leave,” he growls.

“Not a chance. You know, yourwife’sa whore, right? Dances over at that club on the other side of town. Shaking those titties for strangers—”

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