Hotshot (22 page)

I nod shamefully.

“I’m not kidding, Crenshaw. If you weren’t my brother and this was happening to her, I’d probably kill you. She didn’t do anything to deserve this.”

“And I did?” I shout then glance to notice Gail activated the privacy blinds. Thank God for Gail.

“You know the golden rule; it’s written in all your contracts. Hell, I even got the ‘talk’ when I was fifteen about watching where you slip your dick. What the hell were you thinking?”

“I told you last week, I wasn’t. I was drunk. Don’t you think I’ve regretted the decision? No one is as disappointed as me.”

“I beg to differ. There’s a wounded and crushed woman currently trying to come to terms with this.”

“What exactly happened, Nick? You were mad last week, but you listened to me. Why are you ready to tear my head off?”

“Because last week I was in shock, ready to believe it was a mistake. But after having lunch today with Bizzy, I saw what this is doing to her.”

“What about me? Have you thought about me?” This is the first time since this began that I’ve wanted any sympathy. In a mistake like this, sympathy isn’t usually deserved, but I find myself craving it. Everything I ever wanted was within reach, and I fucked it up. Even if God gives me a miracle and the baby isn’t mine, Bizzy will never forget this.

He drops his arms and shoulders and rakes his eyes over my face, seeming to let go of some of his anger. He walks over to the chair and sits closest to me. We don’t speak, but the question hangs in the air.

His throat clears, and I feel a hand on my shoulder. “Talk to me.”

“Boys, are you done with your wrestling match?”

Both our heads swivel to see Gail leaning in my door, extremely pissed off as she surveys the damage to my office.

“Because if you are, Crenshaw has a call.”

I motion for her to come in and walk to my desk.

“Crenshaw Bennett.”

“Come on over. Results are on the way. So are Sasha and her lawyer.” Caldwell’s breezy tone spikes my irritation.

“Fucking great.” I blow out a breath and look at the ceiling. “On my way.”

I hang up and reach for my jacket.

“Where are you going?” Nick leaps from the sofa.

“To seal my doom. Results are in.”

“I’m coming with you.”

I stop mid-stride and turn to face him.

“Don’t even try to stop me. I may be pissed, but I’m still family, and I’ll tell you like I told Bizzy. You’re not doing this alone.”

It’s not an apology, but it’s the closest he’s going to give.

He moves to the door, kissing Gail on the check and actually apologizing to her. She pats him on the back and slaps him upside the head. I chuckle until she faces me.

“This time, I’ll clean up. But the next time you boys decide to duke it out, you’ll answer to me.”

“Thank you, Gail.”

“Good luck, Shaw.”

Yeah, good luck. Sure could use some luck right now.

“How are we going to play this?” Nick asks, on our way to the conference room.

“We aren’t. I don’t speak. Caldwell speaks for me unless I feel the need to. It’s best if I stay quiet.”

“What the fuck? Why?”

“You’ll see.” I open the door and sigh when I see Sasha already seated with a smug grin.

Nick, Caldwell, and I all exchange handshakes, and I take the seat furthest from Sasha.

“Surprised to see you here, Nicky. It’s been a few years. I hear your career is going well.” Sasha tries to engage Nick.

“My name is Nick,” is his only response.

She rolls her eyes and focuses on me. “Ready for this?” She takes the envelope in front of her and rips the top.

“Wait, there’s something we need to discuss prior to the results.” Caldwell holds up a hand and she stops, looking at her own lawyer. He nods in agreement.

“Mr. Bennett would like to make it clear, if this baby is his, he will take full responsibility. His number one priority will be the health, safety, and well-being of the child. He also—”

“Well, isn’t that righteous of you?” she snarls, cutting him off.

“As I was saying,” he speaks over her. “However, if this child is not his, he asks that you both walk away from this table with no further contact.”

“This is ridiculous!” She slides the paper out of the envelope and reads through with her evil smile widening with every word. Then she starts laughing, loud and wicked, the sound bouncing off the walls.

My stomach drops, knowing the worst has happened.

Nick’s hand finds my knee under the table, squeezing in support. There’s a tremble in the touch. Caldwell opens his own envelope and nods professionally, showing no emotion.

“Very well, we will be in touch with the next steps.” He folds it and slips it into the manila folder in front of me, then stands, signaling the end of the meeting.

“The hell you will! I demand an apology, among other things.”

“Miss Crane, what exactly do you demand an apology for?” Caldwell continues to gather his files.

“He humiliated me. For fuck’s sake, Ren, aren’t you going to speak?”

The only solace I find in this whole situation is her growing irritation. It’s worth it to remain quiet to aggravate her more.

“Miss Crane, the point of this meeting was to establish paternity. All tests indicate Crenshaw Bennett is the father of your unborn child. We can now move on to establishing protocols for the remainder of your pregnancy and prepare for what happens after the baby is born.”

“You son of a—”

“Sasha.” Her lawyer lays a hand on hers, and she snaps her head to him.

“What?!?”

“Perhaps we should cover our own demands in private.”

“That would be appreciated,” Caldwell agrees.

“This is ridiculous! We’re right here.”

I sit up, taking the folder from Caldwell, and thumb through until I find what I’m looking for. Then I nod to Caldwell, giving him the signal I’m ready to speak.

“Sasha, according to the original schedule you handed us, you have another appointment in three weeks. Is that still correct?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll meet you there.”

“I thought so.” Satisfaction spreads across her face.

“Also, how is your insurance? Do you have full maternity coverage?”

“Yes, Ren. I have excellent coverage.”

“I’ll speak to the office billing specialist and make sure she has my credit card on file in case there are any copays or incidentals that arise.”

She starts to look confused, but I keep going, further sealing the point I’m interested in only the baby.

“Do you have any other financial needs right now pertaining to the baby? Anything at all?”

“Not at the time.”

“If you do, have your lawyer contact Caldwell. It will be taken care of immediately.”

“What the hell is going on here?”

“Mr. Bennett is inquiring about needs for the child,” Caldwell explains.

“This is not the way it’s going to be, Ren. This baby and I are a package deal. We need to make some decisions here. I can’t keep this hidden much longer. It’s time we tell my family.”

“Sasha, any decisions having to do with our child are now priority. Make a list of things we need to discuss, and I also will have a list of questions for your OB-GYN at the appointment. As for telling your family, that’s not my responsibility. I have my own family to deal with.”

Her eyes bulge as her face reddens to the point I wonder if she’s going to blow. Instead, she scares me by gathering her composure and nodding. Without another word, she motions to her lawyer and walks out, him following behind.

Once the door closes, I sink into my seat and scrub my hands down my face.

“Sorry, man.” Caldwell slaps me on the shoulder. “Wish our gut instincts would have been wrong this time.”

“Me too, but we’ll get through it.”

“Shit,” Nick hisses. “We’ve got a long road ahead of us.”

“Us?”

“Hell yes, you didn’t think we’d leave you hanging, did you? We’re family.” His lips twitch into a lopsided grin.

“Yeah, we are.” I give him an appreciative chin jerk.

“Hate to break up this brotherly bond, but what the hell happened to your face?” Caldwell points to my jaw.

“He wasn’t fast enough,” Nick answers, motioning with his fist in the air.

“Ahhh, got it.”

“So, what happens next?” Nick looks between us expectantly. “If I know you two, there’s a plan in place to ensure this baby is taken care of and Sasha is controlled.”

“Hell yes, there is. You brother has a detailed plan. Helps he’s a damage control specialist when it comes to his clients. Paternity rights, custody agreements, financial responsibilities, it’s all here.”

Caldwell opens the folder I brought last week with an outline of each and every step we’ll follow. Sasha is going to fight tooth and nail, but it’ll be up to her whether she cooperates. Because barring any health complications, I now have rights to this child.

My child…

Bizzy

“Are you okay?” Shaw asks me for the third time since we sat down to dinner.

“I’d be better if you quit asking me.”

“Noted,” he rumbles, and I don’t have to look up to know he’s staring at me with the same concern Nicky, Claire, and Mathis throw my way each time they see me.

Obviously, I’ve become a walking, talking, and functioning china doll. Yeesh! One little break-down and suddenly, I’m scared to sneeze for risk of having arms wrapped around me from someone lurking in the background.

I personally think I deserved the two-and-a-half day meltdown, considering I’d found out the love of my life believed another woman was having his baby. Hell, I’d even held it together when Shaw shared with me the paternity results and the details of the meeting with Sasha. I was prepared, so the news didn’t come as a surprise.

Sure, maybe I’d lost it when I saw the yellowing bruise that covered Shaw’s jaw.

Maybe I did call Nicky and challenge him to a duel of epic proportions for punching my boyfriend.

Maybe I did threaten to kill Claire once, or twice, or however many times, for watching my every move like a hawk, expecting me to crack.

Maybe I did threaten to gouge out Mathis’ eyes for shooting sympathetic and cautious glares my way EVERY TIME he sees me.

Maybe I did call in sick for the first time in two-years and not mention to anyone I was going to my mom’s… and oops… I forgot my phone at home.

And, finally, maybe I did eat six pints of ice cream and consume a whole bottle of wine while I spilled the story to my mother. There were tears and lots of screaming, but in the end, I got it out and got back to normal… after throwing up repeatedly.

The bright side to this was I now know Cabernet and mint chocolate chip don’t mix well. Who knew?

So why everyone is so worried is a mystery to me. Clearly, I’m great. It’s not me that has to deal with Sasha Crane for the next eighteen years or more.

At least, I keep telling myself that.

It’s my denial. Somehow, I keep thinking she’ll go away.

“Bizzy, you ready to order?” Shaw interrupts my thoughts and moves his eyes to the side where the waiter is looking at me quizzically.

“Yes, Salmon Caesar please.”

He gets Shaw’s order and hurries away, leaving me with a sullen Shaw.

We’ve spent so much time this last week discussing my feelings and worries that I’m sick of it. I’ve only been out of his sight for the hours I spend at work, except for my little romp to my parents, which set him even further on edge. He insists on driving me to work and home for each of my shifts. When I’m in bed, he’s with me, holding me close, whispering his apologies. When I eat, shower, or run errands, he’s right there. Always by my side.

There’s a certain level of intimacy I’m craving, but I can’t bring myself to go there. The few times I’ve tried to initiate sex, my own brain starts buzzing with the situation and it’s like ice water to my mood. He’s been understanding, but I know he’s hurting, too. For some reason, I can’t put a lid on my own emotions enough to handle his.

Each time I bring up the future with Sasha, he easily shuts me down, avoiding the subject and saying he’s dealing with it. But I know he’s curious about our history, only hearing bits and pieces from Nicky. In his own way, he’s asked me about what happened, but never pushed me to talk. The curiosity is killing him, but he doesn’t want to cause me anymore pain by making me relive the past.