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  Fighter instinct kicks in and I shove him back, able to block his next punch. We’re the same height, but he’s got about twenty pounds of muscle on me and I feel it in his struggle as I maneuver his arm behind him and shuffle us around.

  No words are exchanged as we hustle, causing glass, furniture, and pictures to fall and crush around us. Finally, I get the upper hand and propel him face first into the wall.

  He shakes against me, fury radiating off his body.

  I should have expected this. If we weren’t in my office, I’d let him go and unleash his anger. I deserve it.

  “You going to fucking calm down?” I growl in his ear.

  “Not a chance. I want to fuck you up, brother or not. You don’t have any idea of the damage you’ve done, do you? I trusted you.”

  I let him go and stumble back, the pain in my chest searing hotter than the ache in my jaw where he clocked me.

  My legs give out, and I drop to the sofa, my head in my hands. “What happened? Is she okay?”

  He remains quiet; the only sound in the room is his panting. When I finally gather the courage to face him, he’s stone still, his arms crossed across his chest, staring at me with a mixture of hatred and disgust.

  “She’s not okay, even though she’s doing a damn good job of faking it. Did you know about her anxiety of not having children?”

  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…

  Chapter 18

  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.

  A part of me feels guilty because he’s so worried about me, when it’s me who should be worried about him.

  I reach for my wine and drain the glass in one gulp, his eyes growing wide. There is no warning; I start talking.

  “We’ll start with the early years. You know Sasha made my life hell the minute her dipshit ex-boyfriend asked me to homecoming when I was a freshman and she was a junior. Regardless of my answer, she got a huge stick up her ass and decided I was worth her time to torture. I missed a lot of school with my treatments, but she didn’t forget. When I went back to school, bald, bruised, and swollen from steroids, she loved it. I was the roly-poly.

  “When we returned to school after summer break, I hoped she was over it. No such luck. By this time, I was in remission, and my body was recovering. I had hair, almost to my shoulders, and the weight had shifted. Now, I was curvy. Hormones hit and I had boobs, legs, and curves that brought a lot of attention. The first thing that happened was an ‘accident’ in Pottery Class. I found myself with a huge chunk of clay in my hair that wouldn’t come out. I had to cut my hair into a boy cut to remove it all. I was devastated, but no one would actually admit she threw it at me, saying it flew out of her hands while sculpting a vase. Even the teacher seemed to believe her.”

  I wave at the waiter, pointing to my empty glass, and he bustles over to refill my wine. I swallow a large mouthful and continue.

  “The rest of the year was filled with much of the same stupid shit that never landed her in trouble. I tried to talk to her once, make amends, which was dumb because it gave her ammunition. Most of the time, I ign
ored it because Nicky started going everywhere with me—even to the girl’s bathroom, watching the door when I was inside.

  After the cancer, when Nicky finally made the Varsity team, he asked me to walk with him for the pep rally. It was homecoming once again, so I was excited. My mom bought me a white dress, and I changed into it before our last class, hoping it would be pretty for the pictures. My parents were there, your parents, and even Mathis was home from college. I was ecstatic. But I let my guard down, and the instant I sat at my desk, I knew my mistake. Red goo squirted everywhere, effectively covering me in splatter and leaving a huge red stain on my ass, legs, and back. My dress was ruined, and I was escorted to the office, unable to attend the pep rally. Nicky had to walk with a cheerleader. I think you were in first year law and couldn’t come.”

  “I was,” he confirms, acid dripping from his words.

  I swallow the rest of my wine and motion for more, needing the liquid courage.

  “That time, she was caught. Someone saw her take a bag of pig’s blood from the AP Science lab that was used for platelet microscopy. She covered me in fucking pig’s blood. At this point, my parents got involved. Things seemed to calm down because she was threatened with expulsion. Of course, she denied everything. So she laid low for months. But once senior grades were posted, she got her piece of revenge.

  “I was scheduled to take the Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment exams, which would put me in the classes to help me start gaining college credits. My parents and I needed that help with my college expenses. Nicky was convinced he’d stay in Florida, but even if he didn’t, I would still be able to use the credits toward almost any school. The day of the exam, the proctor gave everyone their tests and we started. Not even thirty minutes later, he got a call and demanded we all put our pencils down. He came straight to me and asked me to follow him to the office. As we walked out, the principal came in. An hour later, my parents and I sat in a meeting as he explained there was a detailed cheat sheet under my desk. I was never allowed in the program.”

  “Fuck,” he spits out, draining his own glass.

  “The next two years, she wasn’t around, but I was always fighting the stigma of the cheater. The only guys who ever asked me out were the ones who heard I was easy from Sasha or her crowd of friends. She left me with the reputation of a cheater and a whore.”