CHAPTER NINETEEN #2
The three of us spend the next forty minutes going over and tweaking their visit to Sharilyn’s house, and who is going with Ryan and my girls.
We also discuss the trip out to Janesville, and I message Linc about our last-minute idea.
He’s on board to get away for a few days.
Reid can’t make this trip, due scheduling conflicts at his office, but wants to have everyone over when we get back.
Once we all feel comfortable with the plan, I go in search of my wife but find her asleep on the bed next to our baby, who’s also making light snoring sounds.
My phone vibrates with a message from Mitch, letting me know the package has been secured and is taking off from Helena, Montana soon.
That gives me almost three hours to spend with my girls.
Instead of wanting to interrupt naptime, I strip down to my boxers and slide behind Saylor and reach over her body to snuggle Halo closer with my hand.
As much as I wanted some alone time with Saylor, I’d never trade a moment of the three of us being this close.
Soon, it’ll be four and I want to soak up as much time as I can before we change to a larger family.
Saylor and Halo have been gone with a group of security to watch over them for just a little while now, which means that they should be at Sharilyn’s house meeting Adam now.
There were a few detours, as my wife wanted to stop for Mexican food, but so far so good.
I hate that I can’t go with them but right now, I’m waiting for a little pissant to get here so I can squash him like the annoying insect he is.
The flight was delayed, due to weather, and the plane was grounded for almost an hour before taking off.
Mitch has been instructed to not intervene unless necessary, because I really want to get a piece of him.
I’m sitting in my office when I hear the ping of the elevator, letting me know that my company has arrived. Mitch knocks three times, then opens it with him and Colbert striding in with Brody.
“So, this is how the other half live. Must be nice to have people at your beck and call at the snap of a finger.”
“I have no complaints.” Mitch and Colbert both press on Brody’s shoulders, planting him in the chair across from my desk. The fact that he was in the military and doesn’t show any signs of putting up a fight has me a little on edge. Why would he come willingly? Unless he has an ulterior motive.
“What do you want Levi? You won the woman, so what could you possibly take from me or have to discuss?”
I’m sure my smirk could rate as evil, but I came prepared for this meeting.
Shoving two files across my desk, I wait and watch for him to accept them and see just what I do to people who cross me or harm my family in any way.
Being well connected and representing the right people does have its perks.
Plus, having the best attorney in the nation for a brother doesn’t hurt either.
Curiosity getting the best of him, he takes the bait and opens the first one. It doesn’t take him long to figure out what I’ve done.
“You can’t,” he fumes but pauses, never taking his eyes off the paperwork and continues to read each line. “How did you do this?”
Brody throws the file back on the desk as his pretty boy face turns menacing.
“It was real simple, I just snapped my fingers and it happened.” I make a show of snapping, just to give it the added effect.
“This is what happens when you fuck with me and my family. You not only crossed a line when you lied to Saylor about your uncle dying, but keeping me from my daughter, thinking you could claim and raise her as yours is something I’ll never forgive or forget. ”
I slam my hand on the file he just tossed down.
“This is just the beginning you little fucker.”
The file under my hand is the government contract that Brody has that is providing to our military.
The paperwork is a termination agreement; I’ve got a buddy who owed me for handling his messy divorce that oversees the contracts to be written up.
I haven’t had them cancelled but it’s just one simple call and it’s a done deal.
Brody hesitantly opens the other file, and his fingers dig into the papers.
“You piece of shit!” Brody yells, and tries to stand but finds Mitch and Colbert pushing him back down by the shoulders into the chair.
“The only one who fits that bill is you, asshole.”
Brody rereads the papers and closes his eyes. That file contains his patents for his goggles and scope; the two products he created and is distributing to the military.
“You and your family truly live up to your name. I’ve read all about you and your law firm, and unless you see it in person, I guess people really wouldn’t know the real you and how ruthless you all can be.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” I bark. “I know all about what you did to Saylor’s pills.” I let that sink in and from the pale color that crosses his face, he knows what I’m talking about.
I can see the scrambling that is going on in his head, trying to find his next words. Finally, he doesn’t say anything but instead crosses his arms over his chest, a smug grin across his face.
“If you found out, then that means Saylor is pregnant.” The fucker actually smiles at his words.
This isn’t how I wanted this conversation to go. I’d much rather he didn’t find out until after the baby was born and we find out if it was mine or his, but he causes me to lose my cool at the drop of a pen.
“Well, is she?” He pushes, and I want to put my fist through his face.
“ We are pregnant again,” I admit. A flash of disappointment crosses his face and I enjoy it for a split second. It’s wrong of me to revel in his discomfort and disappointment, but it is nothing compared to what he and that bastard uncle of his put me through for over two years.
“How far along?” It’s like he’s trying to grasp at straws.
“Around eight weeks.” I can tell he’s counting backwards to the week to see if he fits in the equation and when he gets to that week, he splits his face in two with a smile.
“Don’t you mean Saylor and I are pregnant,” he smugly says, and a growl leaves my chest. I launch myself across the desk and have a tight grip on his collar with both of my fists.
“You deliberately stole her free choice and decisions from her. I’ve got my brother and associates looking into the legal ramification of your actions, and I hope to God that they throw the book at you, if by some slim chance my baby doesn’t share the same DNA with me.”
I know that it is possible the baby Saylor is carrying is his but, in my mind, that baby has my DNA and blood, not his.
Brody shoves my arms away, and quickly gets up and starts pacing the room. He’s mumbling under his breath, having an entire conversation with himself. He stops abruptly and turns towards me and security.
“Where’s Saylor? I need to see her. This is fantastic, I’m going to be a dad.”
Is this fucker delusional? If he thinks I’m going to let him within a hundred yards of my wife, he’s crazier than I thought. Mitch must be thinking the same thing as he moves closer to him, keeping a watchful eye.
“She’s not here and even if she was, she wouldn’t want to see you and have to look at your deceitful face.”
He frowns, but it doesn’t last long.
“I know that I went about this the wrong way but I really need to speak with her, to explain.”
“Yeah, there is a lot of explaining to do, you prick.”
“Look, not that I owe you anything, but at the time Saylor and I were discussing Halo getting older and I had asked her if she wanted more kids. Of course, she said yes but that it didn’t look like it was in her future.
We discussed how she was an only child and wished she had siblings, and how lonely she had been.
I thought you were out of the picture, and it seemed like the best solution.
Being with Saylor made me want things I never wanted before.
She has this way of making you see your life through different glasses, and it really spurred me on to reach out for a family of my own. ”
“But you took my family!” I yell and stand closer. “She wasn’t yours, and Halo is definitely not yours. Try to justify it all you want but at the end of the day you stole, lied and deceived your way into having Saylor trust you. She’ll never forgive that.”
“But this little one might be mine. Saylor and I could be having a baby together.”
“Not likely.” This isn’t getting us anywhere, and I need to wrap this up so I can go and be with my wife and daughter. “Look, right now the last thing Saylor needs is stress. It’s not good for her or our baby.”
“I want to be there for her,” he starts to say but stops, his eyes go over my shoulder and widen. I turn my head to see what caught his eye and all I notice is my bookshelf with law books and some family photos. Saylor and Halo make up the majority of it.
I move back to look at Brody, and his face his scrunched in disgust.
“You lying hypocrite! I knew you had to know where we were this entire time. You knew that Saylor had finally moved on and was happy and you couldn’t just let us live our happy life without your pathetic face in it.”
Is this guy demented? What the fuck is he talking about? I came as soon as we found out where my family was.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I look over to Mitch and watch as he moves quickly over behind me, with his hand tucked behind him. All security carries weapons. We don’t take any chances after everything I’ve been through over the years.
“I’m talking about you having your guys in Montana this entire time, watching our every move. I thought he was just a local, but now I know differently.”
“We didn’t have anyone in Montana unless you count my grandparents, who I might add, kept Saylor and Halo hidden from me for the last year.”
He scoffs and I’m about ready to knock the shit out of him. I don’t have time for his drama right now.
“Then how do you explain him being around town for months?”
Brody shoves his finger over my shoulder and points to a photo on the shelf. Mitch and I both turn to see who the fuck he’s talking about.
“Who?”
He moves closer and points to a group of photos on my shelf.
One is Saylor’s pictures of her parents, from when she was a little girl.
Next to that photo, is one of them that include her grandparents, with Saylor resting on her dad’s shoulders.
Then, I have a photo of Saylor with my two brothers and Everly.
There is also a photo of Adam and his military buddies, with all their kids surrounding them.
And the last one is of Daniel and Mom, with me and Saylor.
Brody points the person out and I hear Mitch gasp. Or maybe it’s me, but I don’t spend any time thinking about that.
“Brody, you better not be fucking with us. Are you sure you saw this person over the last few months there in Helena?”
He swipes the photo off the shelf and points to the person once again.
“I have no reason to lie. I saw this person and I’d be able to pick him out of a line up. He’s always been at a distance but I’ve seen him all around town.”
“Holy fuck!” Mitch breathes out, while he whips his phone out and starts typing.
My mind is reeling at this and I can’t believe that he would do this. This entire time we’ve been looking for an outside threat when they’ve been right under our nose.
“Mitch, alert security that’s with Saylor and tell them to lock her and Halo down in Glammy’s house until we can get there.
Nobody in and nobody out.” I pull at my hair and my knees feel weak.
“Christ, we have to get to the house before something happens to them. I think he’s been waiting to get her alone before he makes his move. ”
Mitch nods, and we start to storm out of the office.
I’m shouting off orders about getting the cars ready and to have men on the ground. This fucker was just waiting for us to separate before making his move.
“Wait! I’m going with you,” Brody shouts and chases after us. Colbert tries to block him but Brody shoves him out of the way.
“We don’t need your help,” I snap
“If Saylor is in danger then the baby is too. I’m not going to leave it to chance, besides I can help if need be. I do have military training.”
I hate that he is even in my presence but right now, we don’t know what we are dealing with.
Mitch comes running out of his office in full tactical gear, and has a grim look on his face.
“Sir, we can’t reach any of the men from security.”
“Not even Ryan?”
He shakes his head.
“The house phones aren’t working either.”
“Fuck!”
“Who is this person to you, obviously he’s kin to you in some way?” Brody pipes up as we load in the elevator to take us up to the roof.
“He’s someone who apparently wants to ruin my life and take everything from me.”