Chapter 20 #2
“You can’t seriously expect to stay here? This isn’t a place to raise a child. For Christ’s sake! The poor kid is confused and thinks three bikers are her dads!” He says the word bikers like a slur, and I see Cruz’s fists curl.
“I’d be careful what you say,” Cruz says quietly, his tone laced with violence. “The only reason I didn’t beat your ass before was because of Jessy.”
Connor looks rightfully afraid but also justified, as if Cruz just proved his point.
He sees how Rook moves closer to me, too close, his hand grazing mine, and his mouth pops open with comprehension.
“Wait a minute, Sloane, don’t tell me you’re dating this guy?
” The notion that I could be dating just one of the men seems alien to him.
He hasn’t even comprehended that I could be involved with all three.
“Who Sloane is dating is none of your damn business,” Cruz snaps, circling closer.
The penny seems to drop for Connor as he realizes that Cruz isn’t just being a protective friend, that there’s more to it than that.
Jessy’s words echo in the room. Not one new daddy, three.
“Oh my god,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper.
“You can’t seriously be dating all three of these guys? ”
“Connor—”
He cuts me off. The fact that I didn’t immediately deny it or appear offended by the suggestion is confirmation enough. “Oh my fucking god, you are, aren’t you? What kind of sick, depraved place have you brought our daughter into? What sort of mother whores herself out to—”
Cruz steps forward, ready to hit him, but I beat him to it. The slap cracks out loudly in the quiet room. Connor clutches his face in shock.
“Don’t you dare!” I seethe quietly. “Don’t you dare judge me or accuse me of being a bad mother.
You left. You gave up the right to call her yours the moment you walked out and didn’t even call.
Who I date, who I love, is none of your business.
Jessy is safe, she is happy, she is loved.
That’s all that matters. Do you hear me? ”
“You hit me!” Connor says, his tone high-pitched with surprise.
“Trust me, better her than me, pal,” Cruz says with a shrug.
Connor shakes his head at me. “You’ve changed, Sloane.”
I fold my arms, unwilling to apologize. “I know. Now, if that’s all, I think you should leave.”
“You expect me to leave my daughter here?”
I narrow my eyes. “Yes. If you want to sue for custody, you’re welcome to try. But you won’t win.”
Connor shakes his head, running a hand through his hair. “This wasn’t how this was supposed to go…”
“You said you came to see if we were safe. Well, we are. You can go back to your new life with a clear conscience and pat yourself on the back for ‘doing the right thing’. Jessy and I don’t need your help.”
Connor nods slowly, but he doesn’t move. Whatever he came here for, it wasn’t just out of concern for our safety or to win me back. He’d have walked out by now if it were.
Rook, who has been standing there silently observing until now, finally speaks. “You said that you came here as soon as you heard about the bomb at Jessy’s school, but that was weeks ago.”
I can’t believe I missed that. Connor showing up has ruffled me more than I realized.
Connor looks flustered. “Right, yes… but… I didn’t hear right away.”
“You also said that you heard about Jessy getting kidnapped. How? The press reports didn’t mention her name.” Rook’s presence is cool and dangerous. He looms above Connor, who isn’t much taller than me. While we’ve been fighting, Rook’s been putting everything together.
“I—uh…” Connor stammers, stepping back.
A light switch flicks inside my mind. A puzzle piece falling into place with sickening clarity. “What was the name of the company you work for? Are you still there? Cornerstone Corporation, wasn’t it?” I ask.
A bead of sweat forms on Connor’s brow. “I, uh, yes, that’s right. I hardly understand why that’s relevant now,” he says. Even now, I can tell when he’s lying.
I think back to the paperwork on Briggs, the many companies and assets, one name rang a bell, but I couldn’t figure out why at the time.
Now I know. “Because one of the board members of the Cornerstone Corporation is Harlan Briggs. The same man who was behind the school bombing and kidnapping of your daughter. Harlan Briggs, who works with Valentin Escar.” I say all this calmly, like the still waters of a lake where a deadly undercurrent awaits to drag you under.
“Briggs sent you,” Rook says. It’s not a question; we already know that’s why he came.
I only manage to hold myself back from lashing out again since I know it won’t help us get answers.
The fact that he could accuse me of being a bad parent while he came here on behalf of the man responsible for harming his daughter in the first place makes my blood boil.
Connor is a rat caught in a trap. “I don’t know what you’re talking about—” he steps back. The violence hangs heavy in the air, a powder keg ready to explode.
I hold up a hand, suddenly bone weary. “Save it. We’ve been through too much to lie to each other now. Did you know Briggs was involved with Escar when you took the job?”
“Of course not!” he sputters. I believe him. Connor isn’t a bad man, just a weak, selfish one.
It’s little comfort. Connor still left us. Left me. Right when we needed him most. Briggs and Escar no doubt offered him the job in the hope that I’d go with him, drop the case, and choose my struggling marriage over my career. He was an unwitting pawn in their game, walking right into their trap.
I place my head in my hand, rubbing my temples. “When did you realize the truth?”
“I didn’t know Briggs was involved with Escar until you told me just now, I swear.” He holds up his hands.
“But Briggs sent you,” I say as a statement, not a question.
Connor hangs his head; he knows better than to deny it.
“Yes. He made me sign an NDA, then told me you were causing him trouble by digging into his business and making false accusations. I didn’t believe him.
I said you would never lie or unjustly accuse someone.
He didn’t like that. He said if I didn’t sue for custody of Jessy and make you stop, then he would resort to worse.
” He looks at me pleadingly. “I swear I didn’t know what he was going to do.
I would have come sooner, I would have done something. ”
But like a coward, he chose to stick his head in the sand.
“They fired me. They’re claiming I embezzled from the firm, planted evidence, and said I needed to stop you or they’d destroy me…”
So he came. Not to protect his child or me, but to protect himself. I don’t have anything left in me to feel mad. I’m exhausted.
“I’m so sorry, Sloane. But you have to stop, Briggs is too powerful for you to take on alone.” If Connor notices the way Rook and Cruz flank me, he doesn’t comment. He’s too absorbed in self-pity and fear.
“I’m not alone. And I won’t back down to Briggs. If you truly want to keep Jessy and me safe, and protect your reputation and stay out of jail, there’s only one thing you can do.”
He looks at me hopefully. “What? I’ll do anything.”
“You can testify against Briggs for me.”