Chapter Nine #2
I jerk my hand away. There are things I will not allow her to do and touching me is high on the list. “You know, I should be grateful to you, Kayla. Sounds crazy, I know, but poking holes in that condom gave me my greatest gift.”
I think of the little girl who looks more like me than her mother, with her toothless grin and happy laugh, and everything inside me eases.
Kayla nods, a satisfied grin forming on her heavily colored lips. “I’m glad you can see the upside in this situation. I have to say I’m surprised you’re being so generous with the compliments.”
Yes, I think, I am buttering her up and setting her up for the fall. And damned if I’m not enjoying every minute. “So you see, there really isn’t much I wouldn’t do in order to keep my daughter with me and… safe from you.”
She frowns at that. “I’m hardly a monster.”
“I suppose we can agree to disagree on that.”
“Excuse me,” a waitress says, coming up to the table with a pot of coffee in hand. “Can I get you something to drink before you order?” she asks. “A refill?” She glances at Kayla, who arrived first.
“No thank you,” I tell her. “Actually I won’t be ordering.”
“I’ll take a refill,” Kayla says, completely at ease with whatever is coming next.
Just the way I want her.
The waitress tops off her cup and Kayla adds her milk and Splenda, and I give her all the time she needs.
“So where were we?” she finally asks.
“Disagreeing on how to describe your personality, but that’s neither here nor there.”
“I agree. Last time you gave me a hundred grand. This time—”
“You’re not getting a penny.”
She slams her hand down, rattling the table and splattering her coffee over the top of the cup. “How do you figure? Because I know you don’t want to end up in front of a judge.”
I smile, my first genuine one since sitting down across from her. “Actually that’s exactly what I want. Because like I told you, there is very little I won’t do to protect my daughter. Starting with hiring a private investigator to look into your life, and it’s very interesting what he discovered.”
Kayla stares at him in disbelief. “I doubt there’s anything that could prevent me from getting custody.” But a tic forms at the corner of her eye, and she attempts to cover up her nerves with a shake of her dark hair over her shoulders.
I rest my arms on the table. “Think again. I’ve got photographs of your live-in boyfriend, Paul Milian, dealing drugs from your apartment. Video, too. Oh, and guess who happened to be standing right there when the transaction took place?”
Her mouth opens wide before she purses her lips in feigned annoyance. “I know nothing about that. Paul’s business is of no concern to me. You know I can get any judge to—”
“To throw your custody suit out when he finds out you’re living with a drug dealer,” I say.
“Nice area you’re living in, by the way.
I guess you’re that hard up for cash. Or maybe you have a habit of your own you need to support and that’s why you’re trying to blackmail me for money? Either way, you’re finished.”
Kayla’s eyes narrow, and I can see the calculations going on in her brain. “Oh, you know better than that. I don’t give up that easily.” But her hands are shaking, and I haven’t even told her the best part.
“As we speak, the police are searching your apartment with a valid warrant. If your boyfriend is there, I can guarantee you he’s been arrested.”
Now real fear replaces the smug look of earlier. “I need to go.”
I glance over and nod at the men seated at a nearby table. Then I lean back in my seat and let them do their jobs.
They rise from their chairs and walk over. “Kayla Gibson?” the taller man asks, pulling out a badge from his jacket pocket.
My ex swallows hard. “Yes.”
“I’m Officer Suarez and this is my partner, Officer Harrison. We’ll need you to come downtown for questioning.” The officers gave me the professional courtesy of wrapping up my blackmail issue with my ex-wife before stepping in.
The color drains from her face. “Whatever you want, it has to be a mistake.”
“We can assure you it’s not,” Officer Suarez says. “Drugs were found in your apartment this morning. Now you can come with us quietly or we can make this harder.” He parts his jacket, revealing handcuffs he’s obviously more than happy to use.
With any luck, an arrest is imminent based on the findings in her apartment.
“Good-bye, Kayla. I can guarantee you no judge is going to find you to be a qualified parent now.”
“I hate you,” she spits at me.
“The feeling is mutual. Now go along with the officers like a good girl.” I wave good-bye and lean back in my seat, satisfaction along with a deep sadness filling me.
Because no matter what, at the end of the day, Kayla is my daughter’s mother and that is a sad thing for my little girl. But I intend to make damned sure she has a wonderful life and lacks for nothing. I just can’t make up for her not having a mom.
I drive directly home, anticipating sharing the news with Mia that the custody issue is over. Nobody will share my excitement like she will. But when I let myself into the house, it is too quiet. The door to her room is open and she isn’t in there, so I head for the kitchen and family room.
“Mia?” I call out.
“In here.”
I walk toward the sound of her voice and find her on the couch.
“Hey.” I lean down beside her, clasping her clammy hand in mine. “What’s wrong?”
“I came into the kitchen to make something to eat and I got so nauseous. I had to lie down. I guess I fell asleep.” She tries to push herself to a sitting position but I hold her back.
“Don’t. I’m going to take you to bed. Then, if you’re hungry, I’ll make you something to eat.”
Her eyelids flutter. It is obviously a struggle for her to keep them open. “I don’t want to be a burden.”
This woman, I think with a shake of my head. As if she could ever be a problem.
“Shh.” I brush her hair off her face before picking her up and lifting her into my arms. I head through the kitchen, but instead of going toward her room, I turn to go up the stairs.
“Where are we going?” she asks drowsily.
“Somewhere you can rest… and I can keep an eye on you.”
My room, to be exact, but I don’t want to give her something to argue about by telling her. And since her eyes are already closed, I don’t think she’ll object right now.
* * *
Mia
I wake up slowly. My head hurts because my stomach is empty but I don’t think I am nauseous anymore. But I am warm. Very warm, and I become aware of the hard, hot male body aligned with mine.
Austin.