“He got really attached to Miguel, don't feel bad, he even ditches me sometimes,” Alessandra says laughing.
“How's it feel, man?” Miguel says slapping my back.
“It's great. A little scary there for a second but it's all good. I don't know how you women do it.”
Alessandra smiles and pats me on the back.
“Tell her that. She would love to hear it,” she says softly.
Miguel puts his arm around her shoulder and pulls her to him and she smiles.
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we have some new info for you,” Miguel says getting serious.
“What is it?”
“The woman in the cab with you was Kat Winters, Lacey’s birth mother.”
My heart sinks to my stomach and I close my eyes. I would have never done that. Please say I didn't do that.
“I...tell me everything, Miguel.”
“The cab driver claims the two of you were talkin’, or rather she was talkin’. He couldn't make out the conversation, but he doesn't think anything happened. I have the address of where she was dropped off but that was months ago and in Miami. I may have a new drop right outside of town though. I think she's been followin’ you both and was plannin’ something with the baby. We haven't checked it out yet.”
“I'm comin’ with you,” says a stern voice from behind me.
I turn around and Savannah Turner barreling towards us.
“Easy, Princess,” Jackson says from behind her.
“Don't, Jackson. That woman needs to finally learn her fuckin’ place. Take me with you.”
“What about Lacey?” I ask. “I can't leave her. I...last night scared the shit out of me and I…”
“I got her,” says Jackson. “I've closed the chapter on Kat a long time ago. Despite the shit she put Lace through, Mama’s got it,” he says kissing Savannah hard on the mouth.
He smacks her butt and slaps me on the back as he walks into Lacey's room.
I know she said she didn't care about the past and she wanted to move forward but I have to know. I have to know that I didn't betray her.
-----
Miguel, Savannah and I walk towards the rundown apartment building. We walk up to the second floor and Miguel knocks, taking his badge out of his back pocket.
He covers the peephole and we hear the door unlock and the handle jiggle.
There on the other side is a woman, a woman that looks like Lacey. Only this woman is wrecked beyond belief, skin and bones, wrinkled and worn out.
“Knew it was only a matter of time. I was always shit at coverin’ my tracks,” she says her voice raspy and hard.
“You're gonna answer some questions for us, Kat,” Miguel says stepping in the doorway and flashing his badge.
She smirks and opens the door wider, Savannah following Miguel.
“You brought the cavalry. Where's my man Jackson?”
Savannah stops walking and turns towards her.
“My Jackson is at the hospital with our daughter and granddaughter.”
“How's it been playin’ house with my man? I gave him a baby first, Savannah. He'll always be connected to me.”
“Not when you abandoned him and that baby! They are my family, not yours! They never were yours!”
I step up next to her ready to hold her back like I've done for Lacey so many times before. I swear these two were made for each other.
“Maybe not, but at least I got her man,” Kat says looking over at me.
Savannah stops trying to plow through me, and I grit my teeth.
“Nothing happened between us, Kat.”
“Oh, no? You don't even remember that night, you were so drugged up. Let me tell you, now I know why my daughter kept goin’ back for seconds.”
“You fuckin’ lyin’ bitch,” Savannah yells launching for her, punching her right in the nose as Kat staggers back.
Savannah doesn't let up, tackling her to the ground, going to work on her, punch after punch as Kat laughs and Miguel and I separate the two.
I grab Savannah under the arms as she tries to kick away, landing a kick to Kat's knee.
“Nothing happened between us Kat. I would never do that to Lacey and everyone on this earth knows it,” I boom still holding a struggling Savannah back.
“Funny though, when you're not in your right mind, Lacey and I don't look too different. It would have been weird if you called me Lacey, but luckily Blondie works, right Hulk?”
“I…” I wouldn't have. I couldn't have.
“You son of a…” Savannah breaks free from my grasp and lunges at Kat. “Move Miguel!”
“Savannah, I can't let you-”
“I said move!”
He backs away slowly and Savannah grabs Kats throat pushing her into the wall.
“You're gonna tell us the truth or so help me God I will kill you. I had to watch that girl suffer through years of heartbreak because of you. That letter destroyed her. The words you wrote made me fuckin’ sick. I will not let you ruin the love she deserves. Tell us the fuckin’ truth, Kat,” Savannah growls.
Kat smiles and Savannah tightens her grip, Kat's eyes widening slightly.
“Y'all are just gonna let her do this?” Kat struggles to say.
“Do what?” Miguel snaps. “I don't see anything Nico, do you?”
I shake my head still unable to speak.
“Tell. Us,” Savannah says through gritted teeth.
“We...I...can't...breathe,” Kat gasps.
Savannah lets her go and she slumps to the ground clutching her throat.
“What happened Kat? Why was Weston at the club that night? Why did he pay that woman? Why were you in the cab? Tell us!” Savannah yells.
“I’ve had Weston under my thumb for years. He was supposed to cheat on her, break her heart. Stupid little shit had to go and hit her, so I kept him in my back pocket. Domestic abuse in the NFL is quite the smear these days. Sick coincidence when he beat the shit out of his next girlfriend and you happen to step right in, Hulk,” she smiles.
“I watched y’all start to fall in love and couldn't have that. I thought the blackmail would derail y’all, you not wantin’ the burden of a woman with a fucked-up mother but apparently not. I figured the only way to end her happiness was to have you end it. You wouldn’t willingly, so I pushed.”
“You cashed in that blackmail on Weston to drug me, plant those pictures in the media,” I say shaking my head.
“He didn't put up much of a fight, he wanted Lacey miserable as much as me. I couldn’t get in the club because I was a nobody. Weston could though, paid off that whore then took the pictures and sold them.”
“Why were you there then? Why not just let Weston take the pictures and stay hidden?”
“Because I wanted to take you too. Make it so she could never forgive you and I did,” she smirks. “She’ll never forgive you when she finds out you fucked her mother in the back of that cab.”
I feel the bile rising up in my throat. My head dizzy. The worry from Lacey’s labor, the realization that Kat might be telling the truth, finally getting Lacey back but having her torn away again. She’ll never forgive me. Even if I had no idea what I was doing, she’ll never be able to get past it.
“You’re lyin’,” Savannah seethes.
“Am I?”
“Yes,” Miguel says stepping forward. “The cab driver said nothing happened. You talked. Nico wasn’t even conscious until he got back to his apartment.”
“Maybe he was paid to say that,” she smiles.
“The cameras,” Savannah says turning towards me quickly. “All Uber vehicles are required to have cameras now. Miguel, can you get in contact with the driver?”
“I already talked to him and he didn’t say anything about cameras.”
“I have a feelin’ I know why,” Savannah seethes looking back at Kat. “Money talks, whatever he wants. Call him. Now.”
Miguel nods taking his phone out of his back pocket as I glance
back over to Kat. Her smile is so evil. How could someone so diabolical have birthed such a beautiful woman, such a strong, independant and incredible woman.
I close my eyes, trying so hard to remember that night, a small memory, just a second of that cab ride. Any proof that I didn’t do what she said I did.
“He’s got the camera,” Miguel interrupts holding his phone to his ear. “I could bring him in but it might stir shit up. If you wanna keep it quiet, he wants $10,000.”
“Done,” Savannah says quickly.
“Savannah, I can’t let you do that. I’ll pay it. What if I really did this? I...I...”
“Nicholas,” she says coming in front of me. She grabs my cheeks making me look at her. “Even in your nightmares, I know you would die before you ever hurt my daughter. I don’t believe for one second that you would have touched that evil bitch. This is over, once and for all. Y’all will know and be able to move on. I know Lacey is tryin’, and right now she’s okay with it, but in the back of y’alls minds, you’re always gonna wonder. This is nothin’ to me, I can make it back up in a week. Let’s watch that video, put this bitch in jail, and go back to your girls, okay?”
I close my eyes and nod, feeling her strength, feeling the truth behind her words. She really believes in me. I believe in me. She’s right. I would cut my right arm off before I ever hurt Lacey, whether I was coherent enough or not. I would have fought and my heart would have taken over. I have to believe it would have.
Miguel motions for Kat to follow us and we ride in silence to the station. Kat is put into a room as Savannah, Miguel and I go to a back office.
“Are you ready for this?” Miguel asks.
I nod and Savannah puts her hand on my back.
The video plays and Miguel fast forwards until I see the Uber driver helping me into the back of the cab, Kat coming in to the other side.
“Poor baby,” Kat says touching my cheek. “He drank a little too much.”
“Where to?” asks the driver.
“56 Lincoln Boulevard.”
Kat’s hand goes to my thigh, my head back against the headrest.
“I hope you enjoyed my daughter while you had her, you’ll never get her again.”
She goes to unbuckle my jeans but my hand lands on top of hers. She tries to put it off, but I keep it in place, holding my belt tight to my body.
“Fuck. You,” I say my voice slurred and deep.
“I’m. Tryin’, Hulk,” Kat says reaching for my belt again.
“Blondie?” I say, my voice still groggy.
“Yes. Come on, Hulk. Give it to me.”
She reaches for my belt again, and I let her as she kisses my neck, my head still back.
I watch the video, shaking my head as I run my fingers through my hair.
“You’re not her,” I say, my voice loud but still slurred.
“I am,” Kat protests.
She lifts my shirt, kissing my abs and I see myself huff in a breath as she unzips my jeans.
“Dammit,” I mumble as I watch the scene unfold on screen. “Come on, no. Don't do it, Nico. Wake up.”
“No!” I push her off me as the Uber comes to a stop. I open the door and stagger out, Kat poking her head out the door then slamming it shut. I remember this part of the street cameras as the Uber pulls away.
The video goes black and I lean my back against the wall, slumping to the floor.
“Jesus Christ,” I say shaking my head.
The weight I’ve carried around the past few months, the uncertainty of if I broke the heart of the woman I love. It all comes crashing down and I get to my feet, bursting through the precinct and running to my truck, starting it and speeding to the hospital.
I bypass the elevator, running up the three flights of stairs and straight to Lacey’s room.
Bella is there with Damon and Lacey looks up, her eyes searching mind.
“Blondie,” I smile rushing to her side. “I love you so fuckin’ much. It’s over, baby. It’s all over.”
Lacey nods in understanding and she reaches for me, her small arms wrapping around my waist and I cradle her head to my chest, kissing the top of her head.
“I watched the video. It was your mother in the cab with me. She tried but...I stopped her. I was drugged but it wasn’t you. I knew it wasn’t you. God Blondie, even when I’m comatose you’re still the only one I want. I love you so much.”
“I love you too. I didn’t need to even know that, Nico. I knew you wouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize that. I trust you with my whole heart, baby. I love you so much.”
“Me, you and Gracie against the world, Blondie. Always.”
“Always, Hulk.”
Chapter 23
Lacey
“And this is probably where you were made,” I say bringing Grace into our bedroom. “Or maybe in the kitchen, or the couch. Who knows, somewhere in this house you were made and now, here you are.”
It’s our first night home with Grace and I’m giving her the tour of the house, while Nico takes a nap. He hasn’t slept for two straight days while we were in the hospital and he was beginning to look like a zombie.
“Let’s go check on your daddy before I put you to bed for the night, or at least for like two hours. You’re gonna be a little shit like me, I’m prepared,” I whisper, kissing her soft head.
She stares at me like I’m the most interesting person in the world and I guess to her, I am. She doesn’t really have a choice, I’m the only one here.
I laugh at myself as I walk down to the living room, seeing him sprawled out on the couch. He’s shirtless, his naked chest rising and falling, his beard the longest I’ve ever seen it. He still hasn’t gotten a haircut or shaved and apparently, I can’t have sex for six weeks so I’m making him cut both...tomorrow, first thing in the morning.
His muscular arm is thrown across his forehead and I smile, sitting down on the foot of the couch.
“Look at this man, baby girl. This man right here is gonna be your rock, just like my daddy was for me.”
“He was right, you know,” says a sleepy Nico from the couch, a small smile curving his kissable lips.
“Who?”
“Your father. He said he couldn’t sleep the first two nights you were born, and I thought he was nuts. He’s right. Gracie makes weird noises in her sleep, too. I don’t think I’m ever gonna sleep a whole night again in my life.”
I laugh, moving up next to him on the couch, cuddling Grace between the two of us.
“She’s okay. You forget who her mama is?”
“Not a chance, Blondie. I’m still amazed at you, I don’t think I’ll ever comprehend your strength,” he says cupping my cheek.
“I’m happy I had you next to me.”
“There was not anywhere else I was gonna be. Everything we’ve been through, I would do it all again. This is the future I saw when we first met. When I told you that I saw you naked and panting beneath me,” he says with a serious face.
“You’re a dog, Nicholas James, but this might have been what I saw when I told Bella I was sexually destroyin’ you in my head.”
We both laugh as I lay my head on his chest.
“Obstacles, Blondie. They’re all destroyed. We knocked all that shit down and here we are.”
“Thank you for not givin’ up on us when I did. Every single time you kept pushin’ me. We would have never had this, we would have never had her. I can’t imagine a different life.”
“You don’t have to. This is our life now, Lacey. Now we just need to tie the knot,” he says kissing my forehead.
“How do you feel about elopin’?”
“I think your father would kill me, and then your mother would. You didn’t see her go all Rocky Balboa on Kat. I am not messing with that woman for as long as I live.”
“She didn’t!” I gasp.
“Blondie, she would have given Mani a run for her money. You maybe should call her. She was worried about you.�
�
“I will tomorrow. Tonight, I'm enjoyin’ our little family.”
He kisses my forehead and I look down at Grace, her fist clenched in my t-shirt her eyes closed. My little angel. Our little angel.
------
Walk Off (Double Play Series Book 5) Page 29
