Dangerous Redemption: A Single Parent Forbidden Romance Novel (Paths To Love Book 4)

by Grahame Claire

He shook his head, and I grabbed his jaw to stop him. Changing his mind might take forever. I'd have to make sure to show him what an incredible man he was.

  Once I rinsed the soap off him, I kissed him from his head down to his toes and back up.

  “You make me feel like I'm healed,” he said when I reached his mouth once again.

  “And you've given me my fairy tale,” I returned with a tender smile.

  Rejuvenated, Carlos turned off the water and dried us off, taking charge once again. That was fine by me, though I was the one who led us to the bed. I laid down, and Carlos crawled on top of me, a reverence in his dark eyes that had my skin prickling with anticipation.

  “I don't understand this,” he started. “What's happening between us. The depth and strength of my feelings.” Carlos shook his head. “I thought the only thing I was capable of was hatred. You and Gabriel have become the center of my existence. It happened like that.” He snapped his fingers. “I don't give a fuck if the rest of the world thinks it's crazy we married. We need each other, and I didn’t want to waste any more time without you as my wife. I'm Gabriel's father now. You are my gift; one I will never deserve but will never give up.”

  He was right. It was insane to feel so much in such a short period of time. But he'd changed me for the better. As long as Gabriel was happy, and we were a family, that was all I needed. “Make love to me.”

  “That's all I've ever done, Holly.”

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Carlos

  “Why won’t you leave us alone?”

  There was irritated Holly. Mad Holly. Pissed Holly. And then there was this Holly. Nuclear was about as close as I could come to describing it. Thank God, I'd never been on the receiving end of that. But who was?

  “My brother was here first, so who’s after who, sugar?”

  The male voice had me balling my fists and quickening my stride. “Call her sugar again and see how long it takes for you to utter another word,” I growled, eyeing the son of a bitch who was too close to Holly for my comfort.

  His smirk had me channeling all my strength not to take him right out. “Wow. You sure know how to pick 'em,” he said to her in a Southern drawl that made his condescending words sound almost polite.

  I dug my nails into my palms. He'd insulted her. That was unacceptable. The only thing keeping me from throttling this fucker was that Gabriel was somewhere in the apartment, and I refused to let him see my violent side. Gabriel. My eyes narrowed as I took in this twat from head to toe. His hair was a honey shade of brown. He was tall and had an athletic build. His skin was bronzed like he spent a lot of time in the sun. He was dressed in a dark suit designed to intimidate. His head was cocked, shrewd eyes assessing. The pieces clicked into place.

  His brother lived in the building. Easton. Honey brown hair. Athletic. Same skin tone. Similar eye shape but wrong color. That sky blue . . . fucking hell. Identical to his brother's.

  And that head tilt.

  He’s Gabriel’s father. No one had to tell me. I saw it was true. Shit.

  “Whatever you’re here for, you aren't going to get,” I said, voice low, evincing far more control than I felt. I closed the gap between Holly and me. We were a team. If this was a fight, we were doing it together. There was gratitude in her eyes, her spine straightening.

  “Aww, isn't this sweet?” the fucker mocked. I didn't even know his name. I should have paid more attention. Should have learned more about this man when I had the chance. I'd been too consumed with my own problems, so much so he hadn’t even been on my radar. He was now.

  “Why are you here, Drew?” Her voice was strong and clear. I was so proud of her. She stood her ground and wasn't going to let anyone run over her.

  Wait. Drew? The one who’d been causing her problems at work?

  “Can’t I come meet my new neighbors?”

  “No.”

  “I’m still not convinced you can be trusted to keep your mouth shut,” Drew said, running a contemplative index finger back and forth across his mouth.

  “About what?” Holly asked. Now I understood why she’d been so concerned about him. Two seconds in his presence and it was obvious he liked threatening her. The son of a bitch had never acknowledged Gabriel. How far was he willing to take it?

  The icy eyes drifted to me, and I went cold inside. I didn't like this guy, yet I found it completely hard to hate him when I'd been him only a short time ago. The difference between us was that Holly had changed me. He hadn't been so lucky. Drew was so beyond caring about anything but himself, I wasn't sure he could find his way back even if he wanted to. When the darkness took hold, light became more difficult to come by. The harder the heart became, the more it would eat itself from within.

  I'd been there, and because of that, I felt an ounce of sympathy for the man I had more in common with than I cared to admit. I prayed Holly didn't see the similarities. I didn't want her to view me in the same light as him.

  “The consequences if you continue to insert yourself in my family.”

  Not admittance. I took that to mean he didn't want to take Gabriel unless he felt backed into a corner. That was his only leverage, but it was powerful.

  “We can easily solve that, quietly and confidentially.”

  “Apparently, she's already opened her mouth,” he said acidly, and I fought to keep my cool.

  “That's a dangerous assumption. This is an easy fix. The stroke of a pen. That simple. You go your way. We go ours,” I said, shrugging.

  His eyes narrowed, and fear tightened my throat. He held our future in the palm of his hand.

  “Mama? Can I have some ice cream?”

  Holly's eyes bulged in horror. I spun, and my heart stopped.

  “Gabriel. Don’t. Move,” she said firmly, and he immediately halted. My loaded gun was in his hands. I'd put it on the dresser when I'd undressed to take a shower. The safety was on, but anything could happen. “Baby, I want you to very carefully put that down and then back away.”

  I held my breath as he slowly lowered the gun to the floor. When he was two steps away from it, I made a beeline, scooping it up and tucking it behind my back.

  “I found it in your room, Mama,” he said. “I wanted to play cowboys with Daddy.”

  I willed my pounding heart to slow. Holly and I had already fought over this. Her expression was one of relief and fury. Gabriel cocked his head, studying the other man in the entry. They were mirror images. Fuck me. I was witnessing a man and his son see each other for the first time.

  “I'm Gabriel,” he finally said, taking a step forward, holding out his small hand.

  Curiosity morphed into a dazzling smile meant to charm but mostly to distract. There was a war going on inside Drew. He didn't want to be affected by the person in front of him. I knew firsthand how Gabriel could take the most heartless of souls and turn them into someone who gave a shit. I wished Drew would turn his back and walk out the door. I wanted him to slither back into his hole and leave us alone. Gabriel would be fine without him. But if he took an interest in Gabriel, what right did I have to deny him?

  Fuck.

  “I'm Drew.” They shook hands, and then the moment was over.

  Holly broke the awkward silence. She led Gabriel toward the windows in the living room, leaving Drew and me on our own.

  “Let's have a chat,” I said, nodding at the front door, moving without waiting for a response.

  “Not a chance as long as you’re packing.” I made no move to get rid of the gun. “Hmm. Looks like someone has a dependency issue,” he observed, and it took all my self-control not to plow a fist into his pretty-boy face. He was an attractive bastard. I could see why Holly would have desired him. That shit wasn't going to fly with me, nor were his little digs.

  I held open the door, and we were in a stalemate for what felt like a year before he finally walked through it into the hall. The pissing contest continued.

  “You won't be using Holly any longer for your power trip.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets casually, a complete contradiction to my tone.

  “Keep her away from my brother, sister-in-law, and my parents and we won't have any problems,” he countered. He was in the power position. If he chose to actively be a parent to Gabriel, we might have no say in that. It would kill Holly, and that wasn't an option.

  “She's been working closely with them for over six years. What's changed?” I kept my voice amicable; no need to invoke hostility yet. He deserved to be taught a lesson for how he'd treated Holly, tossing her out in the middle of the night without so much as calling a cab. But getting Gabriel free and clear would more than make up for it.

  “Everyone's getting too cozy. Holly tried to stir up trouble with me a few years ago. Tried to pin the impossible on me.” Drew frowned, uncertain.

  “Miracles happen.” Holly hadn’t outright told me Drew was Gabriel’s father, but the physical evidence was undeniable. He’d just all but confirmed it with his last sentence.

  He snorted. “Not to me,” he stated bitterly.

  “Let's cut the shit. I want Gabriel to be mine legally. We can do it confidentially. In return, we never reveal the paternity. You'll have no responsibility toward him whatsoever.”

  “There's no way he's mine.”

  “Then you shouldn’t care if I adopt him.”

  He stood there silent, fists balled at his sides.

  “Let's do a test,” I suggested. “That way you'll know for certain, and we can proceed as need be. If he’s not yours, you have no say anyway.”

  “And you think I'd just give up my son?” he asked incredulously.

  “Deep in your gut, you know he's yours. Whatever your reasons are for denying that, I'm not here to judge. You could have proved five years ago he was or wasn't your son, but you've chosen to use it against Holly, to manipulate her when you have need. That stops now. Let's handle this peacefully in the best interests of Gabriel. Because he’s most important.” I usually went for the kill, but in this case, I couldn't, literally or figuratively. I had nothing on this motherfucker because Holly had refused to tell me who he was. That put me at a distinct disadvantage.

  “I can make sure Holly never sees him again,” Drew said.

  I tried to get my temper in check. “No more threats. The secret you've worked so hard to keep buried will come out. So I'll ask again. What is it you're trying to accomplish? Something doesn’t add up.”

  “Have you ever had a bitch try to peg a pregnancy on you?” he asked, like we were bros at a bar, exchanging small talk.

  “Don't refer to Holly that way ever again,” I said in a low voice. He didn't flinch, but he did nod. “And no, I haven't.”

  “I'm telling you, it's impossible. But even if it were true, I don't want kids. She pulled that stunt on me, obviously after money.”

  I had to set aside some of what he said to get to the meat, or I would end up killing him without a single regret. I'd been with plenty of women, but I didn't treat them like garbage.

  “Has she ever asked you for money?” I asked.

  Drew considered for a moment. “No.” I wanted to fist pump, his admission feeling like a small victory in what could be a long war.

  “Then maybe she wanted to give you the opportunity to know your son.”

  He inhaled sharply. “I already told you. I don't want a kid, and my family finding out about him isn't an option.”

  “I've spoken with an attorney. We can seal the records. He'll be out of your life, and no one beyond the three of us ever has to know.” There was a desperate quality to my voice I didn't like, but fuck it. I had so much to lose, this more important than anything I'd ever faced. “Take the weekend to think about it. Monday, you can either sign the papers, or we'll never hear from you again.”

  “I'm not signing shit without a paternity test.”

  “Fair enough.” He nodded and ran a hand through his hair. “And Drew? It's okay if you don't want a child. It's not okay if you don't do what's right by him. Sometimes walking away is best. God knows I wish my father had.”

  He studied me a moment, and then he fished his wallet out, producing a business card. “Text me the address of the attorney's office and what time.”

  I took the card, and he made for the elevator. As soon as it swallowed him, I got on the phone to Daniel.

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Carlos

  “I need everything you can find on Drew Carter,” I barked out when he answered, pacing the hallway from one end to the other. “Something I can bury him with.”

  “Everyone is interested in him these days,” Daniel said, far too casually for how wound up I was feeling. “He's got a mountain of shit piling up against him.”

  “I want what will scare him the most. What puts him in a position where he can't possibly refuse me.”

  “The problem is everybody can't use the same information against him.”

  “Give me something they can't use. I'm going to ask Donato as well when he gets here for dinner.”

  “What the fuck happened? I didn't know he was on your radar.”

  I sighed, wishing I could give Daniel something, but I couldn't break Holly's confidence. Daniel was a smart guy. He'd figure it out with or without my cooperation. “Nothing I'm at liberty to discuss.”

  “I'm on it.”

  “Anything I need to pass along to Donato?” We were back to business, neither of us one for chitchat.

  “No. I'll speak to you soon.”

  I ended the call and went back into the apartment, unprepared for Holly to be waiting for me with crossed arms. She looked lethal, and I got nervous. Shit. Somehow, I'd managed to push the gun incident to the back of my mind while handling Drew. It was back in full force. I braced myself for her wrath. Gabriel was nowhere in sight.

  “You assured me the gun wouldn't be a problem. I've allowed you to keep it around, even convinced myself it was necessary. I'm going to make this simple. Either it goes or you do. It's your decision.”

  Fuck me. Holly wasn't playing around, and my gut twisted. My Glock was like a security blanket. We'd been through a lot together. I needed it. But Holly and Gabriel were my life. “We’re married. We don’t just run when it gets hard. Let’s talk—”

  “There's nothing to discuss. I've told you the options.” Her eyes practically pinned me to the wall.

  I cleared my throat. “Beauty, it scared me to death when Gabriel walked in here with my gun. I know I let both of you down. No one realizes more than I do what that thing is capable of. I've seen exactly what it can do, and there's no excuse for letting it get into his hands.” I took a few steps closer to her.

  “There's no excuse,” she said tightly, stiffening when I reached for her. “Don't think you can romance your way out of this or use your old tactic of telling me not to be mad. Because, Carlos, I am furious right now, and I won't be getting over it anytime soon.”

  “But can you forgive me?” That was the important thing.

  “I can.” I let out a long exhale of relief. Holly held up an index finger, stopping me before I got ahead of myself. “I'm still going to fume for a while, and you haven't made a decision. Us or your gun?”

  “The fact you think there's a choice wounds me.” I placed my hands on her shoulders. “But might I remind you, just because I've eliminated our immediate threat doesn't mean all others have disappeared. I despise the hell that comes with me, would do anything to change it if I could. I will do everything I can to keep it away from our family, but I've been honest about the danger. What if it catches up to us, and we're unarmed? I can do hand-to-hand combat, but I'm not as young as I once was. What if not having a weapon gets us killed in the end?”

  “What if being armed kills our son?” she all but shouted.

  If Holly really and truly wanted me to keep guns out of the house, so be it. It would take some getting used to. In the end, making her happy was my priority. Her safety was too, but I'd have to get creative. I was an expert with knives. Tha
t might have to become my preferred method of defense.

  “I won't let that happen,” I promised, squeezing her shoulders. Her jaw worked, her expression fierce, but she relented a little.

  “I can't trust you with that. Not after what just happened. And in front of Drew? Who knows what he'll do. And I can't lose—” Holly choked back a sob, and my arms went around her immediately.

  “I'll take care of it. You aren't losing anything.”

  She looked at me with red eyes. “How can you be so sure? You don't know what he's capable of. This was ammunition he didn't need.”

  “I've given him until Monday to decide if he wants to sign the adoption papers or not. By then, I hope to have something that will force him to see things our way,” I said. Losing Gabriel was something she couldn't survive, even if I was with her the whole way. But I wouldn't let that happen. If Daniel didn't come up with something, I'd go to whatever lengths necessary to get rid of our Drew problem.

  “How did you know who he is?” The panic that her secret wasn’t as safe as she thought made me want to protect her even more.

  “When he’s next to you, you look alike. But next to him, it wasn’t hard to figure out.”

  She nodded as if she knew it were true.

  “And he agreed to sign the papers?” she asked incredulously.

  “He agreed to think about it. That's something.”

  “Do whatever you have to do,” she whispered.

  “Let me take care of it. You focus on what you love. Gabriel . . . and me.” I offered her the slightest hint of a smile.

  “I want to know what's going on. I'm not sticking my head in the sand.”

  I brushed her hair back from her face. “I'd never shut you out, Beauty. You'll know everything I do. I don't want you worrying about something I can handle for the both of us. That's all.”

  Her arms went around my neck. “So many times since you've come into our lives, I've wondered how I ever did any of this on my own.”

  “You don't need me. You are the strong one. It's me who can't function without you. But you lean on me whenever you need to. I’d do anything for you. I hope I'm slowly proving that.”