The Blackstone Heir

by Dani Wade

  “Could you give us a minute, please?” Jacob asked the saleswoman. Until that moment, KC hadn’t even noticed her on the other side of the crib. The woman turned quietly and walked to the back of the store before Jacob continued, “What does it look like, KC? I’m outfitting the nursery at Blackstone Manor.”

  Oh, no, he wasn’t. “You don’t need any of this stuff, Jacob, because Carter is not coming to live with you.”

  “And what makes you say that?”

  “This isn’t just about you, Jake. You need to think about what’s best for Carter.”

  “I am. I have the means to provide my son with everything he needs. Unlike you.”

  Hurt streaked through her, but she pushed it deep down under her growing anger. “Really? Can you give him love? Can you comfort him? Can you guide him? Or are you planning on using your money to turn that job over to a nanny so you can go about your perfectly planned days?”

  His narrowed eyes should have had her shaking, but she refused to back down. Her son’s future was at stake. She didn’t want to hurt Jacob, but how else could she get through to him? “One thing I can say with certainty is that I can provide him those things. You, I’m not so sure about.”

  Not waiting to give him a chance to outthink her, she pushed forward. Crowding into Jacob’s space, she said, “You want Carter to come live with you? I understand why you would. I don’t blame you for that.” Her breath caught for a moment. “And I don’t blame you for not trusting me, but I’m not turning my son over to just anyone.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to turn him over,” Jacob said, his voice deepening as if he had gravel in his throat. “You can come, too. I’m sure I could find a...use...for you.”

  Strike number two. How many body shots did he plan to take? Because she sure didn’t need the reminder that Jacob had wanted her for sex and only sex.

  She wasn’t sure how long she stood there with wide eyes before he looked away. But he wasn’t backing down. “The fact is, you’ve had Carter to yourself for three months. Your time just ran out.”

  She’d guessed Jacob was a formidable businessman. But when he turned that laser-sharp stare on her, it sliced through what little armor she had and put every inner doubt on display.

  “Jacob, I understand your anger,” she said, trying to slow her panic with a deep breath. “I made a horrible miscalculation. So I want to do my part to make this work. But no lawyers. No fighting. You want Carter to be a part of your life? Prove it to me.” Please, please, let this work.

  “What do I need to prove? We knew each other for over a year. You know everything you need to know about me.”

  “I know everything about certain parts of you.” If he wanted the truth, she could comply. “I know you’re halfway decent in bed.” That whopper of an understatement almost choked her. “How good you are at picking up girls on planes. That you enjoy being with me at home but don’t want to be seen in public with me. That I’m good enough for sex but not allowed into any other part of your life. None of that tells me a damn thing about what kind of father you are.”

  “So you want me to prove I can change diapers?” His shocked expression would be a thing to savor later when she stopped being so afraid of him that she might wet her pants.

  “I want to know that you’re more than a sexual being, Jacob. Show me what kind of man you truly are. Can I trust your word? Can I believe you when you say you aren’t bad-mouthing me to my child behind my back? Can I trust you to teach him morals and work ethic and decency? Because I won’t let my child become a chip off James Blackstone’s block.”

  Jacob stepped closer, literally towering over her. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Arching her neck to stare at him wasn’t comfortable, but she wasn’t going to concede with even a single step backward. “Since you didn’t know about Carter, I’m going to guess and say you didn’t know your grandfather came to see me right before he died.”

  “Aiden would have told me.”

  “Did Aiden know? He wasn’t there.”

  “Who was?”

  “That lawyer guy.”

  “Canton?”

  “That’s the one. They came to the house one morning. I’d only known I was pregnant for a week.”

  “How could he possibly know about that?”

  KC shook her head. “I’m not sure. But he did know how long we’d been seeing each other. I wouldn’t put it past either of them to spy on me somehow.”

  Jacob’s Adam’s apple shifted in his throat. KC was sorry to have to deliver her news.

  “James knew you were pregnant with my child.” The deadness in his voice reverberated through her. She’d often wondered how a man like his grandfather could have had a child. What kind of family did you create with manipulation and fear? No wonder Aiden Blackstone had run far, far away when he was younger.

  Though Jacob had always seemed quite normal, she’d sensed a dark sadness underneath that excellent control of his. What games had James Blackstone played with his grandsons? What terror had he wreaked in their family before he died? Jacob had never even come close to sharing something that personal.

  “That’s the only reason I could think of that he would demand I leave town. And never come back.”

  Jacob seemed frozen; not a muscle moved. He gripped the crib rail with one hand. The knuckles turned white...and stayed white.

  “But you didn’t stay away.”

  “No. Once I found out he was dead, I thought the coast would be clear to come home.” That might have been a mistake, too. “But he threatened my family’s business—”

  “How?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as if he suspected a lie.

  “Jacob,” she said, shaking her head at him, “your grandfather owned half the town. He’d rented us the land Lola’s is on for my entire life but never would allow my mother or grandmother to buy it. I suspect it was so he could use it to his advantage if the opportunity arose.”

  She tried to breathe around the anger that rose at the memory. “He threatened to shut down the business. Everything my mother and grandmother own is tied up in Lola’s. Not to mention that their house is on that land, too. So I agreed, and the men left. Then I cashed out some savings and used it to move away.”

  Jacob smirked. “Serves him right.”

  “When I heard about his death, I thought—well, we all thought—he couldn’t hurt us anymore. I just hadn’t figured out what to do about you yet.”

  “And you think this is the answer?”

  “It’s the only one I’ve got.” Might as well be honest about that. “Let’s face it, Jacob. You have money and a damn good lawyer. But James didn’t own me, and neither do you. If you want to be part of Carter’s life, stop throwing your weight around and work with me.”

  “Who put you in charge? You haven’t exactly proved yourself trustworthy.”

  Unease rippled through her body. She knew she’d had good reasons for her choices, but when she looked at it from his point of view... “I’m not denying you access to Carter out of anger or revenge, Jacob. I simply want to know that he’s in good hands. That you’re willing to make a place for a baby in your life. Not hand him over to a well-paid nanny.”

  His eyes searched hers. “How can I be sure he’s in good hands with you?”

  “I— Well—” Words failed her for a moment.

  “Face it, KC. You ran halfway across the country to hide my child from me. I’m not the only one with something to prove. The question is, how?”

  Three

  Jacob hadn’t felt so out of control since the last time he’d had KC in a bed. Only, anger wasn’t nearly as pleasurable. Still, he used the impetus to propel himself through the door to his brother Aiden’s study at Blackstone Manor, knowing John Canton was there for a meeting.

  T
his morning, Aiden had mentioned an appointment for the lawyer to drop off some paperwork for their grandfather’s will. Canton still had control of the Blackstone inheritance, for now. There were some final hoops to jump through, then Jacob and his brothers would be free of James Blackstone and his minion.

  “You bastard,” Jacob growled, absorbing his brother’s shocked look as he passed. But his focus was trained wholly on the lawyer.

  The same lawyer who had assisted their grandfather in blackmailing Aiden into marrying Christina, their mother’s nurse, terrorizing them with threats of compromising their mother’s health and care if they didn’t comply.

  “I knew you would force two people to get married to suit James’s purposes. Threaten, and bully, and even ruin an entire town on the whim of a dead man. But I seriously thought any decent human being would draw the line at cutting a child completely out of a man’s life.” He let his momentum carry him until he loomed over the smaller man. “Guess I thought wrong.”

  From behind the desk, Aiden asked, “Jacob, care to fill me in?”

  Canton didn’t even blink...or pretend not to understand what Jacob referred to. “I did as your grandfather ordered.”

  “Didn’t you think I should have a say?”

  Canton shrugged. “That was not for me to decide.”

  With a growl, Jacob reached forward, but arms made of steel were there to stop him. Slowly, Aiden inched him back until there was enough room for him to stand between Jacob and the man he felt like killing.

  “I’ve obviously missed something,” Aiden said. “Tell me now.”

  From the other side of the barrier Aiden provided, Canton spoke. Brave man. “I believe Jacob is referring to a conversation his grandfather had with Ms. Gatlin.”

  “What?” Aiden looked surprised.

  Jacob turned away, relieving his brother of guard duty. At least not looking at his grandfather’s lawyer would help him regain control. In thirty-three years, he’d never experienced this many emotional twists. He didn’t like it. He needed stability. All the more reason to stay away from KC—but that wasn’t an option anymore.

  He turned back, focusing on his brother. “I went to see KC Gatlin.”

  Aiden gave a short nod. “So it’s true? The baby is yours?”

  “He’s three months old.” Jacob felt the need to clarify, now that he had more facts. “I met KC on one of my flights home and...” How did he put this without making it sound as if KC was simply a booty call? “Okay, I was sleeping at her place whenever I came to town.” Why sugarcoat his selfishness?

  Aiden’s thick brows went up. “Wow, Jacob. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

  “Not the time, Aiden.”

  “Really? You brought it up.”

  Jacob ignored the brotherly razzing and moved on. “The baby is definitely mine.” That shut down his brother’s grin. Real quick. “Dear ol’ Grandpa threatened her until she skipped town, never telling me about it—my son.”

  Aiden narrowed his gaze on the lawyer. “How would Grandfather even find out KC was pregnant? Medical records are confidential. Was he rummaging through her trash for a pregnancy test?”

  Jacob barely held his control as he waited for the answer.

  Canton smirked. “Anything can be had for the right price. Turns out, one of the little nurses at KC’s doctor has a serious cash-flow problem.”

  Jacob was rushing forward before he even thought. Only the barricade created by Aiden’s body stopped his attack. His own heavy breathing sounded loud in Jacob’s ears; his heart thudded as he realized the full magnitude of his grandfather’s invasion of privacy. Jacob wanted to do bodily harm all over again.

  “Easy,” Aiden murmured against his ear. “Let’s get our questions answered, and then he’ll be gone. Forever this time.”

  Silence reigned as Jacob tried to gather the remnants of his self-control. His thoughts whirled, reminding him if he hadn’t come home for good, he might never have found out he was a father. Pulling back, he announced, “It was only by accident I found out that KC had my child.”

  Canton spoke again from a safe distance across the room. “Then I don’t understand the issue.”

  Jacob rounded on him but didn’t move closer. He didn’t trust himself. “The issue? You tried to separate me from my child.”

  “But by your own admission, we didn’t succeed.”

  The guy simply didn’t get it. “Would you ever have told me?”

  “Your grandfather demanded complete loyalty. And discretion. Of course I wouldn’t have.” His weasel-like face didn’t change expression. “And since Ms. Gatlin moved without contacting you and didn’t come home during the remainder of your grandfather’s lifetime, she’d fulfilled our terms. In which case, there was nothing to tell.”

  “I’m glad you think so. I guess that clears your conscience.”

  The man didn’t bother to defend himself. “I don’t have a conscience. I have a job.”

  “That’s enough,” Aiden interjected. “Canton, we’re done for now. I’ll reschedule with you at your office later and we will finish up the last of the paperwork for Grandfather’s affairs.”

  The lawyer was smart enough to take an out when it was given to him. He scurried through the door without so much as a by-your-leave. But his departure ratcheted down Jacob’s anger by a few notches.

  “Man, I’ll be glad to see the last of that guy,” Aiden said as he straightened the papers on his desk.

  “How much longer?”

  Aiden had spent the year dealing with his grandfather’s lawyer after James had blackmailed him into marrying Christina. Luckily, it had all worked out for the best, but the lawyer’s presence was an annoying reminder of their grandfather’s manipulations.

  Aiden waved the papers at him. “This is the end of it. The year is almost up and we will be free from it all. Including Canton. I just wish there was a way to punish him for what he’s done rather than be rewarded with the money Grandfather left him.” Aiden settled back into his chair, looking every inch the sophisticated Manhattan art dealer, though he now lived in South Carolina instead of New York. “KC Gatlin, huh? Beautiful, but definitely different from your standard of socialites and fellow businesswomen.”

  “Tell me about it.” Jacob started to pace, hoping to expend the energy thrumming beneath his skin. Hell, he just might have to go for another jog, even though he’d done five miles this morning. Especially as he thought about KC’s earlier accusations.

  “Where do you want to go from here?” Aiden asked after several moments.

  More of that loaded silence.

  Finally, Jacob said, “I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to see her again. Didn’t wish we could pick up where we left off when she disappeared. But—no.” He glanced over at his brother. “She’s not right for me long-term.”

  “Why not?”

  Good question. “Let’s see. She doesn’t fit in with what I want in life, who I am. She’s more like Luke—unpredictable, headstrong.” And makes me feel just as unpredictable. Out of control.

  “She’s gorgeous.”

  “She works in a bar.”

  “Ah, a hard worker.”

  Jacob stared hard at the bookshelves, cataloging the shapes and colors of the books but not the titles. “She kept my son a secret.”

  “So she panicked and made a mistake. You enjoyed being with her before. What’s the real problem?”

  Could he let his guard down? Even a little? Jacob was used to his brothers confiding in him, not the other way around. “I just— Before, it was easy. But she’s right. I kept her compartmentalized so I wouldn’t have any interference in my life.” He ran his hand across his close-cropped hair. “It had nothing to do with only wanting her for sex and everything to do with making our relationship convenient fo
r me.”

  “Relationships are anything but convenient. I’m learning to roll with it because the good far outweighs everything else.”

  Jacob felt a moment of envy. Inflexibility seemed to have been bred into him. Strict adherence to standards and procedures served him well in business, not so much in relationships. At least, the few he’d had. He rarely saw a woman more than a handful of times, since he wasn’t ready for the long-term thing yet. Maybe not for several more years.

  KC had taken him off guard. He could admit to himself that he’d kept her compartmentalized in his life because he’d been afraid—afraid of her taking over, afraid of losing control, afraid of being ruled by emotions instead of his brain.

  I want another chance at that woman. No. “She’s my son’s mother. Better to stay close and know your enemy, right?”

  Aiden’s smirk took him by surprise. “Jacob, the last time I fell for that line, I ended up married to the woman who changed my life, my way of thinking, forever. For the better, but still...”

  “Not me.”

  Aiden’s expression screamed famous last words, but Jacob ignored it. Aiden had vowed at eighteen never to return to Blackstone Manor—now he was happily married and living here full-time, with frequent business trips to New York to manage his art import/export business.

  Would Jacob end up the same? Moving home was definitely the right choice, especially since his son was now here. But married? Not to KC. As exciting as being with her was, he wanted peace, not unpredictability.

  “Jacob.”

  The serious tone in Aiden’s voice cut through Jacob’s confusion. “Yeah?”

  “What are you going to do about KC? About the baby?”

  “Carter,” he said, clearing his throat when it tried to close. “Forcing her to give him to me would probably lead to a legal battle—and prove me to be a jackass. She might not have a lot of money, but she won’t give him up without a fight.” He frowned. “The bigger question is, what is she gonna do about me?”