He shrugged. “I dunno. Uncle Davide said he died when I was real little. Just like my mama.”
It was like he had stabbed my heart. He’d grown up thinking both of his parents were dead. I took in everything about my son. Everything from his bare feet to his wavy hair. There was no denying he was mine. I just wanted to crush him against me and never let go. I started to reach out to him, but Miriam tugged at my hand.
“No hugs yet. You’ll scare him,” Miriam whispered.
I nodded and took a deep breath. My kid. My son. I had a son.
“Maybe we should set up a time to meet at a park?” Miri was saying. “We can talk to Davide and get to know Christophe a little?”
The brunette took the cash out of her bra and started to count it. “Yeah, I think that’s real good. I’ll tell Davide, and he’ll call you. I think you should go now. No more time without Davide around.”
I nodded and stepped back, giving the woman my phone number. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Christophe. His freckles were just like mine.
Fuck. I had a son, and now I had to leave him? He was my son, and I wanted him home with me. A crappy motel room in the middle of nowhere was no place for a kid. I fucking hated that Davide was holding all the cards here.
“We should go,” Miri said, interrupting my thoughts.
I looked down and realized that we had walked all the way over to her car and I was still holding her hand.
“Shit, sorry!” I released her hand. I’d already scared the shit out of her when we had met. I didn’t want her complaining to her dad. “I didn’t notice.”
“Oh, that’s okay.” She smiled. “It’s been pretty emotional for you. Think nothing of it. So set up a meeting with Davide and Christophe. I want to be there, okay?” She dug in her purse and handed me her business card. “Call and tell my assistant when the meeting will be.”
I took her card. Black lettering on white. Simple, professional. It suited her. She was wearing navy blue slacks and a jacket. Davide was gonna know something was up if she showed up in a similar outfit next time.
I couldn’t let Davide know I had counsel yet. He would run the minute he knew. I looked her up and down. Even underneath that sensible pantsuit, I could tell she had a good body.
“I think we need a cover story.” I shoved the business card in my pocket. “I can’t tell him you’re my lawyer or he’ll run for the hills and I won’t ever see Christophe.”
“Good point.” She nodded and bit her lip.
“You can be my girlfriend.” I buckled my helmet and winked at her.
Her mouth made an adorable little O as she stared at me in shock.
“I’ll call you.” I grinned. It was fun to make my lawyer squirm.
I revved my engine, eager to get out onto the highway. The open road had always felt like a place where I had no responsibilities, no worries. I felt the wind wash around me, but this time my troubles weren’t lifted. They never would be. I was a father with someone depending on me.
I had a son.
Chapter Four
Miri
My mouth hung open as Jean Luc rumbled out of the parking lot on his motorcycle. Sometimes the firm would hire a private investigator if it was needed for a case, but I’d never been undercover myself before. And he wanted me to pretend to be his girlfriend? He probably dated women who were gorgeous and confident enough to wear tight clothes.
I pulled on my navy jacket. There was no way I could pull this off. Besides, what would my boyfriend think of this plan? He certainly wouldn’t like it.
Jean Luc revved the bike’s engine just a bit before he pulled out onto the old highway. Even from this distance, he had a nice pair of shoulders. The image of him shirtless popped into my head, and I shook my head. I banished that thought immediately. He was a client, and I needed to keep it professional.
I looked back to the door of the motel room. A little child with adorable red hair was growing up without his father. I sighed. It was just a little ruse to help him gain custody of his son. What could it hurt?
* * *
By the time I got back to my office, the sun was starting to set, and the streets filled with the end-of-day traffic. I was still thinking about Jean Luc’s case. It must have been hard to meet your son for the first time and then have to let him go.
I put a sugar cube in my cup and stirred. “What are you doing?” Sheena snatched the mug of tea off my desk. “You need to get going. You’re late.”
“Get going?” I didn’t have any more appointments for the day. I planned to get caught up on paperwork. “Did I forget about a hearing?”
Sheena rolled her eyes. “You’ve got a date tonight, remember?” She grabbed my jacket from its hook.
“Oh!” I stopped stirring. I had completely forgotten about Pete. We had dinner reservations tonight.
Sheena threw me the black dress I kept at the office, and I changed in record time. I checked my hair with my hands before Sheena grabbed my arm and hauled me toward the door. “No time. The last train to King Street Station leaves in twenty minutes. Do your hair on the way.”
Trying to drive in Seattle traffic at rush hour was impossible. I managed to make the train, and spent the thirty-minute ride trying to forget about Jean Luc and his son. I couldn’t even imagine how Jean Luc was feeling, meeting his son for the first time. Christophe also seemed amazed and scared. I wanted to be there with them, learning to love each other. Then I reminded myself that I was the lawyer, not part of the family. All of my other cases played out in depositions and courtrooms. I’d never had a case before where the family was forming right in front of me.
I had to remind myself that they were just a case.
Stepping off the commuter train at King Street Station, I found Pete in the crowd. He was the only one wearing a suit. All of the other business people had boarded their trains for the night.
He placed a quick kiss on my cheek and took my elbow. “Did you bring any bags?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
I shook my head. “Uh, no. I’ve got some appointments tomorrow. I can’t stay.”
Pete made a noise. It was not quite a grunt, because Pete would not be uncouth enough to grunt, but it was the noise he made when he was displeased.
As we walked out toward the parking structure, an old man begged for change. I slipped a dollar into his foam cup and ran to catch up to Pete.
“Audi has a new sport coupe that would be perfect for you. Just let me lease it.” He unlocked the doors of his car with the clicker and held the passenger-side door open for me.
I sat in the car and clenched my fingers as I buckled the seat belt. “My car is only five years old. I don’t need a new one. Besides, I don’t mind taking the train.”
He looked down at me and raised an eyebrow. “If you drove your car, I wouldn’t have to dodge the bums to pick you up.” He closed my passenger door for me.
Dinner was a multicourse affair at a French restaurant overlooking South Lake Union. At the end of the night, we pulled up in front of my building, and Pete turned the car off. Uh-oh. Most nights, he just sat idling until I got in my apartment. He wanted to talk.
“Did you enjoy dinner?” he asked. “Your salmon looked fantastic.”
I nodded. “It was lovely.”
“You had sea bass,” he said dryly.
I cringed and turned in my seat. “Sorry, I know I’ve been distracted all night. I just had a really difficult case come in. You understand.”
Pete was an assistant district attorney for the City of Seattle. There had been many nights when he was distracted by a case or by interest in local politics. He was planning to run for mayor in a few years and often got lost in thought about his campaign.
“I get it. But I just wish I didn’t have to drop you off like this. It’s
like we’re in high school.” He made his disgruntled noise. “Why don’t you come over to my place next time?”
Leaning my head against the seat, I let the silence grow thick. He was asking for more than just a quick visit to his apartment. It was an ongoing discussion.
He sighed. “We’ve been dating for a year. A year, Miriam. You’ve got to be ready sometime.”
“I know, I’m sorry. Let’s try another time,” I pleaded. “I just have my head so wrapped up in this case tonight. I don’t want to disappoint you.” I smiled, hoping he would accept my apology.
“All right, well. I’ll plan something special, okay?” He picked up my hand and kissed my knuckles. Just like a prince in a fairy tale. “We’ll do something romantic.”
Leaning in, I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and waited for him to catch me for a deeper kiss. He didn’t.
“Don’t forget about the fund-raiser for the mayor’s office tomorrow,” he said. “It’s on your calendar.”
I nodded. “I’ll be there.”
I got out of the car and ran through the spring drizzle into my apartment. Lizzy, my roommate, was watching her favorite movie, Casablanca. She muted it and popped her head up over the back of the couch.
“Well, how did it go?” she asked.
“Fine.” I leaned over and took off my heels.
“Yeah?” She tossed a kernel of popcorn into her mouth. “Did you finally get it on?”
“No.” I laughed. “We went to a new restaurant.”
“Ugh, you’re like an old married couple, except an old married couple has already had sex.” She rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you just try him out? Get it on. It’s not like you’re a virgin. He’s been waiting around for a year. He’s into you, I promise.”
I sat down next to her on the couch and helped myself to her popcorn. It was time to confess. Maybe if I told Lizzy, it would make things somehow less scary.
“I am a virgin,” I admitted.
Lizzy stared at me, jaw dropped. “You’re thirty. You went to college for six years.” She arched an eyebrow. “You’re seriously still a virgin?”
“I went to law school. Most of my waking hours included shoving my nose in a book,” I explained. “Besides, no one has ever seemed special enough.”
Lizzy covered her mouth and gasped. “Oh my god, you’re a romantic.” She giggled. “All this time, I thought you were just boring. One day, honey. One day you will find a guy who makes your knees go weak. One day you’ll be Ilsa, and you’ll find your Rick, and there will be sparks and fireworks, and it’ll be perfect.”
We sat on the couch and watched the movie with the sound off for a moment. The subtitles flashed across the screen.
Of all the gin joints in all the world...
“I did feel sparks,” I whispered. “We held hands, for a long time. There was melting and tingles, and maybe even a few longing sighs.”
The feelings just weren’t for Pete, and I was the only one feeling them.
“Finally!” Lizzy turned to me and crossed her legs. “Well, then just take the lid off the cookie jar.”
On the screen, Rick just pulled Ilsa in for a passionate kiss at the train station. “I will. Someday.”
I left Lizzy to her romance and went to bed. Why did I have to feel sparks for my client? Jean Luc probably thought I was a piece of furniture with a law degree.
Chapter Five
Skeeter
It was a party, but everyone was on edge. The guys were scattered all over the bar area of the clubhouse, but it felt more like waiting for an execution rather than your typical drinking night among friends. Tonight was the one-year anniversary of when the Storm Kings, our old club, had turned in our colors and become the Demon Horde. It was also the first anniversary since we had killed one of our own.
Bear, our former vice president, had been stealing from the club. Then one night we found out he had been into a lot more than we thought. Turned out he was funding the local meth population and using our money to do it. Then he tried killing Colt’s old lady and daughter to get out of the hole he’d dug for himself.
I never thought we’d have to kill a friend. Remembering all the events from a year ago made for a damn shitty night.
A redhead with tits pushed up to her chin came around with another tray of Patrón. Since we didn’t have a regular bartender anymore, Tate hired some girls from the strip club to come serve drinks once in a while.
“Congrats on your kid.” Colt raised a shot glass to me before he downed it.
I nodded and grabbed a shot for myself. “Thanks, man. I just hope I get to see him again soon. Lawyer is gonna call me tomorrow and tell me what we do next.”
Colt nodded. “Is Gerry handling your case? I hear those custody cases are a real bitch.”
“Naw, he passed it on to one of his associates.” I took a long drag on the cigar Russ had gotten for me. Cuban, nice and smooth. “She’s Englestein’s daughter, actually. Said he didn’t do family law and sent me to her.”
I left out the part about her macing my ass in the parking lot.
Colt shrugged. “Englestein’s the best. He’s been working with the Horde in California for years. Got a whole lotta shit thrown out for me. I served eight months instead of ten years. Hope his daughter is just as good.”
Working with Gerry Englestein and his firm was courtesy of the Demon Horde. I took a sip of my tequila. When we were the Storm Kings, we rarely had problems with the law, but the Horde had someone on retainer. I could never have had a high-priced attorney last year, so I guess it was a good change. Still made me a little uncomfortable to think about how much the Horde got in trouble, though.
The strippers on loan from Jiggles wandered back and forth, serving drinks and hitting on the guys. As expected, Asia found her way into my lap.
“Hey, Skeet, you want a date?” She ran her hands under my cut and down my chest. Then she laced her fingers with mine.
I blinked, and she became a different woman. Tight curls, brown eyes, and a worried frown. My lawyer.
I blinked again, and the image went away. Too much tequila.
“Is there another girl you like? I could arrange something,” she offered. She frowned and scrunched up her nose. “You okay? You haven’t been yourself lately.” Asia was always accommodating, even if my plans didn’t include her. I hadn’t used her services in at least a month.
“Let’s talk,” I suggested. “Come on, let’s go for a walk outside.” I patted her hip, and she swung her legs to the ground.
Colt raised his eyebrows. Me and Asia talking was pretty unusual. Me and Asia heading outside was fucking unheard of. Most of the time, she and I would disappear into my room, and I’d come back down when we were done. I could see why Colt was concerned.
“Want me to text you when Tate is ready to start the meeting?” he asked.
“Yeah, thanks, man.” I took Asia’s elbow, and we walked out to the parking lot.
Once we hit the cool air and the uneven ground, Asia teetered a little in her heels. I grabbed her arm to keep her from falling over.
“Thanks,” she said, peering at the ground to try to avoid the potholes. “I got some extra shoes in my car if you wanna do something outside tonight.”
“No,” I said as we walked to a smooth piece of concrete where she could balance. “I thought we’d just talk.”
“Oh!” She nodded and started to stroke my shoulder. “I know all kinds of dirty talk, baby.”
I sighed. There was no easy way to do this.
“I’m really just not interested in your services.” It was blunt and shitty, but I guessed it would be better to be crystal clear with what I was saying. “But I know you’ve come to depend on my income, so I’d like to give you a gift.”
Digging out m
y wallet, I grabbed all the cash and handed it to her. About four hundred bucks. It was more than her usual fees for one night.
She looked at the money and then back to me. “You don’t want me anymore?” There was a little hitch in her voice. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, no,” I tried to reassure her, but she was already crying. Damn. “I just have kinda lost interest. It’s not you. I think I’m just ready to be on my own.”
“Oh.” She sniffed and wiped the mascara tracks off her cheeks. “Well, if you change your mind, you can always give me a call. Maybe we can even be friends.”
She looked at me with pleading eyes. Maybe those drunken nights in my room here at the clubhouse had meant something to her. I’d never thought of Asia as my friend before, but maybe I could start.
“Yeah, I’d like that.” I smiled. “Friends would be good.”
My phone buzzed. Time to go inside.
* * *
Once we all got settled, the first order of business was Clint and Rip reporting in on their trip to California. Our business importing illegal high-performance vehicles through our contacts in Vietnam had expanded. It was amazing how much some of these rich tech guys would pay for a fast car that the Department of Transportation considered unsafe. Clint and Rip had driven a customized Lambo from our clubhouse in Tacoma all the way down to a new customer in Los Angeles.
“She drove great,” Clint reported. He was our master mechanic. “All systems go, and she passed the Cali smog check on the first try.”
Once the vehicles were imported, they had to pass smog and have expertly forged documents, or the buyer wouldn’t pay. That was my first registration and title to pass in California. It had been real fucking tense until Rip called us with the good news.
“Congratulations.” Tate, our president, nodded at Clint and Rip and then to me. “Looks like we’re gonna be expanding our business.” He turned to everyone else. “All in favor of expanding down south?”
It was a unanimous vote.
Rebel Custody Page 3