“The one which resulted in the botched abortion which resulted in your attempt on your life!” he cried. Collette gaped at him, sheer confusion etched on her face.
“Damien! Where the hell did you get such an idea?” she demanded, her face paling. “That never happened…oh my God!”
Realization colored her face and Damien was sure he’d never seen his sister so incensed.
“Is this something that Franklin told you?” she demanded.
Uh oh. She called him Franklin. Oh fuck…
He could only nod, not trusting his voice.
“That son of a bitch! He really does take the cake for the most despicable father on Earth, doesn’t he?”
“But you had an abortion—”
“Stop saying that!” Collette hissed, looking around as if she was worried someone might overhear. “It’s simply not true.”
“Then why would he tell me all that…?” Damien asked in disbelief. His entire world view was shattering before his eyes.
Collette scowled, contempt written all over her face.
“Do you know our father?”
Shame threatened to smother Damien and he looked at his sister in shock.
“Oh God…”
“Damn Franklin for saying that to you,” she snapped irritably. “This whole time you thought I was some helpless victim of Luke Vaughan? If anything, I put that poor asshole through the ringer with my mental issues.”
Her eyes narrowed further.
“Why are you bringing him up now?”
Oh my God. What did I do?
“Why would Dad say that if it never happened?” Damien demanded again, trying to make sense of what he’d learned. “What the hell…?”
Collette grunted again.
“Our father was always trying to get an ‘in’ with Carter Vaughan,” she explained. “He was over the moon when I started dating Luke. He had no idea what a piece of shit Luke’s dad was. But in retrospect, I doubt he would have cared. Dad was all about the money and making connections. It turned out that Carter had the power to stand in our father’s way.”
Collette paused and eyed him, a look of understanding coming over her face.
“Wait a sec…he was incensed…Franklin. When Luke broke up with me. He was probably more upset than I was, to be honest – and that’s saying a lot, because I went crazy. In hindsight, it was the event that got me the help I needed, but at the time I sure didn’t see it that way. And neither did Dad. He’s the one that told me we’d make them pay. I thought he was trying to support me…in a fucked up kind of way, but still. I wonder…” she trailed off, both siblings not wanting to believe their father could have stooped so low as to manipulate both of his children to further his business dealings. For decades.
Fuck.
“I probably only started dating Luke because he pushed me toward him. Franklin is a great manipulator, you know?”
“Oh…I’m starting to see that with blinding clarity,” Damien breathed.
“I think him and Carter had some deal in the works. Ultimately it fell through and Franklin never really recovered from the financial loss of it. He had a hard on for that guy until the day he died.”
“And beyond,” Damien muttered, still not fully understanding what his father could possibly have hoped to gain by ruining Rachel Vaughan though.
“What did he make you do?” Collette insisted. “Jesus Christ, Damien, I told you to walk away from the old man years ago.”
“I have to go,” Damien breathed, his fists clenching hard. “Thanks Collette. I’m sorry to have brought this up again.”
“Damien!”
But he was already gone, flying toward the town car with his heart in his throat.
“George, take me to—”
“Ms. Vaughan’s apartment?” the driver guessed and Damien eyed him.
“How did you know?” he muttered.
“I knew you’d come around eventually,” the chauffeur replied.
The car had barely stopped outside the building, but Damien was already jumping out, flying inside the lobby to buzz Rachel. After the third time poking his finger against the intercom, an elderly woman exited the double doors and Damien let himself in.
“Hey! Do you live here?” she yelled after him but Damien was too busy running up the steps, forsaking the elevator.
What the hell are you even going to say to her?
He didn’t care. All that mattered was that he faced her. And came clean. She’d never forgive him, he was sure. But he had to tell her – that she was right, he was an asshole. A completely unforgivable asshole.
On the sixth floor, he found himself pounding on her apartment door.
He already knew he could no longer find her at the Hospice.
Damien desperately wished he’d thought to ask Luke more about Rachel when he’d come to the office, but he knew Rachel’s brother probably wouldn’t have disclosed any real details anyways.
“Oh, my God! If you’re a Jehovah’s Witness, so help me God—”
The door flew inward and Damien was staring at an elderly man, his face pinched into a scowl.
“What do you want?”
“Where’s Rachel?” Damien demanded, dumbfounded.
Did I get the apartment wrong?
But he knew that spot on the wall, the same one where he’d pinned her, ready to take her right there in the hallway without reservations.
“Who?” the old man snapped. “You have the wrong unit, boy.”
The old man turned to slam the door in his face but Damien stuck out a foot to block him.
“When did you move in here?”
The old timer glowered.
“Two weeks ago,” he snapped. “Now get lost before I call the cops. No wonder she doesn’t want you anymore. You’re rude!”
Damien moved his foot out of the way and allowed the door to slam in his face, his mind whirling crazily.
Where did she go? She’s pregnant with my baby and now she’s gone.
He inhaled and forced himself to calm down.
Think.
There was only one place left, that he could imagine Rachel might have gone if she wasn’t in New York anymore.
She’s gone home.
He spun back for the stairs, his hands reaching into his pocket for his cell phone. As he descended the steps, he pulled up flights to Detroit.
“She wasn’t there, sir?” George asked.
“No,” Damien replied. “And there’s no flights out tonight. Fuck!”
He inhaled and looked at the driver.
“How much gas is in the tank?” Damien asked.
“There are gas stations everywhere you can drive, Mr. Smythe,” George reminded him.
“Right. Good. Of course. We’re going on a road trip, George.”
“Detroit, sir?”
Damien’s mouth parted but no sound came out at first.
“H-how do you know that?” he demanded.
George chuckled and shook his greying head.
“Mr. Smythe, I have eyes and ears.”
“One day, you’ll have to write a tell-all memoir, George,” Damien muttered. “Just leave this part of the story out of it.”
“I have no idea what you mean, sir. Shall we leave now?”
Damien shot him a grateful smile and nodded.
“Yes, please.”
“It will be fine, sir,” George said, putting the car in drive.
“How can you know that?” Damien sighed. “You have no idea how stupid I was.”
“Because Ms. Vaughan had a father like yours too.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that I set out to hurt her, George. On purpose. Fuck.”
“As we always say, Mr. Smythe, you can only change the future.”
“I can try,” he agreed, pulling up his contacts on his phone.
He needed to have a long, deep conversation with his father.
It was nine o’clock when the town car pulled up to Luke Vaughan’s reside
nce and Damien was both emotionally and physically exhausted from the journey.
“George, we’ll find a place to rest up,” Damien promised the driver. “But I need to know that she’s here first—even if Luke doesn’t let me see her.”
“I understand, sir. Take your time. These old bones still have more juice in them than you might think.”
Damien didn’t respond and instead bounded up the steps toward the door. He recognized the house from his childhood. It was strange to be on the steps of Carter Vaughan’s mansion after all those years.
He rang the doorbell and in less than a minute, he was facing a gorgeous blonde with an impassive face.
“Yes?” she asked coldly, leading Damien to wonder if she didn’t already know who he was.
“I’m looking for Rachel,” he said. “Please.”
Her brow knit and she shook her head.
“I’m sorry, there’s no Rachel at this residence. Who are you?”
“You know who I am!” he snapped angrily. “At least let me talk to Luke.”
“I’m sorry, I really don’t know who you are,” the blonde insisted. “What’s your name?”
“Damien Smythe,” he growled, knowing she was toying with him. Her face curled into a sneer, her full lips becoming a cruel smile.
“Perfect!” she announced with an alarming cheerfulness. Suddenly, an envelope was slapped in his hand and he looked at it in disbelief. “You saved me the trouble of coming to you.”
Damien looked at it uncomprehendingly.
“What the hell is this?” he demanded.
“It’s two things,” the woman replied. “First, it’s an order to stay a hundred yards away from the Vaughan family at all times.”
“Fuck. You’re the lawyer?”
Her sneer faded into a death glare.
“I’m more than the lawyer, Mr. Smythe. I’m Rachel’s sister-in-law. I will make you so sorry you ever fucked with me if you come back here, or if you try to hurt her again.”
“I’m not trying to hurt her. I want to explain—”
“Don’t you want to know what the second part of the summons is?”
“Summons?” he echoed. “What summons?”
Luke appeared behind his wife, his cobalt eyes glowing with fire.
“You should have just stayed away, Smythe,” he sighed. “Why didn’t you just listen?”
“What is this, Luke? I just want to make sure Rachel is okay!” Damien pleaded. “I made a mistake—”
“Yes, you did,” Luke conceded. “Mer? You want to tell him?”
“Rachel is petitioning the court to have you give up your parental rights. She’ll see you in court.”
The door slammed in Damien’s face and he stood there, shell shocked and in disbelief.
Chapter 17
“…asshole,” she heard Remy snarl. “Good. I hope he cried like the little bitch he is….no, she’s still sleeping…there’s no need to tell her now…well, the court date is in three weeks, Luke. There’s enough time to let her know…of course she’ll appreciate it.”
Rachel sat back, trying to make sense of what Remy was talking about with her brother.
What court date? What had they done?
Dammit, she thought, I don’t have a good feeling about this.
Angrily, she slid open the door to her room and strode into the living room where Remy had just hung up the phone.
“What was that about?” she demanded. “What court date?”
Remy grimaced.
“You weren’t supposed to hear that.”
“Then you shouldn’t talk so loudly,” she countered. “What did you guys do?”
“Um, it’s possible that maybe Meredith may have prepared papers for you to sue for all parental rights of the baby.” Remy spit the words out as fast as he could. Rachel noticed his flinch, as if he expected her to be pissed.
And damn right she was pissed.
The words were little daggers in her heart.
Just hold on a sec, Rachel, and think about this. Maybe it’s the best thing…in the long run?
The thought hurt hard, but she had to be realistic - after all, it’s not like Damien had come running after Luke’s visit, was it?
“But that’s crazy,” she muttered, flopping onto the couch at his side. Olive was at class, leaving the two of them alone for a few hours. “I’m the one who wanted Damien to know about his child. Why didn’t she come to me with this?”
“You’ve got enough to worry about without legal issues,” Remy reminded her. “They’re just watching out for you. We all are.”
“I don’t need to be babysat,” Rachel growled. But even as she spoke, she thought about how she was living in his house, knocked up and alone.
“It’s not babysitting. It’s family looking out for one another,” he said. “Stop taking everything so personally.”
Rachel didn’t know how to feel. After Luke had told her that Damien didn’t want anything to do with their baby, she had cried – but she hadn’t allowed herself to indulge for long.
It turned out that in a funny way, his rejection was kind of what she had needed. The affirmation that she was on her own.
She had known that, of course, but his check had just made it more…final. To be honest, she couldn’t deny that there had been a part of her that thought he may have tried to contact her when he found out.
But he hadn’t.
So, if you know that it’s just you and the baby, why are you still living with Remy and Olive? Hmm?
“Sorry,” she sighed. “So, he knows—Damien? About Meredith’s petition?”
“He just got served the papers tonight,” Remy replied and Rachel’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Doesn’t my signature need to be on something like that?” she asked. Remy didn’t meet her eyes.
“I’m sure Meredith took care of everything.”
“Ethically?”
“Are you hungry?”
“Don’t change the subject, Remy. Why is this being done so secretively? Damien made it clear that he didn’t want any part of this baby…didn’t he?”
Remy didn’t answer and Rachel’s eyes grew huge.
“Didn’t he?” she demanded, sitting up straight. “Remy, what do you know?”
“Luke will kill me…”
“I’ll kill you if you don’t and right now! I’m in arm’s reach!”
Remy exhaled.
“I guess Smythe showed up at the house looking for you,” he muttered. “That’s when they served him.”
“What?!”
Remy nodded, looking miserable.
“What did he say? What did he want?” Rachel ground out.
“I swear, I have no idea.”
Rachel lumbered to her feet.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to find out what the hell is going on,” she snapped.
“Rachel, don’t!”
She ignored him as she snatched up the phone. It rang in her hand.
“Hello?” she breathed, not recognizing the number.
“Rachel! Are you okay?” Damien demanded. “Please, just tell me you’re okay.”
A thousand emotions flooded through her, hearing that deep voice again, making her head spin.
“I didn’t know you were here in Detroit,” she said. “How did you get this number?”
“I own a technology company, remember?” he said, then he paused. “So, you want me to give up my rights to the baby?”
“No! No, I mean…I don’t know what I want, Damien.”
“Will you talk to me, Rachel?” he implored. “Just for five minutes – please.”
“Look Damien, Luke told me that you didn’t want to have anything to do with me or the baby,” Rachel sighed, glaring furiously at Remy who wisely backed out of her room.
“That’s just not true, Rachel – I swear. I told Luke when he came to my office that I was coming to talk to you – I just had to straighten things out with my father�
��and Collette, first.”
His tone held an unmistakable ring of truth, and more than that, it showed the integrity that she knew was so important to Damien. Not integrity towards her, of course, but to his family. She had seen it often when they were together, his sense of duty, of protectiveness towards those he loved.
If he knew any of the truth now, he would have needed to confront his sister and father before he came to her. She just didn’t know if he actually knew any of the truth, because no one was fucking telling her the truth!
Rachel didn’t know how to react, who to believe. How was she supposed to make decisions for her and her baby when everyone kept lying to her?
“I need to see you, Rachel,” he whispered fervently. “Where are you?”
She blurted out the address to Remy’s loft.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
She exhaled as he hung up and scrambled to find a sweater.
“You’re not meeting him,” Remy said sternly. “He’s put you through enough.”
“I’m meeting him. I want to hear what he has to say.”
“Rachel, he used you—”
“I know what he did! I lived through it, remember?” she yelled. Inhaling sharply, she collected herself. “That doesn’t change the fact that he is my child’s father. And that everyone has been lying to me for way too long.”
He looked down with shame. “Rachel, you know we all – “
“Yes, I know. You have always tried to protect me, you and Luke both, but it’s high time I stand on my own two feet.”
“At least let me come with you. What if he—”
“No.”
There was a finality in her tone and Remy seemed to sense that arguing was futile.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “I’ll be back soon.”
She kissed his cheek and hurried out of the loft to meet Damien, her stomach twisting with apprehension.
Chapter 18
The river was stunningly beautiful at night, Windsor glimmering on the Canadian side as they stood staring over the water.
“I don’t even begin to know where to start,” Damien confessed, quietly, grasping her hand. “What I did…”
“My brother didn’t do anything to your sister,” she told him flatly. “You were wrong.”
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