Rebel Heart

by Penelope Ward

  “Money can buy a lot of things, but it’s also the root of a lot of evils.”

  He nodded like he understood, slipped his glasses back on, and tossed two documents in front of me. “Well, I did what you asked. Although I had to word it a little differently so it could hold up in court if things ever came to that. But I think these two contracts give you the same effect that you’re looking for.”

  Gerald gave me a little time to read through both documents, and then we talked about a few things he’d added himself that I hadn’t thought about—a punitive damages clause, confidentiality clause, and some other legal mumbo jumbo that made sense when he explained them. When we were done, he sat back in his big leather chair and steepled his hands.

  “You think he’s going to take your offer?”

  “He’s pretty self-destructive lately. I’m not sure he’ll be able to put what’s best for him above his emotional immaturity.”

  “So how do you intend to convince him?”

  I stood. “I don’t. I need buy-in from the man on my next stop to help me do that.”

  “Jesus.” I let myself into Elliott’s apartment at seven that evening using the key I’d picked up from Lauren that morning. The place looked like a frat house at dawn after initiation night. Bottles of alcohol were strewn all over the floor, two naked women were passed out on the couches, takeout boxes littered the countertops, and shit was spilled everywhere. The only thing differentiating this scene from a college banger was that the tightly rolled up bills sitting on a mirror on the living room table were hundreds and not ones, and the view outside the window was of the Manhattan skyline instead of drunken teens passed out on a muddy lawn.

  I walked over to one of the women and used my foot to shake her awake. “Time to get up, sweetheart.”

  She turned and opened one squinty eye, using her hand to shade it from the light. “The other guy only paid for one.”

  Great. I scooped up a pile of clothes from the floor and tossed them at her. “Party’s over. Get dressed.”

  Then I nudged the other sleeping beauty. “Time to take your friend and go home.”

  While the two of them groaned and tried to figure out whose clothes belonged to whom, I went in search of Elliott. Unfortunately for me, I found him naked and sprawled out across his bed. At least he was face down. I checked he was still breathing and decided to put on a pot of coffee before waking that one up.

  One of the two ladies walked into the kitchen. She held onto the doorway as she spoke. “Do we get a tip?”

  Elliott’s wallet happened to be on the counter next to me. I opened it and pulled out the thick wad of cash. Handing it to the woman, I smiled. “Take it all. My treat.”

  She fanned the bills, saw a few hundreds, and stuffed it into her bra. “Thanks, cutie. You sure you don’t want a little parting gift goodbye? I bet you’re way more fun than your friend.”

  “No, thanks. I’m good.”

  After I locked the door behind them, I grabbed a garbage bag, tossed in every bottle of alcohol in the house, and dumped it in the garbage chute. Then I headed back to my loving brother and gave him a little kick, too.

  “Rise and shine, big bro.”

  He snored louder in response.

  A few more attempts still didn’t wake the fucker. So I headed back to the living room, sprayed some Lysol on a chair, and made myself comfortable. I hadn’t slept too well, anyway, last night, and I needed Elliott sober. It looked like I’d be waiting it out.

  Around six-thirty in the morning, the idiot finally stirred. I’d drawn the blinds last night, so the living room was still dark. My eyes were shut when Elliott walked out from the bedroom, and he brushed against the chair I sat in.

  “I hope that was your fucking arm.”

  “What the…”

  “Relax, it’s your baby brother. Not the pimp coming to collect his two whores.” I stood.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” Elliott flipped on a light.

  “Someone had to show your guests out. You’re shit for a host.”

  “Fuck you.” He walked to the kitchen and poured a glass of water from the tap.

  I shook my head at his bikini underwear. “Nice banana hammock. Don’t your balls get uncomfortable in those things? My nuts need room to hang. Then again, maybe you got peanuts instead of man balls.”

  He chugged two full glasses of water before turning around again. “What the fuck do you want?”

  “I’m glad you asked. I want Gia’s child to be mine and to be rid of you and the entire Vanderhaus family once and for all.”

  Elliott snickered. “We can’t always get what we want. Can we?”

  I started to lose patience. If I was going to get anywhere with making this happen, it was probably best if my fist didn’t connect with his face and we steered clear of the jabs.

  “Get dressed. We need to go see Edward.”

  A glimmer of vulnerability peeked through. “Why? Is he okay?”

  “He’s fine. I just went to visit him last night. Unlike you.”

  “I’ll go see him later then.”

  “No. We’ll go now. Together. The three of us have urgent business to discuss, and I’ve been waiting for your wasted ass all night.” My tone told him I wasn’t fucking around.

  “Fine. But I’m only going because I don’t have the energy to throw you the fuck out.”

  Yeah, sure. That’s the reason.

  Neither of us said a word on the way to Mount Sinai. Edward was sitting up in bed reading a newspaper when we walked into his private room. He folded it and spoke to Elliott. “You look terrible. Cut the crap, get over the shit with your wife, and get back to work. Women are a dime a dozen. You’ll find a new one to keep the house and look good on your arm. But the company needs you right now.”

  I shook my head. Great fatherly advice.

  Edward looked to me. “Why don’t we get down to business?”

  Pulling two contracts from the envelope, I handed them to Elliott. “I’ll sign over everything Grandfather left to me, except for the house I live in and the restaurant. You can have all my shares in Vanderhaus Holdings, the three Hampton rentals, and all the stocks he left me.”

  “And what do you want in return?”

  “I want you to give up your parental rights to Gia’s baby and agree not to come within a hundred feet of either me or her again. Apparently, it’s unconscionable to make one contract where I pay you to give up your rights, so Gerald made two separate contracts. One where you give up your parental rights out of the goodness of your heart. And the other a contractual agreement where I pay you a small fortune to not come within ten feet of me and Gia.”

  “Why the hell would I sign that?”

  “Because the two of you will have more money than you’ll ever need, and you won’t need to get my buy-in on anything ever again.”

  Elliott smirked at me. “I don’t need your money. And having this little bastard to lord over you will bring me years of enjoyment torturing the two of you.”

  I spoke through gritted teeth. “Say one more derogatory comment about Gia or the baby, and you’ll be spending a month in the bed next to your father. I’m not screwing around, Elliott.”

  Edward sighed. “Alright, alright. This is a business transaction. We don’t need to be barbaric about it.”

  I kept my eyes glaring at Elliott but spoke to Edward. “Tell your son what it’s like to have a child you don’t want, Dad.”

  Edward didn’t miss a beat, and didn’t even attempt to soften the edge of his words. “Impregnating your brother’s mother was the biggest regret of my life. To have a child you never wanted constantly looking to you for something you just don’t feel is a bothersome burden you don’t need.”

  I felt the usual stab in the heart, but for once it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was Gia and the baby.

  Edward looked at me and then back to Elliott. “Sign the papers, Elliott. Don’t let a second generation taint our famil
y name. We’ll never have to deal with the two of them again and our company will be fully back in the hands of its rightful owners.”

  In order to truly move on, you have to stop looking back. I hadn’t even realized that was what I’d been doing until now. But it was. Elliott signed the papers and extended them in his hand to me. It felt like a weight I’d been carrying around had suddenly been lifted from my shoulders. Who knew giving away a small fortune, saying goodbye to your father and brother for the very last time, and taking on the responsibility of a baby on the way could be so cathartic.

  I took one last look at Edward and Elliott, then nodded and took the signed papers. “Have a good life.”

  The weeks that followed Elliott’s signing his rights away were some of the most peaceful Gia and I had ever experienced together.

  Let’s face it, we hadn’t had too many moments without drama in the entire course of our relationship. We’d earned this, and dammit, I was enjoying every second of it. Waking up to her every morning and sleeping next to her every night was bliss.

  We’d spend our mornings out on the balcony overlooking the ocean and spend our evenings the exact same way. Every day I’d notice her belly growing more and count my blessings that the little baby inside was truly mine in every way that mattered. I couldn’t believe how easy it had been to buy Elliott off. I wondered if he’d come to regret his decision someday, but that was his problem, not mine.

  Another positive of this new life? I didn’t miss the business side of things at all. I still had The Heights and a damn nice roof over my head for my family, and that was all I needed. No more showing up to bullshit board meetings in the City and no more having to fight with Edward and Elliott. I’d basically paid for my freedom back in more ways than one.

  Gia and I were pretty well prepared for the baby’s arrival. The nursery was finished and stocked, and we’d taken Lamaze classes. We were as ready as we were going to be. Now with only a couple of weeks to go until her due date, I felt like there was really only one thing I wanted to accomplish before the birth—I wanted to put a ring on my woman’s finger. And there was no way I could do that without thinking up something fucking spectacular.

  This idea came to me one night. Since Gia managed to turn her book in on time to her editor, the manuscript was out of her hands. Still, I wondered if I could somehow snag an advance copy before she even saw it in print. My plan was to surprise her with it and stick the ring inside the pages. She wouldn’t see it coming because she’d initially think the surprise was the book itself. Then, boom…the ring would be inside. I hadn’t worked out all the details yet, but I also planned to take her to her favorite restaurant close to home. I would’ve loved to take her away, but we couldn’t travel too far anymore.

  Her agent had come through for me. She spoke to the publisher and had them send an early paperback of Gia’s novel. I felt almost guilty for seeing it before she did, but I knew she was going to freak when she realized why I had it. Apparently, it wasn’t the final version because the book was still in editing, but they were able to print me a copy of it anyway. I’d told the agent to ship it to The Heights so that Gia didn’t see it.

  I was now sitting in my car outside of the jeweler’s building. Taking the book out of the padded envelope, I rubbed my hand over the glossy cover that featured a woman sitting on a beach looking introspective. Gia had wanted a sexier cover, but the publisher nixed that idea, saying that Gia’s vision was too racy for bookstore shelves. I was so damn proud of her for getting to this point. She’d written this novel during the toughest time of her life. She’d pushed through, gotten it done, and met her deadline. My girl wrote a freaking book. She was a badass.

  After I opened it, I froze when I looked at the first chapter heading.

  Chapter One: Rush

  She’d named him Rush? Get outta here. No fucking way.

  She always joked about doing that, but I never actually thought she’d go through with it. Back when we had that bet about whether I could quit smoking and she could quit candy, she’d said she would name her character Rush if she lost. Of course, I was the one who lost, so I ended up fixing her car instead, the car that I’d already fixed before she even realized it. I never imagined she’d actually name her character after me.

  Damn.

  I was supposed to be surprising her, but it seemed I was the one shocked. I felt bad for ruining what was probably supposed to be a surprise for me. Well, I didn’t really feel that bad—because this was going to be a bomb-ass proposal.

  I put the book back in the envelope and ventured into the jewelry store to pick up the engagement ring I’d selected a couple of weeks earlier.

  The owner, who was dressed in an elegant, crisp suit, approached me as soon as I entered. “Hello, Mr. Rushmore. We have the ring sized and cleaned for you.”

  “Great. Thank you.” I sat down and leaned over the counter that displayed dozens of diamond rings through the glass. “Let’s see it.”

  The jeweler opened the small, black velvet box to show me the two and a half carat round diamond with a pavé diamond band.

  I shook my head slowly and let out a deep breath as I held up the ring between my thumb and index finger. “Beautiful. I hope she likes it.”

  Now I just needed to figure out when I was going to execute my plan.

  “If no further adjustments are needed, we can process payment, and you can take the ring home today,” he said.

  “Yeah. Let’s do it. Thank you.”

  I wiped my forehead. Jesus, was I sweating?

  It wasn’t that I was nervous to get engaged, just the opposite. I wanted everything to be perfect and hoped Gia wanted to get married as much as I did.

  The man asked me if I needed a bag, but I told him no, slipping the ring box inside my jacket where I felt it would be safer. I didn’t want to run the risk that Gia would find the bag anyway.

  When I returned to my car, I realized I’d left my phone on the passenger seat while I was inside the jewelry store. It was lit up with missed calls, texts, and voicemail notifications. All were from Gia.

  Gia: I don’t know where you are. I’ve been trying to call you but you’re not answering, I’m pretty sure my water just broke. I tried to call my doctor but couldn’t get him, so I’m just taking myself to the hospital. I’m scared. My due date isn’t for another two weeks!! I can’t be having this baby now!

  Shit!

  My heart was frantic as I typed, my hands shaking.

  Rush: Where are you now? Are you there yet?

  I waited a full minute, and there was no response. Then I pressed play on the most recent voicemail as I started the car and sped away.

  “Hey, Rush. I texted already, figured I would try calling again. I don’t know where you are, but I really wish you’d pick up. They just admitted me. They checked me and told me I’m about to have this baby. I may not get to call you again. If you get this, please hurry.”

  It felt like my head was spinning. The time on the message was ten minutes ago. As I headed in the direction of the main road that would take me to the hospital, I came upon standstill traffic.

  Banging my hands against the steering wheel, I screamed, “Fuck!” I beeped the horn. “Come on!”

  Traffic wasn’t moving. In the distance, I could see a bunch of walkers with numbers plastered onto their chests. They were doing a 5K or some shit. That must have been what was holding things up.

  I couldn’t afford to wait. When I spotted a guy standing on the sidewalk with his bike, I jumped out of the car and raced over to him.

  Opening my wallet, I took out every last bill. It had to have been at least five hundred bucks.

  “My girlfriend is in labor. Traffic isn’t moving. I need your bike. I’ll give you all my money and my car for the afternoon.”

  He took one look at my Mustang, which was idling with the door open and said, “Sweet.”

  I knew it was a risk, but it didn’t matter to me what happened to the damn car. All
that mattered was that Gia and the baby were going to be okay and that I could be there.

  We quickly exchanged numbers before I hopped on his bike and started flying down the road, weaving in and out of cars and people. The bike was squeaking; it was old as shit. I hadn’t been on an actual bicycle in years. What they said about not forgetting how to ride one was apparently true.

  It felt like all the air had been sucked out of my body by the time I arrived at South Hampton Hospital. Sweat was pouring off me. It was a good thing we were in a hospital because there was a decent chance I might collapse.

  I ran to the front desk. “Where is Labor and Delivery?”

  “Fourth floor.”

  Out of breath, I ran to the elevators and banged several times on the up button.

  When I got upstairs, I went straight to the nurses’ station. “My girlfriend, Gia Mirabelli, is in labor. Help me find her.”

  “Are you the father of the baby?”

  “Yes.”

  “Your name?”

  “Ru…” I stopped myself. “Heathcliff Rushmore.”

  “ID, please?”

  I took my license out of my wallet and handed it to her.

  “Excuse me a moment.” The woman got up and walked down the hall.

  Did she just fucking walk off and leave me?

  Where the hell is Gia?

  She returned with a plastic bracelet that she wrapped around my wrist. Then looked up at me and smiled. “Come right this way.”

  My pulse was racing as I followed her down the hall. I looked down at the bracelet, which simply said Mirabelli along with a bunch of numbers.

  When she opened the door to Gia’s room, I nearly fell over. Whereas I’d previously been in a rush, everything came to a screeching halt.

  Time just slowed down.

  My heart squeezed with an unidentifiable feeling as I walked toward the bed where Gia was lying with a beautiful baby clutched to her chest, its fingers and toes moving around.

  It was alive.

  My baby.

  My eyes filled with tears as I bent my head down to kiss its soft head that had a full mane of dark hair.