“I’m not giving anything up,” I shoot back. “I’m giving up the future that you and dad had planned out for me. For yourselves! When are you going to understand that I’m my own person. I’m not going to throw my life away in a fucking loveless marriage just because my parents told me to!”
My mother sighs and shakes her head. “I hoped it wouldn’t come to this. If you don’t come back to the family, not only will we sue you for breach of contract, but you’ll never see Samantha again.”
My heart drops to my stomach and my brow knits together. “What does that mean?” I ask slowly, not wanting to betray the panic that’s rising in my throat.
My mother waves her hand and straightens her jacket. She pats her hair down in that familiar motion, making sure not a single hair is out of place.
“It means what it means,” she finally says, swinging her eyes over to me. “Look at where we are, Dean. We’re up on the tallest, thinnest branch of the tree. You don’t get here without leaving some people behind.”
“What does it fucking mean,” I say, taking a step towards her. “Don’t you fucking dare hurt her, or – ”
“Or what,” she interrupts. My chest is heaving up and down as I try to understand what she’s saying. “You’ll hurt us? You’ll sue us? My dear son,” she says, taking a step towards me. “You are nothing. You have nothing. You’ve been able to keep your bank accounts, your apartment, and your new job because I’ve allowed you to. But now, my patience is wearing thin.”
She grabs her bag and steps around me, turning around when she gets to the door. “Break up with the girl today, and show up to your father’s office tomorrow morning. There are no other options. Your time is up.”
With that, she swings the door open and walks out. All the air in my lungs goes out with her and I slump down onto a chair. I’m breathing heavily, head in hand, trying to figure out what the fuck just happened.
She threatened me, she threatened Sam, she threatened to take everything away from me. As good as it felt to be independent, I don’t doubt that she’d be able to close my accounts and lock me out of everything I have.
“Fuck!” I yell, slamming my palm down on the table. “Fuck fuck fuck!” Every word comes with another slam. I grab the contract she brought me and rip it into a thousand pieces, throwing them across the room. They flutter down, taunting me as they fall one by one at my feet.
I take a deep breath. I don’t have to break up with Sam. I can figure this out.
As soon as the thought crosses my mind, I know it’s not true. They’re too powerful, they have too much control over me, and I know that they’ll stop at nothing to make their dreams of political success come true. I’m not their son anymore, I’m an obstacle in the way of their rise to the top. It feels like a dagger in my heart. After everything I’ve done, all the hours I’ve put in at work, all the time I’ve spent trying to be a good son – it means nothing.
What can I do?
I can run away. I can tell Sam to pack a bag and I can drain my accounts and run away. I grab my phone, ready to call her and tell her before slumping back down in a chair.
She’ll think I’m crazy. There’s no way she would agree. And plus, where would we go? My parents have friends all over the country, all over the world! They’d find us, they’d hurt her, and they’d force me to marry Victoria.
No, I can’t put Sam through that. My priority has to be to keep her safe. What’s that thing that people say, when you love something you have to let it go? Maybe that’s what this is.
I don’t realise I’m crying until I feel the tears falling off my chin. I bring my hands up to my face and sob, my whole body shaking. It takes me a long time to accept that in order to protect Sam, I need to get her as far away from me as possible.
Chapter 35 – Samantha
I pull up in front of Jess’s house and take a deep breath. I probably should have told him about the baby, but I just couldn’t find the words. I’ll tell him next time I see him. I think about his performance and smile.
The kids were so happy when Dean was performing, and they were already asking about juggling lessons. I think he’ll be one of the more popular acts. Even if we could schedule Dean or one of the other entertainers for one night a month it would make a big difference to the program.
My mind is buzzing with all these thoughts as I grab my purse and head inside. The second I open the door, I hear one of the twins screaming. I walk down the hall and Jess appears, her hair sticking up in all directions as she rushes out of the twins’ bedroom.
“Sam, hi!” she breathes. “Would you mind grabbing Matt’s blankie? I think it’s on the sofa. I have to grab Michelle.”
“No problem,” I say. I glance at her from the corner of my eye, seeing how frazzled she is for the first time. She sighs as she moves some of my things off the coffee table and I cringe. For the first time since I got here, I feel like I’m in the way. And now, with the child inside me, I know I’ll definitely be overstaying my welcome.
I grab Matt’s blanket and bring it in to him, doing my best to quiet him down while Jess takes Michelle. Once the twins are quiet and finally asleep, I head to the kitchen and pour two cups of tea. Jess takes it gratefully. She shakes her head.
“It isn’t getting any easier,” she says.
“I know. Listen, I don’t mean to be in the way here, so I was thinking I would start looking for a place of my own. With the baby…” I pause, glancing at Jess’s reaction. Her face stays steady and she nods slowly.
“You’re not in the way, Sam. I hope you don’t feel like you have to leave. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to. Have you spoken to Dean?”
I shake my head. “Not yet.”
“Maybe he’ll want to move in together,” she says.
I sigh. “I don’t even know if he’ll want the baby,” I say.
“Why don’t you stay here a little longer, Sam. Your life is going to be upside down soon.”
I smile. “You guys have been so great and it’s time I leave you to your family.”
Jess nods and sighs. “I can help you go to viewings if you want.” She takes a drink and sighs again. “I’m exhausted. I need to go to bed while the two of them are sleeping.”
I nod. “I’ll clean up,” I say as she drops her mug in the sink. Soon I’m alone in my friend’s kitchen, wondering how I’ll find a place of my own. I can start looking online tonight and see what there is on the market. Maybe I could even move closer to work and closer to Dean, that way I wouldn’t be spending so much time in the car. I brush my hand over my stomach and shake my head. Maybe I’m being ridiculous, and moving is just going to add extra stress.
A small flame of excitement builds as I think of having my own space and starting a family of my own. I need to tell him about the baby first, before I make any rash decisions.
I pull out my phone and find Dean’s number.
I’ve been thinking I’ll move out of Jess’s. How do you feel about helping me view some shoebox apartments?
I smile as I press send and head towards my bedroom. Something catches my eye as I walk by – the brown box. I grab it off the shelf and turn it around in my hand. I take a deep breath. I finally feel like my own person, and I finally feel like I’m completely over Ronnie. I can deal with whatever’s in this box. Once I’m in my bedroom, I rip the brown paper off the box and open it up. I frown as I look at the contents.
It’s a red clown’s nose with a scrap of paper. The scrap of paper has the same sharpie writing as the box, with four words scrawled across it.
Go back to Virginia.
My heart starts to beat harder and my mouth is suddenly dry. Go back to Virginia?? Is this a threat? The red clown nose obviously means Dean. This can’t be from Ronnie – it was on the front steps the day he showed up here. He almost got in a fight with Dean, and they’d never met before. I turn the paper over and look in the box again. There’s nothing else.
/> My thoughts turn back to the woman in the hallway. Could she have sent it? She knew my name, and I had no idea who she was. What the fuck is going on?
My cell phone buzzes. It’s Dean.
We need to talk.
My chest feels hollow and somehow my mouth gets even drier. I fucking know we need to talk, Dean. All of a sudden my hands are trembling and I try to think of something to answer. Should I tell him about this? I stand up and pace back and forth when the doorbell rings.
My heart is thumping as I glance down the hallway towards the front door. I walk slowly, each step creaking on the wooden floors as I make my way to the front. My heartbeat is roaring in my ears by the time I get to the door. I wish Jess had a peep hole and the panic starts to rise inside me.
I take a deep breath and shake my head. I’m being ridiculous. With a sudden gust of courage, I rip the front door open and stare outside. I take a step back in surprise when I see a woman on Jess’s front steps. She’s perfectly put together, standing with her hands clasped in front of her body. Her cold smile makes a shiver travel down my spine.
“Hello, Samantha,” she croons. I try to swallow, licking my lips to get some moisture back in my mouth. How does she know my name? She looks familiar somehow, like I’ve seen her before. I frown.
“Who are you?” I croak back in response. Instead of answering, she hands me a large yellow envelope. I hesitate before taking it from her. I turn it around and then glance back at the woman. She nods to the envelope.
“Open it.”
I glance from her to the envelope and unhook the string holding it closed. I open it up and pull out a stack of papers. They look familiar, and it takes me a few seconds to realise these are my divorce papers.
“What the fuck?” I say, staring at her. “How did you get these? Who are you?”
She just smiles at me. “I want you to stop seeing my son.”
The recognition finally clicks and I see a hint of Dean in her features. My jaw drops open and I shake my head.
“No! Why? What’s going on? Why do you have these?”
“Unfortunately, it seems your lawyer never filed them,” she says slowly. “And your ex doesn’t seem too happy about your relationship. He might want to renegotiate some of the terms in a way that’s… more palatable to him. A judge might not like the fact that you’ve jumped into bed with another man so soon after your separation. It might raise certain questions about your fidelity.”
“My fucking fidelity?” I repeat, jaw hanging down. “Are you serious? He’s the one who cheated on me! He’s the one who broke my heart! How did you get these! I’m calling the police.”
She shakes her head and smirks. “No you aren’t. You’re going to stop seeing my son, and those divorce papers will get filed. If they don’t, you’re in for a very long, very expensive legal battle where your name will be dragged through the mud. You’ll never work with children again.”
She flings the last words at me and they hit me as if they had physical weight. I stagger backwards and stare at her, trying to understand what’s going on. She gives me that cold smile again and turns around, walking slowly down the steps as a driver steps out of her waiting car and opens the back door for her. She glances at me once more before sliding in. The driver closes the door and walks around to the driver’s seat before speeding off down the road.
I stare after them until they’re out of view and then swing the door shut. My eyes drop to the stack of papers in my hands and then back out to the street.
What is going on? Why doesn’t she want me to date Dean? How did she get these papers? Where is Ronnie? Who is she, and more importantly, who the fuck is Dean?! Who have I been dating for the past two months??
Chapter 36 – Dean
The phone keeps ringing and ringing and ringing. Sam isn’t picking up. The last text I got from her was about moving out of Jess’s place. I toss my phone aside, blowing all the air out of my lungs. I bring my hands up to my face and groan as I lean on my elbows.
What a mess.
I’m going to be honest with Sam. That’s the best way. I’ll be honest about Victoria, about being pressured to marry her, about my parents’ political aspirations, everything. I’ll tell her about my mother’s threats and then she’ll be able to make her own mind up.
My phone is still dark and silent, and I pick it up to dial her number one last time. I know I shouldn’t. It’s late, and she’s probably asleep, but there’s still a niggling thought that tells me something else is going on. She usually sends me a message before she goes to bed, and tonight I’ve heard nothing from her.
I replay everything my mother said and sigh again. She wanted me to break up with Sam tonight and report back to my father tomorrow. That gives me no time to figure anything out.
I can’t take this anymore. I need to see her, I need to talk to her and tell her what’s going on.
I grab my jacket and rush out the door. I’ll drive to her place and make sure she’s alright. From there, we’ll be able to figure something out together. I jog to the elevator and tap my foot as it makes a slow ascent towards my floor. I sigh, counting the seconds until the doors ding open.
It seems to take an eternity to go back downstairs and I rush to my car. It seems like every single light is a red light and it takes me forever to get to her place.
Finally, I pull up outside and jump out. I ring the doorbell and shift my weight from foot to foot until I hear someone coming towards the door. I breathe a sigh of relief when Sam opens the door.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, brows knitting together on her forehead.
“I was worried about you, I had to see you,” I reply.
“Why would you be worried?” Her words seem to have a double meaning and she stares at my face intently. A lump forms in my throat and I’m struggling to find the words to tell her what I need to tell her. Where do I start! Her eyes narrow a bit more and I shake my head.
“You weren’t answering my calls,” I finally concede. “I…”
She waits for me to go on and finally shakes her head. “What the fuck is going on, Dean? Why is your mother showing up on my doorstep and telling me to break up with you? Why some woman showing up at my work and telling me you aren’t what you seem? Why are you suddenly worried about my welfare? What is going on?”
“Wait, what? She came here?! And who was at your work?”
“Tell me what’s going on Dean, it feels like there are way too many secrets you’re not telling me.”
“There aren’t any secrets! It’s just family stuff.”
She nods slowly. “Just family stuff. Right. The family that owns your life and basically runs this town. And you wouldn’t want to share any of that with me, because I’m not part of your world, is that it? I’m just a fun distraction? It’s not until your own mother, who I’ve never met before, comes to my door that you’re suddenly worried about me knowing these things?”
“No, Sam! What? No! Not at all!”
“Leave me alone, Dean. I dealt with secrets and lies in my marriage and I’m sure as hell not going to deal with it from you.”
“Wait, Sam, please,” I say, taking a step towards her. Her face softens and she sighs.
“You need to be honest with me, Dean. I can’t take this.”
My heart breaks and I nod. “They’re pressuring me to break up with you. I swear Sam, I’m trying to fight it. It’s not you, they’ve wanted me to marry someone else. I just need a little time to figure it out.”
She chews her lip and stares at my face. “I need to think, Dean. And you need to give me some answers.”
“I will. I promise. I can’t take you out tonight, I’m pretty sure my mother is watching me. Meet me tomorrow after work? I’ll know more then.”
She nods. We stand there in front of each other silently until Sam’s face relaxes and she starts to smile. The squeezing in my chest disappears and I relax. I take a step forward an
d kiss her softly. The minute our lips touch, relief floods through me and I pull away.
“I’ll pick you up from work and I’ll tell you everything,” I say. She nods. “Goodnight, Sam.”
“Goodnight,” she says. She sighs and shakes her head before slowly closing the door.
I get back in my car and let out a sigh. That wasn’t what I was expecting. My mother must have come here right after going to my place. She must have threatened Sam somehow, and what was she saying about someone showing up at her work?
The panic that I felt earlier starts to transform into anger. I can feel it curling in my stomach as I think about my mother and father and Victoria. They’ve controlled my life for far too long. I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this one, but I do know that Sam cares about me and she wants to be with me. I want to tell her everything and she wants to hear it, and that’s got to count for something.
I’ll go see my parents tomorrow morning and try to stall for time. That’s all I need, more time. I need time to talk to Sam and time to figure out how I’m going to get out from under my parent’s thumb. I need to figure out what they have over Sam and how to make sure they won’t come after either of us.
I can figure it out, I know I can, but I need more time.
With a deep breath, I start the car. Before I can pull out, the passenger’s door opens and a large man gets in. I turn around to protest when I see the man’s face. I know that face.
“How have you been enjoying fucking my wife?” he says. My jaw drops as I realise who it is.
“Ronnie? What are you doing? Get out of my car!”
Something glints in his hand and I see the barrel of a gun. My chest suddenly feels hollow and a lump forms in my throat. I flick my eyes back to his face and see him snarl.
“I had the honour of meeting your mother when I came here the first time. Apparently she likes to have you followed and she saw an opportunity. And what can I say, I’ll take any opportunity to fuck your life up after you swooped in and took Sam from me.”
Knocked Up by the Billionaire's Son: A Secret Baby Romance Page 13