by Liz K. Lorde
“You think?” Leo turns to me, and he can’t hide the great big beaming smile that’s taken over his whole face.
I swear, if he keeps it up, he’ll put the sun out of business.
“I know you will be.”
“Holy fuck, Kristen! We’re going to be parents!”
“I know!”
Leo laughs, and I can’t help but join in. We’re still giggling infectiously as the waitress brings over our food. She smiles and joins in with us.
“What’s the occasion?” she asks.
I look at Leo, raising an eyebrow and silently asking if he thinks it’s a good idea to tell her.
He shrugs.
“We’re going to be parents.”
Her whole face lights up. “Oh! Congratulations! Enjoy your meals, you guys. God…I’m so happy for you both.”
“Thank you,” Leo says politely as she turns to walk away.
We eat in silence for a bit, both of us buzzing with excitement over the sudden news. I know Leo; he’s going to want to race back to the hotel so that he can start planning for the future immediately.
But before I’m even halfway through with my meal, a set of footsteps approaches the table. I lift my head to look at the intruder, and Leo’s face is cold and hard as he stares down the man standing beside our table.
“Do you mind if I pull up a chair?” he asks, already pulling up a chair.
“Actually—” Leo starts.
“So, imagine how lucky it is for me to run into you,” the man states, smiling at me.
He’s youngish, in his thirties. With brown hair and chiseled features. He carries himself with an easy type of confidence—he’s a man who knows that he’s attractive.
“Who are you?” Leo asks, still staring daggers at him.
If looks could kill.
“Craig Bower. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“What do you want?” Leo spits.
Craig laughs and looks at me in disbelief. He’s trying to be jokey, but I’m on edge, too. People never just come up to you because they want to be your friend.
They always want something.
“Well, Leo, I was just wondering if you’d heard from Oberon Lawson at all recently? Or perhaps know where he is?”
I know that the minute Lawson’s name is mentioned, Leo gets even more on edge. With my foot, I reach for him under the table, stroking up his calf and trying to be reassuring.
I watch Leo think about his answer, but we both know that we have nothing to lose by being honest.
“I have no idea where Lawson is, and I haven’t heard from him. If I never hear from him again, it’ll be too soon.”
“Yeah,” Craig says, nodding. “That’s what I thought you’d say.”
“Why’re you so interested in Lawson?” I ask, still stroking Leo’s leg under the table.
“Lots of reasons. But I was wondering if you would still be disinterested in helping me if I told you that…” Craig trails off as he puts his hand inside his jacket.
I watch Leo tense and reach for his gun. But Craig only raises an eyebrow as he reaches into his inside pocket and pulls out a manila envelope. He slides a picture out and places it on the table between us, facing towards Leo.
The photo is of Lawson, arm in arm and laughing with a woman that I have seen only once but Leo knows intimately.
His mother.
“What if I told you that Oberon Lawson was your father?”
I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut.
The air is completely knocked out of my lungs.
I can’t imagine how Leo must feel right now.
But Craig continues to talk through the silence, pushing forward. “Look, there’s no good way to receive that news. But I’m hoping that your animosity towards Lawson isn’t changed just because it turns out you share a few genes.”
He pauses and looks down at the picture briefly. “He’s dangerous, and he needs to be stopped. You and I both know he’s hurt too many people and needs to go down.”
Leo looks up at me, and our eyes meet. It’s been two and a half months, but I still can’t forget how terrified I was in that auction. How easily Lawson could take me from under the noses of my closest friends.
Craig’s right. Lawson does need to get what’s coming to him.
But Leo and I left that life behind, and the little ball of life forming in my stomach is as good as a reason as any not to get involved with that life again.
I don’t want Leo to throw away his chance at being a dad over a man who was never really a father to him.
“So?” Craig asks, and we both turn to look at him. “Are you in or out?”
I look to Leo and squeeze his knee beneath the table.
Whatever he decides, we’re in this together.