Dark Guardian (Black Hoods MC #3) - Avelyn Paige Page 0,58

different ideas on what sort of surprise could be waiting for us inside a coffee shop.

The kids and I follow her inside. Pausing, she looks around before making her way to a couch and loveseat set up with a coffee table between them.

I frown when I see the man sitting on the couch jump up as Grace approaches. I know this guy. It’s Ty something or other. We’d shared a jail cell recently. But how the hell does he know Grace?

Ty has a young boy sitting on the couch beside him, his face covered in chocolate from the donut he’s shoving into his mouth.

“Ms. Halfpenny,” he greets with a nod, his gaze darting over to me with recognition. I relax a little at the formality. She obviously doesn’t know this guy well if he doesn’t even use her first name.

“Mr. Jackson,” she returns, her voice suddenly all business. “Thank you for meeting me.”

“Yeah,” he replies, a little irritated. “I don’t know why you wanted to, though. The judge still hasn’t ruled on my case.”

Grace moves and waves us closer, inviting us into their conversation. “Mr. Jackson, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Eugene Grant.”

He looks as confused as I feel. “Hey,” is all he says.

Kevin curls his lip and looks to me, clearly not understanding what the hell is going on, either.

“Okay, Grace, that’s enough. What are we doing here?”

Grinning, she claps her hands together with excitement. “Okay, I’m sorry. I’ve never done anything like this before.” She turns to Mr. Jackson. “I don’t work for DFPS anymore. But, before you left, your file was on my desk and I took a peek at it.” Jackson’s brow smooths out, and the same hope I’d seen on Natalie's face earlier is on his now.

He glances down at his son, and then looks back to Grace. “Do you know who my parents are?”

She grabs my hand. “Tyson Jackson, I’d like you to meet your biological father, Eugene Grant.”

Ty gapes at me as I gape at Grace. “What the fuck are you talking about, Grace?”

She places her hand on my chest. “Mr. Jackson has been petitioning the court to unseal his records. He was adopted when he was two years old, but his mother had surrendered him to DFPS as an infant.”

I cross my arms, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible. “I don’t have a son, Grace. My son died. He passed away before he was even two months old.” I’d told her this. Why is she doing this?

But she isn’t listening. “No, Eugene, she lied to you.” What did she just say? I stare at her, unable to breathe. “Your son never died. She relinquished him, claiming that she couldn’t care for him any longer. She gave him up to the state.”

A punch in the dick would’ve hurt less than those words. My gaze slowly moves to the man standing in front of us. I take another long look at him. His eyes are dark, like mine. He’s got several tattoos and a thin frame.

But it’s the ears that do it for me.

I’d always hated my ears. Well, I’d always hated my earlobes, to be specific. They were longer than most, and thick. When I was younger, I used to keep my hair long just to cover them up. Since I started going gray, though, that just made me look like an old man.

I stare at him in shock and awe. Is it possible? Did Gina really give away our son and then lie to me about his death?

“So…” He clears his throat, looking as shocked as I feel. “So you’re saying this is my father?” His hand is clutching at his chest as he stares back at me.

Grace reaches into her purse and pulls out a piece of yellowed paper and holds it in the air between us. “This is your birth certificate. The mother listed is Gina Marie Spicer.” My heart thuds against my chest, feeling like the world has just… stopped. “And the father is Eugene Robert Grant.” Her eyes meet mine. “Shane didn’t die. She gave him away.”

Feeling like I could pass out from the revelation, I drop my ass onto the loveseat and stare at the little boy across from me.

I clear my throat. “Who is this?” I ask, my voice hoarse with emotion.

“This is my son,” Ty replies, his voice shaky. “His name is Joey.”

My body trembles. Gina lied. I have a son. I have a grandson. I’m a fucking grandpa. How