“Come on over. Results are on the way. So are Sasha and her lawyer.” Caldwell’s breezy tone spikes my irritation.
“Fucking great.” I blow out a breath and look at the ceiling. “On my way.”
I hang up and reach for my jacket.
“Where are you going?” Nick leaps from the sofa.
“To seal my doom. Results are in.”
“I’m coming with you.”
I stop mid-stride and turn to face him.
“Don’t even try to stop me. I may be pissed, but I’m still family, and I’ll tell you like I told Bizzy. You’re not doing this alone.”
It’s not an apology, but it’s the closest he’s going to give.
He moves to the door, kissing Gail on the check and actually apologizing to her. She pats him on the back and slaps him upside the head. I chuckle until she faces me.
“This time, I’ll clean up. But the next time you boys decide to duke it out, you’ll answer to me.”
“Thank you, Gail.”
“Good luck, Shaw.”
Yeah, good luck. Sure could use some luck right now.
“How are we going to play this?” Nick asks, on our way to the conference room.
“We aren’t. I don’t speak. Caldwell speaks for me unless I feel the need to. It’s best if I stay quiet.”
“What the fuck? Why?”
“You’ll see.” I open the door and sigh when I see Sasha already seated with a smug grin.
Nick, Caldwell, and I all exchange handshakes, and I take the seat furthest from Sasha.
“Surprised to see you here, Nicky. It’s been a few years. I hear your career is going well.” Sasha tries to engage Nick.
“My name is Nick,” is his only response.
She rolls her eyes and focuses on me. “Ready for this?” She takes the envelope in front of her and rips the top.
“Wait, there’s something we need to discuss prior to the results.” Caldwell holds up a hand and she stops, looking at her own lawyer. He nods in agreement.
“Mr. Bennett would like to make it clear, if this baby is his, he will take full responsibility. His number one priority will be the health, safety, and well-being of the child. He also—”
“Well, isn’t that righteous of you?” she snarls, cutting him off.
“As I was saying,” he speaks over her. “However, if this child is not his, he asks that you both walk away from this table with no further contact.”
“This is ridiculous!” She slides the paper out of the envelope and reads through with her evil smile widening with every word. Then she starts laughing, loud and wicked, the sound bouncing off the walls.
My stomach drops, knowing the worst has happened.
Nick’s hand finds my knee under the table, squeezing in support. There’s a tremble in the touch. Caldwell opens his own envelope and nods professionally, showing no emotion.
“Very well, we will be in touch with the next steps.” He folds it and slips it into the manila folder in front of me, then stands, signaling the end of the meeting.
“The hell you will! I demand an apology, among other things.”
“Miss Crane, what exactly do you demand an apology for?” Caldwell continues to gather his files.
“He humiliated me. For fuck’s sake, Ren, aren’t you going to speak?”
The only solace I find in this whole situation is her growing irritation. It’s worth it to remain quiet to aggravate her more.
“Miss Crane, the point of this meeting was to establish paternity. All tests indicate Crenshaw Bennett is the father of your unborn child. We can now move on to establishing protocols for the remainder of your pregnancy and prepare for what happens after the baby is born.”
“You son of a—”
“Sasha.” Her lawyer lays a hand on hers, and she snaps her head to him.
“What?!?”
“Perhaps we should cover our own demands in private.”
“That would be appreciated,” Caldwell agrees.
“This is ridiculous! We’re right here.”
I sit up, taking the folder from Caldwell, and thumb through until I find what I’m looking for. Then I nod to Caldwell, giving him the signal I’m ready to speak.
“Sasha, according to the original schedule you handed us, you have another appointment in three weeks. Is that still correct?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
“I thought so.” Satisfaction spreads across her face.
“Also, how is your insurance? Do you have full maternity coverage?”
“Yes, Ren. I have excellent coverage.”
“I’ll speak to the office billing specialist and make sure she has my credit card on file in case there are any copays or incidentals that arise.”
She starts to look confused, but I keep going, further sealing the