Dark Secret - Avelyn Paige Page 0,19
unpleasantness.” Kasey moves farther into the room, leaving Shelby and I alone.
“Wyatt,” Shelby begs, a tear rolling down her face. “Please. We need her help.”
“Shelby, she’s the last person on earth I would ever ask a favor of, even for Hayden.” If Kasey is my only law-abiding option, I’ll find another way, with or without a court order.
“We need to try, Wyatt. You said it yourself that developers like this one don’t open their user list to anyone. We need that court order to get the records, and Kasey can do that for us.”
“Then why did you come to me if Kasey can help you? Why did you drag me into this?”
“Because you’re Hayden’s father, and the only person who could have gotten us to this point. Kasey can help us move that needle ahead. Please, you just have to talk to her and see what she can do.”
“I don’t like this. I don’t like that you lied to my face about just who this attorney friend of yours is, and I don’t like that you hid my daughter from me until you needed my help. In fact, I fucking hate all of this.”
“I know, but if we want to get this information, Kasey is the only attorney who can do it without waiting weeks for an appointment. She’s our only option.”
The only legal option she means. Before I even went to see her this morning, I’d considered sending a couple of the guys over to the developer’s office for a “friendly” meeting, but it was a risk. They could give us nothing in return. But with a court order, they’d have to hand over the information.
“Fine,” I growl. “But I need you to understand that if she opens that mouth of hers and spits out shit at me like she just did, I will walk and do this my way.”
With my reluctant agreement, I step inside the room with Shelby following behind me, closing the door. Kasey sits at the head of a large table with chairs tucked underneath each side. Just breathing the same air as this woman sends a course of rage sliding up my spine.
“Take a seat.” Kasey outstretches her hand to the empty seats next to her. Shelby settles into one, but I park my ass several more down, away from her. Taking notice of my placement, she rolls her eyes. “You don’t have to sit so far away, Wyatt.” Her voice is slick with contentment. She knows she got to me out there with her comment, playing right into her intent to piss me off.
“I’m close enough.”
Kasey turns her attention to Shelby and grips her hand tightly, her eyes softening as she looks at her. “Everything okay? You sounded upset when you called earlier, but I didn’t expect to hear you say you needed to see me, and that you’d be bringing him along.”
“It’s Hayden, Kase.”
Kasey’s eyes grow wide at the mention of my daughter’s name. “Does he…?”
“Yes, he knows. She was taken, Kase. Wyatt thinks she was chatting with someone on this game she likes to play, but we need a court order to get access to the user’s information to track him down.”
“Why didn’t you come to me first? You didn’t need to involve him with this, not after all these years.”
That’s when it hits me that Kasey knows about Hayden. How is that possible, unless… No. Shelby wouldn’t have done that to me.
“How does she know about Hayden, Shelby?” I say quietly, slowly pushing away from the table. Guilt is clear on her face. “Tell me. You owe me that much.”
“Wyatt, please. Now isn’t the time.”
“When would’ve been a good time to know that I had a kid? You’ve had twelve years to tell me, yet she knew before I did. I’m her fucking father, Shelby!”
“And where were you when she was born, Wyatt? Riding with your biker gang? What kind of life is that to raise a baby in? I gave Shelby and Hayden what you couldn’t—safety.”
Pointing in Kasey’s direction, I growl, “She was fucking there when Hayden was born and not me?”
“Wyatt…” She trails off, lowering her head.
“Who do you think rescued her from you?” Kasey spits out. “Someone had to be there for her.”
As soon as the words leave her mouth, the thin grip I had on my self-control slips and cracks. I could have forgiven Shelby for a lot of things, but not this. There’s no coming back from this lie.
“It’s one thing that you hid my