“Summer Warren. Born in Sacramento on May twenty-fifth to Howard and Marie Warren.”
The iPad displayed a newspaper clipping with her birth announcement. Seeing it turned her blood to ice.
“Occupation, waitress.” Maleficent cackled. “Part-time student whose only asset is a Nissan Sentra.”
She’d seen enough. “Where is this going?”
“I think you know the answer to that.”
Their eyes locked, and Summer felt the woman’s powerful demonic vibe reach for her soul.
Not on her watch. No way.
She focused and pushed back with all her might.
Maleficent seemed put off—just enough to give up the effort.
“You have a decision to make, Miss Warren. Either do what’s best for the baby you’re carrying or take your chances in a court of law.”
Summer hissed, “What the hell do you mean?”
In what unfolded as a scene from a bad movie, a paper check made out to her in the amount of fifty thousand dollars slid into position beside the iPad.
Oh, my god. They were trying to buy her baby.
“Well played, Summer. Sleeping with a millionaire and getting pregnant is the oldest play in the book. Now, here’s your payday. Be smart and take the money. If you don’t, we can battle for legal custody in court. I’m sure you can afford a high-profile lawyer, can’t you, dear? I mean, after all, Arnie has unlimited resources, and the family will do whatever it takes to claim his heir.”
“Claim his what? Are you insane? What the hell are you talking about? What family?”
“Oh, don’t play innocent. Not with me. I perfected the act decades ago.”
“Look, lady, I don’t know or care who you are. My baby is none of your business. Take your flying monkey, get on your broom, and be gone.”
Maleficent laughed. “Oh, I do so love the suggestion of drama. How charming. But let’s cut to the chase, little girl. The family wants that baby, and we’ll do whatever is necessary. You know damn well it won’t be hard to paint you as an unfit mother.”
For the second time, Summer wanted to bitch slap the smirk off the woman’s face.
Then the bottom fell out of her world.
Brooks Brothers tapped on the tablet, and Summer felt a sense of danger. In a sniveling New York drawl, he narrated a slide show designed to scare the shit out of her.
“Marie Hall. Alias, Marie Warren of Boca Raton, Florida. Her specialty is sugar daddy work. She finds old men with money to fund her lifestyle.”
Surveillance-style photographs of her mother canoodling with a parade of wrinkly old men turned her stomach. They hadn’t delivered the kill shot yet, and when it came, Summer experienced red-hot hatred for the first time.
“The apple didn’t fall far, eh, my dear? Like mother, like daughter. No judge with a lick of sense will hand over a child to someone with your background.”
She glared at Maleficent. “Does Arnie know you’re here? Is he aware of this scheme you’ve hatched?”
“Where do you think we got our information?”
Arnie did not have any of her personal details. The woman was lying but why?
Without missing a beat, she dropped her order pad and pen and reached into the deep pocket on her skirt. Finding her phone, she whipped it out and tried to snap pictures of Brooks Brothers and the evil queen.
Her actions triggered a hissing response from Maleficent, who tried to snatch the phone from Summer’s hands.
“Back off, lady,” she growled.
Brooks Brothers made an unexpected sideways incursion, but she saw it coming and tried slapping his hand away. The skirmish caused her to drop the phone.
All hell broke loose. Summer whistled for the bouncer from the bar. A busboy ran up to her as the customers in the nearby booths watched the scene unfold.
It was a complete shitshow. Threats were hurled. Gasps filled the air. The manager got involved. Ten minutes later, the two had been escorted out of the restaurant. Ten minutes after that, Summer was out of a job.
“You’re doing what’s right, Summer. It’s the only thing you can do, considering the circumstances. Sometimes, it’s best to retreat and wait for what comes next. Staying here where you’re exposed and a target is dangerous.”
She wiped away some tears, blew her nose, and gave Cyrus and Joanne Westmoreland a watery half-smile.
It hadn’t taken her long to realize she needed help to disappear for a little while until the baby came, and she was in a stronger position to protect her little family of two.
She still didn’t fully comprehend what was happening, but