How to Have Your Boss's Secret Baby - London Casey Page 0,96
to the floor.
He sat on his ass, looking up at me, shock on his face.
“Your jaw is soft,” I said. “Didn’t even hurt my hand.”
I looked at the bartender.
I nodded and walked out of the bar.
So the deal with Mr. Pickle was obviously over.
Which meant I was slowly losing everything in my life.
Lincoln grabbed my shirt and walked me against a brick wall and slammed me against it.
“Asshole,” he spat in my face. “Stupid, fucking, asshole.”
He pushed away from me and ran a hand through his hair.
“Done?” I asked.
“No,” he said.
He lunged at me and punched me in the stomach.
His fist felt like a boulder, knocking the wind out of me and making me see stars.
I hunched forward and waited for my body to figure out how to breathe again.
I reached for Lincoln and he slammed his hand on my back.
“Now I’m done,” he said. “Stand up and look at me.”
When I was able to take a breath, I stood up and looked at Lincoln.
“Think about what you did,” he said. “Think, Cole. Think. You’re so fucking caught up in this title of boss. Who the fuck are you? Is it really that much about money? Are you jealous of Hudson? Because this is insane.”
I took the words like I took the punch.
In silence.
There was nothing I could say to fix what I had done.
I took another breath and looked to my right.
I saw Jackson and Callie. Jackson with his arm around Callie.
Then there was Liam and Emily. Holding hands.
“Well, well, well,” Callie said as she shook Jackson away.
He grabbed for her right hand, but she moved fast.
Her finger went right to my nose.
“You are an asshole,” Callie said.
I nodded.
“I’m normally not one to get involved here,” Emily said, “but I hope you get hit by a car, Cole.”
“Shit, Em,” Liam said.
“She’s right,” I said.
“Of course I’m right,” Emily said.
“You made your secretary pretend…” Callie showed her teeth.
I turned my head, giving her my cheek.
Instead of slapping me, she punched me in the stomach.
Right where Lincoln had.
I coughed and leaned forward again.
I looked at Emily. “You next?”
“You’re not worth it, Cole,” she said. “You have no idea what it’s like to be a woman to begin with.”
“What if I tell you how much I love her,” I said. “Huh?”
“Eat shit, Cole,” Callie said.
“Hey, hey,” Jackson said. “Give him a second. He wanted to talk to us.”
“You’re all right to be pissed at me,” I said. “But this was what I wanted to avoid. The scrutiny on her. From the second I met her, I felt something, okay? I didn’t plan to sleep with her and mess up her life. Things just happened. Look at you, Emily. You and Liam. Were you two squeaky clean?”
“I will break your jaw, Cole,” Liam warned.
“It’s the truth,” I said. “Why can’t I have that truth too? I didn’t want Maya to be the secretary pregnant by her boss. She’s more than that. I wanted to finish this deal, cash out, and then spoil her and the baby.”
“Except you punched the cucumber guy,” Lincoln said.
“What?” Jackson asked. “You punched him?”
“I knocked him flat on his ass,” I said. “He told me I should have had Maya take care of the pregnancy when it first happened.”
I pushed from the brick wall.
Callie blocked my path. “You’re still an asshole.”
“She’d probably be better off without you,” Emily threw in.
I looked around at them all. “I guess I can always count on you to tell me the truth.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Lincoln said. “I don’t mind kicking your ass either.”
“I let you hit me,” I said.
“So what’s next, Cole?” Liam asked.
“I love her,” I said. “I want her. I want the baby. I want the family thing.”
“Then go get it,” Jackson said. “No matter what it takes.”
“Will you still hate me, Callie?” I asked.
“Probably,” she said.
I looked at Emily. “You?”
“I’ll tell Maya to leave you every chance I get,” she said.
I respected their hatred for me.
Before I could think of my next step, my phone started to ring.
It was some random number.
My gut told me to answer it.
My worst fear was something happening to Maya and the baby.
My second worst fear?
The call that came through.
It was about my brother.
Chapter Forty-Three
Maya
I zipped up the last bag and frowned.
There were no more tears allowed.
I had spent too much time crying.
It wasn’t worth it. And it wasn’t good for the baby.
I read online that your emotions could transfer into the baby’s emotions and that could set them up for life.