Scoring Off The Ice (Ice Kings #2) - Stacey Lynn Page 0,85
when they meet him, but who wouldn’t. The man is built like an ox, dressed in military fatigue-style pants like he’s set to be deployed immediately and he has sunglasses over his eyes.
“Paisley,” I call her, and her hair whips in the air as she turns to me. Her skin pales and she licks her lips.
I want to kiss her and apologize and make everything better.
She blinks. “Mikah.” Then she turns, scoots by Jaxon who hasn’t changed his expression as she comes closer, and then she’s gone, slipping into the elevator as the door closes.
“Damn.” That couldn’t have gone worse. Or maybe it could, if she would have slapped me.
“That was about as icy as the Arctic,” Jaxon says and holds out his hand. “Jaxon Hayes.”
“Thanks. And yeah, that was… well, that was…”
“Paisley Hughes. Yeah, I know.”
I should be surprised, but I’m not. There’s a reason Luke hired him. I told him to find the best.
“Come on in.”
I turn back and enter first as he says, “If it’s any consolation what I’m about to tell you will probably help smooth things over with the neighbor.”
“Yeah?” I bounce Angelo in my arms. He fusses a bit and I check my watch. Viola should already be here. It’s not like her to run late. “What is it?”
He reaches behind him and without saying a word, hands me a folded piece of paper.
“What is this?” I’m already reaching for it, but with Angelo fussing it’s not easy to open.
“Termination of Parental Rights Request.”
I almost drop Angelo and I’m shaking so I lay him on his playmat on the floor before I do. “I’m sorry. What?” I tear open the paper and see for myself.
“You’ll need to go to a judge. But I’ve filed the work already. Got that done as soon as she signed. And with the information I found the judge will give it.”
“What… what information, and how...”
“One, it’s my job and you sure you want to know? Because not everyone does. And the good news is she’s out of your life. Guaranteed. Slippery, but I got it, and witnesses to her deceit.”
“Deceit.” I whip toward Angelo.
“Don’t worry. He’s yours.”
“Tell me.”
“She didn’t know whose he was. Process of elimination. Two other guys she went to, them for money, they refused, but they weren’t as rich as you. A dentist and some guy who owns a contracting firm. He’s also married, so, well, he wanted her gone, but also wanted the kid.”
“Are you… she slept with…”
He finally changes his expression from stone to something like a sneer. Slowly, he slides his glasses off and tucks them into the front of his black shirt. “Got knocked up. Didn’t know whose it was. I figure, by the time she got to you, she was tired of actually fucking guys with a moral conscience and the smarts to determine they’re actually the father before handing over stacks of cash. Your girl isn’t too smart. Probably started with less rich guys first in case he was theirs. Didn’t want to risk losing your money pot.”
“She’s not my girl,” I snap. This woman. This damn, evil…. My living room spins, I’m in such shock. I might need to sit.
I really need Viola to get here. If I go down, no one can help with Angelo because Paisley is gone… from the building and my life. For helved. Pis. Shit. I have screwed everything up.
Jason was right.
I am an idiot.
“So me… why did she leave him?”
“She wanted the vacation. Got back, has no money, watched you for a few weeks. Was going to come back but then waited until you went public, figuring you’d have to eventually and she’d get more money than from you.”
“All of this, screwing with my life… with Angelo’s for money?”
“Three million.”
Stupid. She should have just said it last week. “Had she asked I would have given it to her to get her to go away.”
“That’s what I told her. Needless to say, she’s not thrilled with me or my tactics to get her to sign, but it’s done and filed. Nothing she can do about it now.”
“He’s mine.” I scan the paper again. It’s a copy, like he said, but it’s still stamped. Upper right corner with the day’s date. “I’ll email another copy to Luke but like I said, knew you’d want this, so I figured I’d hand deliver it. No tellin’ with his family thing when he’d see it. Thought you’d want to know.”