Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
“Where’s Carr?” she demands.
“He’s gone.”
“That bastard.” She whirls on me. “Give me that.” She snaps her fingers toward Violet, who starts to make fussing noises at the sharp sound.
I stroke her back and adjust her pacifier. “Give you what?”
“The baby. That’s mine.”
“No. It’s Carr’s baby.”
“The hell it is.” She turns to the officers. “Arrest her. She kidnapped my baby.”
“Ma’am, if you would just hand over the child, we can be out of your hair,” says the uniformed officer. She has a round face and kind eyes. I hate lying to her, but this is for Violet’s sake.
“This baby is Carr McRae’s daughter.”
“And you are?”
“His fiancée.”
“That’s a lie,” gasps Megan.
I lift my chin. “It’s true. Once we are married, I plan to adopt her as my own.”
“That’s my baby!”
“What’s her name?”
“It’s ah-ah,” she sputters and then spits out, “Megan Jr.”
“Megan Jr,” I repeat incredulously.
The cops are looking at Megan with suspicious eyes. “Ma’am, do you have a birth certificate or some proof that this child is yours?”
“I don’t carry that around,” she says. She slaps her hands on her waist. “Arrest this stranger, and let me take my baby and go.”
The cops exchange looks, and then one of them dips their head. “Ma’am, we’re gonna take our leave. When you have evidence like a birth certificate, maternity test, and DNA testing, we will be back and help you, but until that time, I think maybe you should just talk this out.”
“No, wait, you can’t go.” Megan grabs one of their arms.
The woman cop shakes her off, and Errol holds open the door as they leave. Megan stamps her foot and then lets out a scream of frustration. Violet starts crying. Megan claps her hands over her ears and shouts, “Make her shut up.”
Of course, the noise only makes Violet louder.
“You’re making it worse.” I push Violet’s head against my chest and scowl at her bio mom. “What do you want?”
“Where is Carr?” she asks, avoiding my question.
“Not here.”
“You’re not his fiancée.”
“What does it matter?”
She raises a shaky hand to her temple. “I need to talk to him now.”
“I know you don’t want this baby, Megan. You didn’t even name her. What is it that you want? Money?”
“No shit, Sherlock. Looking at you”—she sneers, raking her eyes over my boring leggings and oversized shirt that has a milk stain from an early feeding session—“I know that you don’t understand how much money it takes to look like this, and I live a certain lifestyle, and it needs money to keep it up.”
“You think Robert Remington is going to keep it up for you?”
Her eyebrows shoot upward. “He has to. I’m the mother of his baby. He has to pay me money every month.”
“Only if you’re the primary custodian, but if he has primary custody, then you have to pay him.” Violet has stopped crying and is sucking quietly on the pacifier.
“What are you talking about? That’s not how it works.” Megan’s voice starts to rise.
I motion for her to cut it out, pointing to Violet. Megan presses her lips together but keeps her mouth shut.
“Yes, that is how it works. Child support is paid by the parent who doesn’t have the child with them.” Megan shakes her head violently.
“It’s true, miss,” Errol chimes in. “You can look it up on the internet.” He hands her his phone, which must have the search results for her. She flips through a couple of screens and then staggers back. Errol helps her to a chair.
“What did Remington promise you?”
“He said he would give me one million dollars, but if I have the baby, I figured I’d be able to get thousands a month. I read one athlete’s wife got $40,000 a month.”
“Is Remington marrying you?”
Megan nibbles on one of her fingernails.
“I’m going to take your silence as a no. Also, child support ends when the baby is eighteen. Why don’t you call him?” I suggest. It’s a gamble, but I think hearing from Remington is the only way Megan will be convinced.
Errol hands over his phone. Megan lifts her chin and sniffs. “You’re going to give me that baby when I’m done.”
I won’t, but I figure I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. For now, I’m banking on Remington being the ass I know he is.
The administrator patches Megan through, and Remington’s curt voice comes through the speaker. “Who is it?”
“Bobby, it’s Meggie.”
“Who?”
“Meggie. Megan, the mother of your child.”
“I don’t have any kids.”
“What do you mean you have no kids?” she starts screeching. I shake my finger in warning at Megan as Violet shifts against my chest. Megan glares at me but lowers her voice. “You offered me one million dollars for her a month ago.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Megan, but you’re often on drugs, so I’m just assuming that you’re high right now and having delusions. When you come down and you want some of my dick again, give me a call. I might be available.” He hangs up.