Dare to Hold (Dare to Love 4)

Chapter Seven

“I want to go home,” Scott heard Meg tell Rick as he met them in the front area.

Scott joined them by reception. “What happened?” He glanced at Meg, who, up close, was pale and completely disheveled, dust marks on her black leggings, her hair falling out of her clip in disarray. She was still beautiful.

“I’ll let her tell you. I’ll be getting a trace on that number,” Rick said, striding away, Meg’s cell phone in hand.

Scott narrowed his gaze. Needing answers, he grasped Meg’s hand and pulled her into his office. By the time he closed the door behind him, his heart was pounding hard in his chest.

He turned to her, immediately cupping her face in his hands. “Are you okay?” he asked first.

She nodded. “I’m fine. A little shaken up but I’m okay. I told Rick to take me home so I could pull myself together¸ but he insisted on coming here.”

“What happened?” he asked again. “From the beginning.”

“I had a visit from Mike’s parents. They came by school to talk to me about visitation with the baby. And believe it or not, that wasn’t what has me rattled. Well, it does, but not in an I’m scared sort of way.”

Scott tried to keep up with the flow of conversation and rambling. “Okay, we’ll deal with the parents in a few minutes.” He settled himself on his mostly empty desk and slid his arms around her, easing her down beside him. “What else went on?”

“I was leaving school for the day when my phone rang. It was Mike, and he knew I’d been with his parents, which means he’s watching them. Or me. Or both. I don’t know.” She brushed her hair off her face with a shaking hand.

“Slow down. Tell me what he said.”

Big brown eyes turned his way. “I told him to sign the papers and I’d be gone from his life. He said if he did, his parents would cut him off financially. I figured that was because they want to see the baby, like they told me. So I offered to give them that right—but not him.”

He opened his mouth to ask what the hell she was thinking, but she held up a hand in front of him.

“I was just feeling out the situation for information, that’s all. I wouldn’t do something like that without more facts. Anyway, I figured he’d jump on the chance to give his parents what they wanted, right?”

“I’d think so, but I’m guessing not?”

She shook her head. “He said if I did that, they’d just make the baby their heir and he’d lose everything.”

“So now we know it’s about money.” Scott clasped her hands in his, hating how cold and clammy they felt. He rubbed them between his palms in an attempt to warm her, succeeding in warming himself up too, in all the wrong ways.

“I asked him what I had to do to get him out of my life, and he said I should do what he told me from the beginning. Get rid of the baby—”

Those words triggered something primal and still raw inside Scott, and he let out a low, angry growl.

Meg’s shocked gaze darted up, meeting his. “What’s that all about?”

“He threatened you,” Scott hedged, not wanting to reveal his personal shit here and now.

“But—”

“Later,” he promised. “I will tell you everything when we get home later.”

She nodded. “It’s the second time you’ve put me off on something. I’m holding you to that promise,” she said, her voice strong.

“Okay.” He’d suck it up and explain about Leah and the baby. Later.

Her shoulders relaxed at his promise.

Right now, though, this was about Meg, and she wanted to keep her baby, unlike his ex, who’d aborted without his knowledge.

“Back to you. And Mike,” Scott said.

A defiant expression crossed her pretty face. “If I wasn’t going to get rid of the baby when I found out about it and was in shock, what makes him think I’ll do it now?”