I feel sick. The tone of her voice is scaring me. She sounds upset.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
Every worst case scenario is circling around my brain. I’ve been through this dozens of times, but it never gets any easier. Nobody wants to see their baby sick.
“I don’t know. He was struggling to breathe when I picked them up from school. A doctor is with him now. I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier, but my first priority was getting him help.”
“I’ll see you there soon.” I hang up and start the car. I feel like I’m driving in slow motion and every single person in Chicago is there to get in my way. I run a red light and slam my foot down on the accelerator. I swallow the lump in my throat as tears force their way down my cheeks.
Thank fucking God the hospital is only ten minutes away.
Please let him be okay. God, if anything happens to my baby...
Chapter Fourteen
Ryder
I open the door. My stomach tightens. Just the sight of this sick bastard makes m
e sick. He smirks and swaggers past me. He knows exactly what I think of him, and he doesn’t give a shit.
“Does she know you called me?” he asks.
I narrow my eyes. He already fucking knows the answer to that. She would kill me if she knew I was getting involved. But what choice did she leave me? I had to get rid of this asshole for her, because he wasn’t going anywhere on his own.
“What’s it going to take for you to disappear?” I ask coolly.
He walks over to my minibar and helps himself to a beer. My jaw clenches as he twists open the top and takes a mouthful. His eyes are laughing at me. The bastard thinks he’s in control, which makes me want to pound his face in.
“What makes you think you can buy me off? Maybe I just want to get to know my son.” His eyes narrow and I laugh. This scumbag is so full of shit.
“Because I know the kind of lowlife scum you are. Fifty grand transferred into your account, and you get the fuck out of their lives and stay out.”
He walks over to me, the open beer dangling from his fingers by his side. “Maybe I don’t want your money,” he drawls, cocking his head to the side. “Maybe what I want is to be balls deep in that soft, tight pussy again. You’ve been there. I’m sure you know what I mean—”
He laughs as I grip my fist around his neck. I have him up against the wall and I so badly want to beat the shit out of him. I curse and let go, my hands balling into fists beside me.
“This is a one time only offer. Fifty thousand and disappear.”
“This is how it’s going to go, Ryder Stevens.” His cold eyes level with mine. “Two hundred and I’m gone. Forever.”
I laugh. “You’re fucking kidding me. There is no way in hell I’m handing that kind of cash over to you.”
“Oh, but I think you will.” He grins, wetting his lips. He rubs the stubble that lines his jaw and adjusts his belt. “See, there’s a few things I know about your little girlfriend. Things I’m sure the police would be deeply disturbed to hear about. Not to mention child protective services.”
His words send a shiver down my spine. I have no reason to believe this sack of shit, but I do. He’s telling the truth. I know he has something on her, but what the hell could she have done that would risk her losing her son?
“Fine,” I say, gritting my teeth. “Two hundred grand will be in your bank tomorrow. But so help me God, if you ever show your face around here again, I’ll fucking kill you myself.”
He takes a step closer to me. He’s so close that I can taste the secondhand smoke that spills from his breath. My fists clench beside me as I wait for him speak.
“Trust me when I say this, Ryder,” he whispers menacingly, his eyes darkening. “I don’t want anything to do with the kid, nothing at all. But fuck with me, and I’ll ruin her life. You can count on that.”