“It isn’t mine,” he said before stalking away.
She might have let him go if she hadn’t caught Chad watching her. If he could be brave, so could she.
“If you don’t do it willingly, I’ll have to subpoena you for a sample,” she called after Adam.
He stopped dead in his tracks and turned in her direction, icing her over with a glare so cold, the sunshine streaming through the window behind her shivered.
“I said, it’s not mine,” he said, enunciating every word as if she were too stupid to comprehend what he was saying.
“Just give the lady her sample,” the police officer said. “She’s going to get it eventually. Why be stubborn about it?”
“I have better places to be,” he said. “Are you going to arrest me again, force me to take her ridiculous test?”
The officer gave Lindsey a sympathetic look but shook his head. “I can’t force you against your will unless there’s a court order.”
Madison reached out the arm not in a cast and took the swab from Lindsey’s hand. Before Lindsey could thank Madison, Adam took his cooperative fiancée by the elbow and tugged her toward the door.
“Adam, you can’t keep running from responsibility,” Madison said.
“Watch me.”
Lindsey took a deep breath, praying he wasn’t the father, and if he was, that irresponsibility wasn’t a genetic trait. She turned to the officer. “Can I talk to Jacob Silverton, please? He’s still in holding, I think.”
“You need to swab him too?”
She nodded. Technically, she only needed one sample to know who’d fathered her baby. If Jacob was positive, it was obviously his, and if he was negative, that left Adam. The way her luck was going, she didn’t even need a conclusive test to guess who had birth control–defying sperm.
Jacob didn’t protest when the guard swabbed his cheek for her, but he looked so defeated sitting by himself in that little room that she wanted to cry. Where was the badass rock star who effortlessly rallied a crowd of thousands with the flick of his wrist?
“Didn’t anyone come to get you?” she asked through the open door.
“I didn’t call anyone,” he said, his blue eyes weary. “I’d rather be here than home, to be honest.”
Lindsey bit her lip. She idolized this man and didn’t know how to help him. She didn’t have the funds to bail him out even if he’d asked. “Shade, if you need to talk—”
“Go on home, Lindsey.” He stared down at his clasped hands. “You got your DNA sample. What more do you want from me?” A muscle flexed in his jaw. “I don’t think I can handle any more bad news right now.”
“Me having your baby would be bad news?” He opened his mouth to respond, but she didn’t want to hear it, so she hurriedly said, “The clinic will let you know if it’s yours. But whatever the results say, you never have to see either of us again, if you don’t want to.” She held her head high as she walked out of the holding area, but inside she was dying. She wanted her daughter to have a father who was happy she existed, not one who considered her bad news or an unwanted responsibility.
“Are you crying?” Chad asked when she returned to the area where releases were processed.
She wiped a tear from her face, but shook her head.
“What did Silverton say to you? I’ll kick his ass if he hurt you.”
“He didn’t say anything to hurt me. I’m not crying for me.”
“Surely you’re not crying for me again.”
She cradled her belly. “I’m crying for her. She hasn’t even been born yet, and she’s already been rejected. Nobody wants her.”
“You do.” Chad placed a hand on her belly.
“Yeah,” she said, but the tears fell faster.
“I do,” he added.
“Chad . . .”
“I do,” he said, his tone more convincing. “I don’t care that we don’t share DNA, I want her in my life.” He tilted his head back to look up at Lindsey. “And I want you.”
“I can’t ask you—”
“You didn’t ask me. Now stop crying. Your baby hasn’t been rejected. She’s wanted by two pretty terrific people.”
He winked at her, and she laughed through her tears.
She stroked his hair and gazed down at him, knowing her heart was on full display, but she couldn’t help it. She loved the guy. Too fast, she knew. But how could she not love him?
“You’re wonderful.”
“I’d do anything to make you smile, angel.”
She licked her lips, unable to ask him for anything more than he’d already willingly given, but she could ask for something for someone else. “Could you do me one favor?” She lifted a finger.
“Anything.”
“Could you bail Jacob out of jail? I don’t think anyone is coming to get him. I’d do it, but I can’t afford to.” She might be able to put up her car as collateral for a bond, but she doubted the piece of shit would even start.
Chad held her gaze for a long moment, considering her request. He surprised her by saying no.
“That’s something you need to ask of Owen, not me,” he said. “If this band is ever going to get back together, they have to help each other.”
“Won’t that just make Shade feel indebted to Owen?”
“The egotistical prick needs to feel indebted to someone. He’s so pissed at Adam for being selfish and irresponsible that he doesn’t see he’s behaving the same way.”
Chad Mitchell, big brother to all. Lindsey smiled at the thought.
Lindsey called out to Owen, who was sheepishly thanking Caitlyn for vouching for him as she signed off on his release paperwork.
He glanced at the officer in charge for permission to leave Caitlyn’s side. Lindsey foresaw a lot of make-up sex in their future. Maybe Joan wouldn’t mind if Lindsey came over for an extended visit. She could hide out at Joan’s place until Owen and Caitlyn’s pheromones cleared.
Owen looked at his brother instead of Lindsey when he came over. “Something wrong?”
“Lindsey wants to ask you for a favor.”
“Not for me,” she said. She already owed him a thousand favors. “For Shade—Jacob.” Jacob seemed like a more personable name. It felt a bit presumptuous of her to call him that—they weren’t friends, even if they might be parents together—but his given name humanized him. She hadn’t called Owen by his stage nickname—Tags—for ages now. And that story she’d read about Owen always wearing those dog tags to honor his brother had a lot deeper meaning now than it had before.
“He’s not on the top of my list of people I’m willing to help at the moment,” Owen said. “Starts a fight at
my house. Ruins Caitlyn’s party. Gets me arrested. Ends my career.” He ticked off each crime on his fingertips.
“Actually, I think Adam started the fight,” Lindsey said. She wasn’t sure if Adam had thrown the first punch, but Jacob had been leaving the party when Adam confronted him. Maybe if Lindsey hadn’t called after Jacob while he was trying to escape, Adam wouldn’t have noticed he was there. She wasn’t sure. Maybe the whole fight was her fault. Whoever was at fault didn’t really matter. She just couldn’t stand the thought of Jacob Silverton being so alone that no one was willing to bail him out.
“To be fair, I wouldn’t bail Adam out either,” Owen said
“Or Kellen?” Chad asked, his head tilted to one side.
Owen scowled. “Why don’t you call Shade’s wife?” He stalked off before Lindsey could plead her case.
“I’m sure someone already called her!” she yelled after him.
“Can’t he just bail himself out?” Chad asked.
“The magistrate said someone had to claim responsibility for each of them,” she said. “I don’t know why he put that condition on their release.”
“Probably because they’re rock stars and can’t be trusted to take care of themselves.”
Chad rolled his eyes, but Lindsey figured that was probably exactly what that magistrate had been thinking.
So Owen was out. Lindsey glanced around for another potential benefactor. “Gabe!” she shouted gratefully.
Gabe, who was in line to be released and flanked by Melanie and Nikki, turned at the sound of his name and cringed when he saw who’d called for him. Jeez. Lindsey had thought they were all past the point of her mere presence causing distress.
“What do you want, Lindsey?”
She looked down at Chad, who had yet to leave her side, and whispered, “Maybe you should ask him.”
“Gabe is Jacob’s best friend after Adam.”
“After Adam?” She blinked at Chad, wondering if he’d lost his mind.
“Yes. Adam and Jacob have been best friends for a very long time.”
Well, hell. No wonder Jacob looked so defeated. If she had a best friend like Adam . . . But, wait. She did have a best friend who’d utterly betrayed her. She hadn’t talked to Vanessa in months, and doubted she’d ever speak to her again, but she still cared about her. She might have even bailed her out of jail, if such an act was necessary.