Wild With You (The Connor Family 2)

"Okay, um... what would you two like to order?" Jeff asked. "My treat."

"How about cutting to the chase?" Graham suggested, mirroring my thoughts.

"Cut me some slack, man. I'm trying to work up the courage." Jeff shrugged. My stomach twisted. Work up the courage to what? My thoughts flew to Milo. Jace and Will had taken him out for dinner.

"Why did you want to meet, Jeff?" I asked.

He set an elbow on the table, scratching his double chin. "So, as you know, I'm working in Denver."

"Okay...?"

"I ran into some trouble recently. A patient sued me for giving him the wrong treatment. My lawyer initially said we had a strong case, but now it seems like there is a real possibility I might lose my license for malpractice. The hospital already fired me."

Graham and I exchanged a glance, and I could tell he was asking himself the same thing. What did this have to do with me and Milo?

"If the hospital fired you, I'm guessing they think the patient is right," I said.

"All I did was prescribe some drugs that had just hit the market. The pharmaceutical company gave me a fat bonus, and their statistics were comparable to older drugs. I couldn't know it wouldn't work."

"Or you could have prescribed one of the time-tested drugs. But God forbid you actually do something that is not in your best interest, right? That goes right against the Hippocratic Oath." I couldn't help the venom in my voice.

"Well, it's a done deal now. My lawyer says it's important I appear as a responsible person. She looked up my records, said it doesn't bode well for me that I wasn't taking care of my kid."

I stiffened. "Get to the point."

Under the table, Graham squeezed my hand.

"I know I haven't been good about paying child support, but it would help if you'd declare that I did."

I stared at him. He couldn't be serious. This was why he wanted to meet?

"You son of a bitch." That was Graham. I needed a few seconds to calm down before talking.

"You have the nerve to show up here and ask me to lie for you? After you ditched me when I was pregnant and ignored your son all his life?"

"Come on, Lori. That was a long time ago. And seeing the company you keep, it's not like you're still pining after me or need the money. Landon's rich as fuck anyway. Not like you ever needed my money. What's the harm in helping me out?"

"The harm is that I'd be lying. You are not a responsible person, and you have not paid one dollar of child support. I will not pretend otherwise."

"Lori, don't be like that. You know I could make things difficult for you. I have never exerted my paternal rights, but if I decided to—"

"You continue that line of conversation and you won't have teeth left in your mouth," Graham said. His voice was calm and composed, but it sounded lethal.

I wanted to punch Jeff myself. Not only didn't he care one iota about Milo, but he wanted to use him as a bargaining chip. Christ, I couldn't believe he'd become even more of a scumbag over the years.

Jeff swallowed. "This already ate up all of my savings. They find out I've been avoiding child support all these years, they'll be at my throat."

"Which is what you deserve," I said.

He lifted his chin, narrowing his eyes. "You have no idea what it took to put me through med school and residency. I worked hard for this career to let a bitch like you ruin it."

I barely blinked and Graham was already out of his chair, grabbing Jeff by his collar. I sprang to my feet, along with several other patrons. Two waiters were hurrying toward us.

"You're a fucking scumbag," Graham bellowed.

"Christ! What did that bitch do to have you so whipped?"

Next thing I knew, Graham's fist connected with Jeff's jaw.