The Black Sheep's Secret Child
“How am I supposed to get home?”
“I couldn’t care less.”
Savannah turned her back on the girl and headed for the foyer. While a part of her wanted to confront Siggy, she knew she would lose the battle. However, before she could reach the foyer, a tall broad-shouldered man in a black suit stepped in her path.
“I can’t let you leave.”
A little dazed by what he’d just said, Savannah was momentarily stumped for a response. Was she to be a prisoner? Savannah considered the surge of independence with which she’d turned down Trent’s offer of support. Never in a million years had she thought Siggy would prevent her from leaving.
First she scowled at the man blocking her way, but seeing he had no intention of moving, she glanced over her shoulder at her father-in-law. He was still on the phone and didn’t acknowledge the standoff happening twenty feet away. The righteous fury that had carried her this far had started to subside, but mounting panic gave her an adrenaline boost. She’d prepared herself to reclaim her son and fire Lori. She hadn’t planned on having to save herself, as well.
“Step aside,” she told the man and silently cursed when she heard the slight tremor in her voice. The entranceway he blocked was ten feet wide, leaving plenty of room to go around him, but with Dylan in her arms and four-inch heels on her feet, she doubted she could move fast enough on the marble floor to make a break for it.
“I can’t let you go until he says it’s okay.”
Unwilling to argue with the man further, Savannah turned her back on Siggy. Frustration and helplessness washed over her. She hated feeling this way. It was how she’d felt from the moment she’d slid Rafe’s ring onto her finger. Why had she let him talk her into marrying him? She should have toughened up and trusted she could handle being a single mom.
Siggy concluded his call and headed in her direction. Savannah barely let him take three steps before venting her outrage.
“How dare you try to keep us here.” She didn’t care if this was the wrong tack to take with her father-in-law. “Call off your gorilla. Dylan and I are leaving now.”
“We need to talk.”
“There is nothing to talk about. Dylan and I are leaving.”
“To go where?” He might have sounded reasonable, but his eyes flashed with disdain. “You have no money and you are deep in debt.”
“Thanks to your son.”
“He was sick.”
“Yes, and he made a lot of bad choices. It left me with a huge financial burden and barely anything for Dylan and me to live on. You know he would hate that.”
“I know that he would like for me to take care of his son.”
His son. But not her. Instinctively, Savannah tightened her hold on Dylan and shifted so that her body was between her son and the two men who flanked her. Would they try to take him by force? Savannah pushed down dismay. She would not leave here without her Dylan, but couldn’t bear the thought of staying. They would be prisoners.
“Then please buy back the stock Rafe left Dylan. Give us the chance for a fresh start.”
“A fresh start? What sort of fresh start are you looking for?”
“I thought I would find a small house for just the two of us, and go back to work.”
“You mean acting.” He said it with a great deal of derision. “That wouldn’t be necessary if you moved in here.”
Around and around the argument went. She and Siggy had been wearing out this topic since shortly after Rafe’s death nine months ago.
“I want Dylan to live in a neighborhood filled with children who come over after school to play.”
She had this idyllic image in her head of small-town living, where her house was the most popular one on the block with the kids. Siggy’s Hollywood home was a showplace and not one bit kid friendly.
“He’s not old enough to go to school.”
And by the time he was, she’d be well and firmly trapped. “Do you plan on keeping me here by force?”
“Of course not. You’re free to go whenever you wish.”
“Thank you.” She turned to go, but her way was still blocked. “I wish to go now.”