Dare to Hold (Dare to Love 4)

Meg pressed the phone to her head, trying to think things through. She was already considering granting his parents their request, assuming they turned out to be decent people. Would that satisfy Mike? Would he sign away his rights and disappear from her life?

“What if I promised your parents they could see the baby? Without you,” she made clear.

“No!” He hissed. “They’ll try to take over its life.”

“He or she!” Meg spat into the phone. “Don’t call my child an it.” Stupid, selfish bastard.

“What the fuck ever, Meg. Doesn’t matter. They can’t have a relationship with him,” he sneered. “They’ll make the baby their heir, and I’ll lose everything.”

Oh, boo hoo, she thought. How had she ever thought he was charming? He had been though. Before the alcohol. Or before he’d let her see this side of him, anyway.

“What do I have to do to get you out of my life?” she asked as she picked up the items that had fallen out of her open purse.

“What I told you to do from the beginning. Get rid of the fucking baby. I’ll go back to being the perfect son, and my parents won’t have another heir to threaten me with.”

Horrified, she was just about ready to hit disconnect when Mike spoke again. “You do it or I’ll do it for you.”

Meg dropped her phone and forced a gulp of humid Florida air into her lungs. She remained on her knees, unable to believe what she’d just heard.

“Meg!” An unfamiliar male voice called her name. She swung her head around to see Rick coming toward her.

He knelt and tossed the remaining items on the floor into her purse, then helped her to her feet. “What happened?”

She looked into steady green eyes and drew a calming breath. “I had a visit from my ex’s parents at school earlier today. And Mike called just now.”

Rick swore. “Phone,” he demanded, holding out his hand.

She pulled her cell from her bag, unlocked it, and handed it to him. He checked the last call and redialed.

“Probably a burner phone,” he muttered. “Fuck. Let’s go.” He grasped her elbow and led her toward his car.

She dug in her heels. “Wait, my car.”

“We’ll get it back to you later.”

“But—”

“Do you want to call Scott and tell him why you won’t get in the car with me and let me keep you safe? Or would you rather I did it for you? Or you could do what I say.” With the push of his thumb, he unlocked his black Ford.

She narrowed her gaze at him. “What is with you bossy men?” she asked as she let him open the passenger door.

“We get the job done,” he muttered.

She pulled on her seat belt and leaned her head against the seat, exhaustion suddenly overwhelming her. When had her life become so complicated and why?

* * *

Scott spent the day familiarizing himself with his brother’s place of business. Now his business as well. Or it would be once they made it official with paperwork.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so right about a decision. Like he was finally in a place where he belonged. He could push boundaries and rules when necessary without someone coming down on him for violating department policy. He breathed out a slow breath, grateful that the guys here had welcomed him too. They’d given him shit for not being able to hack it on the force, slapped him on the back, and that was that.

Scott took over a small office across the way from Tyler, refusing any offer to exchange with someone for a larger one. He didn’t need space or the status of a big room. He just needed to breathe, and he could do that here.

As for Meg’s ex, he now had a file on the man and his family, and it appeared Mike was the black sheep son who they had unsuccessfully tried to place in rehab for alcohol abuse. He had also been adopted as a baby. And that was all he knew. For now. Luke was still digging. He groaned and looked out the window at his glorious view of the parking lot.

An incongruous dark sedan pulled into the lot and parked. Scott blinked against the glare of the sun as Rick climbed out, met Meg on her side, and escorted her toward the building, a hand beneath her arm. Tension radiated from the man who was assigned to look out for her, while she looked subdued and upset.

“Shit.” He rose and headed to meet them out front, wondering what the hell had happened now.