Worth the Risk (Carolina Rebels 5)

“Raelynn?” Elias calls.

I don’t move. It can’t be. How did he find me? What would he want?

“One second.” Footsteps sound as Elias walks into the living room and crouches in front of me. “Raelynn? What’s wrong?”

“I think...it sounded like Jackson’s father,” I whisper.

His eyes widen. “Is this bad?”

I nod. “I haven’t seen him since I told him I was pregnant. I don’t know how he found me either. I never told anyone where I planned to go.”

Elias’s face hardens. He holds out his hand. “Come on. Let’s see what he wants.”

Reluctantly, I take his hand and he pulls me up to stand. He leads me to the still-open door, never letting go of my hand. I squeeze the life out of it and wish I could hide behind him, much like how Jackson likes to hide behind me, when I see Henry. He looks practically the same, but all those boyish features have molded into a grown-up, manly version.

“How’d you find me?”

“I can’t come in?” he asks.

“Answer her question,” Elias demands.

Henry glances between the two of us and our joined hands. I don’t care what he thinks. I just want to know what he wants. “I hired a private investigator.” He leaves it at that. “I want to talk to you, Rae.” I flinch at hearing him shorten my name like he used to. “Can I come in?”

I step aside and Elias follows suit. Henry steps into the house, going no further than he has to, waiting for me to lead him in a certain direction, but I’d rather send him back out the door. Elias taps the door closed with his foot since I have no plans of letting go of his hand. He walks into the kitchen.

“Sit.” He motions to the dining table and looks down at me. “I’m going to lay her down for her nap,” he says. “Do you want me to come back?”

Do I want the surprising strength he gives me to not panic and collapse at having my ex-boyfriend show up or do I want privacy?

I pick strength and nod. I let go of his hand and sit at the table.

“So, we have a boy,” Henry starts. “Jackson Alan Woods.”

I glare at him. “How do you know that?”

“Birth records, Rae.”

Of fucking course. “Don’t call me that,” I snap. “What are you doing here, Henry?”

“I live here now.”

That causes me to stand and pace and breathe a little faster. Why would he live here? His family and their fortune are back home in Virginia. I don’t need to think like that. Virginia isn’t home anymore. North Carolina is.

“I want to be in my son’s life.”

I grab the counter, ready to faint. My vision comes and goes for a few seconds. He can’t be serious. Jackson doesn’t even know he has a father! This is bad. So, so bad. I can’t let it happen.

“Raelynn?”

Elias’s voice snaps me out of my panic and jumpstarts my rage. I whirl around to face Henry, but Elias is in my way. I sidestep him. “He is my son. Not yours. Not ours. No one’s but mine. I gave birth to him in a hospital without any family or friends. I left home with only him. I raised him by. My. Self! Don’t you dare show up five years later and tell me you want to be in your son’s life! It’s not happening, Henry Davenport! Never. Not even over my dead body. Get the fuck out of this house and don’t you dare come back.”

Henry infuriates me further when he calmly folds his arms over his chest. “I’ve been here for six months, Rae.”

“Call me that again and I’ll slap you,” I warn him. Elias stands behind me and attempts to calm me by rubbing my arms.

“Right. Anyway, I’ve been here for six months, settling in, getting a job, and making this place my new home. All so when I finally come to talk to you, you’d give me a chance.” I scoff, but he continues to talk. “I’m not going anywhere, Raelynn. I’m not sixteen anymore. I’m not the same person. I’ll do this however you want to do it, as long as I can be in his life. Please.”

“No.”