Bastard’s Baby(10)

I nodded. The nurse came close. “Oh so cute,” she said. “Don’t worry, little guy, this won’t hurt a bit. Just a little swab in your mouth. That’s all.”

The nurse very gently pressed the swab into Alex’s mouth. He clearly didn’t enjoy it, but fortunately he didn’t start crying yet. Alex was a really good baby, surprisingly not fussy at all. The nurse moved the swab around very gently and then pulled it out, bagged it, and smiled at us.

“That’s it,” she said.

“Seriously?” I asked. “That’s all?

“When will we get the results back?” Vince asked.

“Three days,” the nurse said.

Vince nodded and stood. “Thanks.”

I stood and followed him out. We went into the hallway and he headed back toward his office.

“Hold on,” I said.

He looked at me. “Got something to say?”

I clenched my jaw. “I need to use the bathroom.”

He sighed. “Fine.” I followed him a bit farther and he stopped outside two doors, each marked as restrooms. “Go ahead.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Can you hold Alex for a second?”

He stared at me and then nodded slowly. “Yeah. Sure.”

“Here.” I helped him take Alex and showed him how to hold him. “There. Easy, right?”

He frowned down at Alex. “Sure.”

I smiled and went into the bathroom.

My heart was pounding in my chest. I didn’t really need to use the bathroom, but I’d needed to get away from Vince for a second. I felt dizzy around him, both terrified and drawn toward him.

It felt weird knowing that Alexei’s father was holding him, but I was also glad. Alex needed a father, even if that father was a violent thug like Vince.

A cocky, asshole thug.

But first in my mind was the thought that I’d never see my family again. Rafa had terrified me, reminded me that my father was a vengeful and spiteful man.

Maybe I’d made a mistake. Maybe I shouldn’t have come here, should have done something else.

I looked at myself in the mirror and shook my head. No. It wasn’t worth thinking that way. I had to prove to Vince that Alex was his child, and hopefully he would protect us. Hopefully he wouldn’t let his only son get taken away by my family.

Or maybe he would. There was no way he wanted to be a father or was even close to being ready.

But things happened in this life and we had to deal with them. Vince didn’t seem like the type of man to run away.

I took a deep breath and steadied myself.

I had to get it together. I was in the heart of my enemy’s house, begging them for protection. Everything I did was dangerous.

I had to keep myself together for the sake of my son.





6





Vince





I looked down at the squirming baby and made a face.

“You look like an alien,” I said.

It blinked back up at me. It had striking blue eyes, just like its mother.

I sighed. The baby was a he, and his name was Alexei. And apparently it was my son.

Maybe he looked like me a little bit. We shared some features, but it was hard to tell. He was just so small and young.

As I stood there waiting for Kaley to finish in the bathroom, I looked down at Alex. I felt something in that moment. I had never held a baby before in my life, and I’d never wanted to.

Babies were a distraction. They sucked away all your time and your money and your freedom. They were a ball and chain, an anchor keeping you in place. I didn’t want to be held down. I wanted to rage through the city, taking what I fucking wanted. Instead, I was standing in a hallway holding some strange baby, wondering if it was really my son.

“You’re actually a little cute,” I said softly, hoping nobody heard me.

He looked back up at me.

And then he started to scream.

“Shit,” I said. “Kaley,” I called out loudly.

She pushed open the door. “It’s okay,” she said. “He cries sometimes.”

She took him from me and I frowned. That was a horrible noise he was making, absolutely blood-curdling.

“It’s okay,” she said, rocking Alex. “Mama’s got you. It’s okay.”

Slowly the baby calmed down.

“Come on,” I grunted at her.

She followed me silently back to the office.

Crying babies. I’d never thought in my entire life that I’d be holding a damn crying brat. One second it was fine, just a warm bundle of squirming baby, and the next it was howling like a demon.

Damn thing sure could scream.

Kaley sat back down at the table and Rafa looked at us.

“That was fast,” he said.

“They just swab your mouth,” I answered. “Nothing to it.”

“What now?” Kaley asked. “They said we won’t have the results for another three days.”