I was still hoping for the smoking gun, though.
“Yeah, took some major digging. It was buried deep. Turns out Steve has a fondness for paid companions. And I don’t just mean for his own use.”
“He was a pimp?” I ask, trying to clarify his meaning. Zoe, who’d sat up and moved over to my side to listen, raised an eye brow.
“Nope,” he let the p pop. “He got busted in college for being an escort. But, Daddy covered it up. Got the conviction sealed.”
Zoe gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth, suppressing laughter.
“Are you kidding me?”
“You think I’d fuck with you about this?” Weston drawled. “It’s why he funded the business. His boy couldn’t follow in his footsteps. Couldn’t risk the chance that someone would get their hands on his conviction. Giving him a business to run kept him busy, under his watchful eye, and out of trouble.”
“I’ll give him trouble,” I threatened.
“Everything I found is in the email I’m sending you now. What do you think you’ll do with it?”
I opened my mouth to speak but stopped when Zoe’s soft hand landed atop mine.
“Landon, do we really need to use this information?”
Dropping the phone to the bed, I twisted and lifted Zoe sideways onto my lap. “That motherfucker needs to get out of this industry before his shoddy work gets someone killed. But, even if I could live with his business still up and running, I’m not going to let him get away with what he did to you.” My words were angry but as I thought about what could have happened, it was coated in anguish at what he might have done. “I could have lost you, baby. What if I hadn’t been around the day you got that letter? Or when Teagan showed up at the office.” I put my hand on her belly. “What if we’d never made our little peanut?”
Her face softened and she leaned in, brushing her lips over mine. “Nothing can take me away from you now, though.” The next kiss was deeper, more passionate.
“Ah—I’m gonna go before I hear things that will scar my brain,” Weston’s voice interrupted, making us jump a little. I’d forgotten he was there.
“Sorry,” Zoe squeaked. I grinned at her cute red cheeks and sheepish expression.
Weston laughed. “Congratulations, by the way. Aspen mentioned your little peanut. I’ll talk to you later.” The phone clicked, signaling he’d hung up.
“Landon, I know how angry you are,” she said softly. “And I agree, he shouldn’t be in this business. But, let’s not stoop to his level by letting out his secret solely for revenge.”
Sighing, I pressed my forehead against hers and then breathed in her sweet scent. “You have a much bigger heart than I do, Blondie.” She smiled at me and it soothed my ire enough to come up with a compromise. “How about I give his father a call and let him know we have it? Tell him to get Steve out of the industry and to do a better job keeping a leash on him?”
“Now you’re thinking,” she said cheekily, her green eyes twinkling. In one smooth move, I turned us so she was caged beneath me on the bed.
I began kissing my way down her body, lingering over our little one and then stopping at her pussy. “I’ll call him after breakfast,” I mumbled.
Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.
Zoe’s hand squeezed mine tightly as we both stared at the black and white screen.
“Do you want to know the sex?” the doctor asked.
I glanced at my wife to give her one last chance to change her mind and was met with a blinding smile and a nod. “Yes,” I answered.
“Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Heath, you’re having a baby girl.”
A girl. I pictured a beautiful baby girl with Zoe’s platinum hair and green eyes. My heart stopped. I was filled with love and joy, but I was also scared shitless. I had two sisters and I remembered what they were like growing up. Too gorgeous for their own good. And, heaven help the boys who’d tried to date them.
Dating.
My daughter.
“Oh, fuck that,” I muttered.
“Excuse me?” the doctor exclaimed, clearly offended.
I didn’t even realize I’d spoken aloud until then. My head whipped towards Zoe, worried that she misunderstood me. I should have known better. She almost rolled off of the table laughing.
“I’m sorry, Doctor,” Zoe gasped through her amusement. “You’ll have to excuse my husband. He’s already skipped the baby years and is stuck on the dating. I’m sure he’s probably trying to figure out how many guns to buy and designing the tower he’s going to lock our daughter in.”