The thousands sitting in my bank is an offer sitting on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow it back. “Yeah, good suggestion. I’ll ask.”
He pats me on the back and then heads back to his apartment. When I get to mine, I lock the door and then head straight to my bed, sitting on the edge and rubbing my hands down my face. When I went to my father’s funeral, I had every intention of stillhelping them out with whatever inheritance I got. And while the money I did get could help them, I am conflicted.
I am going to be a father. I knocked up my stepmother, and fucked her again at my father’s funeral. Something is seriously wrong with me, and the worst part is that I fucking admire the bitch for her plan. If she taunted me to fuck her all along, I’ll never know, but at the end of the day it may be our only saving grace. And I have to decide what I want to do. I couldn’t live with myself knowing she’s had my baby and not be involved with their life. I swore a long time ago that I wasn’t going to be an absent dad after my father shoved me onto nannies.
“Fuck,” I grunt out, before turning and punching the mattress. There’s really only one option, and it means I have to screw over the only people who helped me after my dad disowned me. A part of me knows that they’d never be happy with whatever I gave them, that I’d only be a personal ATM to them.
Standing, I grab my backpack, and stuff it with the few pairs of clothes and toiletries I need to bounce from hotel to hotel until I can settle my mind. If Natalie is going to use our baby to trick the estate lawyer into giving her the inheritance, then I deserve a portion of that as well. That means I’ll need to do whatever I can to ensure the plan is airtight.
Chapter 5
Natalie
I rubover my protruding stomach; it’s become a very obvious pregnancy bump over the past week. Jeoffry has been dead exactly ten weeks, and I haven’t heard a peep from Henry since then.
I hadn’t expected much, but disappointment is still heavy on my heart. Our baby is innocent in it all, and even if it was Jeoffry’s instead, you’d think he’d have an interest in meeting his sibling. But I also can’t blame him. I’m sure this house brings up a lot of harmful memories or feelings, and it’s not like we planned to have this baby.
Patting my belly, a soft smile tilts my lips. “Just me and you, baby. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
As I head downstairs for the mid-morning smoothie Sarah has been forcing me to take, I stop short near the front door as heavy knocks pound on it. My heart races when I see who is on the other side. His eyes widen when I open the door; he’s clearly surprised that it’s me, and not any of the staff.
“What are you doing here?” I say with a frown. I’m half-annoyed he’d just show up unannounced. The other half is elated to see him.
“Can wetalk?” he asks, glancing around like he doesn’t wish to be overheard.
I nod excitedly because I’ve been yearning for the same thing. Apparently a spiked libido is common in pregnancy, and getting off with a small rose vibrator is not the same as the warmth and stretch of a solid cock.
He follows behind me closely as I lead him into my bedroom. As soon as the door is closed, I reach for his buckle but he grabs my wrists.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
I raise an eyebrow. “When you said you wanted to talk, I thought you meant fuck.”
He grimaces and pushes me away with a gentle shove. “No. We should have never done that to begin with.”
With a laugh, I hold up two fingers. “Twice. We did that, twice. Three times if you want to count the anal separately. Once is a mistake, anything more is a pattern.”
Henry lets out a frustrated growl and runs his hands through his hair. “I don’t give a fuck. I need to know if the baby is mine or someone else’s.”
I narrow my stare, grabbing his shirt and slithering my hand up his torso.
He glares at me. “I’m not wearing a wire.”
Shrugging, I let go and move to my vanity before taking a seat. “Tell me why you need to know.”
His jaw works back and forth, his furious stare not dwindling as he crosses his arms. “The garage I work for—they’re having money issues. I was going to bring a business proposal to my father to help start up my own, but imagine my surprise when I found out he was in a coma at death’s door.”
I purse my lips. Jeoffry would have loved for Henry to start his own business; it was his other condition if not to join the family business. Three years ago, Henry was determined to make it on his own, not wanting a penny of help. We both figured he’d learn life’s lesson soon enough. The wealthy stay wealthy for a reason. They exploit every handout given to them, especially passing on businesses from generation to generation. “How much do you need? I have my own inheritance, but it’s not?—”
“Tell me. Is it a Dansworth heir growing in your belly?”
I stare up at him, realizing he needs that small confirmation. “Yes.”
He nods slowly. “I’ve been speaking to a few lawyers. My father’s will is ironclad. I’m not seeing a penny more, so make sure you have proof it’s a Dansworth heir growing in there, and we split the money.”
I cross my arms. “And what about the baby? You’re just going to ignore it.”
Henry swallows as I stand and show him the small protruding bump. “For the entire world, it’s my little brother.”
