Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
Sofia interrupted me. “This is much more important than business.” She took my hands and gave me a long look. “Becca, James is a good man. A good man. You must trust him. And accept him. He will make a good husband.”
“What…?” I asked, confused.
“I must go make some phone calls.” Sofia propelled me towards James’s door. “You go in and speak with James.”
Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and walked into James’s office, startling both him and Tony. “What’s going on?” I demanded. “Sofia said you’re going somewhere, James?”
“Yes,” James said.
“No,” Tony replied at the same time. “No. He cannot leave. We will triple the guard outside. Let’s see them try to extradite you.”
“Extrad—James, are you in some sort of trouble for leaving Witness Protection?” I gasped.
James shook his head. “No. That’s not the problem. It’s a different problem. I’ll be talking to you about it shortly. I just need to impress upon Tony that I’m NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES with regard to my family…”
“You should be worried about the greater family. Ronaldo is still out there, gathering followers. If you leave now, it will weaken your position,” Tony argued.
“Why do you need to leave?” I asked again.
“WE need to leave,” James said. “With Alessandro. The Cartwrights have come up with some bogus custody hearing scheme, and now we’ve either got to produce Alessandro and go to the hearing, or he’s going to be taken from us.”
“WHAT?!” I shrieked.
Tony winced, and I realized I was standing so close to him that I may have blasted out his eardrum. “They won’t be able to come in here and take him. I’m telling you, James, this is the worst possible move you could make right now.”
“It’s the only possible move,” James replied. “I won’t have Alessandro given over to those abusive bastards, even on paper. No. I’m going, and that’s final.”
“Go back to the part where the Cartwrights—where Chad—is suing for custody of Tally’s child? OUR child?” I wheezed.
James grunted. “I made some calls. Apparently, the dipshit managed to make himself into a quadriplegic by playing Russian roulette on some rich kid’s yacht. The Cartwrights are now concerned they don’t have an heir and have decided, even though Chad signed his rights away as a father, they’re going to sue for custody of Alessandro now.”
“They can’t do that, can they?” I whispered.
“Apparently, they can.” James pounded a fist on the desktop. “Goddamn those bastards!”
“Don Valentino…” Tony tried again.
“I’m leaving right after the funeral with Becca and Alessandro. I am going to trust you, Tony, to handle things here to the best of your ability. Can you do that for me?” James barked.
Tony must have seen it was a losing battle, because he sighed and nodded his head. “I will do what I can, Don Valentino.”
“Thank you.” James raked a hand over his hair. “Shit. F*ck. Goddamn.”
“I’ll tell Layla to get Alessandro packed.” I swallowed, then asked, “Should Layla and Dahlia come with us?”
James thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Much as I hate for us to be separated from our baby girl, I just don’t think it’s safe to bring her to the States right now. I have an awful feeling about this custody thing.”
“Me, too.” I kept my composure, however. Nothing was going to be solved by me falling apart. A deep, dark part of me wondered if I should have asked James to kill Chad instead of Ronaldo. But then, I’d never imagined that asshole would ever come back into the picture.
“Go make sure you and Alessandro are packed. And… I’d make sure to pack for a few weeks, at least. I think this might be a tough battle,” James muttered.
“Why do you say that?” I asked.
“Because they’re alleging we’re both unfit parents and that I coerced Chad into signing away his parental rights,” James said.
I looked at James for a long moment, and my stomach twisted. “Oh God, James, DID you?”
“Did I what?” James responded.
I put my hands on my hips. “Did you coerce Chad into signing away his parental rights?”
“He was more than happy to do so,” James said defensively. “I may have given him a little added incentive…”
I groaned and dropped my face into my hands.
“James,” I mumbled, “just how f*cked are we?”
Becca.
I stood over the Pack ‘n Play for what seemed like hours, watching Alessandro and Dahlia sleep. Layla had Alessandro packed. James and I were packed. Aside from the funeral tomorrow, we were ready to take the jet and go.
I couldn’t believe Chad was trying to get custody of our sweet Alessandro. I couldn’t believe he had the gall. No, the BALLS. That lying, cheating, abusive PRICK. Even if he had been smacked around a little by James, it wasn’t as though he wanted Alessandro.
Now, his family was worried about their legacy. Now, Alessandro was suddenly good enough.
I wanted to strangle the lot of them.
The door to my suite opened, and I looked over to see James looking haggard.
“Did your lawyer recommend a family law attorney?” I asked, going over to him.
“He did. Turns out the Cartwrights are using the same firm,” James sighed. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close. “Sofia actually got in touch with someone. Apparently, a friend of hers was in a knock down, drag out custody battle with an ex-husband, and this is the attorney she used to beat him.”
“So the Cartwrights already have the better lawyers?” I whispered.
James was quiet just a beat too long. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
“It is what you’re saying. I’m sure this attorney Sofia recommended is a real pitbull, but the Cartwrights have already bought the best.” I felt sick to my stomach.
“We have Tally’s wishes in writing; we have Chad’s relinquishing his parental rights in writing. We’re the ones in the right, here,” James said.
I leaned my forehead into James’s chest. “What if…?”
“No. We’re not talking about ‘what ifs.’ We’re not borrowing that kind of trouble,” James cut me off.
“I don’t want to lose him, James. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself, knowing he was with those… PEOPLE,” I said. “Maybe Tony’s right? Maybe we should stay here and let them TRY to take us by force?”
“Do you want Alessandro trapped inside this compound for the rest of his life?” James asked.
I hung my head. “No.”
“Then we’ve got to go and fight this.” James tilted my chin up and kissed me. “Let’s go to bed.”
“You’ll stay here?” I resented the neediness in my tone a little, but just a little. I did need him. And he needed me. Was it so bad to admit it?