Broken Course (37 page)

"Wait. Already? Shouldn’t we wait until we actually get married?"

"Nope. Because I’m not paying you anymore. And I’m assuming you’ll need money for groceries and shit." He releases me and digs back through the bag.

"I have money, Leo. But the hell you aren’t paying me anymore."

"Joint account, Sarah. It’s
our
money now. It seems like a waste of time to write you a check just to deposit it right back into our account."

"I don’t know, Leo."

"Just fill them out," he orders before revealing a stack of bridal magazines from the bag. "Here. I dog-eared the pages I liked."

"Um…why are you reading bridal magazines?" I ask confused.

He cocks his head. "Um…because we’re getting married."

I have to bite my lip to force back the laugh that is dangerously close to escaping. "Well, okay, then." I continue to chew on my lip.

"I made a few notes too. According to the quiz, you’re a rustic bride, so I took that into consideration with my preferences."

When he winks, I completely lose it.

I burst into a fit of laughter, keeping myself from toppling over by grabbing his arm. Leo watches me curiously while I try to collect myself. He doesn’t say anything, but it’s obvious that he’s trying to suppress his own smile. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss his nose.

"You are an amazing man, Leo James. I had no idea wedding planning was part of your repertoire."

"If it gets you down that aisle with the bare minimum amount of panic attacks, wedding planning can be my main priority," he answers, rubbing his scruff against my cheek.

"I love you," I whisper.

"I love you too,
ángel
." He sucks in a deep, content breath. "Now, get in the shower." He reaches out, snagging one of the new bottles of my body wash and all but shoves me into the shower fully dressed.

"WHERE’S LEO?" I ask while wringing out my freshly washed hair with a towel.

"One of the new guys had an issue with a client, so he went to talk to him," Johnson responds from behind the desk in the security room.

"Hey, thanks for helping the movers out earlier. I was just about to make a late lunch. You hungry?" I drape the towel over my shoulder.

"I could go for some food." He smiles. "Hey, I need to make a few phone calls. You think you can listen out for the buzzer? Leo has a potential client coming up in a little while. I told him I’d meet with her if he wasn’t back yet."

"Yeah, no problem. Chicken salad work for you?"

He gives me a thumbs-up as he lifts the phone to his ear.

A few minutes later, I’m sobbing my way through chopping an onion when the buzzer for the door goes off. I take a quick peek at the security monitor to find a woman in a business suit carrying a small leather briefcase. I press the button allowing her entrance to the building. Then I wash my hands and drag my still-damp hair up into a ponytail. Just as I swipe my fingers under my eyes, I hear her knock at the door.

"Hi. I’m looking for Leo James," she says professionally as soon as I open the door.

"Come on in. Leo’s not here right now, but Aiden Johnson is expecting you." I start to lead her back to the office.

"I’m sorry. You must have me confused with someone else. My name is Judy Price and I’m with the Department of Child Services. I didn’t have an appointment with Mr. James today." She pulls a card from the side of her briefcase.

"Can I ask what this is about?" I request curiously.

"I’m sorry…?" she prompts for my name.

"Sarah."

"I’m sorry, Sarah. This is a personal matter. Can you please see that Mr. James calls me as soon as possible? I have a very urgent matter to discuss with him."

"Personal? So this isn’t related to Guardian Protection?"

"I’m sorry. I can’t discuss this with you."

I stare down at her card, trying to piece together what the Department of Child Services could possibly want with Leo.

"I’ll see myself out," she says when I don’t immediately respond.

"No, wait. Can you please just tell me what this is in reference to? I’m Leo’s…wife," I lie, knowing that I’ll need to be family in order to get any type of answers.

"I’m sorry, but I’ll still need to speak with Leo." She offers me an apologetic smile then lets out a huff. "But you can tell him my visit is in regard to his daughter, Liv."

"I’m sorry, what? His daughter?" I ask, incredulous.

"Right. Okay, then. I can see this is news to you. Please relay that I was here to your husband. Have a nice day, Mrs. James." She turns and lets herself out the door.

I stand immobile as the bite from her announcement ricochets through my body, shredding my hopes and dreams at every turn.

There has to be a mistake. Maybe another Leo James?

His daughter
?

It’s just not possible. He would have told me.

His. Daughter.

Liv.

Suddenly, the memory of Leo’s tattoo flashes into my mind, igniting a spark that roars into a wildfire in a matter of seconds.

"Son of a bitch!" I scream, rushing to the office, knowing one man who will have the answers.

Just as I enter the door, Johnson’s eyes jump to mine. The phone is to his ear, but he immediately stands as if he is able to sense my anxiety. He tilts his head and uses a hand to cover the mouthpiece.

"You okay?" he questions.

"He. Has. A.
Daughter
?" I deliver very slowly.

He physically dodges the word ‘daughter’ as I spit it at him. "I’ll have to call you back," he says into the phone then quickly hangs up. "Sarah, calm down." He begins to move around the desk, but I put a hand up to stop him.

"I need some fucking answers. Like, yesterday." I take a few deep breaths in an attempt to reel in my rapidly growing anger. Though it does nothing to extinguish the betrayal that is surging through my veins.

"You need to talk to Leo. He should be back in a few—"

"Goddamn it!" I scream. "Tell me the fucking truth. It’s plain to see Leo won’t do it." My chest heaves and my stomach threatens to revolt.

"It’s not my truth to tell," he responds with a shrug that enrages me.

"You know what? Fuck you." I rush forward and decide to get the answers from the only other person in the world who might be willing to give them to me.

I use the remote to flip on the TV and find the call button on the computer like I’ve seen Leo do numerous times in the past. Then I listen to the drone of a phone ringing as my hands nervously knot in front of me.

"Sarah, please don’t bring Erica into this," Johnson begs from behind me.

Fuck that. Someone is telling me what the hell is going on.

I don’t respond, and after only a few seconds, Erica flashes onto the screen with a baby held tight against her shoulder.

"Sarah? Is everything okay?" she asks, concerned.

"Tell me about his daughter," I demand as Johnson begins to cuss behind me.

"Whose daughter?" She shakes her head in confusion.

"Leo’s!" I try to scream, but it catches on a sob.

"He doesn’t have any kids," she answers with certainty.

"Fuck!" Johnson bites out, rubbing his hand over his shaved head. His outburst catches Erica’s attention.

"Aiden, what’s going on?" She disappears offscreen only long enough to put the baby down.

"Shit," he mumbles before looking back at Erica. "Yeah. Fuck. Fine. He has a daughter. He’s never met her. He sends money every month, and extra during the holidays. This is not my place to be telling you, so I’m begging both of you to calm the hell down and just talk to Leo about this."

"Excuse me?" Erica shrieks, apparently hearing this information for the very first time.

"Her name is Liv, like his tattoo," I fill in and both their heads snap to mine.

"How the fuck do you know that?" Johnson asks, perplexed.

"A social worker was just here looking for him," I reply, dropping my head into my hands. "I can’t believe he would lie to me…again."

"Oh my God," I hear Erica whisper in disbelief. "He got that tattoo our first year together in the program. Oh God." She begins to cry. "How old is she, Aiden?"

"Please. Wait and talk to him," he answers.

"Aiden," she pleads.

"Don’t go there, Erica. I know what you’re thinking and he did not abandon her to take care of you," he responds.

Erica begins to sob loudly. I try to figure out why she’s so upset, but my attention is stolen away when I hear the front door open.

AS I pull into the parking garage at my apartment, the strangest feeling of excitement washes over me. After dealing with an idiot client who expected chef services from fucking security, I should, by all accounts, be in a shitty mood. However, I have a fiancée waiting for me upstairs and that idea has me darting from the car and jogging up the stairs. Just as I push through the stairwell door, I see a woman exiting my apartment.

Even better. I didn’t completely miss my appointment today.

"Mrs. Brown?" I say as I approach her.

"Mr. James?" she asks in return.

"That’s me." I smile and extend a hand. "Leo James. Nice to meet you. Sorry I—" I start but am quickly cut off.

"I’m glad I ran into you, Leo. My name is Judy Price. I’m with the Department of Child Services." She pulls a business card from the side of her briefcase. "I’m here to talk to you about your daughter, Liv."

The sound of her name sends a pang of guilt through my system. That one syllable spikes my pulse and knots my stomach.

"What about her?" I ask roughly, glancing around to make sure no one else is within hearing range.

"Is there somewhere we can talk?" She glances to my front door.

No fucking way I’m taking her back inside when I know Sarah’s in there. "This is fine," I respond, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Well, okay, then." She pulls a manila file folder out of her briefcase and hands it to me. "Your daughter is currently in the care of Social Services in the state of Texas. I was asked to come here to inform you of this fact. To gain custody of your child, you must return to Texas and fill out the appropriate paperwork. It’s quite simple, actually."

"What? Where’s Amy?"

"I’m very sorry to inform you, but Amy Avila passed away last week, Mr. James."

"Wait. Amy’s gone? What the fuck happened?" I choke out around the lump in my throat.

"Heroin," she answers with the shake of her head.

Bile creeps up into my throat. "Amy?" I ask again for clarification, because this can’t be happening.

She silently nods a confirmation.

"No, there must be some confusion. She wasn’t into drugs. I was a fucking DEA agent. I’m sorry, Mrs. Price, but something’s not right here. She would
never
have touched that shit. She knew better." I start to become irate when nothing adds up the way it should.

"Things change, Mr. James.
People
change," she answers, but it does nothing to remove the five hundred pounds that have taken up residence on my chest.

"Oh. Fuck." I feel sick and have to throw an arm against the wall to remain on my feet. "Jesus Christ."

"I’m sure this is shocking, but I’m going to urge you to stay focused on Liv. We attempted to place her with Amy’s parents in the interim, but they only agreed to take her on a very temporary basis, ending tomorrow. They gave us your name and asked that we reach out to you, as her father, for a more permanent situation for Liv. It seems they haven’t had much contact with her, nor are they in any position to care for a young child."