Loving Hart (36 page)

"The second thing in the file was the real kicker.  Mike had two more children, both born to my mother.  The first child was a son.  He's sixteen days younger than Dante.  They kept him for a year.  Marceline says Dillon was the back-up baby.  Something about Mike needing an heir or whatever bullshit they were feeding themselves at the time.  They got rid of him when he was thirteen months old, which is the same time they got rid of the newly born daughter Marceline had given birth too.  Her name is Leah.  The children were adopted together, but their adoptive parents were killed in a freeway shooting.  They grew up in the foster system with nothing."

Damien looked the way that I felt, which was absolutely gutted.  As fucked up as our lives were, we'd had each other and once his father died, we'd had Sandra.  To know that we share siblings who grew up with nothing is hard to take.

"As bad as all of that is… the worst part is yet to come.  Marceline and Hank have photos and
a
video of your mother with Todd Rand.  They are threatening to sell it all to T
MZ
because everyone would be interested in knowing that Flynn's got sisters he never knew about.  They're also threatening to set the press on Dillon and Leah.  They think the bad publicity will hurt Hart International.  At least that's what they hope."

Through clenched teeth Damien asked one question.  "What the fuck do they want?"

"They want ten million dollars from me
,
and they want Hart to contract work out to my father.  Big jobs.  Apparently they're broke
,
and they feel we all owe this to them.
  They blame Sandra for my father’s business failing.
"

Jumping from the couch, Damien started shouting.  “Fuck those
assholes! You, me,
this entire family, none of us owe them shit.  I hate those assholes for what they’ve done to you
to begin with, and now this
.  How could they just give children up?  Why did none of our parents give a shit?”

Brooke stood and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head down on his chest. I could hear her talking him down, and I was more than thankful for her being there.  “Honey, this is terrible news, but we’re going to deal with this together. Don’t let them upset you any more than they already have.”

Watching Damien
look
down
in wonder
at his fiancée was surreal
,
because it was something I never thought I’d see.  She centered him somehow, made even things like this bearable for him. I realized that’s what Sabrin
a has done for Dante too, and I
knew
that I would
also
be getting through this shit storm with the woman I loved at my side.  Even at this moment, when things weren’t going so smoothly, the thought that I had Delilah in my corner made everything seem manageable.

I was surprised to see Brooke pull back from Damien, and then even more surprised when she came and enveloped me in a hug.  “I know that must have been a terrible scene Spencer
,
and we are so sorry they made sprung that on you when you were alone.”

Over Brooke’s head, I saw Damien staring at her with a look of pure pride on his face.  I hugged her back and smiled at her as she walked back to the couch, taking Damien’s hand and pulling him down next to her. 

Aunt Sandra had stayed fairly silent, but I could see how upset she was about everything that had been said
before she started to speak
.  “The idea that there are two children out there who grew up in the foster care system when they should have been with us is just heartbreaking.  I don’t understand anything my sister or her husband did,
and I
don’t understand how the Cross’ have kept this knowledge to themselves
for all of these years
. 
I couldn’t care less that they think I’m responsible for his decline in the business world.  I definitely didn’t help them, but the truth is that it was their sickening lifestyle that got them into the most trouble.  No one wants to do business
with drug using sexual deviants.  Hank destroyed his business just like Mike almost destroyed Hart before he died
. 
Marceline and Hank are
both insane if they think we’re giving them business.  Spencer, you won’t be giving them any money, either. We’ll get out ahead of this, find Dillon and Leah.  I will put some feelers out about getting ahold of Flynn.  If Marceline and Hank want to put out pictures and video of my sister and Flynn’s father having sex, so be it.  My sister was a whore, and we owe her nothing.  What she did
to her children
is unforgivable
and I have no love for her, even in death.”

I nodded my head.  “I agree with you.  But who I’m really worried about here, besides Dillon and Leah, are the twins and Dante.  I don’t know how Dominique and Delilah will feel knowing that they have a different father, don’t know if they would be interested in meeting their other brother.  What if they want to meet him and he has no interest?  I can’t have them hurt like that.  As for Dante… this is just going to eat at him in the worst way.  We all know he’s pushed down more than any of the rest of us, and I don’t want him to be hurt by this.  He’s so happy right now
,
and it just kills me to know that we’re going to have to tell him all of this.  We all know how he gets when he thinks the twins are upset. That’s going to be hard for him, but I think it will be even more upsetting for him to know that we share siblings that grew up with nothing.”

Shaking his head, Damien buried his face in his hands.  “You’re right.  Dante’s going to take this really hard.  Not that there’s ever a good time for this type of thing, but he’s never been so happy
.  He and Sabrina are trying to get pregnant and start a family of their own,
and now this.  It’s like even from the grave our parents are still fucking with us.”

That reminded me that I had some news of my own to share, and I couldn’t put it off for another minute.

Shifting uncomfortably in my chair, I mustered up my courage.  “Damien… I know you’re going to be pissed when I tell you this, but please remember that I love your sister more than anything in the world and I’ll always take care of her.”

His head snapped up so that he could look at me, and I could see the tension in his shoulders.  My only course of action was to blurt it out.  “Delilah’s pregnant.  We’re having a baby.”

I noticed that Brooke didn’t gasp or show even a flicker of surprise, so somehow she had already been told. Damien’s mouth opened and closed a few times, his eyes wide with shock.

“You got my sister pregnant?”

Yikes.  That did
not
sound good at all.

“Yes.  I’m sorry it happened this way, but I’m not sorry that I love her.  As soon as it can be arranged, we’re getting married.
I've loved her forever, and I bought her an engagement ring two days after you started having Brooke's made.  Even when I didn't think she'd say yes, I always knew she was the only girl I'd ever love.  I wanted to ask for permission, but looking at her in that hospital bed… I needed her to know that I was going to be with her forever.
”

Gesturing wildly he snapped, “
I fucking knew something was wrong with
her tonight at the wedding when she wouldn't drink the champagne.  I should have put it together. 
Of course you’re marrying her
,
asshole.  I’d shoot your ass if you didn’t.
Good move getting a ring on her finger.  Hopefully that will take some of the sting out of Dante's anger.
Tell me now, is Delilah happy about this?  Because if she isn’t you and I have a problem.”

I nodded quickly.  “Yes. She’s thrilled.  You know your sister, so you know what a big heart she has.  She’s already crazy in love with the baby.”

He took a full visual assessment of me in silence for a moment, then asked Sandra and Brooke to leave the room.  Brooke looked concerned, but he soothed her with a kiss.  “It
’s
alright
sweetheart, I just want to talk to him.”

His eyes told me
wanted to do more than talk.  Maybe even wanted to punch me
, but if it came to that, I’d take my punishment.

Once we were alone in the room, he wasted no time in going at me.  “I know my sister has a giant heart and will love the baby, but I also know that two fucking days ago you sat in a restaurant with me and Dante and told us you never wanted children.  I know you wouldn’t have been able to keep this secret, so you can only just have found out.  How far along is she, and how do you feel about this?”

I looked away for a moment as I gathered my thoughts.  Turning back his way, I started speaking.  “I found out tonight.  She’s six weeks along.  The baby was conceived the weekend you took Brooke away.  I wasn’t good when Delilah told me, but it had nothing to do with not wanting to be tied down or anything stupid like that.  I’m fucking terrified the baby will grow up to be like my dad, terrified that I’ll be a horrible father.”

Damien was across the room like
a shot, wrapping an arm around my shoulders
.  “Hey, don’t say that shit.  My niece or nephew is going to be awesome.  Crazy fucking spoiled, ridiculously over-protected and totally adored by us all, but awesome nonetheless.  You’ve always put yourself down about shit like this and it pisses me off.  You aren’t Hank.  You’re nothing like Hank, not even on your very worst day.  You think I’d be best friends with someone that had any
of
Hank in them?  Think
I would have begged you to come live with all of us
?
If you had any of him in you,
I wouldn’t have. Luckily for you, I never had to worry about it
,
because you are NOTHING like him.
  You’re going to be
a great dad
.  You’re probably going
to win awards for being
father of the year, because Dante will shoot your ass if you do anything less. 
He raised us to be good men
,
Spencer.  You’ve done him damn proud up to this point, and you’re going to make him happier than ever when he sees you loving your child.”

I felt different arms around me, and I looked down to see Aunt Sandra had come in.  “Oh honey, you’re going to be such a good daddy.  I’d never have trusted my little girl with you if I didn’t know what a great guy you are.  I’ve always known that it was you for her.  From the first day that I met all of you, it was so obvious.  It used to scare me that she was so sure about where you would end up, that to her it was decided before she even took her first breath.  Over the years
,
she brought me around to her way of thinking.  You two are meant to be, and this baby is meant to be a part of you both.  Embrace that sweetie.  You’ve created a miracle together.”

Pulling her closer I hugged her hard as I furiously wiped at my eyes with my hand before pulling back and mock glaring at her.  “You were so totally eavesdropping!”

Laughing at me, she pulled back. “I was.  I wanted to make sure Damien here didn’t go all Rambo on you.  I’m not sorry I listened though.”

I wasn’
t sorry either
,
because s
he’d really made me feel better
, had helped put everything in perspective. I’d always had a choice, and I’d always chosen to be nothing like Hank.  Right then and there
,
I vowed to myself that I’d be the best father I could possibly be.  With Delilah by my side, I could face anything… even my own fear.

I was exhausted after being woken up so many times during the night, but I didn’t care.  A happy bubble had descended over me, and I
was more than willing to tolerate a hospital stay, all things considered.  When I thought I’d lost our baby,
I’d felt so desolate and broken inside
.  Knowing that
our
bab
y wa
s thriving inside of me made
m
e so happy that I was
keeping a smile on
my face in spite
of
how tired I was
.  The knowledge that
at
this time next year I would be
changing my name to
Delilah Cross and
holding our baby
in my arms
put
everything into the proper perspective. 

Spencer was in my room the second that visiting hours started.  He looked like a hot mess, and I knew he hadn’t slept a wink either.  Still, he was smiling, and I sensed that he had a mindset similar to my own.  We survived, and these few sleepless days are a small price to pay.  Leaning over my bed, he cradled my face in his hands and kissed me deeply.  “How are you and our baby this morning?”

Smiling, I rubbed my non-existent belly.  “We’re good.  Better now that you’re here.  I was starting to get nauseous
,
but now it’s fading away.  This is what happened during the five days you spent at my apartment.  Clearly the
baby already loves
daddy, because whenever you’re around, I feel much more solid.”