Page 71 of Brandishing Betrayals

“Sure can.” He smiled warmly and handed over a flat brown envelope. I had just grabbed the envelope when the man said, “Maya Henderson, you have been served.”

My heart dropped immediately. “Excuse me? What is this?”

The man shrugged. “Legal papers. My job was to serve them, that’s all I know.” He turned away and walked out of the office, leaving me behind, dumbfounded.

Jayla placed a hand on my shoulder. “Maya, are you alright?”

Shaking like a leaf, I nodded and shook my head and slowly opened the envelope. Inside I found a single piece of paper with the words Petition to Establish Parentage at the top of the form. My breath caught in my throat as I read over the document.

Marcos had filed for a paternity test through the local county courthouse. According to the legal document in my hand, I was to either agree to a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Parentage or appear in the court at the date listed in the document, and allow the court to administer the paternity test.

“What the fuck,” I murmured softly, my hands shaking as I reread the paper.

I knew it was only a matter of time with Marcos. After last weekend with Hillcrest in my home, and our disagreement in the driveway the next day, I knew Marcos was upset. Lashing out for paternity rights was just the beginning, I knew. Once paternity was established, he would fight for legal custody.

I couldn’t allow that to happen. I would be damned if I allowed Marcos to take my son from me. Regardless of how things looked, I knew the truth. I needed to protect Luke at all costs.

Looking at the court order, I double checked the date on the form. I had three weeks before I had to appear in court. It would have to do.

Marcos

The office at the clubhouse only halfway muted the sounds of the Friday night party raging behind the closed doors. I sat at my desk while Jason and Nico lounged around the room either at chairs in front of the desk or the couch off to the side. I was waiting on a phone call that would set everything in motion—change everything.

It felt like all I was doing lately was waiting—for the lawyer, for the realtor, for a house. I was in a waiting purgatory that was killing me slowly. I needed good news.

“The realtor scheduled the closing date.” Jason announced, as if sensing his darkening mood. “It’s next Thursday the 12th. I’ve been talking with the loan officer and submitted all our documents, so we’re good to go for closing,” Jason said. “The inspection came back pretty decent. It was mostly cosmetic issues and a couple issues with the GCFI outlets in the kitchen. Nothing we can’t fix ourselves.”

I smiled, feeling the weight lift off my chest. “Good.”

We were one step closer to the end goal. I would have a house for my son to come home to when I initiated the next steps with my lawyer: custody arrangement. If Maya wanted to claim she was fucking Dax Hillcrest, then I was playing hard ball, no more kid gloves with her. There was no way I was allowing my son to be around the fucking prick that was Hillcrest.

My cell phone rang in my pocket and I quickly pulled it out. Seeing my new lawyer’s phone number, I answered. “Hello?”

Jason and Nico both watched me silently.

“Hello, Mr. Candella. I’m just calling to inform you that the Petition has been served successfully,” Michelle Lakeson cut right to the chase.

“Ok,” I said, feeling both relieved and anxious at the same time. My mind kept playing different scenarios of how Maya might have reacted, like how heartbroken she might feel. I had almost called the whole thing off several times in the last week, but in the end, I knew it was what I needed to do. Without my name on Luke’s birth certificate, I didn’t have any paternity rights. And if Maya did something stupid like take off again with my son, I wouldn’t be unable to fight for him.

“So now all we can do is wait, unless you speak to her before then and can get her to agree to do so voluntarily.”

I nodded slowly. “I understand, thank you so much for the update.”

“You’re welcome. Have a good night.”

“You too.” I hung up the phone and set it on the desk in front of me.

“She’s been served?” Jason asked.

“Yeah.” I grunted. I thought I’d feel better about it—about being one step closer to our goal, but the guilt ate at me.

Nico sighed deeply and tilted his head back against the wall behind the couch he was sprawled out on. He should be at home in bed after the beating he endured from the Seratelli Crime Family the night before, not sprawled out haphazardly on the raggedy couch in the president’s office.

I had tried to get him to stay home tonight, to miss the party, but Nico had said things needed to progress as business as usual—despite the fact that he was pissing blood from his bruised toshit kidneys. He didn’t want anyone watching him to think he couldn’t handle himself.

It was clear he was hurting, both physically and emotionally. He didn’t agree with our plan; in fact, he had said he wanted nothing to do with taking Luke away from Maya—not that I was planning that yet. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that to Luke.

I was really curious as to Maya’s reaction and almost wanted to call her, but knew it was unwise. I’d see her in the morning, though, bright and early for Luke’s first game of the season. It would be soon enough.

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