Page 78 of Now or Never
“Why do they do anything, or say anything, other than that it serves their purpose?”
“Any chance you gave a donation at aDominatussperm bank a lot of years ago?”
Bruce’s expression softened, but something like grief touched his gaze. “I wish.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek, his rough hand gentle on her elbow. “Doesn’t change anything as faras I’m concerned. That baby has a set of grandparents. Three if you count Jax’s folks, and Elizabeth and Craig.”
Kenna looked up and sniffed, trying to will away the tickle of moisture in her eyes. “I refuse to cry when I’m dressed like this.”
“Sometimes you don’t get a choice about that. It just happens.”
Amara eased up to his side, winding her arm through Bruce’s. “He’s right about us females. Besides, no one here cares if you cry. They just don’t want you to be upset.”
“Because I’m very obviously pregnant in this dress.” Kenna didn’t need the world tiptoeing around her. She could still kick doors in!
Jax slid his arm around her back. “I forgot what I was going to say. I looked at you and got tongue-tied. Why are we here again?”
“I thought you were a professional?” She had to razz him a little, even if she thought it was adorable that he thought she looked good.
“That’s why we’re here,” Amara said. “Because this is family business.”
Kenna nodded. “Thanks for coming.”
Bruce said, “Wouldn’t miss it, girlie.”
“Now that we’re done with our heart-to-heart, can we get to work?”
Chapter Thirty
“Iappreciate you giving me some of your time.” Kenna sat on the chair Petyr had pulled out for her. She glanced over her shoulder and politely smiled at him.
Jax stood not too far away on guard. Giving them the chance to speak. Kenna was prepared to be polite, as long as he gave her what she wanted.
Petyr settled into the chair across from her, and a waiter delivered two fingers of whiskey in a crystal glass, then set a glass of water in front of her.
She was thirsty, but she wasn’t going to drink it. For a second, she wondered if Jax might take a sip for her. Thankfully, he didn’t. She didn’t want to find out it was poisoned that way.
Petyr smoothed down his tie. “How has it been, working the case? Searching for our mutual associate.”
“He’s killed more people than we thought initially, not only ‘offspring’ and not only the man who’s murder file you gave us. Who knows what the total is.” Kenna didn’t even want to think about Simon, let alone draw his attention. “Surely, you have some resources available to you that could enable me to track him down.”
“In the interest of our mutual survival…” He drew a paper from the inside pocket of his suit jacket. “This is the motel where he’s been staying, but every time my people have dropped by, he’s out. They sit in front, but he never shows, and yet inside it appears he’s spent time there.”
“Thank you for the information.” She took the paper from him and put it on the table in front of her. “I appreciate the assistance.”
Petyr eyed her over the rim of his glass.
An elderly couple passed by them, and the husband said something to Petyr in a language Kenna didn’t speak. Presumably Croatian. Petyr nodded but didn’t respond otherwise.
When he turned back to her, he said, “Are we only here to talk about business?”
“Seems to me like that business puts us on either side of a chasm. There’s no way to cross it without compromising what we believe. Or becoming what we despise.”
He sipped his drink.
“The only way I see that changing is if you provide me with a DNA sample, like a cheek swab. Let me test it.”
“What difference would it make? I know what I know.”
“It makes a difference to me.” Kenna tilted her shoulders to the left a little to give the kicking little girl a bit more room so she might not come up against the hard resistance of Kenna’s rib cage. She glanced at Jax. “To us, and to the rest of our family. Not just the baby Jax and I are having, but ourentirefamily.”
