Page 16 of Insta-Family (Forbidden Descendants 3)

“Did you just ask me how? As in how I’m sure Duke’s the father? Really?”

Alright, screw calm.

Vaughn Merrill needed to be taught a lesson in some serious manners. You don’t press a woman on whether or not she was absolutely certain she knew who her baby’s daddy was if she answered with an explicitly clear yes the first time around.

Asshole.

“Well, you know. Now that you mention it, I am a little uncertain. Because it’s either Duke’s baby or the last guy I was with...two fucking years ago. So, you know....” I lifted both hands and alternated between shifting them up and down as if weighing my choices. “I guess it could go either way. I’m so glad you asked, though, and made me feel like a super slut in the process. Appreciate it.”

Not a fan of my sarcasm, he sniffed and shook his head. “I didn’t mean…” But he must’ve known he couldn’t save face at that point, so he dropped whatever excuse, apology, or explanation he’d been about to make, and my own guilt reached a snapping point.

“Look. I’m sorry. Okay?” Tears watered in my eyes. “I know it’s my fault he died. And if I could take it back, I totally would, but it doesn’t negate the fact that—”

“It’s not your fault that he died,” he cut in, squinting at me as if confused by why I would make such a claim.

I blinked at him, equally confused by his confusion. Then I burst out, “But you said that my being with him in his weakened state would—”

“He died because he had lymphoma,” he said with certainty, then shook his head. “No other reason.”

“But—” I cut myself off and tipped my head because…lymphoma? I’d been telling everyone he had leukemia.

Geez. I really hadn’t known anything about Duke, had I?

“I get your guilt,” Vaughn was saying. “I do. I was supposed to be the one taking care of him. Keeping him healthy. And I fucking failed. So I understand all your worries.”

When he paused abruptly to rein in his own emotions, I blinked, not sure what to say.

But after a moment of swallowing hard and drawing in a deep breath, he met my gaze with steady eyes. “But neither of us killed him. The cancer did.”

I nodded, bobbing my head like an idiot, no words in my arsenal to help him through this moment, which obviously seemed hard for him.

He didn’t need me to speak, though. A moment later, he frowned and asked, “Were you pregnant at the funeral?”

I blinked, certain I had misheard that one. Then I shook my head and sniffed out my amusement. “Um, not sure how Duke could’ve gotten me pregnant after it.”

“I mean—shit.” His face flushed with color when he realized how idiotic he’d been, and he closed his eyes briefly as if he needed to clear his thoughts. Then he touched his brow, reset his brain, and seemed to be back in working order again as he dropped his hand and opened his lashes. “Did you know then, is what I was asking?”

“Oh.” Okay, that made more sense. “No. I found out a little over a week later.”

“Christ.” Gripping his head, he hissed out a humorless laugh and rasped, “This is just like him. Still making me clean up his damn messes, even from the grave.”

“Um, excuse me.” I lifted an indignant finger. “But there’s no mess here. I might have done something I wish I hadn’t, and now there are consequences to deal with. But my kid is not a mess. Nor would I expect or want you of all people to clean it up if there was one because it’s none of your business.”

“How could you be so irresponsible?” he ranted on as if he hadn?

??t even heard me. “Have you never heard of damn protection?”

I gasped, unable to believe this guy. I wanted to sock him so hard. Right in the jaw. But he was also right. I had completely forgotten protection that night. I’d been so nervous about being careful and not wanting to inadvertently hurt Duke that the thought of condoms and all other forms of prevention had completely slipped my mind.

Duke obviously hadn’t been concerned—because honestly, why would he need to be—so remembering all that really had been on me. But still…

“Look,” I growled, stepping toward Duke’s jerk-faced brother and glaring. “I only came here for a damn picture, not to be judged and lectured about my questionable life decisions, alright? I’m already beating myself up enough for all of that, as it is. I know I could’ve and should have done so many things differently that night, but I can’t take it back now, can I? So just get off my back. If you decide to be an actual human being with some semblance of a heart someday and want to give me any kind of information that I can share with your future niece or nephew about Duke, then great. Here’s my card.”

I shoved it against his chest and let go so abruptly that he had to scramble to keep it from falling to the ground.

“But if not...” I sniffed at him snidely and shrugged before turning away and stalking off. “Then have a good life, asshole.”

5

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