Page 10 of Grand Love

Mase

“He has another kid?”I ask, dumbfounded.

“I looked deeper when I found Jasmine. He wasn’t on her birth certificate, but she carried his name. I was curious as to why.”

“And?” I ask.

“I couldn’t find anything, just the same money trail back to him from the monthly payments. Just like Nina. I don’t think there has ever been contact, at least not in the years I can trace. I looked into his child support payments and found four different accounts, one being Sarah Anderson and Jasmine’s mother Veronica Mayer.”

“Nina has more than one sibling?” I frown.

“Three, and they all get the same standard payment from Jerry’s account.”

“Hush money?” Fucking prick. “I want everything on him. Go deeper.”

“Scott’s already on it,” he confirms, nodding his head at me as I search the sheet of paper for Jasmine’s address.

“What are you doing?” Charlie snaps. “You can’t approach her without speaking to Nina first.”

“The fuck I can’t! She’s the reason I share my child; I don’t give a fuck who she is. I want answers.”

“And if you ever want to get Nina back—which I presume you do, seeing as you’re so hell-bent on finding out who ‘set you up’.”

“I don’t want Nina back.”

He ignores me, carrying on. “Then do you not think you should speak to her first, find out if she wants this dug up? This doesn’t just affect you, Lowell.”

“Charlie’s right, Mason,” Vinny agrees.

My face screws up in annoyance. “When did you pricks turn so soft? This woman fucked me over. I don’t owe a damn thing to anyone.”

“No, but you have a child now, mate, and we don’t need another Marcus,” Charlie states.

“I’m not going to fucking kill her, Charles! Jesus Christ! I just want to know who paid her.” And take the bastard down. “Give me the address.”

“I’ll come with you,” Charlie tells me.

“You sure? I don’t want my hotshot lawyer having to cover my ass.” I shake my head and snatch up the file from the desk, hoping the address will be in there.

He follows me to the door, giving me a shove in the back.

“Mason,” Vinny calls and I turn, already knowing what he is going to say. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Yeah,” I huff, slipping out the door.

As fucking if.

* * *

Nina

I’m finishinga feed when the doorbell rings. The click of the lock sounding a couple seconds later. “Joey?” I call out.

“Yeah, just me.” He smiles as he comes into view, looking around the apartment briefly before his eyes come back to me. “Little man sleeping?”

“Yeah, just. Thank you for coming over, saves lugging the pram onto the overground.”

“Anytime. You know that.”

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