chicken with me,” she said. “You’ll end up smeared all over the road.”
She intended to intimidate me, and I supposed if I’d met her back when Allen and I had first started dating, it might’ve worked, but I’d spent far too much time with the Lockwoods looking down at me, trying to do the same thing she was trying. If May Lockwood couldn’t scare me away from her son, there was no way some blast from Allen’s past would manage to freak me out with a single comment.
“I don’t know you,” I said. “And you don’t know me, but let me tell you this. You can’t scare me into giving you what you want.”
One side of Aime’s mouth twisted up into a smile. “Oh, it’s not giving me what I want. It’s giving my daughter what she deserves.”
“Why now?” Jasper asked suddenly. Aime and I both looked at him. “Why did it take you nine years to come here with her? Why didn’t you tell Allen when you first found out?”
That was an excellent point, I realized. I hadn’t even thought about that. I looked expectantly at Aime.
“You’re the ones who said Allen didn’t know.” She patted the little girl’s head. “What would you say if I told you that Allen knew? That he’d known since before Jenny was born, but that he didn’t want to be tied down with a family. That he’d been paying me all this time and the reason I came forward now is because the money’s gone.”
I was going to throw up.
It couldn’t be true. Her claim was bad enough, but to say that Allen had known, that he’d been paying her all this time and lying about it. It was too much.
“You will give me what I want,” she said, taking a step forward. Her dark eyes were flashing angrily. “And if I have to, I’ll take you to court for it. I’ll make sure the whole world knows what a bastard Allen Lockwood was and what a bitch he married.”
“That’s enough.” Jasper stepped in front of me, using his grip on my hand to move me behind him. “You need to leave. Now.”
I’d known he was a big man, but I’d never really seen him use his size before. Now, it was a presence, a presence that stood between myself and Aime.
“I’ll leave,” Aime said. “But this isn’t the end of it.”
Jasper didn’t move until Aime’s car disappeared down the driveway. Only then did he turn towards me, his arms automatically going around me, pulling me against his broad chest.
My thoughts were chaotic, my head spinning, and I let myself relax into his embrace, let him hold me. How could this be happening? Just one more thing on top of everything else that was going on.
Aime had sent the threats. Even if the last picture hadn’t been of her and Allen, I would’ve guessed that she’d been the culprit. She wasn’t just pissed at Allen, but at me too. I knew why. He’d broken up with her and less than six months later, he’d met me. Of course she had a right to be angry, especially since she’d been pregnant.
But none of that meant that Allen had known about Jenny.
He couldn’t have known. Not like that. The man I’d known couldn’t have just walked away from his daughter, no matter what Aime said. If he’d known about Jenny, he would’ve provided for her, but not hidden her. He would’ve told me about her, would have shared custody. He would’ve put her into his will.
He would have told me.
Like he would’ve told me that he was sick? That he was dying?
Allen had lied to me about that. Had killed himself.
What if he’d lied to me about this too?
Chapter 9
“Do you think he knew?” My question was muffled against his chest. “Tell me the truth, Jas. Do you think he knew about his daughter?”
He gripped my shoulders and pulled me back so that we could look at each other. “No, Shae.” There was no doubt in his eyes. “If Allen had known, he never would’ve let Aime have custody. He would’ve fought tooth and nail to get custody of his daughter. He would have told you. Would have wanted her to meet
She intended to intimidate me, and I supposed if I’d met her back when Allen and I had first started dating, it might’ve worked, but I’d spent far too much time with the Lockwoods looking down at me, trying to do the same thing she was trying. If May Lockwood couldn’t scare me away from her son, there was no way some blast from Allen’s past would manage to freak me out with a single comment.
“I don’t know you,” I said. “And you don’t know me, but let me tell you this. You can’t scare me into giving you what you want.”
One side of Aime’s mouth twisted up into a smile. “Oh, it’s not giving me what I want. It’s giving my daughter what she deserves.”
“Why now?” Jasper asked suddenly. Aime and I both looked at him. “Why did it take you nine years to come here with her? Why didn’t you tell Allen when you first found out?”
That was an excellent point, I realized. I hadn’t even thought about that. I looked expectantly at Aime.
“You’re the ones who said Allen didn’t know.” She patted the little girl’s head. “What would you say if I told you that Allen knew? That he’d known since before Jenny was born, but that he didn’t want to be tied down with a family. That he’d been paying me all this time and the reason I came forward now is because the money’s gone.”
I was going to throw up.
It couldn’t be true. Her claim was bad enough, but to say that Allen had known, that he’d been paying her all this time and lying about it. It was too much.
“You will give me what I want,” she said, taking a step forward. Her dark eyes were flashing angrily. “And if I have to, I’ll take you to court for it. I’ll make sure the whole world knows what a bastard Allen Lockwood was and what a bitch he married.”
“That’s enough.” Jasper stepped in front of me, using his grip on my hand to move me behind him. “You need to leave. Now.”
I’d known he was a big man, but I’d never really seen him use his size before. Now, it was a presence, a presence that stood between myself and Aime.
“I’ll leave,” Aime said. “But this isn’t the end of it.”
Jasper didn’t move until Aime’s car disappeared down the driveway. Only then did he turn towards me, his arms automatically going around me, pulling me against his broad chest.
My thoughts were chaotic, my head spinning, and I let myself relax into his embrace, let him hold me. How could this be happening? Just one more thing on top of everything else that was going on.
Aime had sent the threats. Even if the last picture hadn’t been of her and Allen, I would’ve guessed that she’d been the culprit. She wasn’t just pissed at Allen, but at me too. I knew why. He’d broken up with her and less than six months later, he’d met me. Of course she had a right to be angry, especially since she’d been pregnant.
But none of that meant that Allen had known about Jenny.
He couldn’t have known. Not like that. The man I’d known couldn’t have just walked away from his daughter, no matter what Aime said. If he’d known about Jenny, he would’ve provided for her, but not hidden her. He would’ve told me about her, would have shared custody. He would’ve put her into his will.
He would have told me.
Like he would’ve told me that he was sick? That he was dying?
Allen had lied to me about that. Had killed himself.
What if he’d lied to me about this too?
Chapter 9
“Do you think he knew?” My question was muffled against his chest. “Tell me the truth, Jas. Do you think he knew about his daughter?”
He gripped my shoulders and pulled me back so that we could look at each other. “No, Shae.” There was no doubt in his eyes. “If Allen had known, he never would’ve let Aime have custody. He would’ve fought tooth and nail to get custody of his daughter. He would have told you. Would have wanted her to meet
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