Page 71 of Fight or Flight
Fuller held both of his hands out in front of him. “I’m cool, no worries. We’re all super cool, like, minus subzero cool.”
On the drive over, Tyler had told Katherine that Fuller was a genius with an IQ above two hundred. He hadn’t told her that Fuller was an emotionally underdeveloped dude.
Tyler was laughing. “I can’t believe you still sport the locs.”
Katherine wanted to add,dude. “I’m in kind of a hurry,” she said instead. “I’m pregnant with triplets, and I pee every ten minutes.”
Tyler looked over at her, ready to burst out laughing, but he played along. “Triplets. It was a shock to us but, what the heck, let’s get it over with.”
“My man! Yo’ a one-shot dude! Congrats, man.” Fuller looked at Katherine’s midsection. “Cool, you aren’t even fat yet.”
Katherine’s eyes tripled in size. “Can we just get on with it?” she asked.
“It looks like you did already! Cool, though, man. I’m in. You should name one after me.”
“They’re all girls,” Katherine stated, hoping he’d stop with hisdudeact and do what they needed him to do.
Fuller motioned for them to follow him to the lab behind his office. He put rubber gloves on and removed a swab from a sterile package. He swiped both sides of Katherine’s mouth. Tyler handed over the boarding pass. Lisa had already forwarded over the records of Jameson’s DNA.
“I’ll do this, dude, and let you know what I find. Cool like ice with that?” Fuller asked Tyler. “Two hours, max.”
“Okay. We’re going to wait in the cafeteria and grab a coffee then,” Tyler said.
“Cool,” Fuller said, and then went to work.
One hour and fifty-two minutes later, Katherine learned she had a half-brother named Jameson Thurman. Which meant that Karrie was her niece.
On the drive back to Blowing Rock, Katherine didn’t say much. She was remembering what she had never wanted to remember.
Katherine crouched down behind the leather chair when she heard the door to her father’s office open. She should’ve listened to Miss Audrey. She told her and Tracie that no matter what, life or death, they could not go inside Mr. Winston’s office. Katherine didn’t care. She hated her dad, and all she wanted was one of those ink pens that he used when he signed papers. It was all swirly and curly, and she wanted a pen for herself. Maybe she’d write on the walls. She would really be in trouble then. Hoping he’d hurry up and leave, she squeezed her legs tight, because she needed to use the bathroom. There was a knock on the door, and then it opened. Katherine peeked around the side of the leather chair. It was the woman with the red hair.
Her father walked across the room and yanked the woman’s arm. “Didn’t I tell you not to come to the house? Damn you, if my wife finds out you’ve been here, there will be hell to pay. And if I have hell to pay, Helen, trust me, you will as well. Until you give birth to that bastard you allowed yourself to get knocked up with, stay home. Don’t go to the office; don’t come back here. Until you pop that little prick out, we’re done. Maybe you’ll remember to take your birth-control pills next time. Now get the hell out of my sight!”
Tears streamed down Katherine’s face. The memory of that day had finally surfaced, and she knew why. A dozen scenarios played in her head. Why would her father deny his own son?
“You okay?” Tyler asked.
“No. I’m not sure I’ll ever be okay. I knew my father was cruel and controlling, but this? I’ve had family all this time, and I didn’t know.”
“What about Jameson? How do you want to handle that situation?”
“He needs to be punished for breaking the law. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s been holding a grudge against me his entire life. I would’ve felt the same if I was in his place. A billionaire for a father who cared nothing for him. It’s sick. I think I should reach out to him before I call in the authorities.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I need to do this. If I can right just one wrong that my father created, then I’ll try my best.”
“I’ll be right there beside you, all the way. If you want me to be.”
“I’ll always want you beside me,Dude.”
Epilogue
Six months later . . .
Katherine had never been more excited and nervous at the same time in her life. She had imagined this so many times but, honestly, she’d never believed it would happen to her.
She adjusted the three-carat platinum diamond on her left hand. “How do I look?” she asked Stephanie.
