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Wait…
Why were they looking at my sonogram pictures?
“That was quick,” Miriam commented, getting up and closing the door behind me. “Take a seat, Navy, and we’ll introduce you.”
I couldn’t move my feet forward, no matter how much I tried, but Miriam acted like this was just any other day as she took her original seat and looked over at the couple. “This is Dexter and Claire.” She smiled at them, wider than she had at me. “This will be their second baby through the agency. They’ve got a lovely big house, a yard with all the toys you could ever dream of, and—”
“I’m sorry,” I interrupted. “Why are you telling me this? And why are they here?” Miriam’s eyes widened, her attention moving to my dad, just like mine did. “Dad?”
“They’re going to adopt the baby.” He spoke so robotically, like he was ordering a coffee to go.
“What?” I backed away a step. “What are you talking about?”
Claire stood, her hands held in front of her. “I know it’s a difficult decision that you’ve made, but I promise you, we will love the baby with all of our hearts.”
“The baby?” I scoffed. “You mean,mybaby.” I could feel my face burning as I turned to look at my dad again. I wanted to say a million things. I wanted to shout and scream, and tell him how much I hated him, but all that came out was a broken whispered, “How could you.”
Not waiting around to see what anyone else had to say, I spun around and yanked the door open.
I felt like my chest was going to cave as I ran as fast as I could down the hallway and back out of the front door. I could hear Dad’s voice in the background, but I didn’t stop, I kept going to the end of the strip mall, then hooked a right, needing to get as far away as possible.
Tears streamed down my face, my hands clutching my stomach as I tried to escape what I could only describe as a living nightmare. A nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.
“Whoa,” a deep voice grunted, but it was too late for me to register as my body collided with his, my stomach practically bouncing off him like a ball.
“Sorry,” I squeaked, freezing to the spot as his hands grabbed my arms.
My head was down, too embarrassed at what my face would look like, but when he said, “It’s okay,” in a tone I knew all too well, my head snapped up, my eyes widening to the size of saucers.
No.
It couldn’t be.
Not here. Not now.
He tilted his head, blinking slowly as he stared deep into my eyes. “Wait, I know you—”
“Navy!”Dad. Shit.
I yanked away from the man who I’d run headfirst into, but his grip didn’t loosen fully. He was holding on to me, his gaze flicking down, down, down, stopping on my stomach.
“Navy!” He was closer now, so close I could hear his footsteps and then, “Get the fuck away from her!”
Another hand gripped my arm, but this one was so much rougher than the two that I’d craved for months. Dad yanked me back, pushing in front of me as he squared up to the man in front of us.
“Agent Peters,” the man greeted, and as I chanced a quick glance over my dad’s shoulder, I saw the lift of his lips.
“Come anywhere near my daughter again and I’ll fucking kill you, Beretta.” He pointed in his face, his finger mere centimeters from him.
“Your daughter?” he asked, but he didn’t look at me. He was hyper focused on my dad, his gaze flicking left and right like he was trying to piece together a puzzle.
“Yeah, my daughter.” Dad took another step forward. “You touched her once, but by God, touch her again and I’ll end you.”
Dad’s grip tightened as he spun us around, dragging me away from the man who had been the center of my dreams and nightmares for the last seven and a half months. My skin tingled, my body lighting on fire at him being so close, and just as we turned the corner, I took one last glance back at him.
I hadn’t expected him to still be there, but he was, staring at me like he’d seen a ghost. His gaze clashed with mine, his mouth opening as he took a step forward, but it was too late because Dad’s stride was almost too fast for me to keep up with as he pulled me around the corner, away from him…the father of my baby, Dante Beretta.
* * *
