Family Pride (Blood of the Pride) by Sheryl Nantus Read Free Book Online Page B

test done?”
    “No need to,” Brayton said. “I accept the child as my own. She put my name on the birth certificate with my permission.” He dabbed at his forehead again. “The, ah, affair was over before I found out she was pregnant. She showed up six months after quitting with the baby in her arms and told me it was mine.” He drew a staggered breath. “I won’t leave my wife and Molly knows that, accepts that. It’s over between us but now there’s a baby involved and I want to do what’s right for him.” Sweat beaded on his forehead. “I can’t have my reputation ruined over this. I won’t let it be ruined and Molly agrees this is what’s best for all of us. That’s why I want the paperwork done under the table, as quietly as possible. I don’t want anyone to find out.”
    “Understood. And you want me to...” I pushed the conversation along. The faster I got the details the faster I could do this “favor” and the faster I could get out from under Hanover’s fat thumb.
    “I want to get a signed agreement from her regarding child support.”
    I sat back. “That’s all?” The hairs on the back of my neck shot to attention.
    Brayton wiped his face again. “It may not seem like much to you but it’s something of major concern to both of us. She, ah, she’s demanding a legal document. She says she trusts me right now in regards to our financial arrangements but is worried about the future—if I pass away before the child reaches maturity and the estate cuts off the payment plan we’d set up.” The damp cloth sat on the desk in a muddled mess.
    I shifted in my chair. I’d heard this tune before. Same dance, different partners. “What do you need from me?”
    “I’ve drawn up this agreement with my lawyer. I need you to take it to her at her hotel and see if she’ll accept it. Obviously she can’t come to the office and we want to be as discreet as possible.” His left hand slipped into a desk drawer. “I think the terms are agreeable. That’s where you come in.” The thick wad of paper slid toward me.
    “I’m not a lawyer.” I didn’t touch the stack. “I’m not a paralegal. I can’t advise her on any legal documents.”
    “True. But that’s not what I need you for. I need a smart, quiet courier to go over there and wait, get it signed and come back.” He grabbed the handkerchief again and folded it into a neat square. “She’s a good woman, a sensible woman.” Brayton tucked the wet handkerchief back in his pocket. “We both made a mistake but don’t want our child to pay for it. I just need to get this signed and tucked away and it’ll be over and done with.”
    I didn’t say anything. He’d already distanced himself from the entire affair by refusing to use her name past the initial identification. In his mind the entire affair was already over and done with, papers filed and checks pre-signed and sent out.
    “Why me?”
    He blinked rapidly, sending out SOS messages. “What?”
    I pointed at the wall and the unseen front desk. “You can get a bike courier there and back in the length of time we’ve been talking. Fast, quick and no questions. Why me?”
    Brayton rubbed the back of his neck with the damp handkerchief. “Couriers need to be paid. Receipts are signed, tracked, recorded. I don’t want any trace of this operation.” He glanced at the shut door and lowered his voice. “There are people who might use this against me.”
    “And Molly.”
    He drew back as if touched with a live wire. “And her, as well. Michael told me you could keep it quiet, keep it under your hat.”
    “I’m good at keeping secrets.” I tried not to choke on the words.
    “Here’s the address she’s staying at.” He scribbled a note on a piece of paper and shoved it across the desk. “It’s a hotel. She gave up her apartment when she had the boy. I’m paying for it—when the agreement is finalized she’ll be moving west. It’s all for the best.” He reached for a