Fatal Consequences by Marie Force Read Free Book Online

that.”
    Grateful for her calming presence, he nodded and reached for the door handle. At the last second, he stopped and turned to her. “Come with me.”
    “I thought we decided it would be better if I waited here.”
    “I don’t care what we decided. I want you with me when I see him for the first time. It wasn’t like I had a long relationship with her. How can she be put out if I have someone else now?”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yeah. I’ll feel better if you’re there with me,” he said, startled to realize it was true. He always felt better when she was around.
    “Then let’s go.”
    On the front stoop, Gonzo rang the bell. Would he know right away that the child was his? Would he be able to love a child he hadn’t even known about? What if he couldn’t love the baby, even if he was his?
    The door swung open, and Lori gasped when she saw him. Her brown hair looked like it hadn’t been washed in days and her oversized red T-shirt was stained with what might’ve been breast milk. Gonzo tried to recall what he’d once seen in her, but she had changed so much he barely recognized her.
    She pushed open the storm door. “Tommy? What’re you doing here?”
    He swallowed hard. “I’ve come to see my son.”
    Lori’s gaze shifted from him to Christina and then back to him.
    “This is my, um, girlfriend, Christina.” He was surprised he didn’t choke on a word he usually went out of his way to avoid. “Christina, this is Lori.”
    The two women sized each other up for a long, long moment. Finally, Christina said, “Nice to meet you.”
    The sound of a baby wailing from inside ended the awkward moment. “Come in.” Lori gestured them into a space cluttered with baby paraphernalia and piles of dirty clothes.
    Gonzo eyed the overflowing ashtray on the coffee table with dismay. The place reeked of smoke.
    “I’ll just, um, go get him,” Lori said, darting from the room.
    When they were alone, Christina reached for his hand.
    “How does he breathe in here?” Gonzo whispered.
    “I was wondering the same thing.”
    When they heard Lori’s footsteps on the stairs, Gonzo released Christina’s hand.
    She came into the room carrying the baby. The first thing he noticed was the baby’s dark hair. Not that he knew much about babies, but he seemed to have a lot of hair. Gonzo’s nephew Joey had been born with a similar head of hair. His stomach dropped as Lori handed the baby to him.
    Gonzo and Christina gasped at the prominent dimple in the baby’s chin.
    He stared down at the puckered little face and fell instantly in love. Big eyes stared up at him, open and trusting, and it was all Gonzo could do not to weep. The immediate tidal wave of love that surged through him left him defenseless in its wake.
    Christina’s hand landed on his back, and he glanced over at her to find that she, too, was overwhelmed.
    “What’s his name?” Gonzo asked.
    “I haven’t named him yet.”
    Startled, Gonzo looked up at her. “But he’s a couple of months old!”
    “Believe me, I know how old he is.”
    “You have to give him a name.”
    “So that’s how this is going to go? You come into my home and start telling me how to raise my kid?”
    “You called me, Lori. I never would’ve known about him if you hadn’t called. Did you expect me to just go on with my life and act like I’d never heard about him?”
    “Don’t try to pretend you have any interest in him.”
    “Of course I’m interested in him. He’s my son.”
    “Look, it’s really nice of you to come all the way over here to see him, but the only thing I need from you is some money for diapers and day care. I don’t expect anything else.”
    “I want more than that.”
    The front door swung open, bringing a blast of cold air and startling the baby. He began to wail.
    Even though he had next to no experience with babies, Gonzo patted his back.
    “I’ll take him,” Lori said, reaching for him.
    “I don’t mind that he’s crying,”