DECEIT (B723) by Hazel Grace (ebook reader for surface pro .TXT) 📕

Unless he can get a court-ordered DNA test and a judge to agree, which then I can’t get my hands on the results…unless I’m there.

My cell rings, and Mills’s name appears, sending my heart soaring with the opportunity to speak to my squishies.

“How did their doctor appointment go?” I ask excitedly.

“Oh, they’re fine,” he replies monotonously. “We have other problems. Actually, I have a problem.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Bishop and Kyson came over to visit today.” My body freezes even though I knew this might happen. Alaric and Atlas were coming home, and Mills and I weren’t going to be able to hide it for long if I didn’t hurry the fuck up.

“Oh.”

It’s the only response I have.

One that doesn’t solve his problem and the ones he’s leading to face with B723 as a whole. They’re all going to be pissed at him, but they’ll still support him. Well, everyone except the man I named my baby boy after.

“And let’s just say,” Mills continues. “That Bishop is probably going to dig you up and kill you again.”

My stomach drops, and I wrap my free arm around it. “So it went well.”

“Oh, the best.”

“Mills, I’m—“

“Don’t tell me you’re sorry again,” he snaps. “I’m never having kids. They’re a pain in the ass.“

“Are they not eating? Do you need me—“

“To do what? Are you going to swing by and take them? Are we done playing this stupid game of you wanting to do this by yourself?”

My shoulders slump. “No.”

“Great, then, no you can’t help me. You could hire a few rent-a-cops to take a few bullets for me when Bish tries to assassinate me.”

“He’s not going to hurt you,” I reply softly. “He’s just…angry.”

“You didn’t see his face.”

“I’m—“

“Don’t say sorry,” he seized out again. “I’ve heard enough of it. I walked into this, I agreed to it…because you left me no other choice.”

“You already know why,” I retort. “Do we really have to go over the points again?”

“Nope.” He remains silent for a moment, and I can picture him rubbing at his forehead and calming down his breathing. “What’s the news on Alexander?”

“He’s building a case, hired a lawyer.”

“So we’re fucked.”

“Uh, no. I’ll be at the courthouse if it comes down to it.”

“Suicide mission, got it.”

“Can’t be if I’m already dead.”

“Emmy,” Mills leers. “You’re going to show up with B723 and me there? You don’t think someone is going to see you?”

“No, not really. I dyed my hair and cut it. I’ve practically lost ten pounds from stress and I have a limp because I twisted my ankle the other night on a shoe. So, I’m not the same ‘ole Emmy.”

“It’s not funny.”

“No shit, it hurt like a bitch.”

“Do I need to be ready? For this court shit?”

I nod. “Yeah...just in case. He’s not going to stop. Alexander’s investigator is running out of things to look me up on. Give it a few more days, and he’s fired.”

“Any luck with the bank accounts?”

“Almost. I think I figured out how the coding system works with how the passwords are selected.”

“You’ll have to show me that trick sometime.”

“Consider it payment for the help.”

“You’ll need to do more than that. I want a lifetime supply of…something.”

I tsk. “Well, when you figure that out, let me know.” A soft little baby voice sounds in the background, and my heart swells. “Is that Atlas?”

“Yeah, she just woke up. Lemme put you on speakerphone.”

He does, and I speak to her and ask her about her day. I refer to Mills as her fairy godmother, to which he replies with some crude remark not for children’s ears. Alaric is sleeping to which he normally does longer than Atlas anyway. At first, it used to worry me, but Atlas seems to always be searching for something with her eyes Mills tells me.

My little map attempting to locate the missing piece of her life—me.

“I’m going to feed her,” Mills announces. “Hold on, I’ll switch to video call so you can see her.”

He does and I see my beautiful girl in a pink jumper with a matching binkie in her mouth. Her pretty blue eyes fix on me through the screen, and I feel the burn of tears at the back of my eyes.

Mills leans over and peeks his head in, and I scowl. “I don’t need to see you.”

“You look like shit, Lou Boo. When is the last time you’ve slept?”

“Probably as much as you do.”

“Yeah, but you need it more. I need to give you these kids back.”

My eyes narrow. “They’re not that bad.”

“Yeah, but I’m no father.”

I glance at Atlas. “She seems to like you well enough.”

“Because I have food all the time. Your daughter has me on a strict as fuck schedule.”

I wish I knew. 

“It’ll be over soon.”

Mills gives me a weak grin. “I know. I got it, Ems.”

“I know you do, and I love you for it.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He disappears out of the frame, and it’s my daughter and me, along with more cooing and talking on my end.

She’s absolutely adorable, and I’m envious of my best friend who gets to hold, feed, and love my babies before I even can.

“Hey, I meant to ask you what can I get Marty for his birthday? You know him more than me.”

“What do you mean, you’ve known him longer.” A bottle shows up and Mills plucks Atlas’s bink out of her mouth to insert her milk instead.

“We don’t talk like that. You know how much he tries not to.”

“Marty loves you.”

“Marty is going to join Team Bishop when he finds out I’m daddy.”

“He would never hurt you. Especially when there are kids involved, and he’s a father himself.”

“Ugh, Stormi is going to want to do playdates and shit.”

“Good—“ I lean back in my chair and watch him feed my daughter. “—you could use the break.”

“Not fun.”

“I’ll find something for Marty. You just keep my babies safe.”

“Done.”

“And Mills?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you more than you’ll ever know, but if you get yourself killed, I’ll be the one to bring you back to murder you again.”

“That’s seriously not