Behaving Badly in Vegas (Vegas Love #3)

45. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Charli

The last twenty-four hours made my head spin. I had no legal rights to Carina, but over the last few months, I started to think of her as mine.

That was a mistake; I wasn’t her mother.

Hunter insisted on dropping me off at his parents’ house this morning and picking me up after he got off work. I was thankful to have a place to go, because I didn’t want to deal with Ginny—or Jennifer—on my own, but it felt restricting.

Carina and I spent the afternoon in Rose and Edward’s pool, and I lay in the sun while she napped, but I couldn’t help but think the novelty would wear off over time. How long would I have to hide out at someone else's house? Technically, Hunter’s apartment wasn’t my home, but it sure felt like it.

We’d just started to make a life together and then she showed up. I wasn’t jealous, per se, but it definitely complicated things.

I didn’t trust her. I remembered all the little comments she made to me about having a sugar daddy and moving up in the world. She should have been honest with me from the beginning. My intuition told me her motives were purely selfish and had nothing to do with Carina.

It was a terrible thought. One I should have been ashamed of but couldn’t bring myself to care. The woman was a problem.

We’d barely made it into the apartment when the knock at the door came. “For fuck’s sake, she could give us a minute to get settled. I bet she was at the park waiting for us to get home.”

Hunter kissed me on the head. “I don’t want her here any more than you do, but you heard the attorney. We have to play nice for the sake of Carina.”

“ You have to play nice. I don’t have to.”

“Are you jealous?”

“I don’t trust her,” I said, crossing my arms.

“That makes two of us. She’ll never be alone with Carina, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Fine.” I sounded like a petulant child, which made Hunter laugh.

He opened the door, and sure enough, Miss Multiple Names stood on the other side. “Hello, Jennifer,” Hunter said coldly.

“I want to see my daughter.”

“Of course you do. Come in.” Not expecting that answer, she cautiously stepped into the apartment. “We have a bit of housekeeping to do before I allow you to see Carina.”

“What does that mean?”

Hunter led her to the kitchen and motioned for her to sit at the table. I was supposed to stay out of this, but I couldn’t help waving my fingers at her. “Hello, Ginny .”

She rolled her eyes and turned back to Hunter. “Where is my daughter?”

“She’s taking a nap right now, but as I said, there are a few things we need to discuss.”

“Such as?” she huffed.

“Verifying your identity. You say you’re Carina’s mother, but how do I know that for sure? ”

“Oh my god! You know me from The Sapphire Club. Are you in the habit of impregnating women?”

“To the contrary,” he said calmly. “I never fuck without a condom. And as far as knowing you, I don’t remember shit. I don’t know you.”

“You wore a condom, but you’re a sloppy drunk,” she said, jutting her chin out.

“If we didn’t exchange names, how did you find me?”

Jennifer laughed. “You don’t think I look at the name on a credit card when someone lays down ten grand?”

Well, that explained part of the mystery. I couldn’t imagine there were many Hunter Dorseys running around.

Hunter leaned on the back of the chair. “Fair enough, but why didn’t you contact me sooner? I’ve been trying to figure out how any mother could drop her child at a stranger’s door.”

“You think I wanted some rich guy to run my life? Had I told you, that’s exactly what would have happened. Being a single mom was a lot tougher than I anticipated. I couldn’t do it anymore and I knew you had the means to give her a good life. Better than I could. Is it wrong to want more for my daughter?”

He sighed. “I appreciated the sentiment, but your execution was flawed. Why now? Why come back?”

Her eyes welled up. “I thought I would be okay knowing she was well taken care of, but I miss my daughter. So damn much.” A tear fell down her cheek and she wiped it away with the back of her hand, smearing her otherwise flawless eyeliner.

The tears were real, but I was still skeptical. This was not the same woman I met in the park who didn’t seem to have a care in the world. The woman that freely admitted a man paid for her boobs. I didn’t doubt she missed Carina; I mean… how could she not? But something wasn’t adding up.

“You want to see her, then you play by my rules now.” He handed her a stack of forms. “I’ll need these completed in full.”

She looked at the papers. “What’s this? ”

“Basic background information. Like I said… I don’t know you. I’m not taking any chances when it comes to my daughter. I’ll need your driver’s license too.”

“This is bullshit!”

Hunter motioned to the door. “You’re free to leave and you can take me to court. I’m sure the judge will love that you left your kid on a stranger’s doorstep.”

Hunter was playing with fire. Going to court was a gamble and he knew it. There was no telling what a judge would say. Sam Steinburg made that clear.

Her eyes widened. “Fine. I’ll fill out your fucking papers.”

“Perfect.” He held out his hand. “I’ll take that driver’s license now.”

She rummaged through her purse, pulled it out, and handed it to him. He gave it to me. “I want copies of both sides.”

I nodded and rushed off to make the copies. Once inside his office, I felt like I could breathe again. That woman sucked all the air out of the room. It was difficult to stand there and say nothing. I couldn’t tell if Hunter bought her bullshit story, but I didn’t. Fool me once…

When I got back to the kitchen, Jennifer had finished filling out the paperwork. “Now, can I see Carina?” she pleaded.

“One more thing.” Hunter handed her a plastic tube with a swab inside. “I’ll need your DNA to prove you’re Carina’s mother.”

“This can’t be legal,” she huffed.

Hunter shrugged his shoulders. “It’s your choice. Swab your cheek or walk out the door.”

Jennifer reluctantly opened her mouth and ran the cotton along the inside of her cheek, then tucked it back into the plastic tube. She thrust it at him. “Where is my daughter?”

Hunter tapped the tube against his palm. “When I get the results of this, I’ll call you. Don’t come back until then.”

“Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack. There’s nothing I won’t do to protect my daughter, even from the woman who claims to be her mother. ”

She picked up her oversized purse and slung it over her shoulder. “I’ll see you soon. You better call or I’ll show back up.”

“I have no doubt about that.” He ushered her to the door and leaned against it once she was gone.

“Now what?” I asked.

“Now we wait.”