“I can’t deal with her issues right now,” Delilah said. “This is all I can stand.”
Queen reached over and touched her friend’s hand. “I’m sorry. One thing at a time.”
“Ms. Montgomery?” The nurse said.
Delilah and Queen looked up to the voice of the nurse. Noah paused with the toy truck in his hand. Her son came running over to her, and she picked him up. “Come with me.”
“You know the truth. Noah is your son and Charles,” Queen said.
The two went inside the doctor’s office. The lawsuits were pouring in. Suddenly the Montgomery’s weren’t focused on keeping her out of the family. They were now focused on saving what little reputation they would have left after Senator Tyson Montgomery's scandal was unleashed on the world. His connection to the foundation, Yaşar Fikrit, and the clinic was going to be the biggest scandal the state of Colorado had ever seen.
“Delilah, hi, thanks for coming so quickly.” The doctor greeted them in his lab coat.
“Hi Matthew, you know Queen,” Delilah said and sat with her son on her knee. Queen shook the doctor’s hand.
“Yes, we’ve met before at your ranch. Hello Detective,” the doctor said.
“I’m just here for support,” Queen took a seat in the empty chair.
“Of course, this is a tough one,” said the doctor.
“You got all of the results?” Delilah asked. Noah began to squirm on her lap to be free. He wanted to roam around the room and touch all the shiny objects. Delilah held to her son. She fished out the pacifier her mother gave him to keep him calm.
“Yes. I have the results,” the doctor said. “I want to explain how the testing worked.”
“No. No explanations. Just tell me. Is Noah our son?”
The doctor glanced from Queen to Delilah. Neither reacted. They’d been through more challenging times before. Sadly nothing surprised them anymore.
“You are Noah’s mother. We have confirmed that beyond 99.9 percent to be a fact.”
“Thank you. And Charles?”
“I’m afraid he’s not. There’s no other way to put it. He was not your donor. The lab was able to run tests on all the samples used in the clinic still in storage. I spoke with them and the attorneys. It appears that Yaşar Fikrit did most of the insemination using his own sperm.”
“Yuck! What?” Queen gasped. “That crazy man in Mayfair Manor is Noah’s father?’
“No. Not him. Another man. His name is Maverick Lennon. It’s all I know about him. But your attorneys are gathering more information.”
“Who is Maverick Lennon?” Queen asked Delilah.
She glanced once more to her friend. She shook her head. How would she know? Noah looked up at her and grinned at her with green eyes. His father’s eyes. A man she didn’t know.
Chapter Three
THIS MEANS WAR
January 2020 - Manhattan, NY
“Thanks for coming early,” Attorney Ken Richards stood. He shook Maverick’s hand first. And then he shook the hand of Armand Al Jabaar. Both men decided to sit at the long conference table with a seat between them. Maverick hadn’t traveled back into the city of New York in months. However, this was his third visit to the attorney’s office since the entire ordeal began. Armand Al Jabaar flew in a few days early to be present. That didn’t sit right with Maverick. He felt himself more than capable of handling the situation. Still, he couldn’t seem to shake his benefactor.
Over a month ago, the Hollywood movie star showed up at his garage with the wildest tale he’d ever heard. Not only was he not the father of the baby girl, he’d buried with his wife, but he had a son out in the world calling another man daddy. Stoic, Maverick sat and digested the news, leaving the actor to fear he’d take outrage or grief on him. He did not. He’d suffered so much heartache over the past few years he had little left in the reserves. His wife and her infertility ultimately invited these people, and her death wasn’t enough. They wanted more blood from him. Those that killed her were now conspiring to keep him from the son she and he should have had.
“Have you read everything. All of the documents were sent to the email provided?” The attorney checked his notes and shared the email address again. He looked up at Maverick for an answer. When Maverick stared on with no response, he spoke again, “I’ve left you several messages that you didn’t return.” Attorney Richards glanced to Armand for support. Armand remained engrossed with the messages on his cellphone. He didn’t bother to join the conversation.
“We need to be clear on what we are dealing with here,” the attorney said.
“I am clear. I’m here for my son,” Maverick said. “That is the only outcome of this meeting.”
Richards frowned. “No. This isn’t just about custody.”
“It’s only about custody. I don’t give a fuck about the lawsuits and the feds. I want my kid.”
Armand looked up from his texting. He cut his eyes over at Maverick for a moment, stared, and then his gaze slipped over to the attorney. “You heard the man. He wants the kid.”
“Everyone needs to slow down. Detective—”
“Don’t fucking call me that. I haven’t been a police officer in a year.”
“Sorry, forgive me,” Richards apologized with his hands up. “Mr. Lennon, the DNA results confirm you are the father. But it also confirms that Delilah Montgomery is the child’s mother. She has a legal right and claim to the child.”
“She and her husband owned that clinic. That hell-hole where they experimented on my wife. Killed her.” Maverick seethed.
“They were shareholders, not owners,” Armand corrected him.
“I don’t give a fuck what they were. These people killed my wife!” said Maverick.
“Your wife technically didn’t die because of the IVF,” Attorney Richards tried to interject.
“How do you know? You said the feds believe many women were used in the clinic’s research. Embryos taken for some kind of twisted shit. Melissa’s dead! Isn’t she?”
Richards glanced at Armand and pleaded with his eyes for help. Armand seems to watch the entire exchange amused. Richards made another attempt. With a calm, steady voice, he addressed Maverick. “I understand this is difficult for you. And you have rights. My job is to get you to understand your options before Mrs. Montgomery arrives.”
Maverick frowned. “Arrives?”
“She wants a meeting. You’ve refused to go to Colorado to meet with her law-firm. She flew in last night. The documents I sent over to you were a settlement. You agree to release all rights to the child, and she would be willing to pay you—”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Maverick sat forward. “You tell that bitch—”
“Maverick!” Melissa’s voice snapped like a whip in his mind. He glanced up to see the ghost of his wife standing behind the attorney. She looked at him with disappointment in her eyes. She shook her head to warn him to back off his temper. Maverick sat back, stunned. Melissa hadn’t visited him since he retreated to the small town of Cazenovia. He had made peace with her death and Camille’s death. No more nightmares, no more sorrow. He was at ease. Now she was back, and one sight of her brought back the pain.