In Spanish, she told the man to wait a minute. Her voice did not sound fearful. "I have to go, Noel. Just promise me you'll keep Guillermo with you." The line went dead.
I considered trying to call back, but knew she wouldn’t answer.
I put the phone down and with Mo in one arm I set about warming up a bottle knowing he'd be hungry soon. As I mixed up the formula and warmed it in the microwave, I stewed over the fact that the two women that I didn't want to think about at all were vying for attention in my head.
By the end of the day, I realized that I could stop wasting time thinking about Harper. It didn't matter what my dick or my heart felt, I had to cut her from my life.
I would like to have done the same for Lupe but for Mo’s sake I couldn't. I couldn't make heads or tails about a woman who was weeping over missing her son while also ordering the murders of enemies of her family. Her continued statements that I keep Mo with me made no sense either. I couldn't help but feel that maybe she was playing me somehow too.
Normally I dismissed such an idea except Harper had proven that I was gullible after all. The only question was, what was Lupe's game?
She and I had parted amicably so there was no reason for her to behave like a woman scorned. And while her father hadn't been happy about my terminating our business deal, that happened over a year ago. If he was after revenge or wanting to keep me quiet, that would’ve happened right after I pulled my team. And there wouldn't be an elaborate scheme involving a baby. No, Lupe's father would send somebody to stealthily kill me in my sleep.
While I couldn't decipher what was going on, it made me wonder about Mo again. Was I really his father? The answer was yes, at least in my heart and my soul. That was the only thing that counted. But what if Lupe or her family was up to something? I needed to know for sure so I could better understand what I might be dealing with.
The next morning, I made an appointment to have a discrete doctor come by for a DNA test. As the blood was drawn and Mo let out a wail, guilt filled me. I felt like a traitor to him, forcing him to endure the pain of a blood test to find out if he really was my son.
When the test was done, I gave Mo a bottle and gently rocked him, hoping he forgave me for doing this to him.
"What are you going to do if the test shows that he's not yours biologically?" The doctor asked as he put his equipment away.
"Nothing will change. Mo is my son and that's that."
The doctor quirked a brow at me. "Then what's all this about?"
"I just need to know so that I can best protect him."
The doctor shrugged and picked up his bag. "I should have the results soon. I'll call and let you know."
After the doctor left, I called and made an appointment with my lawyer. A part of me wondered if maybe I should've left the DNA test alone. Maybe it would be better for me and Mo legally if I didn't question Lupe’s assertion that I was Mo's father. Lupe had given me a birth certificate that listed me as the father, but Lupe's family was well-connected and admittedly, the document looked a bit sketchy. Lupe’s family could get any sort of documents, legal or otherwise, they wanted from passports to birth certificates.
Maybe it was time that I forced Lupe to sign an affidavit or officially give me sole legal custody of Mo. I couldn't imagine anyone would show up to question his paternity or take him away from me. But if it turned out I wasn't his biological father, keeping him would become significantly more difficult. Fuck. I messed up. I should have left the test alone.
Then again, I couldn't imagine anyone finding out about Mo and me, except maybe Harper. She had questioned whether Mo was mine, and while she admitted the other day that I was his father, she might've just been saying that to placate me as part of her grand scheme with Bran.
After Mo was fed, I set him in his swing. It was a relief that he was more content these days; a sign that he and I were a family. I was going to call Dax, when there was a knock on the door.
I leapt over Mo in my rush to open. When I saw Archer standing there, I realized I’d been hoping it was Harper. God, I was fucked.
“Your gate was open,” he said.
“I forgot to close it after my last guest. What brings you by?” I opened the door for him to enter.
He smiled as he walked to Mo, his arms and legs waving around. “He’s cute. And seems happy.”
“We’ve forced a truce of sorts. I keep him clean and fed, and he lets me sleep and have peace and quiet.”
Archer laughed. “That’s not a truce. That is you losing the war to this little guy.”
“True. But I’m happy to lose. So, what’s up?”
He sat on the couch while I sat on the floor near Mo.
“I wanted to know about Dax. I know your business isn’t my business, but—”
“It is.” I was an asshole the way I treated Archer. I’d handed over the business to him, but then was poaching an employee for my personal matters. “I’ll pay for his time—”
“I’m not worried about the money, Noel.” Irritation laced his tone.