I remembered thinking Sam was a wuss the way he’d give up on Kate at the first sign of trouble. But now I realized he was the bravest person I knew. To open his heart to a woman who’d actively tried not to love him was crazy. How could he trust that she wouldn't reject him down the line?
Thinking of Sam reminded me of the tongue lashing he gave me yesterday. I was pissed, but mostly, my anger was at myself. He was right. I kept my feelings hidden. But that wasn’t anything new. I’d been like that for a long time. He shouldn’t have been busting my balls over something that wasn’t going to change.
I handed the papers over and left the clerk's office. I stopped outside to order a car to take me to the airport. As I waited for it, I expected to feel free. Once I left Las Vegas, Amelia and our marriage and my humiliation would be left behind. But free wasn’t what I felt. I didn’t even feel relieved.
The car arrived, and I climbed into the back seat. Thankfully, the driver drove in silence. When I boarded the plane and sat down in the First Class seat, I worked to think of the last few months as a nightmare that I was going to wake up from when we landed in New York. But as the wheels left the ground, I realized that I wasn't leaving all this behind. Not if there was a baby. Was there a baby?
I rubbed my temples, knowing that there had to be one. Amelia had no leverage over me without one. And it wasn't like I hadn't fucked her bare. That would never happen again. From now on, any woman I fucked, I’d be wearing a condom. Maybe two. Then again, I probably wouldn’t fuck anyone again. I didn’t want to take the risk. I tried to ignore the fact that I couldn’t even imagine being with another woman but Amelia.
I sighed, coming to terms with my situation. The baby would keep me tethered to Amelia and whatever play she had next and the scam she was running. Fuck. Why couldn't I have just stuck with my original plan? One woman, one night, and move on.
By the time I reached my apartment in New York, it was close to nine in the evening. Even though it was still early on the West Coast, I was exhausted and decided to call it a night.
Sleep was elusive, but when it did come, it was filled with dreams of Amelia dangling a baby over me, taunting me about how easy I'd been to dupe. About how I had a responsibility. About her draining my bank account dry.
I woke up feeling as tired as I did when I went to bed. What the hell was I going to do? How could I co-parent with a woman who’d used me?
The memory of her brother confronting me swept back into my mind. He told me to forget Amelia and the baby, that they didn't need me. Those words created a kernel of doubt that Amelia was the con woman I'd come to believe she was. But I immediately dismissed it. The truth was more likely that her brother was in on the scam. He’d come to see me to create doubt so that I would demand access to my child, which I had. But even if I hadn't fought for the child, my actions still provided leverage for them to use over me. They could file documents forcing me to pay child support. They could go to the media and paint me as a man who’d abandoned his child. I didn’t know how badly that might hurt the business Sam and I had built, but it would kill me on the inside. Maybe it was pride, but I couldn't have them destroy my reputation. I needed to get ahead of this thing.
I remembered Amelia's brother asking Noel St. Martin for information because he wanted to hire him. What were the odds that he was going to hire Noel's company to get dirt on me? Pretty fucking good.
I opened my phone, finding the New York number for Saint Security, and called to make an appointment with someone I could hire to investigate on my behalf.
Two hours later, a thirty-something-year-old man entered my office. He didn't look like the typical investigator or security guy rich businesspeople hired. The closest thing to looking professional was that he wore was a blazer over a T-shirt and worn jeans. His face was rugged, and his eyes looked to be those of a man who had seen a lot in his lifetime. I suspected this man had been with Saint Security back when they were in the mercenary business. Because it was possible that I would need to play dirty, I was glad they’d sent a man who looked like he was willing to bend the rules.
I stood and came around my desk, extending my hand. "Mr. Shepard?"
He nodded. "Dax Shepard."
"I'm Max Clarke. Thank you for coming. Can I get you a coffee or something?"
He shook his head, taking a seat before it was offered. This was a no-nonsense man. Good.
I went back around my desk and sat in my chair.
"I've met your brother," Dax said as he crossed an ankle over his knee as he leaned back in his chair. "He's neighbors with the company founder, Noel St. Martin."
I nodded. "Yes, Noel was at my brother's wedding."
“How can I help?”
“Do you only work here in New York? The work I need done is out in Nevada."
"I started here in the New York office, but then Noel opened an office in Los Angeles, and I went out there with him. Normally, I work out there now, so any work that needs to be done in Nevada, I can do. I'm in New York to check on things in the office here. So, what kind of help do you need?"
I hesitated because in order to let this man know what I needed, I would have to share how I'd been an idiot and been taken in by a woman. It made me look weak. To be honest, if I could let it go, I would. But not doing anything would allow Amelia and her family to hurt others. Plus, I suspected they were the type of people who would go beyond me and try to hurt my family. I wasn’t going to let that happen. So if I had to reveal my greatest embarrassment, I would.
"I got caught up in something that's leaving me vulnerable to extortion. I need two things from you. The first is that I need leverage against these people."
Dax gave one quick nod but his expression remained the same. "And the second?"
"And the second is I need to find out what they did to me."
His head tilted to the side. "What do you mean, what they did? You don’t know?"
"I was having dinner with a woman, and a limousine driver showed up to give us a tour of the city. But after one glass of champagne in the limousine, I was out until the next morning when I woke up married."
If Dax thought that was funny or that I was a sucker, he didn't show it. "So, you want to find out who drugged you?"