The next day, Matt had a meeting with Antonio. He walked into the backroom as usual and took a seat at the table.

“There wasn’t much to see,” Matt said. “I saw the guy you were talking about. He went in and out of the backroom a few times. That’s about it. I think our guy on the inside should be able to give us better info. Unless he’s turned.”

“And in that case, we kill him,” Antonio said.

“Right.”

Matt’s mind was unfocused. He couldn’t care less about the guy in the club. All he could think about was his son. His son. And how crazy it was that such a person existed. And how even crazier it was that he’d had no idea at all. How could someone with half of his DNA be walking around on this earth without him having any idea of it?

“Well, do you or not?” Antonio asked.

Matt blinked back to the moment. He hadn’t heard what Antonio had said. “I’m sorry, what did you say? I was thinking about this hot piece of ass I saw last night.”

Antonio narrowed his eyes. “We got ass here. As much as you want. When I’m talking to you, I need your attention.”

Matt swallowed hard. “Yes sir. I apologize.”

“I said, do you want to be the one to talk to our guy on the inside and kill him if he needs to be taken out?”

“I can do that.” Matt nodded. “Where can I find him?”

Antonio scribbled down an address and slid it across the table to him. “Don’t go getting soft on me. You’ve been a good member of the family. I don’t need you getting all distracted by some chick. Got it?”

“Absolutely.” Matt stood and stuck the paper in his pocket. He better get out of there before he made another mistake.

He still had to keep Maya and Jason from Antonio. Even though things had been going okay and Matt was making more money than he ever had in his life, things could go badly at any moment. He’d learned that the hard way. If you piss off the boss or let him down, you pay. One of the guys who’d been in the family for over ten years made one mistake and he was taken out. Didn’t matter if he had kids and a family. He was dead now because Antonio didn’t like what he did.

If he could keep Maya and Jason a secret, it would be more protection for them. If something bad happened to him, either by Antonio’s hand or anyone else’s, they wouldn’t be involved. It would probably seem like he’d vanished again if they never found out he was dead, but better he vanish and leave them brokenhearted than they all end up dead together.

It was time he took out a serious life insurance policy that listed Maya and Jason as the recipients. If something did ever happen to him, they would be notified somehow and could collect the money. He could leave them enough to be taken care of for life. Maybe that would make up for his not being there the last few years. Maybe.

He went home and tried to do some research on life insurance. But there was nothing fun about that, and it didn’t keep him occupied. His mind kept going back to the night before. The fight with Maya, the way Jason had smiled at him, how good she looked in that dress.

He was not going to give up without a fight. And not even then. He wasn’t the type to step back or give in. He hadn’t decided to not be there. He hadn’t known a thing about it. But he was not going to be the deadbeat, horrible father his had been. Even if nothing happened with Maya and they never got back together, he was going to be in his son’s life and he would be the best father he could be.

He’d been hoping Maya would call first thing this morning. She hadn’t. By the end of the day, he was thinking she wasn’t going to. He should have gotten her number. Knowing where she lived was almost as good. And she likely worked at the hospital nearby. And now that he thought about it…

He picked up his phone and made a call. When he hung up, it was as he expected. His contact who worked at the hospital confirmed that Maya was a nurse there. She worked on the third floor, with the trauma patients who had been admitted. Of course she did. She helped people that would have been just like her parents.

He was pissed she hadn’t called and he figured she probably needed some time to let it all sink in and to get Jason to adjust to the news. But when three days passed and she still hadn’t called, it was time to take matters into his own hands. If she thought she was going to just ignore him and he’d go away, she was nuts.

He drove over to the hospital and went to her floor. She was behind a large, round desk, wearing blue scrubs. She didn’t see him. He took the opportunity to step just around the corner and watch her for a few minutes.

Maya laughed with coworkers, made notes on a clipboard, typed on the computer. Then she got up and went into a room. As he watched, she went to another room next, this one farther down the hall. He walked casually past the nurse’s station, not looking over at them, and waited at the end of the hall. This would be out of view of the other nurses.

When Maya came out of the room, he whistled. She looked over and saw him, then hurried over to him.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed.

“Hi honey, nice to see you, too. How’s our child this morning?” He gave her a big grin.

“This is inappropriate.”

“So is you refusing to call me.”

“I’m not refusing. I’ve been working and letting Jason get used to the idea. I’m not going to just force him into a situation he’s not ready for.”

“Well, I’m sure he’s more than ready to have the father he’s been missing for the last six years.”

“You mean the father who ditched his mother six years ago? Maybe he is. But I’m not.”

Matt took a deep breath. “Maya. Look. I am truly sorry for the way things went down. Please believe me when I say I was only trying to protect you when I left and didn’t contact you. I wanted to be part of your life. I want to be part of Jason’s life now. Whatever happened in the past, I’m his father. I’m here now and I want to know my son. Let’s just let go of whatever happened between us and do what’s best for our son.”

She let out a long breath. “I’m trying. Okay? I’m trying to forgive you. But I’m afraid that you’ll vanish again, and this time it won’t just be me suffering.”

“I don’t blame you for feeling that way. How can I prove to you that I won’t do that again?” Even as he said it, it felt like a lie. He didn’t know for certain that he’d never have to leave them to keep them safe. But he’d do whatever he could to make sure that didn’t happen.

“You can’t,” she said. “But, Jason has been asking about you.”

“He has?” Matt’s heart filled with warmth.

Maya nodded. “But you better understand that what’s best for him is a father who is going to be there for him. If you’re going to leave again, then being here now and getting to know him is not the best thing.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I’d have to be dead to stay away from my son.” Again, the words almost stung coming out. It might be the truth. He might end up dead trying to protect them.

“Fine. If you promise you won’t vanish again, then you can come see him.”

“I promise.”

“I’m done at 7. You can come for a few hours before bedtime.”

“Perfect. I’ll see you both then.”

That night, Matt sat and played with his son for three hours. It was past his bedtime. By a lot. But he couldn’t tear himself away, Jason didn’t want to sleep, and Maya, miraculously, seemed okay with it.

He wouldn’t continue to keep him up so late—that wasn’t the best thing for a growing boy—but once in a while was okay. Hopefully, he and Maya could work something out that got them on a schedule with regular visiting times.

Jason loved his trucks. Anything that went, really. They played trucks and cars, they read a story. Matt watched him in awe as Jason ran around his room, full of energy, and showed him everything in it.

He could see much of himself in the boy. Not only in his face, which looked so much like Matt when he was this age, but he had some of the same gestures. He would laugh at the same things Matt did, and he laughed in the same jilting pattern. He was smart and quick, just like Matt. But, he was also caring, and Matt knew he got that from Maya. When his truck broke down, a whole procession of cars came to help and make sure the truck could drive off on its own. He really was a good blend of them both.

Over the weeks, as he got to know Jason and spent more time with him and Maya, all the feelings he’d had for Maya from the start rose to the surface. He still had feelings for her. Maybe even more so now that they shared something so special. She was the mother of his child. She was somehow more gorgeous now than she’d ever been. He wanted her badly. But he also knew better.

If they started something and it didn’t work out, she would make his life hell and it would be hard for him to see his son. He had to keep her happy and not get involved with her. He would love her from a distance, without her knowing his real feelings. It was the best way to keep them both hidden and safe.