Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 95906 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95906 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 480(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Micah didn’t say anything for several long seconds. When he did respond, he did so only by jerking his head in a single nod. I took that as a sign for me to continue. I forced myself to release my hold on him and stepped back, putting several feet between us.
“From what I can tell, Clara has legal custody of both kids. Just her. She and Ricky never married, and he never adopted either child. As much as I hate to do it, Clara's current situation means she's probably very open to giving up custody.”
“She wasn't always like that,” Micah murmured. He’d calmed down considerably. He almost had that broken quality to him again, though I didn’t understand why. He should have been glad to have me showing my so-called true colors.
Micah let out a soft breath and added, “She really loved Brady and even though he didn't always treat her well, she was real sweet to him and she was excited about Christopher.”
I didn’t need to hear how Brady’s injuries had changed all of that. I was smart enough to know that Brady's injuries and ultimate death had created far-reaching consequences that had changed the lives of everyone around him.
“I’m sure she was,” I agreed. “But the fact is that she isn't in any position to care for either child right now. I can have my legal team approach her about having you adopt the kids. Since it would be a private adoption, the state wouldn't be involved so there wouldn’t be an investigation into your ability to care for the children. We would just need to see how willing she is to give up her rights and sign them both over to you.”
Micah's eyes lifted to mine. I could practically see the gears in his head turning. He narrowed his eyes just a little. “You want to buy them from her,” he suggested.
“If I have to,” I admitted. It wasn’t a fact I was particularly proud of, but it was the only weapon in my arsenal that would have the most likelihood of working. “I'll have my lawyers offer her a chance to get into rehab with the caveat that if she completes it and stays clean, she can someday see the kids again, but I suspect…”
“Yeah,” was all Micah said.
“Even if she signs the kids over to you, you still need to prove you can take care of them because if there’s ever a point in their lives that an authority figure, like a teacher, suspects neglect, they can contact whatever state you're in, and the authorities will look into it. Having legal custody of the kids isn't a guarantee that you can keep them. You need a job, a place to live, a support system…”
Micah nodded. It was clear that I was telling him stuff that he already knew.
“What do you want in return?” he asked.
The question stung but didn’t surprise me. Micah had grown up understanding that getting something meant having to give up something too.
I sighed and stepped back from him. “What if you come sit down while we hash out the details?” I said tiredly as I went to sit on the edge of the bed. It seemed to take Micah forever to move, but when he did, he didn't come to the bed. Instead, he sat down on the chair where I kept a couple of loose items of clothing.
I sighed again because I got the message he was sending.
I’d won the battle.
But not the war.
Chapter Ten
Micah
I still couldn't figure out how it had happened.
Three days earlier I’d been sitting in Con’s room, coming up with every feasible solution I could to not rely on the man and yet here we were, less than a week later, in the middle of nowhere with the very man I’d wanted to escape being our only link to the outside world.
To be honest, I actually liked the middle of nowhere. It was quiet and peaceful and not at all what I'd been expecting when Con had informed me that we’d be heading to Nevada both to lay low for a while and so he could do some training for his upcoming fight. I'd just assumed we’d go to Las Vegas where the fight would happen, but we'd ended up in northern Nevada at a house in the boonies. While the house wasn’t the palace I’d expected a rich guy like Con to live in, to me, Christopher, and Rory, it was heaven.
The house was an old farm-style four-bedroom house complete with a screened-in porch and acres upon acres of land with not a single neighbor in sight. While the house itself didn’t have a lot going on in terms of greenery, it was surrounded by lush forest that was both exciting and a little scary at the same time. There were times at night where I found myself sitting on the porch swing and watching the stars and I swore the kids and I had made it… we’d defied every obstacle thrown our way and we’d reached Alaska and the quiet future we’d all wanted… and needed.