The Drake Unwound Complete Collection (The Drake Series Book 9)(24)

Kate was silent for a moment. "I'm so sorry. You can drop me off at my father's."

I sighed as we came to a stoplight. "I don’t know what she wants, but why else would she come back to Manhattan? You're my life, Kate." I was silent as I considered what to do. I had no idea what Maureen would want, but Kate was the most important thing in my life and I wanted her to come when I met with Maureen. "I want you with me all the time. If you're willing, I'd like you to come with me. She has to know you and I are together."


"Do you think she wants you back?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea what she wants. She married this guy Chris who she met before we broke up. She said she'd tell me when we met."

"Where?"

"The hospital in Washington Heights. A coffee shop we used to go to. It's familiar ground, I guess."

We drove towards NYP and I found a parking space close to the café where I was to meet Maureen. Kate and I walked hand in hand into the lobby of the building. I saw Maureen right away – her blonde hair and height distinguishing her from everyone else. She was silhouetted against the window, watching for me.

We walked up to her and she frowned when she saw Kate, looking her up and down, her grey eyes judging. "Is this your current slave?"

"This is Kate McDermott. Kate, this is Maureen Johnston, my ex-wife."

Kate nodded politely at Maureen. I couldn’t believe Maureen was so rude as to suggest that Kate was my slave and that I would bring a mere submissive to a meeting with her but there was no way Maureen would ever understand the lifestyle.

"I need you to come with me," Maureen said, her voice clipped.

"Where?"

"To Morgan Stanley. The oncology ward."

"Your son—"

"Our son," she corrected. "He's got leukemia. He needs a bone marrow transplant and so I thought you'd agree to be tested. You could be a match."

Another wash of adrenaline went through me and for a moment, my sense of hearing dulled. Her son – my son had leukemia? I thought of the brother I never knew – the brother who died before I was born.

I’d passed the genetic curse along to my son. "Yes. Of course."

"Can we go somewhere and talk?" she said and sighed. "I suppose this has come as a shock."

I bit back a nasty reply, determined I’d remain in complete control. Maureen, and most of all Kate, didn’t need to see me lose it. Maureen led us down the long hallway to a small coffee shop where we purchased some coffee. We went to an empty table surrounded by other visitors and patients.

"So, tell me," I said, my hands around my cup. "How is it I have a son and I never heard about him?"

Maureen took off her scarf, removed her coat. She sat down and stirred her coffee, taking her sweet time about it as if she wanted to gain the upper hand and ward off any kind of attack on my part. Finally, after taking a sip, she spoke, her voice low.

"I didn’t think he was yours. I thought he was Chris's. It wasn't until we tested Chris as a donor that we found out he wasn't related. It was then I knew." She glanced up at me, her face red. "I must have miscalculated my dates. I probably didn’t want to think he was yours."

I knew that Maureen was unhappy when we split up, but I had no idea that she had already started a relationship with someone else. When she left me, I thought it was truly because we failed, not because she had someone else waiting. She’d mentioned someone named Chris in passing before she left me, but I thought it was just a colleague. I’d been jealous at the mention of his name but too busy and self-absorbed to push her to find out more.

"So you were sleeping with Chris before we split..."

"Drake, I could have been sleeping with an entire college football team for all you'd have known. You were so busy in Africa and with lectures and surgery and your band to even notice that I was having an affair."

"And how do you know he's my son? I should be tested—"

"Drake," she said, her voice sounding frustrated. "It was either you or Chris. I wasn't seeing anyone else. Yes, you should be tested, but given it's the same leukemia as your brother, I assumed he's yours."

"Of course…" I stammered. "They'll find out when they test me for compatibility." I said nothing for a moment, reining myself in once more, holding my cup between my palms. I didn't meet Maureen's eyes, focusing instead on the table and my cup. "So you were f*cking us both, obviously."

"I didn’t mean to. You were pretty insistent when you were around. I tried to talk to you but you were always shushing me, trying to get me into bed. I finally gave up."

Kate stood up at that, obviously embarrassed to be listening to our private conversation. I grabbed her hand.

"Stay," I said. She sat back down, her cheeks red. I sighed heavily, feeling bad that she had to hear my dirty laundry, hoping that it didn’t sour her on me – on us. "Tell me about my son."

"Liam," Maureen said. I glanced up at that. Maureen gave a half-smile, somewhat guilty-looking. "I always liked your father and that name, so I called him that when I found out he was a boy."


"Jesus Christ," I said, rubbing my eyes. "You never suspected that he was my son?"