Bradford's Orders Book Two The Legacy Series

Chapter 17

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Chapter 17

Holly

I left when Sawyer came out to talk to Emma. I know they want to help but I don't see how letting Zane out of jail is going to do any good for anybody. It's just letting him get away again.

After the last call I received last night, I refused to answer my phone. I just couldn't take any more optimism from them. I couldn't take any more heartbreaking news. They don't understand what they've done.

I thought coming into work this morning would get my mind off the worst of the situation. I thought I could set it aside for a few hours and get my head straight. I thought I could think this through and find an answer.

I can't. I can't sit still. I can't focus on anything but the phone call got late last night. Someone wants to adopt my baby. She hasn't been in their custody for more than forty eight hours and I'm already losing my chance to get her back. I don't understand. They said that I would have the opportunity to get custody back. They said that I would get a court date. That I would have a chance to speak to someone. Why did they lie to me?

"Holly, honey, can you please try to reach the commissioner for me again? I need to speak to him about these changes he wants us to make to the stadium."  Lowe asked as she hurried into her private office at the field.

"Why did they lie to me?" I muttered, not really paying attention to my boss. I'm too distracted to work today.

"Who lied to you? The commissioner? Oh, he does that every time he opens his mouth. You have to call him out every time or he will just keep doing it," Lowe instructed me. "Just get him on the phone, I'll take care of it."

"What?" Looking up from my computer screen, I realize that we are talking about two completely different things. "I'm sorry, Lowe. What were you saying?"

"The commissioner, he's full of shit and likes to think that everyone believes everything he says. Wasn't that what you were talking about?" She stops what she's doing when she sees the confused look on my face.

"No, I..." The tears started before I could stop them.

In an instant, Lowe was by my side, her arms wrapped around me, like a mother would do for a hurt child. She's going to be a great mother.

Comforting me, even if she has no idea why, she lets me lean on her. Lowe pulls a chair over, and forgetting how busy she is, sits down next to me and takes my hands into hers.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to what you were doing. I should have realized you are too overwhelmed  to try to work today. You should take the day off and go be with Bradford. I'm sure he would love to see you." Lowe smiled as if seeing Bradford was going to help me.

"I can't... That's not going to help me. We aren't together." Lifting my hand I show her my empty ring finger.

"Oh... I didn't realize... why?" She stuttered out, surprised.

She doesn't understand, she has a man who is completely in love with her. "I can't make him marry me when he doesn't love me. He was doing it out of pity!"

"Bradford cares about you, Holly. He wouldn't ask you to marry him if he didn't want you and Tempy."

"You don't understand. Lowe, child services called me. They have someone who wants to adopt Tempy. Someone wants my baby..." I stopped and dropped back in my chair as the fear hit me of who it was behind this. "It's Zane. He's trying to get custody. He doesn't want her! He just wants to get at me! Damn it! Why didn't I see it sooner."

"Honey, Sawyer is dealing with that awful man. Trust me, it's not him." Lowe seems so sure about this, but I'm not. I know exactly what he is capable of. And he would do this if he thought he could get his hands on the Bradford/Drake fortune.

"Lowe, you don't understand. Zane will do anything for money. Anything. He doesn't care who he hurts. He doesn't care about Tempy or what will happen to her, as long as he gets what he wants from me." I know that. I've been dealing with him for too long now not to know how he works.

"It's not Zane who is trying to get custody. I promise you," Lowe tried again.

"Then who?" Irritated and upset, I lose my temper and yell at her. I know she isn't responsible, but how can she defend Zane? "He only wants your money! You and your family's fortune! And because of me, he is pulling out the stops and going to this extent to get it! You have to understand Lowe, he won't stop here. He will destroy all of us!"

"No, he won't." She calmly responds as Sawyer and Easton walk in hearing the argument.

"Zane won't touch you or Tempy, Holly. That I can promise you," Sawyer adds as he goes to the mini fridge and gets a bottle of water. "If you hadn't run off yesterday and turned your phone off last night, I could have saved you some frustration and explained this to you."

"Fine! Then who is trying to adopt my baby?" Throwing my hands in the air, I'm aghast at how calm they are over this.

"I am." Spinning around in shock hearing his voice, I see Bradford standing in the doorway, leaning against the jam. Pale, obviously tired and smiling at me. "Did you really think I wouldn't do everything in my power to keep you and Tempy safe? You're mine now. I protect what's mine. Whether you want me or not."

Holding out the ring I gave back to him, he raised his eyebrows at me. It's then I see just how much I hurt Bradford. I reacted to a bad situation by pushing him away when he had done everything he could to keep us safe. He even agreed to marry me to keep Zane away from us. He didn't have to do that. He didn't have to do any of this.

He stumbles a little coming into the room. Sawyer helps him get settled in a chair and I realize he shouldn't be here. He should be in the hospital taking care of himself.

"What are you doing here? You should be in the hospital." I state the obvious and Sawyer nods in agreement.

"He should be but the woman he loves walked out on him last night..."

"Dad, stop." Bradford tries to get Sawyer to stop talking but it doesn't work.

"No, she needs to know and you're too damn stubborn to tell her!" He snaps back. Sawyer pins me with his eyes and levels his gaze on mine. "Bradford won't stop until Tempy is back home with you. And he's going to do whatever it takes to make that happen. Including..."

Sawyer reaches over and takes the ring from Bradford's hand. "Marrying you. Is that something a man does who isn't in love?"

"Dad, enough. Can you just let me tell her?" Bradford grinds the words through his teeth.

"Fine. I'm locking you both in here until you fix this!" He took hold of Lowe and motioned to Easton for them to leave. "Really talk this time. Stop the bullshit!"

The shut soundly behind them and with a solid click the door locked. He wasn't joking around. Looking at Bradford I see how uncomfortable this is for him. He doesn't like to talk about his feelings. I see that now.

"Why didn't you tell me what you had planned? Adopting Tempy. I was frantic last night. I thought I was going to lose her!"

"I would have but you ran out of the hospital. I had surgery, remember? I can't just run after you." He makes his point clear. This is my fault. I accept the responsibility of my actions. "Besides, you threw my ring back at me. Even if I'm able to adopt the runt there's no guarantee that you will come back to me."

"I didn't throw the ring! I just... I thought I was screwing everything up for you." Even as I said it, I knew it wasn't the truth. "I was scared you were just trying to do the right thing for us."

"Of course I am! Because of how I feel about you!" He answered, giving me the upper hand.

Moving around the desk, I knelt down in front of him and took his hand. "How do you feel about me, Bradford? I need to hear it from you."

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