Baby of Mine

Chapter Twenty-Five: Meeting the Opposition

“Sergio this is Jace,” Gabriela said as she introduced her boyfriend to the father of her unborn child, she glanced between the two men nervously wondering how this was going to play out; she didn’t need them fighting over her for nothing.

The blonde was now thirty-four weeks pregnant and the last thing she wanted was for the two men in her life not getting along; she adored the both of them and wasn’t going to let anything destroy the peace that seemed to have settled in her life.

“Hola it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Jace said politely as he stuck his hand out and shook Sergio’s; he didn’t have to guess to realise that the footballer didn’t like him and he had a feeling that he knew why.

Sergio forced a smile as he shook Jace’s hand, he didn’t trust the man before him and if he had his way then he would get rid of him as soon as possible.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” the Sevillian replied as he tried to keep calm, he didn’t know what Gabriela saw in the man before him and he hoped that Jace wasn’t going to be his daughter’s step-father; he didn’t trust him and he knew that he was nothing but trouble.

The blonde almost sighed in relief before she kissed Jace’s cheek and excused herself to get her things so that they could go out for lunch; she only had six weeks left until her due date and she still had to figure out what she was getting Sergio for his twenty-eighth birthday that was a week before the due date.

No sooner than Gabriela was out of hearing range and out of sight, Sergio pulled his arm from the blonde’s and glared at him; he could see what his brother was talking about when it came to the unsettling feeling that came from Jace when he was around Gabriela.

“I don’t know what you are after but I want you to leave Gabby alone,” Sergio warned him knowing that he didn’t want the blonde to be hurt in anyway, he would protect her with everything that he had.

Jace chuckled amused as he looked around the house again before he took a seat and smirked at the footballer; he knew what he was doing was cruel and he really did care for the blonde but she was just a means to an end now.

“How much is she worth to you?” the barista asked making Sergio stare at him, he felt anger bubbling in his veins as he realised that Jace was using Gabriela to get at him; he resisted the urge to punch the man before him knowing that it would upset the blonde that he cared for.

“You see the way I see it… you care for her deeply, deeply enough to pay me what I’m asking,” Jace said smugly, this hadn’t been his plan at first and he truly had cared for Gabriela however after René had followed them on their date; he had realised that this was the best way to start a fresh with as much money as he wanted.

Jace had done some research into the footballer after his first date with Gabriela and when he had formed his plan; he wanted to know just what he was dealing with when it came to making his demands.

“What do you want?” Sergio asked as he glared at the man before him, he knew that this wasn’t going to end well and he was going to talk to his brother before he did anything but he wasn’t going to let Jace hurt Gabriela.

“I want ten million by the end of the week,” Jace said with a smug smile as he watched the footballer, he had a feeling that Sergio would give him just what he wanted.

***

“He wants what?” René spat as he stared at his younger brother, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing and he was glad that he had come to him before he had made any moves; the footballer wasn’t known for thinking before he acted.

Sergio sighed as he sipped on his beer, he felt ill knowing that Gabriela was out with Jace; he didn’t want the blonde near him and he wished that he had some way to protect her until he knew what he was going to do.

“He wants ten million,” Sergio said as he looked at his older brother, he wasn’t sure why he felt like this but he knew that it was all related to the blonde that was going to be the mother of his child in a few weeks; he hadn’t even thought about his coming birthday.

“I’m going to give him the money René… I want him far away from the baby and Gabriela as possible,” Sergio said knowing that money wasn’t a problem for him; he made four and a half million a year and had a net worth of sixty million, he knew that this would be money well spent if it protected the woman carrying his child.

René stared at his younger brother before a smile formed on his face, he had never thought he would see the day that his brother got serious; he had thought that after Lara and Pilar that his brother wouldn’t feel like this.

“You love her,” René said making Sergio choke on his beer and look at his older brother wondering if maybe René had had too much to drink.

Sergio opened his mouth to protest before he closed it and just shook his head, he cared deeply for Gabriela and he would do anything for her but he doubted that he loved her.

“You are always so protective of her, you smile when you think about her, you always want to be around her, you give her the googly eyes,” René said as he watched his brother; he grinned as he wanted him knowing that Sergio hadn’t realised that he was in love.

“This has nothing to do with the baby… you really do care about her,” René said as he continued to smile as a look of realisation filled his brother’s face; he chuckled as he patted Sergio on the back as he sipped on his own beer.

Sergio swallowed as he realised that his brother was right and he did love Gabriela, he had never thought for a moment that he was falling for the blonde; he had thought that his feelings were related to the baby and nothing more.

“I love her,” Sergio breathed as he looked at his brother, the words felt different as they passed his lips; he had said them before about his last two girlfriends but they felt different and not nearly as powerful as when he said them about Gabriela.

René laughed as he nodded his head before he pushed himself to his feet and moved to continue on with the work on the nursery while Gabriela was out with Jace; he knew that now that Sergio had figure this out that he would be happier.

“You know… I think madre will have a heart attack when she realises that Gabby is here to stay, she always thought that after the baby was born she’d never have to see her again,” René mused as he looked at his brother; he hoped that Sergio wasn’t going to waste a lot of time before he told Gabriela how he felt about her.

Sergio looked at him and ran a hand through his hair, he knew that his mother still wasn’t warming up to Gabriela; even after his relationship with Pilar had ended because of what she had done.

“So… how are you going to deal with this Jace?” René asked as he turned to look at his brother, the room was already painted and they were just settling up some furniture while they still had the chance; he knew that the room needed to be done before his birthday.

Sergio sipped on his beer as he thought for a moment knowing that he had to make sure that Jace never came back.