Chapter 66: Chapter 15

NATE

I’d been hoping for a quiet evening, but after the reception we received, it’s clear that’s not going to happen. Mom and Jocelyn take a few minutes to regain their composure, and then they need a break. Mandy ushers the boys into the kitchen to fix them some food, so they can sit with Cami and Jace and visit their sisters.

Dad and I exchange a look, and we both understand what needs to be done. I gather Jessie, Tank, Frankie, and Dad, and we head back into town to the basement. We need answers. We have to find out where Angelo is. Loose ends aren’t an option. But what will we do when we find him? How will this all unfold? Dad taps my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Since you found the boys, I’ll let you take the lead. But we need to know where he is. I’m sure Mike doesn’t know we have that card in our favor. The sooner we find him, the sooner we can end this.”

“I agree, Dad! This shit needs to be over! Jessie, I know you feel the same way.”

Jessie hesitates, then says, “When I saw those kids, it was like looking at Ricardo. How can you look at them and not feel hatred, even though they’re innocent? You know what I mean. Those feelings come back when I look at them.”

I nod. “I get it, Jessie. And what if we find him and he doesn’t want anything to do with them? Or what if he’s dead? They’re Mandy and Cami’s half siblings. Dad, if we have to, we need to keep them. It’ll be tough, but we can’t separate them from Cami and Mandy. We can rise above this.”

Dad nods. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. Hell, if they want to change their names, we can do that too. I’ve been known to take in kids.”

He grins, wrapping his arms around Jessie and me. We laugh as we pull up to the building and park. We unload and make our way down to the basement. When we walk in, we see them sitting there and flip on the light. It looks like Angie and Jesus had some fun while we were gone. We pull up chairs, with Dad on my left and Jessie on my right.

“We have the boys at our house, and Mandy’s taking good care of them. They’re even visiting with Cami, who’s home recovering. Nice job, by the way. You almost killed your daughter. Broken ribs, broken limbs, and a brain bleed.”

Toni hangs her head as tears start to fall into her lap. I notice they’re sitting a little too close, so I have Tank and Frankie move their chairs further apart and stand behind them, just in case we need to intervene.

“We also got some information from the hospital and the boys. Who is Angelo Ortiz?”

At the mention of his name, Toni lifts her head, giving us a pleading look to not go further. Mike looks at her, confusion written all over his face.

“Who is that, Toni? Who is Angelo Ortiz?”

“Please, Nate, don’t. I beg you, please don’t.”

“Well, Mike, it turns out that you, my friend, are not the boys’ biological father. Angelo Ortiz is.”

“Toni, tell me they’re lying! Tell me you didn’t get pregnant by someone else. You told me they were mine, and I fucking believed you. I was there when you had them!”

“I know, Mike. It was just a few times, and when I found out I was pregnant, I was scared. So I lied. He doesn’t even know about them. I couldn’t tell him.”

“Toni, do you know where he is?”

“Yes, he’s still in the same place. I would drive by every few months to make sure. He’s still there, but please, he has a wife and kids.”

“Well, this is going to be an interesting evening, isn’t it?”

She gives us the address, and luckily, it’s only a few minutes away. We head back to the car and drive over. We don’t want to scare the kids, so maybe just the three of us will go in, while Tank and Frankie keep watch outside.

***

CADEN

We all know how this is going to go down, especially since we don’t want to traumatize the kids. When we pull up, we see a typical suburban home with a white picket fence. We look around as we get out of the car and walk up to the door. I ring the doorbell, and we wait anxiously. The door slowly opens, and a woman answers.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, is Angelo here? An Angelo Ortiz?”

“He is. Hang on a second. Angelo! You’re needed at the front door.”

We wait as a man comes up behind her. When he sees us, he just stares. I have a feeling he knows who we are.

“It’s okay, Renae. What can I do for you?”

“Do you know Toni Conner?”

“What about her?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to have this conversation where your neighbors might overhear. We’re not here to stir up trouble, but we need to talk about her with you.”

“All right, all right, come on in.”

As we step through the screen door, we spot Renae. She’s holding her children close, her eyes wide with fear as she looks at him.

“We just need to discuss something, nothing more. You might want to send the kids upstairs. We have some information that concerns both of you.”

Renae’s gaze flickers to Angelo. He gives a nod, and she ushers the kids upstairs. Angelo then guides us to the living room. We follow him, taking our seats on the couches and waiting for everyone to settle in.

“Do you know a woman named Toni Conner?”

“Yes, there was a time when my wife and I were having problems. I made a mistake and stepped outside our marriage. We managed to work through it, and I cut ties with Toni. That was a long time ago. I’d see her drive by every few months, but she never approached me.”

“We’re aware that you’re Rico’s younger brother. Before you react, we want to assure you that we’re not here to cause trouble.”

“Absolutely not. I’m well aware of the things my brother was involved in, and what he did to your family. I know who you are, Caden, Nate, and Jessie. I know what he did to your girl. I hoped Ricardo would have changed.

“His mother was so destructive. I tried to pull him away, but she wouldn’t let me. I wanted nothing to do with them. I only spoke to my nephew over the phone and met him away from his mother. When he spiraled out of control, I knew there was no saving him.”

“We have Toni and her husband, Mike, with us. Her daughter Mandy is with my son Nate, and her other daughter Cami is with my son Jace. We’ve recently taken her sons into our care. They’re ten, about to turn eleven in August. She’s listed you as their father.”

“She did what?”

“You have children with her, Angelo! Are you fucking kidding me!”

“Renae, honey, I swear I didn’t know. She never told me!”

“You used protection, didn’t you?”

The room falls silent. Renae stands up and walks away. I pull out my phone, find a picture of the boys, and hand it to Angelo. Renae looks over and smacks him on the head.

“Damn it!”

“They look just like you, Angelo! What are you going to do now? You have two children with that crack whore.”

“I don’t know, Renae! What should I do? You tell me, because I’m at a loss right now!”

“May I suggest something? If this is too overwhelming for you and your family at the moment, the boys can stay with us. Their older half-sisters are already with us. Angelo, if you want to be involved, that’s up to you. You can get to know them.

“I’ll raise them as if they were my own sons. They need positive influences in their lives because all they’ve known so far is shit. If you can’t provide that right now, that’s okay. But it will need to happen eventually.”

“Caden, this is a lot to take in. I can’t handle this right now, but I want to do right by them. I just need some time. This will be a huge adjustment for us. We’ll also have to explain it to our children, as it will affect them too. If you leave your number, I can arrange something in the near future.”

“I can make that happen, but remember, the ball’s in your court. If you decide to pursue a relationship, that’s your choice. If not, that’s on you. They’ll be with me for now, since Mandy has temporary custody. Rest assured, they’ll be well cared for. If you’d prefer, I can adopt them. I understand this is a lot to process, Angelo. That’s why I don’t want you to rush. Take your time to think it over.”

“I appreciate that. I’ll let you know. I’ll need to discuss it with Renae once things settle down.”

“We’ll give you some space and stay in touch.”

We rise from our seats and make a swift exit. Once we’re in the car, we drive toward the estate in silence.

“Dad, do you think he’ll visit them?”

“No, he’ll chicken out and text me in a few weeks, saying he can’t handle it. I already know. So we’ll take them in and make them Maxwells.”

I immediately call Andy, asking him to meet me at my house. I want to get the paperwork started. I have a gut feeling that Angelo is just putting on a show, pretending to care when he doesn’t.

When we pull up to the house, Andy isn’t there yet. I walk in, greeted by Eva’s questioning gaze.

“He didn’t know about them, and he claims he’s not a threat. I’m almost certain he won’t step up. So it’s back to us. I know this is a big ask, and I don’t even know where to start.”

“I know you, Caden. Make them Maxwells and be done with it.”

“Eva, sweetheart, are you sure? This is a big deal if we go through with it!”

“I know you wouldn’t want it any other way!”

Just as I pull her into a hug and kiss, Andy walks in. I turn to him, explaining that we want adoption papers drawn up for the boys to become Maxwells. All we need is for their dad to sign, then we can have the judge sign ours and it’s done. He agrees, jots down some notes, and leaves. I turn back to Eva, noticing the boys standing behind her, tears streaming down their faces.

They rush toward me, throwing their arms around my waist and sobbing. I kneel down to their level and ask them to look at me.

“Anthony and Marcelo, I spoke with your father tonight. I’m hoping it won’t come to this, but if your father chooses not to, would you honor me and Eva by allowing us to adopt you? You’d gain a big family if you decide to.”

I watch as they exchange glances, then give me wide smiles and throw their arms around my neck. They pull away and run over to Eva, hugging her tightly. I watch the scene unfold, the boys going around and hugging everyone. My phone dings, and I see a message from Angelo. My heart sinks.

He’s chosen not to be a part of their lives. I text back, saying okay, I’ll have my lawyer contact him to sign off his rights so I can adopt them. His response is a simple okay. I quickly scroll through my contacts and call Andy.

“Hey Andy, it’s Caden. I just sent over the dad’s info. Get the paperwork filed and let us know when the judge signs off. Then I can get my copies and make it official.”

“All right, Caden. I should have them out to you in a few days.”

I look up to see Eva and Nate watching me. I shake my head, and they understand what it means. I see tears welling up in Eva’s eyes as Nate walks away. I grab a drink and sit down, thinking about how Angelo didn’t even really consider it. To dismiss his kids after an hour means he was never invested to begin with.

I’m sitting there when everyone gathers around the TV. The boys come over, climb onto my lap, and snuggle into me. I realize this means we’ll be back at the elementary school. This should be interesting.