Chapter Four

Nikolas

"Are you stalking me, Mr. Sica?" She demanded in a very predictable manner. For someone who I had no memory of, She did hate me. I pondered how we hooked up in the first place If we did have a one night stand.

"You aren't that special Miss," I answered. True that I wasn't scoring the whole city for a girl who happened to be my baby mama. It was an accident, A rumble across town led me to a dejected young woman walking in the rain. Seeing her suffer in the cold made me snap, So somehow my good sides nature offered a ride but judging by the disgusting glares she felt passing at me. I was right to guess she would refuse my offer.

"I don't need your validation to be special Mr. Sica and the name is Alva." She said. I could still catch that fire in her eyes. It felt like she was playing nice even if all she wanted was to destroy me. My fingers tightened on the steering wheel just staring into the flickering orbs of cognac.

"Okay, Alva. It's freaking cold outside so you could swallow whatever bad bone you have against me, Just get in so I can drive you home." I offered, pausing to observe her unchanged poise. It was strange how all I wanted to do was get her out of the rain. Not that I cared or had sympathy. It was just because it was her. The girl who kept claiming I have a son and I wanted answers.

"...and I'm pretty sure Samuel wouldn't want you to die of pneumonia," I added, finally getting a reaction.

She sighed in defeat, climbed into the backseat, and pulled the door closed.

"Where do you live?" I asked, watching her rub her hands together to warm herself. I was implored to offer her a jacket but I dismissed the idea. We would only be together for a short time and she was already doing damage to the beautiful leather chairs. That was enough crisis for one night.

"On St. Baruch." She answered, pointing into the distance and I got driving. On our way, I noticed she shifted towards the window, staring at particularly nothing in an effort to stop a conversation. Well, It was inevitable anyway.

"Are you cold?" I asked. The question seemed to make her freeze. Almost like I had sent her to a state of Deja-vu. It continued for the longest seconds before she snapped right back to reality.

"I'm fine Mr. Sica." She retorted, returning to the blurry sight outside. It was all pretense. Why did she hate me so much? Was it because of the child? Did it somehow ruin her life and she blamed me for it? As if my conflicting thoughts weren't enough,  My phone chimed and upon checking it, I discovered it was a text from my mother telling me Liliana visited. It only amplifier the mental weight that was boring through me. It got too bad, I just couldn't keep my mouth shut.

"Why are you doing that?" I demanded, earning an unimpressed look from the back chair.

"Do what Mr. Sica?" She inquired, blatantly refusing to give me an answer.

"Stop calling me that. The name is Nikolas." I rattled back. "And if you are going to keep playing stupid, I'm going to dumb it down for you. How did this happen? Where did we meet? How did you keep this from me for so long?"

Alva swallowed, avoiding my gaze and squinting like she was in pain. In a few seconds, I saw tears escape her eyes. I made someone cry and I didn't want to. My carefree past kept hunting me down. It just would not stop. I was a changed man. The Nikolas who banged blondes and practically anything in pants were gone but his acts and mistakes were still there and those stupid mistakes kept conspiring against me. It's been a rough road so far but, This was the fucking bomb. I slowed down the car as we entered into Baruch street.

"I am sorry," I began, keeping my voice low even if all I wanted to do was scream out loud. "It came out wrong but you should understand that I just don't understand how this is happening. I have my life planned out and this can alter it forever."

The red-haired trouble at the back didn't buy it. In fact, my speech only opened old wounds.

"What makes you think my son wants you in his life. We don't want anything from the generous Nikolas Sica and if I wasn't so desperate to save Samuel's life, You still wouldn't know he existed."

"But why! He's my son."

"Fuck that!" She retorted. "I am pretty sure you are running a DNA test on him as we speak but let me assure you Mr. Sica, The beautiful utopia you have built for yourself while you ruin innocent people's life is still up. Don't you worry about us. Once this is done, we leave your perfect life and pretend none of this ever happened."

She didn't want money. She just needed the vital organs her son needed to survive. Could that mean I am really the father? Or maybe this Alva girl was top of her game. Was I being deceived?

"I ruined your life? Last time I checked. I only went after women who knew what they were doing." I spat, tilting backward to face her. "...And least I forget, I paid good money for one night."

Before my words could sink in, her palms cracked upon my face, sending a sharp ringing sound in my ear and blurring my sight for a second. She slapped me.

***

Alva

The bastard dared to defend what he had done.  He killed Charis and in response, he was going to use the money he handed his one night adventures as a valid reason to kill his guilt. Fuck him!

"You slapped me?" He demanded, a bit still stunned.

"You deserve more Mr. Nikolas but it's not in my court to have vengeance on the pain you have caused me." I murmured, rushing at the door handle and making my escape just in time.

"Thank you for the ride." Mr. Sica." I said before storming off. The heavy rain which had reduced to a drizzle did not bother me anymore. All I could think about was how complicated I had made things involving the one man I wished death upon.  What happened now? If only I could speak to the dead. This charade was beginning to wear me down. On on hand, I was at risk of losing Samuel to foster care and as if that wasn't enough, I had a test coming up soon coupled with the fact that I just outed a big secret to an influential man of the city. Yep, my life was a mess. I halted at the sidewalks of the house numbered eighteen. It looked more like a shed but the building was the only thing I could pay for comfortably. I rattled my soaked pocket for a key. It was difficult to find considering my eyes were blurry and all puffed up. When I found them, I opened the doors to my little domain and I walked in. The first thing I could stare at was a picture of Charis and me from six years ago enjoying a vacation on the beach. I took the last framed picture I had of my sister and wept.

"What do I do Charis? I feel like I have made the wrong choice... I don't want to lose Samuel... He kept answering me questions today Charis, All I wanted was to rip his throat out for calling you a slut... He knows Samuel exists..." I mumbled to immobile blonde whose presence I could feel in the room or maybe it was the devil because I heard this evil whisper say to me, " He never wanted Samuel anyway. If Nikolas had his way, Samuel wouldn't exist so why are you worried?"

It was dark but it was the truth. Nikolas had wanted Samuel dead since the beginning.