Cross-Checked ~ Chapter 23
Andy Barber x OFC Leighton "Leia" Andrews
Summary:
Andy Barber is having the best year of his life. His game is on point. It’s gets to play with his best friend and his fiancé just... dumped him?!.
Reeling from a sudden change in status, Andy decides it’s time to just focus on hockey. Until his best friend's sister comes out with news that rock the entire organizations world.,
Andy has always carried a torch for the untouchable Leighton but in her hour of need, is now the time to shoot and score or risk getting cross - checked again?
Warnings: Cheating (but not by the MCs); slow burn; friends to lovers eventually; SMUT!; pregnancy; jealousy; handsome goalies, evil exes...
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Previous: Chapter 22 - This is MY Family
Series Masterlist // Main Masterlist
Chapter 23 – She's Ours
Andy
Growing up, we used to be a threesome. But when we graduated from high school, Luke and I went to Boston University. Lloyd Hansen decided to go to play football for Harvard and then enlisted in the military.
(By the way, nobody goes to Harvard to play football. But Lloyd has always been the exception.)
It was hard to keep in touch with him when he was undercover or on a mission. But whenever he came home, I made sure I had time. That he came to a game.
Lloyd Hansen has always had my back. That’s why I knew he was the only call I could make.
“You’re exes are pieces of work, Barber.” Lloyd popped the candy from his mouth. “I mean, Jesus, what kind of person tries to take a child from a good mother? Should’ve let me run background checks on them.”
“Like we knew they were capable of this,” I mutter as I take a sip of my coffee.
“You should have seen it coming, princess.” Lloyd laughed before turning to Luke. “Need me to check out Miranda?”
“The fact that you only met her a handful of times already tells me that you checked.” Lloyd winked and Luke sighed. “Look, did you find anything?”
“I’m insulted.” Lloyd pouts. “I can’t believe that you doubt me.”
“Fucking dramatic Hansen,” I tell him. I ball a napkin and throw it at his face. “I left my girlfriend and baby for this meeting.”
“You’re no fun.” Lloyd reached down on the seat a picked up a manila envelope. “Like I said before, your exes are pieces of work. Ass-wipe number one, also known as Bret Anderson, started researching adoption procedures and parental rights after the incident at the baby shower. His lawyer, an idiot with very soft security measures, has drafted a sole custody agreement.”
“Fucking hell,” I look at the copies of the paperwork. “When does her mother come into this?”
“Right before. She places a call to Japan, about thirty minutes before a wire transfer of $1 Million hits his account.”
“Why the fuck would my mother pay him?”
Lloyd shakes his head. “I don’t think it was to pay him. I assume it was to finance.” Lloyd pulls another envelope. “This is where Fiona Mancini comes in. Andy,” he looks at me with a serious face I’ve only seen a few times in my life, “did you know that Fiona had ties to the New York Mafia?”
My heart stops. “What?”
“Yeah, Fiona is the niece of the don of New York’s underboss.” When I give him a blank look, he rolls his eyes. “You’re such a boy scout. It's the second in command. She is his niece. And while he wasn’t happy that she was in a relationship that was not approved by the family, he is more unhappy that she is unhappy.”
“What the, and I say this from the bottom of my heart, fuck?”
“Yep,” Lloyd popped that ’P’ like it was going out of style. “Fortunately, for you, I happened to have had dealings with this man before. I explained what his precious Fiona had done and well,” he smiled sadistically, “Craig Bailey has other problems then sitting suspended for knocking out your goalie.”
“Fuck me,” Luke mumbled.
“Indeed. He sends his apologies for the lies and hurt that his niece has caused, and she will be dealt with. So that part worked out. However, I have copies of everything and his phone number for you, just in case.”
“Thank Lloyd.”
“Oh, and he asked if you could go easy on his Islanders. The Rangers not so much.”
This got a startled chuckle from me and Luke. “I’ll see what we can do.”
“As for Bret, all the financials and legals are there. I already contacted your attorney for you and said that you might need some loss of parental rights and other possible paperwork set up. He’s waiting for your call.”
“I don’t know how to thank you Lloyd.”
“Some box seats and an invite to the wedding would be nice. A bottle of scotch.”
“I’ll send two.” We stand and I give Lloyd a hug. “Thank you, brother.”
“Yeah, yeah. Kiss the girls for me and tell Leia that I saw her medical report. She’s stronger than all of us and I’m lowkey jealous of how badass she is. You better be good to her. Or I’ll kill you.” He flashes me a wink.
The problem with that statement is that he could. And it would look like an accident.
I’m starting to hate the country club. The boys and I usually come here on the off season to play a couple of rounds, and the Bruins always host a charity tournament for the children’s hospital. I think that maybe the only time I come here from now on. Especially if this meeting goes south.
I turn to my best friend. “Are you ready for this?”
He takes a fortifying breath. “No but it needs to be done. She’s gone too far now.” He looks at me. “Are you ready?”
“Yep.” We walk towards the private dining room that I booked for today. The last thing I needed was for this meeting to go public. Not unless it was on my terms. They are sitting there, waiting, talking quietly. They smile when they see me but Monica’s face falls when she sees her son. She stands up. “Lukas, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Yeah, I bet you didn’t.” He doesn’t move to greet her like a son should greet his mother. He just sits across from her, a hard look on his face. Luke is someone who doesn’t get pissed often. But when he does, it's like raining hell fire. The one person he will always go nuclear for is Leia.
I love that he’s on my team, professionally and personally.
“Why did you come here?” Bret or Ass-wipe #1 as Lloyd called him, asks. God, his face is punch-able, especially when he looks like a petulant five-year-old.
Luke shrugs. “When it comes to my baby sister and my niece, their problems will always be my problems.”
I cleared my throat. “We’re here to discuss the blackmail.”
“Oh, Andrew, I wouldn’t call it blackmail,” Monica says sweetly. “It would be an arrangement to bring a family back together.”
“This family is not broken,” I say through gritted teeth. “My family is perfect. So call it what it is Monica, its blackmail.” I lean forward. “It’s coercion in the worst form. But,” I sit back, “I am willing to negotiate.”
“You’re a smart man, Barber,” Bret says. “Now as I said before,” he slides a contract in front of me, “you sign over your parental rights, sign an affidavit stating that you are no longer in a relationship with Leia and the photos will not be published. Monica will also transfer the money to you right away.”
I stare at the paperwork. These papers would take away the only family I have. The little girl who took my heart between her tiny hands and squeezed just two months ago. I think of the woman who makes me feel complete, my perfect match. I think of the future that I could be giving up but remember that I have the ace up my sleeve.
“No.”
A stunned look crossed both of their faces. “What do you mean no?” Monica sneered. “These pictures...”
“Don’t compare to the financial statements and emails that you shared with Fiona and Bret.” I pulled the copies of the documents Lloyd had given to me and they both pale significantly. “I’ve highlighted the appropriate passages.” I pointed to them. “Proof that you have doctored the photos and are blackmailing me and Leia.”
“I am a respected member of Boston society,” Monica argues. “No one will believe you.”
I shrug. “Then I guess we can involve Antonio Mancini then.”
“Who...” Bret starts but I cut him off.
“Who is Antonio Mancini? Yeah, that’s Fiona’s uncle. He’s also known as the underboss of the New York mob.” Man, I wish I had been filming their reactions because, while the image of their shock and disbelief is burned in my brain, I would have loved to shown Leia.
“Andy, be reasonable,” Monica starts.
“You lost that right when you decided to blackmail by best friend, Mother.” Luke looks murderous.
“Here is what is going to happen.” I pulled the papers I had gotten from my lawyer that morning. “You,” pointing to Bret, “are going to sign your parental rights over my baby girl and fucking disappear from our lives. I also want you,” pointing to Monica, “to sign this affidavit stating that you are giving me all proofs and copies of these photos to me and that you will keep away from your daughter and granddaughter. At a time of her choosing, Leia will tell you whether she wants you in your granddaughter’s life or not.”
“You can’t do this,” Monica squeaked. “Lukas, you can’t allow this.”
“Not my decision but I support it one hundred percent. You abandoned us Mother, when Pops died. You choose money over being with us. Live with the consequences.”
“I did what I needed to do to survive.”
“So did we. Sign the papers. Let Leia live the life she deserves.” He turns to Bret. “I warned you, when you came to me to ask Leia to move in. I warned you not to hurt her. Not only did you do that, but you left her when she needed you most of all. Thank God that she had the right man in her corner all along.” He looks at me. “He worships her. He protects her. He cares for them. He loves them.”
Bret looks stricken. But without another word, he signed the papers, gets up and leaves. We’re now left with Monica, who’s perfect makeup is now streaked with tears. “Sign them Monica, and I’ll talk to Leia,” I tell her. “Don’t make me go to the papers with this or the police.”
“I just... I thought I was doing what was best for her.” She wipes at her face with a napkin before picking up the pen and signing. “Luke...”
“No, not right now. I’ll decide when we speak again Mother.” Luke turns away. Monica lets another tear slide before she gets up and walks out.
I blew out a breath. “Did that actually work?”
“Yeah, it did, brother.” He notices another paper in the folder. “What’s this?”
“The future.” I see that Luke’s phone is on. “What’s that?”
“Revenge.” He stops the recording and then sends it to an email address.
I stare up at him and he shrugs with a half-smile. “I’m petty. Sue me.”
I drove around for a while after I had dropped Luke off at his house. I needed a moment to think. To reflect. To believe in my dreams again. I had been so close to losing it all. Yes, I could have survived Leia and Avery being taken away from me, but I wouldn’t have lived anymore.
A year ago, I thought that I was going to be ok on my own. Just me and hockey. I had no idea that the house I bought we become my home. That the girl I watched grown up and then pined for, would become my girl. That she would bless me with a beautiful daughter.
I didn’t know that losing one of my best friends would be the best thing that ever happened to me.
I drove back to my home, relief flooding through me that I would find my queen and my princess there and that would never change. That the family we created would be together forever. Pulling into the garage, I looked at the folder with the documents all of them had been signed except for one. Taking that particular one with me as I dropped my coat and keys in the entry way, I made my way to find my girls.
It wasn’t hard to find them. Leia was rocking Avery in her room, singing a lullaby to her as she fed her. I watched silently, enjoying the beauty of the moment. To see mother and daughter together in the most natural way.
“I know you’re watching me, love.” Leia didn’t look away from our daughter, but I saw the small smile on her face.
“How is she?” I walked into the room, sat on the ottoman and leaned over to see my girl. She had a sleepy, milk-drunk smile on her pouty lips, eyes closed, dreaming her sweet dreams.
“She’s perfect,” Leia said to me. She finally looked up at me but frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I looked at her before I kneeled before her. “Nothing is wrong.”
“Why are you kneeling? Andy...”
“I’m kneeling before you because I have to tell you something.” I took a breath. “I met with Bret and Monica today.” Leia went to speak but I stopped her. “Let me finish. I met with them, and we talked and they signed the papers.”
“What?”
“Bret signed away his parental rights and your mom signed an agreement that she would have no contact with us, with you, until you were ready.”
Leia let out a soft sob. “So, it's over?”
“Not quite.” I pulled the paper from where I dropped it on the floor. “This is the final piece. I know you put my name on the birth certificate, but I didn’t sign it. I looked it up and since I wasn’t biologically the father, I couldn’t. But, when I picked up the papers for the meeting, I asked my lawyer to draft one more.” I handed it to Leia for her to read.
She read it and gasp. “An application for formal adoption? You want to adopt her?”
“I know I’m her daddy in every other way, but I want to make sure she knows, that the whole world knows, I’m her daddy and she’s ours. Will you sign the papers so we can be an official, on the record family?” The tears flow down her beautiful face and I try to thumb them away as much as I can. “Is that a yes?”
She sputtered a laugh. “It's a hell yes!” I hugged them both as best I could before take Avery in my arms. I rocked her back to sleep before missing her forehead and breathing in that sweet baby smell.
She is my princess, my baby girl, our daughter.
Forever.
NEXT
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