Convincing

Danger on the Homefront

Going back home after they fully woke up, Mateo yawned as the man carried him home, “Can you stay for breakfast?” Romeo looked at her and then said wisely, “How about you have breakfast and get the crusties out of your eyes and we talk later big guy?” Nodding, Mateo hugged him and then waved bye making Romeo want to change his mind.

Seeing that, Penelope said softly, “Come over for lunch. I...I don’t want to tell him until the test is done but it’s nice he gets to know you before we tell him. Will make things go smoothly instead of just springing you on him.”

Agreeing, Romeo started to leave but then grabbed her elbow and whispered sincerely, “I’m sorry if I upset you. I wasn’t trying to be deceitful. I just didn’t know how to go about this without coming off threatening.”

Penelope looked at him with a raised eyebrow, “And coming off like a stalker was better?” Romeo actually blushed, “I thought I was being charming!”

Rolling her eyes, Penelope grumbled, “I’m sure Bundy’s victims thought he was charming as hell too.”

Romeo tried not to laugh but found himself chuckling and soon she was too. Surprising her, he hugged her suddenly and as he put his head on top of hers, “I’m not trying to shake up your life or his. I just...want to be a good part of it.”

Surprised by the warmth, he provided, Penelope tried to keep her guard up. Say he was manipulating her for the sake of getting Mateo from her. But no.

Nothing about the way he gently stroked her hair back felt fake. Or the way he whispered, “I obviously don’t want to smother you, and while I’d love lunch, I’ll only come back if you’re really wanting me too. I can wait until you do the test, or wrap your brain around the situation.” He rubbed his neck, “I should have done this differently, I just...I didn’t want to do it in a stuffy lawyers office and make it business. We’re family now...or at least I’d want us to be.”

The brown eyes, the same ones her sons used to beg for chocolate before bed, Penelope felt so unprepared for the grown man version in the original font.

Romeo DeLuna wasn’t fair.

Sexy, handsome, the tattoos and scars on his arms and neck weren’t her usual taste. Her exes were all clean cut and white collar only. Never dating the rebellious leather jacket bad boy like most girls craved to, Penelope had never thought she was boring with her selections.

The only “risk” she’d taken having been a photographer, even then Stefan had been on the same level in a sense.

Romeo a different level all together, the man was tall and intimidating as their closeness bothered them both.

Gently cradling her chin, he admitted, “I don’t want to do anything that’ll upset you Penelope. So, I’m not. But know...I’m not going anywhere.”

Not sure she was upset that he wouldn’t be, Penelope knew it was new enough to make her forget to breathe for a moment. “Right...well...come back for lunch.” Nodding, he released her and as he left her feeling where he’d touched, she breathed out shakily.

Seeing him about to leave, and feeling like he was winning a game she hadn’t even realized they’d been playing made her ask, “Are you toying with me?” Romeo stopped in his tracks and faced her as she clarified, “The notes, the flowers, the flirting, you always knew who I was and who Mateo was to you. So, was it all for giggles or are you trying to get me to lower my guard? Because birth father or not, he’s my son. I’m his mom.”

Romeo nodded and promised, “On the soul of my grandfather? I’d never take him from you. I’d never try. We could hate each other like mortal enemies and I’d still tell him to respect you because...hearing the story of how you saved him, how you adopted him and raised him? Was moving. But seeing you? Loving him and being the best damn mother he could have ever lucked out and gotten found by? It’s a miracle and I don’t take it lightly.”

Romeo stared her in the eye, “I won’t ever try to take him from you. I’m just asking he not be taken from me again. I wasn’t given a choice the first time and I missed everything.”

Understanding what he meant, she whispered, “I...give me your information. I can have it quietly confirmed by the afternoon. And if it pans out...we’ll go from there.”

Nodding, Romeo provided his assistant’s number who had his blood work sent to the private doctor who already had all of Mateo’s.

Running the DNA test in the advanced lab, they were waiting for what they already knew when Penelope checked her email. Seeing Vivan had been trying to contact her and calling her while Mateo had a nap, she was smoking a joint thankful they were out in the country when the woman answered asking immediately, “Are you okay?”

Exhaling as she spit out smoke, Penelope was honest, “No, my son’s father has shown up wanting to be a part of his life. And I don’t know how this is going to affect us.” Having been calm and cool in front of Romeo and Mateo, Penelope still felt the nerves and fear as Vivian asked, “Is he wanting to go to court for custody?”

Penelope didn’t even know, “No, he seems to want us to work this out without getting the court involved but I’m...nervous. I’m scared.”

Vivian understood why and admitted, “It is a pickle. He can claim he never knew Mateo was born and that will play heavy in the court’s decision. It can cause your adoption of him to be null and void.”

Feeling her heart race, wanting to take her son and run, Penelope shook her head feeling like she was in an awful dream, Penelope was sick, “I had...I had hoped they were dead. I didn’t need to know them, to hate them.”

Having gotten the first drop of hate seeing him abandoned, Penelope had unfairly or fairly judged. “On one hand, I was grateful they realized they weren’t fit or ready to be parents. They didn’t prolong and make him suffer. But then I remember they left him, not at a police station or hospital or some heavy foot trafficked area. Instead, they left him in alley where he could have died. From cold, sick, hunger. They weren’t there, and I... I hated them because I loved him so much and how could I love him more than they did? I was a stranger, they were his parents!”

Struggling to breathe, Vivian’s voice soothed her, “Calm yourself love. Calm down.” Trembling as she puffed, Penelope felt a fat tear roll down her cheek as Vivian said calmly, “It’s ugly. It’s a situation that has a story I’m sure and while it’s not my business? I will say this: he has rights. And if he went to court? They would try and establish them due to the situation. Even if it looks ugly on the birth parents, it’s mostly the mother of the child that would need to be questioned as to how Mateo ended up in that alley.”

A question Penelope put on the board as question number one. Going to her room and going into the second drawer, she was honest, “I thought so many crazy things about who his parents could be.” Vivian grinned a little, “It’s natural to be curious.”

Penelope shook her head as she admitted, “I wasn’t curious Vivian. I’m evil. I was ready to do anything it took to keep my son when I found him. Even...pay off a junkie to keep their f*****g months closed about being his birth parents. If it meant they would go back to doing what they clearly loved more? I’d do it. I’d pay and let them go and get their poison and buy my f*****g son. If it meant they were safe.”

Vivian wasn’t horrified or shocked knowing Penelope now. Back when she felt the woman was just a rich girl wanting a project, maybe she would have been. But now? Now she just knew that Penelope was the type of mother who’d go to that length.

Something she told Frankie later as they smoked on their building’s roof.

“You think she’s in some type of trouble?”

Vivian thought about the conversation early. “I know you’d do anything for Mateo, Penelope. This is a sticky situation.” Clearing her second drawer and putting in the pin, she exhaled, “Yeah it is. And while I usually don’t like to use money and power? I have it. And I’d hate to have to do anything that would hurt my son. But I won’t let some stranger hurt us either. I’ve always been ready to fight for him. No matter what came.”

And she would.

Hand picking up the gun, it was steady as Vivian said with all the kindness and optimism she didn’t have, “Maybe you two can work something out. Find out where he’s planting roots and work out a relationship. Start cultivating one and maybe things will be okay. And this could be a good thing.”

Penelope looked at the bullets, “Or you know...option B.”

Vivian looked at her boss, “I don’t want to believe Penelope is violent or capable of violence. But for Mateo? She’d-.” Frankie huffed as he flicked his butt, “Don’t matter.” He looked at Vivian, “Leave them rich folks to figure out they own shit.”

Not wanting to in case something happened tragic, she was told again to leave it alone.

But as she did and worried, an already paranoid and upset Penelope was making lunch and anticipating Romeo. When she was grabbed and pulled close to a hard body.

“How f*****g dare you?”