Wild Stallion Read Online Free Page B

opportunist. Rumors were, the sour relationship had embarrassed him and his family and had cost him millions. And it had also caused him to vow to stay single for the rest of his life.
    Obviously, that vow hadn’t extended to fatherhood.
    Bailey had poured over every article she could find, and it seemed as if, more than the money and his billion-dollar portfolio, the one thing Jackson Malone wanted most was children.
    Now he had one.
    And God knows what he would do to hang on to the baby.
    “Do you have any proof?” he asked. There was pure skepticism in his tone.
    “Some. I’ve researched all the adopted baby boys who were born in Texas on his birthday, and Caden is the only one I haven’t been able to exclude.”
    He gave her a flat look. “Who says your son was adopted? He could have been taken to another state, or across the border. His adoption could have been illegal. Or maybe there was no adoption at all.”
    Yes. And that possibility had caused her many sleepless nights. Not knowing what had happened was the worst.
    “I have my son’s DNA,” she continued. “I got it from the umbilical cord that had been saved after his delivery. The police kept that quiet so no one in the media would report it. They wanted to be able to use it when and if they found a baby matching my son’s description. But the police also gave me a copy of those test results, and I was hoping you’d let me compare that DNA to the baby you’re about to adopt.”
    His right eyebrow lifted, and he gave her a cold, hard stare to let her know that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
    “It’s best for all of us if we know the truth,” Bailey said, still trying.
    “Really?” he challenged. “Here’s what I do know.” But a sound cut off whatever he’d been about to say.
    It was a loud bang.
    A gunshot.
    Jackson’s attention went straight to the phone, but he turned the screen so that she couldn’t see.
    “Because you came here today, you might have endangered my son,” he continued, with his gaze fastened to the screen. “If what you’ve told me is true, someone could still be trying to kill you. So why the hell would you want to involve an innocent child in all of this?”
    Her eyes burned, and Bailey tried to blink back the tears. She wasn’t quite successful. “Because I don’t think anyone is still trying to kill me. Besides, I had to know if he’s my son.”
    “And then what?” Jackson snapped. He glared at her.
    That was the hardest question of all, because she couldn’t just walk away until she’d learned the truth.
    She swallowed hard. Even if Caden was indeed her son, Jackson Malone wasn’t just going to let her claim him. He no doubt approached fatherhood like he did his business, and that meant she was in another fight for her life.
    “Caden’s adoption is legal,” Jackson concluded. “No one stole him from you. His birth mother is an unmarried college student from Austin who couldn’t raise him, so she contacted a private adoption agency after he was born.”
    That was info that Bailey hadn’t been able to uncover. But it didn’t mean it was true. Maybe it was a story concocted by the woman who’d stolen Bailey’s newborn.
    His phone buzzed, and Jackson glanced down at the screen. He pulled in a deep breath and used the device to make a call. “Well?” he said to the person who answered.
    Since this was likely about the intruder, Bailey tried to listen, but she couldn’t hear the explanation that Jackson was getting. She held her breath, waiting.
    “My men have the intruder,” Jackson relayed to her when he hung up.
    Relief flooded through her. “He’s alive?”
    “For the moment. He was wounded when he tried to run. That was the shot we heard.”
    But he was still alive. Bailey went to Jackson and caught onto his arm. “Have your men question him. Find out why he was here. You’ll learn that he didn’t come here because of me. He’s probably a would-be kidnapper after the