Against the Odds (20 page)

The grandparents fuss over Gracie and take
turns holding her while Robert and I eat. I offered Amy to join us
and she declined. “Thank you for doing this,” I say, watching
Robert. “It feels so much nicer being here in our own home with our
baby.” 

“
This
is
much nicer,” he
agrees.  

The nurses rotate every 12 hours, keeping a
consistent schedule. Gracie wakes up every three hours for her
feeding and I couldn’t be happier. Nurse Amy brought in a set of
baby scales and weighs Gracie daily for us. I don’t voice my
concern about the cost of all of this because I don’t care what the
price is. It’s worth every penny. 

We received a letter from the courts saying
that the custody date has been changed to a later time. I’m
thankful. I want to get my six-week checkup first. I also want to
be able to go to court and fight for our daughter. Madison is ours
and she belongs with us.  

Robert works out from home but runs to the
gym so he can practice with his sparring partner. He also makes
frequent visits to the cemetery. He is training as a warrior as he
promised. I know his fight with Kennedy is still several months
away, but I have confidence that he’ll go in the ring, ready to
claim the championship title.  

“
Are you ready to go and
surprise your Daddy?” I ask in a baby’s voice. I swear I sound more
like a fairy than a baby. It’s been awhile since I had to use a
baby voice. I dressed Gracie in a red silk robe that says “Champ”
in bold black letters on the back. I also put on my matching robe
that matches Robert’s. I carry her through the house until we get
to Robert’s workout room. I slowly open the door and “The Eye of
The Tiger” is playing through the surround sound in the room. He
doesn’t hear us entering, he’s in the zone.  

We watch as Robert works out, and it’s hot.
He’s muscular and sweaty, and it’s hot. I clear my throat and he
looks over to where we are. A smile automatically forms on his
lips. He wipes the sweat off his face and turns down the music. I
lick my lips as I watch him walk over to me and Gracie. He bites
the string loose on his gloves and removes them. “Hello, Sweets,”
he says as he kisses me. 

“
Looking good,
Ace.” 

“
What do we have here?” he
asks as he picks up our daughter. He holds her up and turns her
over so he can see the back of her tiny robe. “My very own little
cheerleader,” he beams.  

I clear my throat and he looks down at me.
“And the cheer captain.” He looks me up and down stopping to stare
at my bare legs. My robe is coming open at the top, exposing my
large breasts and I don’t try to cover myself up. “How old is
Gracie?” he asks with a serious look on his face.  

“
Almost four
weeks.” 

“
In fourteen days you’ll
be screaming my name for more,” he whispers into my ear as he
kisses my neck.
I want to now, I think to
myself. My plans to seduce him has failed again. Next time I’ll
have to do it
without the baby. Maybe
tonight. I’ll
ditch
the robe and try something sexier
,
something more feminine, something
softer. I got it. He’ll soon forget how many more days we have left
for my six-week checkup. 
  

Robert

During breakfast I decide to tell Leah about
my meeting with Bruce. I wasn’t going to tell her, but I don’t like
keeping anything from her. I tell her about Drake and his threats.
If something from my past surfaces and it prevents us from getting
Madison, I want her to be preparred. I also tell her that Bruce has
his team searching for some dirt on Drake. I don’t tell her about
my tire being slashed at the hospital the night she stayed with
Gracie, or about me seeing Drake shortly after. Leah needs to know
some things, but she doesn’t need to know everything. Some things
are just better left in the dark.  

Grace is doing well and we
decide we no longer home health care for her. She is a good baby
with a healthy set of lungs that she uses when she wants food. Leah
says she sounds like me and I would have to agree. Leah has a soft
whispery voice where mine is… gruff. Dad, Tim, Gus, and I fly out
to Vegas tomorrow for the press conference. I have been on the
phone the last couple of days talking to Gus about the trip to
Vegas. I know this is a big deal. Sugar Ray
Tiger even called me, offering his support. He told me he
received a personal invite and he will also be there for the
conference.  

I asked Mom and Sue to
come over and stay with Leah and Gracie while we’re gone. At the
request of the G.M. of the Bellagio, we will be staying the
weekend. They want the future boxers to be seen throughout the
hotel and casino all weekend. I guess that appearance is
everything. Free rooms, meals, and show tickets, and all I have to
do is walk around.
I can do that.
I did call Bruce to let him know I’ll be out of
town. I want someone to watch out for Leah. We live in a gated
community, have a house alarm, and yet I still
worry.  

Leah helps me pack and she is in good
spirits. She attempted to seduce me last night and it almost
worked. Walking around in a lacy black bra and matching panties
then applying lotion seductively to her legs. Yep, she about had me
right where she wanted me. Hell, she about had me right where I
wanted to be. She doesn’t need to seduce me for me to want her. I
already want her. But she does have to be cleared by the doctor
first. I will never put her or anyone else at risk. On the day of
her six-week checkup, I doubt we make it out of the parking
lot. 

“
Ace, earth to Ace,” she
giggles.  

“
Ace is on earth,” I ask
adjusting my pants.  

“
This one or this one?”
she asks holding up two black suits.  

“
Neither. Pack me jeans,
some tee-shirts, and some gym shorts,” I say
seriously.  

“
Ace? This one?” she
shakes the one on the right, “Or this one?” she shakes the one on
the left. 

I look at them both and they look identical.
“The one on the right,” I say. 

“
Good choice. You’ll wear
this to the press conference,” she states. “And if I see you
wearing anything else, you’ll be sleeping on the couch when you
return.” 

“
Yes, ma’am.” I look at
Gracie and not at Leah. I wasn’t going to wear a suit at all, but
since she put it that way. 

I look at Gracie while Leah packs my clothes
and I’m amazed at how much Gracie looks like Leah. I have to wonder
why I didn’t think it was strange that Jamie didn’t look like
either of us. I loved Jamie so much it wouldn’t have mattered if I
even suspected she was switched at birth. I also wonder what
Madison looked like as an infant and as a toddler.  

Leah sleeps intertwined with me and it’s a
sure giveaway that she’s worried. I hold her close and kiss her
often. When I hear movement in the bassinet, I get up with Leah for
Gracie’s feeding. I can’t feed her, but I sit nearby and admire my
spiky-haired baby. “I thought babies lost their hair when they were
born?” 

“
Most of them do. Jamie
was bald for the first year of her life,” Leah says as she softly
touches Gracie’s black hair. “It doesn’t appear that Grace will
lose hers. It’s pretty thick and long.” 

“
She’s beautiful,” I say,
not taking my eyes off of my hungry baby. 

“
She is.” 

The next morning Leah and I eat breakfast
before I leave for Vegas. I shower and put on a pair of holey
jeans, my signature gray tee-shirt, and boots. Gus pulls up with
Tim and Dad already in the truck.  

“
Here, Ace,” Leah says as
I load up my luggage. I turn around and she is holding up a sports
jacket for me. It’s late summer and hot in Florida and even warmer
in Vegas and she wants me to wear a sports coat. She shakes it at
me like I can’t see it. “Appearances mean everything. Remember?” I
smile and walk over to her. I was going to take it from her, and
toss it in the back of the truck, but she holds it out for me to
put on. “Sorry, but I don’t trust that you’ll wear it. If you put
it on you’ll keep it on.”  

I laugh and say, “You know me so
well.” 

“
Yes, I
do.” 

We land in Vegas and the
Bellagio has a limo waiting on us. The driver holds up a sign that
reads
Bobby Grether
. When we walk over to where the driver is standing, I hear
squealing. I turn to look and there are four very attractive women
waving and smiling. I smile and wave and they take a few pictures.
Some days I feel like a rock star being Bobby Grether, and then
Leah knocks me off my platform where I should be
anyway.  

“
I’m going to miss this
lifestyle when you retire,” Gus says as he pours himself a
drink.  

“
It’s a little too soon
for a drink, isn’t it?” 

“
It’s a mimosa. You should
try it,” he says, taking a drink.  

“
I don’t drink anything I
can’t say.” 

On the drive there, we go over the itinerary
that the hotel sent over. They want Kennedy and me at breakfast
together before the conference. I read over the sponsors list and
see several big names. In the evening they want us to make an
appearance at a Blackjack tournament. The dividing privacy window
rolls down and the driver hands me an envelope and says, “The hotel
wanted you to have this.” 

I take the envelope from him. “Thank you,” I
say and the window rolls back up. I open it up and see four stacks
of one hundred dollar bills. I take them out and fan the money with
my fingers. I toss Dad, Gus, and Tim a stack and keep one for
myself. There is also a note enclosed. I read it out loud so they
can hear.  

Bobby
Grether,
 

Here is a little something
to show you our appreciation for you and your team in taking the
time to come out here on such short notice. We know about the new
addition to your family and we understand it must be difficult for
you to leave them. 
 

We are hoping to drum up
some buzz this weekend to get the fight off to a running start.
Please, look at the itinerary and if there is a problem, let us
know. 
 

Enjoy yourselves and if
you need to go anywhere, we have a car ready to take you anywhere
you need to go. I’ll see you in the
morning. 
 

Regards, Mr. Pelayo,
C.E.O.
 
 

The Bellagio Hotel and
Casino.
 

“
Nice,” Dad says and
everyone agrees. Tim fans the money and lets it blow across his
face. I hit my stack against my knees and think that this stack
alone would send my daughter to college for a year or two. I guess
they believe that we'll lose it in the casino and if that’s true,
they get their money back anyway. It pisses me off they have so
much money to bribe people with. People are starving here in the
United States for God’s sake. 

When we get to the hotel and are greeted
immediately at the door. We’re escorted upstairs to the penthouse
not needing to stop by and check-in first. The room looks like a
large apartment. White carpeting and white furniture fills the
living room area with white walls and dark crown molding. The
dining room has a large oval table with six chairs. The
refrigerator is stocked with my favorite foods and an open bar is
adequately supplied. “Mr. Grether,” the concierge says. “Mr. Pelayo
wants to make sure your stay here is comfortable. If there’s
anything you want that isn’t here, please let us know.” 

“
I’m sure we have more
than we need. Thank you.” 

“
Very well, Sir.” He walks
around and opens all the blinds. I look around the room and take
notice of the dozens of pink roses that are strategically placed
around the large open area.  

Before he leaves, I remove two one hundred
dollar bills from the stack and hand it to him. “Thank you. We
won’t be needing anything else during our stay.” I say it to him,
but I say it loud enough for my team to hear me. I don’t want them
taking advantage. We aren’t here on a vacation. This is work. I’m
one step closer to getting my revenge on Kennedy.  

Gus is pulling cold cuts and cheese out of
the refrigerator while Dad turns the television on the sports
channel. Tim is standing at the large picture window watching the
water show. “This is a great view, Robert.” 

I walk over to where he stands and I also
admire the view. “It is. Leah would like it here.” 

“
During any other
circumstances, she would.” 

“
Who wants a sandwich?”
Gus calls from the kitchen. 

“
Are you going to eat?”
Tim asks.  

“
I am. I want to call Leah
first.” 

After lunch and after I call home and talk to
Leah, we hit the casino. The casino is busy. You would never know
it’s in the middle of the day. It looks like a very busy nightclub
on a Saturday night. People are already drinking and some are even
drunk. Stale cigarette smoke fills the air.  

Tim and Dad leave to play some slots while
Gus and I walk around. We stop and watch a few of the Black Jack
tables. I see some card sharks right away and a few newbies. I
decide on my table and Gus joins me. I think I have everyone
figured out but the guy wearing the sunglasses. He is dressed in
all black and looks out of place. I think he is trying to look
intimidating, but he failed miserably. After losing a few hands
intentionally, I decide to up the stakes. Gus and I win back and
forth a few times. The mystery man laughs, collects his few chips,
stands and says, “Bobby, you’re much better than I gave you credit
for.” Surprised that he knew my name, I just watch him. He removes
his dark sunglasses and it’s Drake Sinclair standing
there.