A-N- It's been a long time between updates but I have a great excuse-my two month old daughter Alessandra. Hope you all enjoy this chapter. I have finished writing the story so the more reviews I get the faster I shall post them.

Chapter 9

"Mama, mama," the dark haired toddler wailed as she sailed into the room on chubby legs. "Up mama up," Cody demanded pleased with herself for having escaped the confinement of her crib and having made her way to her mother's room alone.

"What's your name beautiful?" Fox asked, kneeling beside the toddler and reaching out to push a strand of her silky dark hair out of her face.

He was thoroughly charmed by the raven haired child. Her resemblance to Teresa was amazing. Cody had inherited her mother's lustrous dark hair, soft pouty mouth, and olive tinted skin. Even their eyes were slanted the same way but while Teresa's were a deep, velvety brown Cody's were a deep indigo.

"I Cody. What's your name?" the child replied peeking at Fox through her lashes and offering him an angelic smile.

"It's nice to meet you Cody, my name is Nicholas but my friends call me Fox," he murmured and Cody giggled.

"Fox is a funny name," she told him adding "I have an uncle named Nick...can I call you Nicky?"

Fox's eyes narrowed at the reminder that Teresa had another man in her life but he smiled easily at Cody and nodded.

"Sweetie, climb into my bed and go back to sleep," Teresa interrupted and Cody's eyes widened at the unexpected pleasure of being allowed to spend the night with her mother.

"Ok Mama. Night Nicky," she mumbled sleepily climbing on the bed and crawling under the covers.

"Night beautiful," Fox murmured following Teresa out the door.

"Is she mine?" he asked quietly when they were alone.

Club Azure

"Damn Crane, I won't let him steal Teresa from me," he vowed his black eyes glittering with rage.

He had driven to Teresa's condo shortly after closing the club and when no one had answered the door he had let himself in with the key Teresa had given him months before completely unaware of the fact that his beautiful Teresa was presently occupied with her former lover. He had been devastated to find the pair in bed and he'd been tempted to make a scene but the knowledge that doing so could permanently cost him the only woman he'd ever loved detained him.

Slipping out as silently as he'd slipped in he'd driven back to the club and in a blinding rage had proceeded to thoroughly trash his office. Abruptly reaching for the phone on his desk he dialed a familiar number and waited impatiently for the wily old bastard to pick up.

"We've got a problem," he murmured curtly and the old man laughed.

"It seems to me that the problem is yours my boy. I paid you to keep Teresa occupied didn't I? Are you so lousy in bed she had to find satisfaction elsewhere Nick?"

"I've kept up my end of the bargain Alistair. You're the one who allowed Fox to find her," Nick shot back extremely pleased when the fat old bastard remained silent. "Don't worry old man, I will never let Fox and Teresa reunite. Teresa belongs to me and no one gets the best of Nick Bozman. Ever," he promised and Alistair grinned with satisfaction.

"See to it that you keep your word Bozman. I'd be very upset if my grandson married that Mexican bitch. I have other plans for my one and only heir," Alistair replied before hanging up.

"As do I Alistair, as do I," Nick whispered walking over to the mini bar and pouring himself a drink.

He might have accepted money from Alistair to date Teresa but somewhere along the way he had truly fallen for her and he wasn't about to give her up now.

"Tell me the truth Teresa. Is she mine?" Fox demanded.

"Cody isn't your child Fox. My God do you really think I'd have run away from you if she had been yours?" Teresa screamed back.

"Since you haven't explained why you ran away in the first place I can't be certain can I?" Fox retorted sarcastically and Teresa winced.

"I'm sorry Resa. I have no right to be upset with you. It's been three years since you left Harmony and I had no right to expect you to remain faithful to me in all that time. Especially since you thought I had cheated on you with Whitney. Forgive me," he beseeched and Teresa eyes widened with surprise at his admission.

"Fox, I---" she mumbled but Fox pressed a finger to her mouth and gently shook his head.

"Resa, I know I haven't handled things well and I have so many questions but it's late and we're both exhausted. Let's have breakfast later and discuss this like two rational adults," he asked and Teresa nodded.

"I love you Resa. No matter what happens never forget that," he whispered pressing a soft kiss on her mouth before letting himself out.

"Oh Fox I love you too."

As Fox made his way back to his car, he was too preoccupied to notice the two burly men leaning against the brick walls of Teresa's complex and was taken completely by surprise when he was shoved against the hood of his car and kicked viciously in the groin.

"Take the car. The keys are in my pocket. And I have a couple of hundred in my wallet," he mumbled through the blinding haze.

"We don't want your money Crane. We just came to deliver a message. Stay away from the boss's woman or it's going to cost you," one of the men mumbled delivering a mind-numbing blow to his midsection.

Fox's eyes widened with surprise but before he could utter another word he was shoved to the ground and beaten within an inch of his life. Fox struggled and tried to defend himself but the thugs were stronger than him and finally he felt himself black out. When he awakened the thugs were gone but he was too weak to stand up by himself and so he let himself drift back into unconsciousness praying someone would find him before it was too late.

"It's done?" Nick whispered when his cell phone rang a few minutes later and a pleased smile curved his hard mouth when the voice on the other end of the phone confirmed his suspicion. "Drop by my office in the morning to get your money. You both earned every penny," he ordered before hanging up.

"That ought to teach you to mess with me Crane," he murmured with lethal satisfaction his dark eyes gleaming with triumph. "Now all I have to do is pretend I know nothing about Teresa's little indiscretion and all should be well," he added reaching for his decanter of brandy and pouring himself another shot.

"To a job well done," he toasted.