28. Chaos, Cradles, and Silver Spoons
28
Chaos, Cradles, and Silver Spoons
LEIGHTON
Never in my life had a drive across this damn city felt so agonizing.
A home invasion.
One dead assailant.
Multiple intruders unaccounted for.
Guns.
Kids.
Jax.
They’re okay.
Alice.
My brain kept throwing broken fragments of Greyson’s words against the wall, letting them splatter like paint as I tried to make sense of them. A creeping nausea rolled through me as we followed Greyson—going at least twice the speed limit.
They’d broken in.
Someone—some group—had gotten through security and into Hart House .
Dead . Two of Greyson’s men were dead.
My sister had killed one of the intruders.
My sister .
The girl who got straight A’s and taught me how to braid my hair. Who’d been there for all of us. Always. Of all my siblings, Alice had always been the gentlest. Her rebellion was quiet—staying up all night reading, microdosing edibles to shut up her anxiety. She didn’t cause problems. Was vehemently opposed to violence. She studied. She stayed small.
Until last summer.
Until Greyson. Until whatever-the-fuck she got dragged into.
And now… now she’d killed a man. In her house. To protect Ollie’s beautiful kids.
My heart pounded, throat tightening, every inch of me stretched taut like a bowstring ready to snap. With every pulse, my back ached, and I realized I was clenching every muscle in my body, trying—failing—to make the vehicle move faster.
Jax had, allegedly, gotten Tillie and Beau out of harm’s way before it escalated. But it never should’ve gotten that close.
They’d breached the study window. Which made… my soon-to-be brother-in-law the target.
They were okay. They had to be okay.
I must’ve said it aloud, because Ollie’s eyes flicked to mine as he took a corner dangerously fast.
“Yeah, baby. Jax got them out.”
I nodded, but my brain wouldn’t accept that answer. Not until I saw them.
Tillie. My Tillie. My glitter-covered rocker in a leotard, the girl who’d school any grown man on Lord of The Rings trivia. The little girl who mended the pieces of my broken heart back together. Who showed me my purpose had never been a scholarship or a perfect transcript. It was them. These kids. This life.
Beau. Our sweet little tank. The boy who planted sloppy kisses right on my mouth and thought unicorns probably liked pizza.
Fuck, I loved them so damn much.
I pressed a hand to my belly just as the baby kicked, the movement grounding me. Okay . He’s still in there. Still safe. My body kept tightening with those relentless Braxton Hicks, but I could breathe. Sort of.
We were all going to be okay. Captain Reynolds had done his job. He’d gotten them out before they could see anything too horrifying. But even so—this? This was going to leave a mark.
Tears streamed silently down my face as Ollie took the exit, following Greyson through a yellow light.
We just had to get there. Just had to hold them. See them.
My anxiety burrowed deeper into my body, my back aching like I’d wrapped a band around it and pulled it taut, tugging at my spine and around my ribs.
By the time we turned onto the driveway, a sob clawed its way up my throat.
The Hart House gate was mangled.
Flashing red and blue lights pulsed in every direction.
Two ambulances. A fire truck. Too many police cruisers to count. And more arriving by the second. First responders were swarming the grounds like ants on a hill.
A familiar black sedan sat in the drive, doors wide open.
Ice sliced down my spine, bile rising in my throat. Ollie and I jumped from the Bentley in unison—only for Greyson to bark, “Don’t move!”
I froze. His eyes were on me, hand raised in that universal stop signal. My mouth parted. My instincts screamed at me to run—to bolt into that house and find Tillie and Beau and never let them go was so overwhelming that my body seized.
“They’re okay,” Ollie breathed. “They’re okay, baby.” His eyes flicked to his brother. “Listen to Grey.”
“ Slowly ,” Greyson ordered. “Move slowly ,” he demanded, his voice riddled with the authority of those years in the Navy as the three of us stepped in front of our vehicles, the doors still open. “Keep your hands visible.”
He stepped in front of us, between us and the chaos, his palms up.
That’s when I heard it—police radios blaring. A chopper overhead.
“Oh my god,” I sobbed, following his instructions as Greyson stepped between us and the police. I mimicked him, glancing at Ollie, where tears poured down his beautiful face. Officers swarmed, shouting commands. Guns drawn—but thankfully, aimed at the ground.
“Step away from the vehicle! Hands where I can see them!”
My body trembled as I raised my arms. The second officer’s hand hovered near his holster. His gaze fixed on me.
“Nobody move. Identify yourselves.”
Greyson’s voice was calm but firm. “Greyson Hart . That’s my house. My wife is inside.” His voice cracked, just barely, and the officers visibly relaxed in recognition. “That’s my brother, Oliver Hart, and his fiancée, Leighton Rhodes. Their children were inside.”
The first officer’s face softened in sympathy and he lowered his gun another smidge. I’d never been more grateful for the reputation of Emerald Bay’s Titans.
“Copy that, Mr. Hart. We need you to stay here until it’s clear to escort you in.”
The third officer reached for the radio clipped to his shoulder. “Confirming ID—Greyson Hart, homeowner.”
“ Are our kids okay? ” I blurted, tears pouring down my cheeks. “Please, I?—”
I clamped my mouth shut, throat burning, eyes flicking from the officers to Greyson, then to Ollie when his brother didn’t look back. Another band of pressure wrapped around my back and belly. I forced myself to breathe.
The second officer answered, while the others peeled away in opposite directions, scanning the perimeter. “Ma’am, we need you to remain calm.”
Calm!?
Tillie and Beau were inside that house, surrounded by cops, terrified out of their minds. But I bit my tongue and gave a trembling nod.
“We have units securing your family now,” he added, voice softening. “I’ll get you answers as soon as I can.”
That was when a vaguely familiar man in plain clothes pushed through the cluster of officers—stocky, barrel-chested, wearing a black leather jacket like it wasn’t eighty degrees. His walk was all intent, all irritation.
“Hart, you’re good,” he said, thick East Coast accent curling around the words as he waved the uniforms off. I watched tension drain from both Greyson and the officers as his hands slowly lowered to his sides. “We’ll get this under control. Just stay right there, you hear me?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, Detective.”
Greyson’s unshakable fucking calm had never been more welcome. Jesus, he was the only one of us keeping our shit together. I was shaking so hard I could barely stand. And Ollie—Ollie looked like he was trying to stare straight through the walls to see his babies.
“I can confirm ID,” the man said, already tired of this shit. I recognized him now— Detective Lucas Riviera . The same one who’d been dodging my calls. He’d been at Alice and Greyson’s engagement party. One of their inside guys.
His slicked-back hair glistened in the late sun, and his black shirt pulled too tight over his stocky frame as he stepped in front of Greyson. “You know the drill, Commander Hart. We’ve got to lock the scene.”
Greyson gave a slow nod. “Do what you need to.”
“Any weapons on your person?”
“No, sir,” we all answered at once.
He nodded. “We think it was targeted. Looks clean on your end. Active manhunt for the last guy.”
Then louder, to all of us: “Alessandra and the kids are safe. I’ll take you to them—but we gotta follow protocol.”
“Where are they?” Ollie asked, his tone teetering on begging.
“Ambulances by the garage.”
A sob tore up my throat as Greyson and Ollie took off. I ran after them.
“Go slow!” Riviera shouted after us. “They’re pretty rattled!”
We skidded to a stop between two white ambulances. Alice sat on the bumper of one. Our babies were inside the other.
Grey ran to Alice.
Ollie and I went for the kids.
Tillie flew into her dad’s arms with a cry the same instant Beau leapt into mine. I cradled him, settling his legs across my belly as he wrapped his sweet monkey arms around my neck.
The tears came hard and fast as I buried myself in his shoulder, breathing him in. He curled into my hair, his tiny body trembling. I couldn’t tell if it was his sobs or mine shaking us—but I wasn’t letting go. Ever.
This. This is what they meant when they said parenthood was like having your heart walk around outside your body.
Would it be even worse with my biological baby?
Ollie reached out, one arm wrapping around us both. His other hand cupped the back of my head, and the four of us folded into each other, sobbing against his chest.
They were okay. They were really okay.
“Miss Rhodes? Mr. Hart?” an officer asked gently. “I have a few questions.”
I turned toward him—stone-faced, trying not to let the scene get to him. We nodded in unison.
“Can we stay with the kids?” Ollie asked, not letting go.
“Of course. I just need to run through a few things.”
But just then, that dull pressure in my back surged. It wrapped around my sides and settled deep in my belly, intensifying until it clenched hard and sharp.
I grimaced.
“Baby?” Ollie said, a second before a hot gush soaked my tights and splattered on the concrete.
I looked down. My mouth dropped open. “Oh no. No, no, no…”
The officer blinked. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He waved someone over, but when he looked at me again, his tone softened like I was a skittish horse. “Easy, Mama. We’ve got you, alright?”
Dread and embarrassment flushed hot up my chest.
I carefully set Beau down—which, unfortunately, gave him a direct line of sight to the evidence.
“Mommy, did you pee your pants?”
A wild, hysterical laugh burst from my chest. “No, sweetheart.” My voice wobbled. “We’re gonna have a baby.”
I pressed both hands to my belly, heart pounding, searching for movement.
There. A flutter. He was okay.
An EMT hustled over. Ollie’s voice cracked as he gestured to me. “She’s in labor!”
“Well,” the medic said, smiling easily at Beau before turning that same calm warmth on me, “this kid’s already got a flair for the dramatic.”
“Hell of a birthday party,” the officer muttered as the EMT offered his arm and helped me into the ambulance.
Ollie stayed close, Tillie clinging to his leg as he climbed up behind me. I spotted Greyson holding Beau, Alice beside him, Riviera a few steps back.
“Hey, you’re gonna be just fine,” the EMT said. “Let’s grab your vitals real quick, alright?”
I nodded, because what else could I do?
Ollie gently peeled Tillie off, passing her to Alice, then climbed in fully, grabbing my hand and pressing it to his lips, eyes shimmering.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” he breathed. “This isn’t how this was supposed to go.”
I shook my head as tears fell, even as he swept my hair off my forehead and pressed a kiss to it.
“Breathe for me, Trouble.” His eyes flicked up to the medic as I complied.
“She looks great,” the EMT said, glancing at the monitor. “Heart rate’s a little fast, blood pressure’s elevated, but given what she’s just been through? She’s golden. I just want to track baby’s movement for a few minutes.”
I swallowed hard and nodded, the bridge of my nose stinging.
Ollie looked between me and the kids outside the door.
“Stay,” I said softly.
“Leighton…”
“They need you. I’m a big girl. I’ll be okay. Right, guys?” I asked, flicking my gaze up to Mr. Sunshine and his scary looking needle.
“We’ve got them,” Greyson said from the open door, his voice steady. Alice gave a small, shaky nod behind him.
We had them. They were safe.
And I was…going into labor.
The officer still hovering beside the doors dipped his chin as Ollie looked between me and his babies, both of their chins trembling.
“Trust us to keep your kids safe, sir. We need to get her to a hospital.”
“I... I’m...” Ollie stammered, the color draining from his face.
God. It was an impossible choice.
“I’ll bring them after,” Greyson vowed, stepping in. “ Go , Ollie. She needs you right now.”
I needed him.
I needed him with the kids— and with me. My heart tore in two. Everything about this felt wrong.
A female officer appeared beside the first, her voice gentle as she knelt next to Tillie. “You’re both doing so good. Your Aunt and Uncle will bring you to meet the baby later, okay?”
Beau nodded, but tucked his face into Greyson’s neck.
Tillie, though—Tillie’s eyes locked on mine. Brimming with tears, she launched herself into the cramped ambulance, scrambling onto the bench before throwing her arms around my lap.
I stroked a steady hand down her hair.
“Shhh, brave girl. It’s okay. I’m okay.”
“I don’t want you to leave,” she whispered, pulling back enough to meet my eyes, her lower lip trembling.
“I know, baby,” I breathed.
Ollie leaned over my legs and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. “We just have to take Leighton to the hospital to have the baby, okay? Can you be strong for me just a little longer?”
She sniffled, nodding, then wiped at her tears with her fists before rounding the bench to hurl herself into his arms.
I glanced up at Mr. Sunshine—our EMT—who gave me a gentle smile and a quiet nod as Ollie whispered I love you’s into our daughter’s hair.
Then, before I could process it, they were gone. Our miraculous little humans were ushered gently from the vehicle, the doors pulled shut behind them.
The engine rumbled beneath us. A few seconds passed, and then the siren screamed to life.
When I looked back at Ollie, he was already focused—steadying himself, steadying me . Like everything started and ended right here.
“Okay,” he breathed, setting his hands on either side of my legs. A calm intensity lit his face, sharpening those strong, steady features I knew better than my own reflection. “Let’s do this.”
“Mm-hmm,” I squeaked.
“Leave all that back there,” he said, his voice firm and sure. “We’ll deal with it later. Right now, all that matters is you and our baby. Understand?”
I nodded, even if I didn’t quite feel it.
“Leighton,” he said again, and something in his tone snapped my eyes up to his. That beautiful, tanned, tear-streaked face. His voice softened as the smallest smile broke through.
“We’re gonna have our baby.”