Chapter 19 A Baby?
A Baby?
Max
It’s tempting to glare at the woman walking around the corner into our private little spot. Talking to Fiona this morning has been natural and easy. The last thing I want is to be interrupted.
The one positive part of this distraction comes when Fiona stands up and walks away. It gives me the opportunity to enjoy the view. Fiona is wearing another dress that hugs every one of her curves. Thankfully, this one isn’t white, though it looks soft enough to make a man long to touch it.
The woman has a baby in her arms and a diaper bag slung over her shoulder.
I know that look. I’ve used that look and had it used on me many times before.
Fiona is getting roped into babysitting.
I almost feel bad for her, but it’s totally intriguing at the same time. She has a kind heart, which means she’s probably a great babysitter. But babies that age can be trying.
It’s probably only for an hour or two, so sleep deprivation won’t be an issue.
When Hope was a baby, sleep…didn’t happen very often. Even knowing she was in a family member’s arms didn’t help.
“Hey, Fiona.” The woman stops.
“Who do you have there, Paisley?”
“This is Dash. His mother put him in the safe baby box a couple of hours ago—” Paisley stops and stares at me like she was caught telling state secrets.
Fiona follows her gaze to where she’s staring at me. “You don’t need to worry about Max. He’s a Vincenti. They know how to keep a secret.”
“A Vincenti…like Talon…”
“That’s his son.”
Paisley’s mouth forms an ‘O’ for a second. “I have a hunch.”
“About the baby’s mom?”
Paisley nods. Her gaze still shifting back and forth to me. “Yeah. I don’t want to put him in the system for a while in case she comes back.”
“All right then.” Fiona holds out her hands for the baby. “Anything I should know?”
“We got no information other than his name, medical history, and a letter for when he grows up.”
How can a woman who cares enough to make sure her child has his medical history and a letter to comfort him when he grows up give her child away?
“Dash has no known allergies. He likes to eat four ounces every four hours.”
“That’s why he’s a chunky little boy.” Fiona cuddles the baby close.
“Everything you’ll need for today is in the diaper bag, and the team will set up his crib in your room like last time.”
Wait. What?
Fiona isn’t just babysitting. She’s fostering this child…without any notice.
This isn’t the first time.
Why can’t I picture Fiona as a foster parent?
Because she’s hot.
Stumblingly beautiful women who are my age aren’t interested in raising a baby that isn’t their own.
Not that I’ve been checking the market.
I’m judging Fiona on her looks, which is hypocritical, but still. If I weren’t seeing her cuddle that baby in her arms, I wouldn’t believe it.
That’s sexier than any white dress.
Though it’s a good thing she didn’t wear that dress today. I might have ended up on one knee in front of a woman I barely know.
And I’m back to thinking crazy things.
Focus on the woman in front of you who’s holding the cutest baby boy. His curly head of hair peeks out over Fiona’s shoulder. Those soft locks are several shades darker than Fiona’s light brown braid.
Hope’s hair was that curly when she was his age. She had these big, almost white ringlets creating a halo around her head. The curls got tighter as she got older, but only slightly darker.
“Day care won’t have a spot for him for another two days.” Paisley sets the massive diaper bag down on the edge of the picnic table.
It’s tempting to peek in to see what she thinks is essential for caring for a baby. I can bet there isn’t a sensor that monitors blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate, and rhythm, which should be on every baby at every moment of the day.
But then I’ve been told I’m a bit overprotective. Is Fiona?
How many children has she fostered?
Paisley is treating this like it’s no big deal.
A baby should be a big deal.
Why doesn’t this feel like a life-changing event for either woman?
A baby is a big deal.
“That’s not a problem. Dash can come to work with me for a while. He’ll get fawned all over.” She pats the baby’s back, and he gurgles and kicks his little legs.
“All right. Let me know if there’s anything you need.” Paisley walks away with a wave.
“We’ll be just fine, won’t we, Dash? You’re a good boy, aren’t you?” Fiona turns to find me watching her. There’s a look of panic that flashes across her face, then an emotion I can’t define.
“I’m pretty sure that little guy isn’t going to answer you.”
A smile plays on the edges of her lips. “Not for a few more months at least.” Fiona pauses before climbing back on the table next to me.
That would be precarious in heels with a baby in her arms. I hold a hand out to help her up.
She stands there staring at my hand like I’m a leper.
Instead of taking it, she sits down on the bench instead of the top of the table.
Why wouldn’t she touch my hand? “Am I wrong, or did you just agree to foster this baby?” The words just pop out of my mouth.
“You’re not. Dash is going to live with me for a little while.”
“This isn’t the first time Paisley has walked up to you and brought you a child to take care of.” They seemed way too comfortable.
“Dash is number forty-six.”
WHAT? “You’ve fostered forty-six kids? How? What? Why?” That’s unimaginable.
“None of them were with me long. The majority stayed a couple of days. A few stayed for at most a couple of weeks. I’m just temporary care.”
Temporary? How do you do that when it comes to a child? There’s no way I could handle caring for a child and then having someone take them away. Babysitting is one thing…this is something else. “How can you do that? How can you care for a child like that and then let them go with someone else?”
“Because that’s what they need.”
“What about what you need?” And it’s official, I’m an idiot. Why would I say that to someone I barely know?
“What I need? These kids have nothing. No home. No family. No way of caring for themselves. What do my needs matter when these kids need so much?”
You matter.
The back door of the bakery opens. “Fiona, are you out here? I need to ask you a question.” Everett steps out. “There’s this girl—” He freezes when he notices me sitting next to her. “Oh. I thought you were alone. I can…um…come back later.” Everett stares at me.
“What’s wrong?” Fiona stands up.
“Whose baby is that? Is that your baby?” Everett asks me.
I can see why he thought that. Dash has almost the same skin color as I do. That mixed with those curls, he could be my son.
“No. This is Dash. He’s staying with me for a few days. What did you need to ask me?” Fiona takes a step forward, drawing Everett’s attention back to her.
“I…um…can come back later.” Everett looks like he wants to run away again.
“If you’re having girl problems, you can ask me.” There’s no way I’m letting this kid run away again.
Fiona turns to me, raising a questioning brow.
Now is not the time to think about how sexy that is.
“Then we can talk about how you missed work yesterday.” I give Everett a pointed look.
“You missed your internship. Are you okay?” Fiona gets closer to the boy. “I can ask Max to leave if you want to talk to me privately.”
Everett opens his mouth and closes it again.
“Everett, do you want me to leave?” I stare him dead in the eye.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll talk to him.” Everett shakes his head.
“If you change your mind, I’ll be right inside.” Fiona gives me a look that feels more like a warning than a goodbye and walks inside.
“We need to talk.” I need answers.
“Not here. There are video cameras everywhere. It isn’t safe.” Everett motions to the one placed in plain sight. There are others hidden. The Adders have this whole place wired.
I pull out my phone and hack into their system. It takes no time at all since I designed it. With a few clicks, I turn off the audio recording in our area and position the cameras away from our faces. “They can’t hear us now. What happened? Why did you run away?”
He starts pacing. “Because it’s dangerous for us to be together. She’s safe with you. But if they ever find her…if they find us together. They’ll kill her and take me back. I can’t let that happen. She can’t die in front of me again.”
This kid is either completely delusional or believes every word of what he’s saying. “That’s exactly why you need to come back. My family can protect you. And we can protect her easier if we know who or what we’re protecting her from.”
“Ask her. Then hide. Because you aren’t strong enough to protect her from them, even with Maddox’s help.
They will wipe you out without hesitation.
” He shakes his head. “I’ve watched them kill entire villages and towns.
Babies and all. They don’t care. You and your family will be nothing to them.
Nothing but a little blip for their assassins to take care of.
No, I need to walk away, and you need to hide her better.
Somewhere small. Off-grid, maybe. You’re a billionaire, right?
You can make that happen. Buy her some deserted island in the middle of nowhere.
Mom can’t die.” He turns his head, and a DNA test becomes moot.
Three little moles sit right next to his ear. Hope has those exact same moles. I have them. We both got them from Mom. Everett is my brother.
Dad is going to lose his mind. Then kill someone. Or a lot of people.
Mom lied.
Mom is in danger.
“Tell me who.”
Everett shakes his head. “No. No. No. It’s not safe. I told you that. You can’t fight them.”
I stand up and walk in front of him, stopping his pacing. “You don’t know what I’m capable of.”
“It doesn’t matter. I know what they’re capable of. And you aren’t them. You aren’t pure evil. That’s what you’d need…and a large army to stop them.”
We aren’t large, though we have connections everywhere. With the Bratva, Cattaneo Family, and Maddox’s guys, we’re a small but deadly army.
First, I need information. Lots of it.
But to get that information, I need Everett or Mom to talk. “Then help me make her safe.”
“What?” Everett’s body stops shaking.
“Come back to work with me. We both know you’re good. With some training, you could be one of the best in the world—“
“I already am. I hacked your system, didn’t I?”
The attitude I like. “You hacked a phone. You didn’t even come close to hacking my system.” No one ever has.
“What do you want me to help you do?”
“Make Mom invisible.”
Everett grins. “That won’t be easy.”
“No, it won’t.” While you’re doing that, I’m going to get you to trust me. Then the real work will begin. “Will you work with me?”
“Yeah.”
Wrapping my mind around the fact that I have a brother is going to be weird. “Good.” I thump him on the back, unsure if he can handle a hug. Then tug a small clump of hair out while ruffling his hair.
“Hey. That hurt.”
“At least I didn’t break your leg.”
Everett’s eyes go wide.
“Kidding. Though I will say Reck broke Ruin’s leg. We’re pretty sure it was an accident.” You can never be positive with those kids.
“Reck and Ruin?”
“They’re your cousins. And a menace to the world. You’ll love them.”