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“That doesn’t change the fact I kept his kid from him.”
“Let go of the past, Lena, and think about the future.”
“I’m trying.”
Lena and Mick put Mihalis to bed together that night and Mihalis didn’t seem at all confused by the attention of a new man in his life. In fact, he seemed to accept his new surroundings without much thought. When he wrapped his arms around Mick’s neck to hug him good night, Mick was overwhelmed with emotion. He kissed the top of his head, the boy’s soft, silky hair tickling his nose, and then he and Lena backed out of the room.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah. He’s… awesome.”
“He’s a great kid.”
“How much, I mean…” He paused, scratching his head. “How much part have you had in raising him?”
“A lot.” She shrugged. “Giorgios was pissy about having a newborn who woke them up several times a night, so I was basically the nanny in those days. I’d get up with him, rock him, feed him. As he got older, he always looked to me first. Sophia adores him too, of course. Even though he’s not her child, he’s her first and only nephew, so they have a strong bond, but he’s never truly gotten close to Giorgios.”
“Did Giorgios even try?”
She wrinkled her nose. “To a degree, but not really. His whole thing was for Sophia to get pregnant as quickly as possible to give him his own son and for whatever reason they couldn’t conceive. Every month that she got her period he got angrier and angrier. She never should have married him and I feel at least partially responsible for their troubles.”
“It’s not your fault she couldn’t get pregnant,” he said gently.
“No, but if it hadn’t been for me, she might have worked harder to be with her college boyfriend, Grant. She loved him.”
“Mick!” Raegan’s panicked voice wafted down the hall.
“What’s up?” He and Lena hurried down to where she was on the phone.
“There’s been another fire at the site.”
“What? Sonofabitch!” Mick grabbed his sneakers and pulled them on.
“I’ll come too,” Lena said, sliding her feet into a pair of flip flops.
“What’s going on?” Apollo came into the room.
“Another fire,” Raegan whispered somberly.
“Can you stay here with MIhalis?” Lena asked Paige hurriedly. “I think we need to go with Mick?”
“Of course.” Paige waved an arm. “Go ahead.”
Apollo paused to kiss her and then they hurried out to the rental car.
The fire had been started in the three new portable toilets they’d had delivered just yesterday. They were now nothing more than smoldering masses of smoky melted paper, plastic and wood. Mick let out a string of expletives while Apollo and Lena spoke to the firemen that had put out the fire. Hank and Pat arrived a few minutes later since Mick had called them on the way to the site.
“This is ridiculous,” Hank muttered as they filled him in on what little they knew.
“Where the hell is Loren?” Pat demanded, looking around.
Raegan shrugged. “I’ve called him twice but he doesn’t pick up.”
“That’s it, he’s done.” Pat made a slashing motion with his hand. “Unless he’s in the hospital or dead, his not answering his phone isn’t acceptable. If you see him before I do, tell him I want to talk to him.” He stalked off in the other direction.
“This was definitely no accident,” Hank spoke to Mick under his breath.
“I agree.”
