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His words didn’t take away my guilt, but they did remind me to focus on what mattered…like the tracker on my car. “Hayes is escalating, and he knows I’m onto him. Whatever he thinks she knows has to be big enough to warrant such a move.”
“And you’re sure she doesn’t know anything?”
I wasn’t. “She said she doesn’t…but I guess we’ll see what’s in those files tomorrow.”
Drake clapped me on the shoulder again, hitting that same bruise. Asshole. “Glad you’re here, man.”
“Me too, Drake,” I said. The situation was gearing up into something major, and it felt good to have someone I trusted as much as Drake at my back. Things were only going to get more dangerous in the days to come. I’d need all the help I could get to finally bring justice for Cuddy and Roger while keeping Nataliya and Elias safe.
FIVE
ADRIAN
Iwoke up to the sound of a baby screaming. It was still pitch-black outside. I sat up, groggy, and came face-to-face with Layla Bailey. She had one of her sons in her arms. “Oh, shit,” she muttered. “I’m so sorry. He’s hungry; I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
I stood. “It’s no problem at all,” I said. “He’s just doing his thing—I’m the intruder here. I appreciate you for opening your home to us.” She smiled wanly and bounced the infant in her arms. He didn’t look any closer to calming down. I held out my hands. “Let me?”
She blinked. “Really?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I don’t mind at all.” I might not have had a ton of experience with babies, but I could walk with one.
Layla put the baby in my arms. “This is Shawn,” she said. “He’s got colic, and we barely get to sleep.”
“Aww, buddy,” I said and bounced the baby gently. “If you make me a bottle, I’ll feed him.” We both heard another cry from down the hall. “And you can grab his brother.”
“You don’t mind?”
I shook my head. “Not at all. Once I’m up, I’m not going back down.”
Layla looked horrified. “I’m so sorry?—”
“Bottle,” I said, and the baby down the hall got even louder. “We can tag-team.”
In a daze, Layla did just that. “If you need anything at all, we’re just down here.”
“I’ll be fine.”
I walked with Shawn, and once he’d had a bottle, he settled into a fitful sleep. He’d start to fuss from time to time, and I’d get up and walk with him again. “Shh, buddy,” I murmured, patting at his bottom. “It’s a little early for all the fuss, yeah?”
“You’re good at that.”
Nataliya was standing at the mouth of the hallway. “How long have you been watching me?”
She shrugged. “Just a little while. Does it bother you?”
It didn’t. “Did you get any rest?”
Her shoulders bobbed once more. “Do single mothers ever really get any rest?” she asked. When Shawn got fussy, she crossed the room and held her arms out. I passed him over and she cradled him to her chest. A pretty smile flitted over her face. “I remember when Elias was this size. But I think he was only a month or two old at that point—he was born so big, and he just kept growing.”
The same Elias who looked like a strong wind could blow him away? “That’s a little hard to believe,” I said.
She winced. “It’s hard to remember him that way,” she conceded. “Until he was four or so and started getting muscle cramps for the first time, he was just like any other kid.” She sighed, soft and sad. “I would do anything to let him experience that again.”
The sun began to turn the clouds pink and orange; we had a good spot to watch the sunrise through the condo’s massive windows, and Nataliya settled onto the couch to watch it. Shawn settled against her shoulder, and she kept rubbing at his back, soothing him even as he slept. It was peaceful, sitting with her.
Not too long after, Drake brought Shawn’s brother—an identical match named Spencer—into the living room. “Thanks for helping Layla,” he said. “I told her to lie back down for a bit.”
“Sure,” I told him.
