Page 93

"When can I see Baby Olivia?" he asked through a mouthful of cheese bread. Adam gave him a look and he swallowed and tried again. "When can I see Olivia?"

"How about next week?" I said. "I'll check with Chloe and Zarek."

"Is she still tiny?"

I pulled out my phone and found the picture from Sunday. James leaned in so far he nearly put his elbow in his spaghetti sauce.

"She has hair now."

"She always had hair, bud."

"More hair." He looked up at me very seriously. "I'll be gentle."

"I know you will."

He had tomato sauce on his chin, his shirt, and, somehow, his left ear, when Adam announced that it was time for a bath and bed.

"Can Zoe read me a story?" James asked. "Since she's having a sleepover."

I waited for some kind of awkwardness, but there was nothing.

Adam looked at me. "If she doesn't mind."

"I don't mind," I said.

James took the bath, accepted the story, and was asleep inside of eight minutes with his dinosaur book open on his chest and his hand curled under his chin. I closed the book carefully and set it on his nightstand.

I looked up and Adam was in the doorway, a soft smile on his face.

I waited until we were comfortable on the couch before hitting him with questions. “Tell me what’s going on at the jobsite. And tell me if you’re in danger.”

He looked at me.

"I know it's serious," I said. "Angelica called Jase today. He confirmed it without meaning to." I held his gaze. "I'm not asking you to break confidentiality. I'm asking because I want to know what you’re having to worry about."

We’d taken off our shoes at some point, and now he put his feet up on the coffee table, and crossed them at his ankles, getting more comfortable. He pulled me in closer. Then he told me. Not everything, I could tell, but enough. The Pacific Rim group. The permits, the finance, the septic field sabotage. Then Cory being ambushed, and the equipment being sabotaged.

“It’s why we brought in Onyx. We can’t let our men get hurt.”

“That’s a lot to handle,” I whispered.

“It’s not like I’m handling it alone. There’s Renzo, Harvey, Ford and Walker and we’ve brought in men from Onyx.”

“But you’re worried it could escalate even further, aren’t you?”

He went stone-faced.

“Adam, you were freaked when James answered the door. You’re worried that this could escalate past the jobsite, aren’t you?”

“There’s just a miniscule chance, but yeah, I’m putting in a Ring doorbell tomorrow and I won’t forget to latch the chain again.”

“I worry about you,” I said softly.

He looked over at me, clearly surprised.

“What are you talking about?”

“I know it might only be a miniscule thing, but it’s just one more thing. How many ‘one more things’ have you handled since Marie’s death?”