Page 166 of When a Soul Cries

Rome frowned toward the front door.

“Who the fuck—”

He adjusted Halo against his chest and walked out of the kitchen.

Sol immediately grabbed my hand.

“I’m sorry.”

I turned back toward her.

“Don’t.”

My voice cracked again.

“Don’t ever do that shit to me again.”

I had been staring at my brother for so long that I completely forgot what the fuck I was talking about.

The Hollis contract was still open on my phone, Darius’s notes sitting right beneath it, and I knew I had come over here for a reason. An important reason too. We had millions of dollars and months of work tied up in this shit, and Desmond Vance had somehow managed to crawl out of the past and plant himself directly in the middle of our business.

That should’ve had my full attention.

It didn’t.

Because my big-ass, six-foot-five brother was sitting on his couch holding a baby.

Not sitting beside a baby.

Not watching a baby while somebody went to the bathroom.

Holding one.

And what really had me fucked up was how natural the shit looked.

Rome was leaned back against the couch with one thick arm resting along the cushions while the other curved securely around the little girl sitting against his chest. Her fluffy curls were slightly smashed on one side, and one tiny hand had a fistful of his shirt like she had already decided that was where she belonged. Rome wasn’t stiff or looking around for somebody to come take her either. Every few seconds his hand moved over her back without him even seeming to realize he was doing it.

I stopped talking midsentence.

Rome glanced up from the papers in front of him, his eyebrows drawing together when he realized I wasn’t saying anything anymore. “What?”

I didn’t answer.

Something about that baby looked familiar.

I leaned forward in my chair and narrowed my eyes at her. The little girl looked back at me with those big brown eyes for a second before turning her face toward Rome.

My brain started working.

Curls.

Car seat.

Gas station.

Fine-ass woman with an attitude.

My eyes widened.