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“I fell on hard times and she agreed to take care of Laurel until I got on my feet,” I replied. “Then, she decided she wasn’t giving her back.”
“Would I be speaking to Laurel’s mother?”
“Yes, I’m her mother, and I never signed away my rights, nor were they terminated. Social services didn’t place Laurel with her. At this point, she’s basically a kidnapper.”
“Why haven’t you involved the police?”
“She threatened to tell them horrible lies about me. That I abused and abandoned Laurel, and she was the hero who saved her. At the time I was broke and homeless. I didn’t have the means to fight her, and if I was willing to risk my daughter in the system, I wouldn’t have gone to Charlie in the first place.”
“I see.” The click-click-clack of keys sounded on the other end. “The picture is becoming dreadfully clear.”
“Can you do anything?”
“Oh, yes, Miss Blaine. I can do a lot with this. Wait for me to call you,” he said. “I should have more information by end of day.”
I placed a hand over my racing heart as Sunny ended the call. “That’s good, right? He can get her back?”
“He will get her back.”
“What do I do? How do I help? How do I make this go faster?” I shot rapid-fire questions at him. “And what about last night? I broke into her house. She’ll have told the police everything by now. They’re probably looking for me.”
“Burglars that sneak in to feed and burp babies, and then skip off without taking anything, aren’t high on their manhunt list.”
“Charlie will change that. She refuses to give Laurel up, Sunny. That woman has actually convinced herself she’s Laurel’s rightful mother.”
“Course she’s obsessed.” Sunny snuck a hand under my blouse, drawing slow circles above my tailbone. Goose bumps rippled under his touch. “Everyone who meets you wants a piece of you. Some take it too far.”
I groaned. “Just tell me I’ll get her back.”
“You’ll get Laurel back.”
My tension might’ve eased, if not for Sunny’s touch tightening my muscles.
“Soooo,” he said. “Does Laurel look like me?”
“Why in the world would she?”
He shrugged. “Because I’ve rewritten our history. We actually met a year and a half ago at a club. I was drunk off my ass, and you were the naughty vixen who took me in the back for a ride. I stumbled home unaware we met, and you strode off with prime Bellisario seed and didn’t know.”
I laughed. “That’s a nice story. I almost wish it was the real one.” Climbing off, I swooped and kissed Sunny—a brush of the lips that was over as soon as it started. “Thank you, Sunny. No matter what happens... thank you.”
“She’ll be home soon, Angel. Trust me.”
“I do.”
I was almost to the door. “Kenzie, wait.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Seeing as you’re feeling me hard right now.” Sunny hopped off the bed and jerked his chin at it. “You, me, shall we...?” He thrust his hips, hands grabbing on an imaginary Kenzie as he drilled her from the back. I slammed the door on Sunny’s raucous laughter.
“Ridiculous man,” I muttered between titters. I got my bedroom door closed before my happy, light giggles escaped. Sliding down to the floor, I cupped my heart again.
“It’s been my God-given mandate on this earth since about three—two seconds after we met, to give everything I have if it means you’re still smiling.”
To say I was feeling him was the understatement of the millennium. His beautiful speech. The hours he spent all night, then half the morning, dragging his lawyer out of bed to fight for my daughter. It shocked me that there was ever a time I wondered if Sole was a man I could trust. Or how I scared myself wondering if he was another Damien in disguise—charming, kind, and supportive when he wanted something, and a beast if I got in his way.
Sole was nothing like Damien, or Luca, or my father. He respected me—looked at me and saw a strong, smart, fierce woman even when I didn’t see her in myself. Fuck yes, I wanted Sunny in every way possible. The fears and excuses in our way were fading fast.
Sunny better get ready.
“YOU CAN’T DO THIS.”
“Step aside, ma’am.”
“No!” Charlie shoved on the wood, fighting to slam the door in their face. “You can’t take her. Laurel belongs here.”
Clearing his throat, Sloane plucked the warrant from the officer and stuck it through the doorjamb. “According to this, we can take her. Ms. Mayberry, I represent Laurel Blaine’s mother, she—”
“She’s a druggie and a thief! You’re not putting Laurel in the hands of that whore!”
Sienna gripped my hand harder. I had a vision of my own—seeing her tear across the sidewalk and rip Charlie’s head off. I grasped her shoulder in case, holding her back. Sunny’s arm slid around us both.
