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Jarrod watched everything going on like the good observer he was. Heather stood, the little boy in her arms like she’d lifted a sleeping kid like that a thousand times before. Which…she probably had, actually. Heather looked at the other woman standing there next to her, staring at that little boy like she had never seen a child before.
Melody had a look on her face Jarrod would never forget.
“Here, sit. We’ll just let him sleep a little. He’s very excited to meet you, Mrs. Barratt,” Heather said quietly. “Apparently, his father has told him a great deal about you. And your sisters. He is especially fond of Jilly Silly. That show… I think we play it on a constant loop at my house. I will never get the theme song out of my head, I swear.”
“Me either. Jillian was so obnoxious back then.” Melody settled into the chair. Jarrod watched Heather lower the boy to Melody’s lap. He would never forget the expression on Melody’s face when she looked down at that little boy, when her arms went around that kid for the very first time.
Nor would he forget the look on her husband’s. Houghton Barratt’s entire world was right in that chair. Guy was so toast where Melody was concerned.
He hadn’t always liked Houghton Barratt—he still wasn’t certain that he did, honestly. The guy thought his money bought him freedoms to do whatever in the hell he wanted. Including abducting Melody and hauling her off to Mexico. Where Houghton had then married her—against her will. Yet she’d forgiven him and fallen head over heels for the tall bastard almost in a blink—and had refused to press charges.
She had thrown a real fit when Jarrod had tried to push the issue. She’d threatened to never forgive him. Not Barratt.
He would never understand it. He’d always thought Melody was more sensible than that. Apparently, he had been wrong. Hell, what did he know about love really? He’d never actually felt it fully. Not for a woman. Not like that. Jarrod doubted he ever would.
“When is Haldyn getting out?” Melody asked. Jarrod wondered why she didn’t ask that problem woman herself. He looked over.
Queen Haldyn was sound asleep again, her pretty pink mouth open slightly.
Daniel stood over her like a tall, dark, and dangerous guardian gargoyle. Just watching her, an inscrutable look on his face. Troubled.
Jarrod looked at her again, trying to be objective—and ignore the bruises.
Haldyn was a very beautiful woman. He couldn’t deny that. And he wasn’t the only guy at the precinct who had noticed. Others had—and some had asked her out. From what he’d heard, she’d always said no. Politely, but it was always no.
Everyone thought it was because of the mysterious thing she had with Daniel.
“As soon as she’s discharged and changed,” Daniel said, answering Melody’s question. “But she’s been concerned about Beck. And he, her. He’s taking his father’s instructions to take care of Hal very seriously.”
“Well, she’s going to come home with us and stay as long as she needs to. We’ll see she’s safe. You have our word on that,” Melody said. “This…whatever is going on at the TSP, it’s getting crazy, Daniel. Who is it going to hurt next? I am just glad Handley was there to help her when she needed it.”
“I know. I’m in his debt for rescuing her. When she wakes, we’ll get her out of here.” Daniel looked at Jarrod and gave an almost feral grin. One that told Jarrod he probably wasn’t going to like what came next. “Then, Foster, you are going to stick to her like glue. Just like Erickson is sticking to Powell. There is a reason someone wanted the two of them. You and Erickson need to find out what that reason is.”
Hell. Daniel meant it.
Jarrod had just been assigned to guard the queen.
11
Madison was a woman on a mission.
She’d been on this particular mission for a long time.
Since the month before she’d taken a bullet to the back, when rogue colleagues—people she should have been able to trust—had ambushed her and three of her closest friends after a children’s choir concert. She was just thankful every day that the kids had already left that night. The kids and their families. Including her baby brother, her mother, and stepfather.
She still had nightmares. She still slept with the light on. She was seriously considering moving back in with her mom. But if that guy was coming back for Madison someday, the last place she wanted to be was with her mom, younger brother, and stepfather. She would never want her family in the line of fire. Ever. Especially because of her.
Her stepfather’s son stood in her lab doorway, glaring at her right now. Dominic Acardi had glared at her more times than she wanted to think about.
He was either glaring at her or watching her, a hungry look in his eyes.
She was the goldfish. Dom was the shark. Or maybe he was the tiger, and she was lunch.
He had unsettled her from the moment they had met—long before Dom’s father had seduced Madison’s mother. Or Madison’s mother had seduced Dom’s father. She wasn’t sure who had done the seducing—they both said the other was responsible.
They were adorable together. Happy.
Dom’s father had married Madison’s mother not quite two years ago.
