Page 76 of Marked

Sophia wouldn’t have it any other way. “Want to call Daddy?”

Bella bounced forward. “Yeah!”

Sophia met Cole’s stare. Concern puckered the skin between his eyebrows.

Bella leaped off Sophia’s lap. “I’ll get your phone!” She ran across the living room and disappeared into the spare bedroom.

“What are you going to tell him?” Cole asked.

She pushed her fingers through the tangles of her hair. “Right now, he needs to know she’s back—the longer we wait, the worse it will look. I can trust Bart.”

“And your boss?”

“I’ll call him next.” She aimed for nonchalance, but her heart pattered with unease. Cole had every right to be wary. One wrong move could cause a lot of problems for everyone. But it wasn’t as if hiding Bella were an option.

Bella scampered back in the room and passed the phone to Sophia. “Can we call on video?”

She winced. Of course they’d want to see each other’s faces, but she couldn’t exactly let Bart see that they weren’t at home. At least not yet. She needed time to put her story together, and Bart would surely ask questions when he noticed the unfamiliar background.

Cole must have read her mind because he rubbed one hand over the other, his mouth a tense line.

Sophia tapped Bart’s icon and the line rang on speakerphone.

“Geez, Sophia. Where the hell are—”

“Hi, Daddy!” Bella’s squeal echoed off the walls.

“B-Bella? Oh my God.” His voice cracked on the words. “How...? Are you okay?”

“Yup. I’m just eating protein bites with Mommy and C—”

Sophia snatched the phone away. “Hi, Bart. She’s safe. I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner. It was really late when I found her last night.”

“I don’t understand. Why didn’t anyone at the police station call? I should have been there.”

Sophia sank an inch into the sofa. He was right. He should have been there. Under any other circumstances he would have been.

She summoned a breath. This would be the tough part. She’d have to pull every card she had to keep Bart from making things worse with the police. “Look, I need you to understand that there’s some things I had to do in order to get Bella back. Things that Kenneth and the station know nothing about. I’ll share it with you in person, but please, right now, let’s just be happy she’s home.”

Seconds ticked by. Sophia chewed her bottom lip. “Bart?”

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, okay. I get it.” Wariness tainted his voice. “Can I see her?”

“Absolutely. How about she and I swing by in a few hours. Are you home?”

“Of course. Can you come at 11:00 a.m.? If that works.”

“We’ll be there.”

Cole met her gaze, and she straightened.

“Bart? I think Bella should stay with you for a few days. I need to get some things ironed out and I have to know she’s safe.”

“All right. We’ll chat when you come over.”

She disconnected and set down the phone.

Bella tucked her chin. “I want to see Daddy, but I really want to go home.”

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