Page 65 of Captive Mafia Wife

I was always out. Rolling my uniform skirt up higher and smoking ciggies behind the school. Or riding on the back of the motorcycle of the town’s “bad boy,” Bayne, who at the time happened to be my brother’s arch nemesis but is now happily married.

Or I was getting older kids to buy me alcohol until I was finally the older kid and could take the bus down to the closest thing that passed for an actual town and party at the pubs.

With Callum only being fifteen months my junior, we were more like twins rather than having the typical older-younger sibling relationship.

Even if I don’t know what I’m doing, I instantly connect to this little girl.

I commit to myself and her that I will figure it out, that as long as she’s in our care, we will provide for her every need. Now, this little girl is my priority.

As far as the wedding, the renovations, and the ongoing friction between Fredrick and me, as my grandma used to say, it’ll keep.

There are more pressing issues at hand.

Like figuring out her name, who she is, where she comes from, and God and my poor little heart forbid—finding other family members to give her back to.

If we do find them, will they be a part of the terrible people-trafficking ring, the Hoax? Will she be safe? There’s no way Ross could have known I would be there today, that I would cross that sidewalk at that moment.

Has fate brought us this wee precious girl?

Chapter Eighteen

Fredrick

The moment I saw Freya,I had to have her.

When her brother worried about her safety, I knew I could be the husband she needed, give her the world, and protect her. And I would have what I wanted and needed, and she would be mine.

No heartstrings attached.

The vision of beautiful Freya, fiercely protective of a child in her arms, instantly shifts my reality. I no longer care about what I want. The wedding can wait. The only thing that matters is Freya and the girl in her arms.

Speaking with my security, I found we couldn’t insulate the incident from public knowledge. Things were already complicated for Freya after representing Jack. Now, being handed a baby by a member of the Hoax in broad daylightjust before the man’s execution, the islander’s tongues will be wagging.

We don’t know if the two men from the Hoax saw him hand Freya the baby or if they have any interest in pursuing the little one. We need more information. “We must meet with the Kings, face to face, and decide how to move forward.”

“I was thinking the same.” Her green eyes blaze bravely. “We’ll go to Norse Garden. Direct the driver there, now.”

“I have, and I’ll send word to Callum to have as many Kings there as possible.” He had been distant on the phone, most likely confused by Freya’s further interaction with the Hoax.

“Ask Fiona to gather the things the baby will need for now—diapers, clothing.” I check a tag in her clothing, telling Fredrick her size. “What do babies her age eat? Fiona will know.”

“Security cleared us for this meeting.” I think of the pain and tension between her and her family. “Are you sure you’re ready to go back there?”

“I love Callum and Fiona. I trust my brother with my life. And yours, and hers. I’m one of the Kings; they’ve vowed to protect me. As for the rumors? Small towns have more upsides than not, but I cannae deny my lovely wee island suffers from gossip. I no longer care what people think of me. For the moment, we need to be in Glasgow with the Kings to figure this out. I’ll not put this baby in harm’s way.” Her voice breaks. “Pearl has already lost her father.”

“Pearl?”

She shakes her head. “I can’t keep calling her girl and wee one. She deserves a nickname until we findout who she is.”

“Of course.” I run a finger over the baby’s round cheek, feeling its baby softness. “Pearl because she plays with your necklace?”

“She likes my necklace so much…and it’s silly, but with her luminescent skin and dark hair, her face is like a little pearl, encapsulated in a dark oyster shell.” She gives me a pensive look. “Have your men had any luck tracking down information on the father? Ross Macdonald, you called him?”

“Yes, the Kings know him as Ross Macdonald. As with any of the other members with a previous criminal record, he was given a new identity when he joined the Hoax, so it will take some time to find his given name. The Kings are tracking down information on the mother and any other blood relatives they can find. It isn’t easy. The Hoax is very good at covering their tracks.”

“Do we know why he wanted to speak to me at the club that night?” She peers down at little Pearl, smiling as the little one gives a content sigh in her sleep, nestling deeper against Freya’s chest.

“There are a few theories our informants have put together. Some think he was trying to leave the Hoax. He’d heard you’d represented Jack Maclean and knew you didn’t make the connection. One theory is that he thought you could help him somehow.”

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