Page 64 of Protecting the Newborn

So would the piece of slime that was waiting for them.

“Glad you could come,” the killer said.

And he stepped out so Gracelyn could finally see his face.

DEVINWASSMILINGwhen he walked toward them.

Smiling and gloating.

Ruston intended to make sure Devin didn’t have those reactions for long. The goon’s threats to Gracelyn and Abigail had been more than enough to fuel Ruston’s anger, and it had seethed and soared with each step toward this miserable person in this miserable place.

Devin was armed, of course. He had a SIG Sauer in both hands, which he probably thought made him look like a cool bad guy.

“The Green Eagle,” Ruston said like a mock greeting.

Devin shrugged. “I’m not going to come out and admit that,” he said. “I mean, since I’d be incriminating myself. Oops.” He laughed. “I guess I just did. There goes some of my bargaining power.” Using the guns, he put those last two words in air quotes.

“Your plan was to tell me that you’d let Gracelyn live if I gave you what you wanted,” Ruston spelled out for him.

“Why, yes.” There it was again, that smugness that only fueled Ruston’s anger. “But you would have never fallen for that anyway. Gracelyn wouldn’t have either. You both know how this has to end.”

“Yeah, you eliminate everyone who can put you in a cage,” Gracelyn muttered.

“True. And so far, so good,” he bragged.

Ruston wished he could have disputed that, but with the exception of this lone gunman, the others were dead. Marty, Simon, Archie and three hired guns. There were likely others who had been silenced in the aftermath of the baby farm.

“So far, so good,” Devin repeated. “And that’s why I need the info that Zimmer left behind.”

“How did you know about it?” Ruston asked, shifting his weight so he’d be able to either drop down or lunge at Devin. Ahead of him, Ruston could see Gracelyn doing the same thing.

“Computer leaks,” Devin admitted. “The ME isn’t very careful about what he puts in his reports. He mentioned the tats, but he didn’t give specifics.” He paused. “I want specifics. Oh, wait. You need a reason to give it to me. How about a quick, easy death for Gracelyn? As opposed to me making it very, very painful.”

“Your hired gun said you would go after Abigail,” Gracelyn said, and Ruston heard the razor edge in her voice.

Again, Devin shrugged. “Only as a last resort.”

Ruston saw the lie on Devin’s face. Devin wouldn’t come out now and say that he had planned on taking the baby all along because he probably hadn’t wanted to give Gracelyn and Ruston a reason to stay alive.

A reason to fight.

But Gracelyn and he already had that reason. They both loved Abigail, and if they literally rolled over and died, it would leave the baby at the mercy of this monster. That wasn’t going to happen.

“You were going to kidnap and sell your own daughter,” Gracelyn spit out. “Or maybe she isn’t yours.”

“She is,” Devin verified. “Allie brought me a sample of her DNA because she wanted to prove that I was the father. I’m not sure why she thought it was so important to prove, because I didn’t give a rat. Still don’t.”

Ruston was glad Gracelyn was keeping Devin talking. Anything to distract him. Anything to buy them some time.

And right now, he needed a weapon.

“You didn’t kill Allie, though,” Gracelyn pointed out. “Is she still a loose end?”

He laughed. “Your sister knows nothing, but I figured I could use her in a roundabout way to get the baby. I mean, if Allie ends up in jail, then I get custody. After I prove paternity, that is, and I can prove it. So can you now that the good sheriff took my DNA. He probably did that, hoping to find something to incriminate me, but the only thing that DNA will prove is that I have a legal right to my biological child.”

A child he’d end up selling first chance he got.

And that wasn’t all the dirty dealings this SOB had done.

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