Page 5 of Edge of Danger

Brax crumpled the note in his fist. He’d stopped believing in empty promises a long time ago.

Chapter Two

How did anybody survive a baby?

Three days. It had been three days since Brax had slept more than a few minutes at a time. Three days since he’d gone more than an hour without hearing a baby cry.

No. Not cry.Wail. The kid wailed until Brax’s ears rang.

He kept expecting Robert to come back. That was the wildest part of all, waiting on somebody who’d been unreliable all his life to come back. To keep his word as the supply of diapers in the bag got lower and lower.

Diapers Brax had only figured out how to change by watching videos. Sad but true.

His brothers would’ve laughed themselves sick if they’d known. He could’ve told them, but it was smarter to stay quiet. Odds were whatever Robert was involved in wasn’t exactly on the up and up. He was a father now, and there was no telling what would happen to Walker if Robert went to prison.

But three days was the breaking point. There was nothing Brax could say to explain why he hadn’t been to the office the past few days. None of his brothers would accept another excuse. They would come out to the house soon, and then he’d have a lot more explaining to do.

It was better to come clean and get the whole thing over with.

Which was what led him to strap the car seat into the back seat—again with the help of online videos—and drive to the office.

“What isthat?” Chance’s jaw nearly hit the floor when Brax entered, seat in hand, diaper bag slung over his shoulder.

Brax held a finger to his lips, but it was no use. The ride had calmed Walker, but the respite was too brief. Maci hurried over from behind her desk, hands over her mouth, when the baby started up again.

Weston darted out from his office at the sound of Walker’s wails. “Where’d that come from?” He pointed to the baby, who Maci had taken from the carrier and held against her shoulder.

“Meet Robert’s son, Walker.” Brax sank into one of the chairs they kept out in the reception area and rested his head against the wall. “He likes to cry.”

“Robert? Your bio brother, Robert?” Weston looked like he was having a hard time keeping up. “Where is he?”

“I’m not sure.”

Chance followed Maci with his eyes as she walked up and down the length of the reception space with the baby, sort of bouncing him gently and patting his bottom with one hand. “So Robert showed up and left his baby with you?”

“Pretty much, though I barely remember. I don’t think I’ve slept two hours over the past three days.”

“I can take him to your office and try to get him calm,” Maci offered. Brax thanked her and meant it with all his heart. At least the closed door muffled the sound.

Weston’s confusion was clear in his dark eyes. “Did he tell you why he was doing it?”

“How long does he expect you to take care of the kid?” Chance asked, always logical and tactical. “Did he give you what you needed? Are you running low on supplies? Don’t babies need a lot of supplies?”

Brax held up both hands in a silent plea. “One thing at a time. Robert said he needed to get money from a friend who owed it to him. That was all he’d tell me, and it’s been three days without a word. He spent the night, but all that was left in the morning was Walker and a note saying Robert would be back before the diapers ran out. He gave me formula and clothes too.”

“What about the mother?” Weston asked.

Brax ran a hand over his eyes. “Dead.”

Weston and Chance both muttered a curse. None of them wanted to think of a baby growing up without a mother, although they all were testament that a woman giving birth to you didn’t necessarily mean she would be your mother beyond the wordbiological.

“Okay. Let’s run it down, see if we can find out anything about Robert.” Chance was already on the way to his computer by the time he’d finished speaking. Brax forced himself out of the chair and followed along with Weston. Walker was still crying, though somewhat softer than before.

“How did you figure out how to take care of him for the past couple days?” Weston asked while Chance ran Robert’s name through their system.

“Internet. Thank goodness.” Brax tried to muster a smile.

“You know you could’ve come to us for help.”

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