Page 55 of Marcus-stiltskin

“Someone just dropped her in the baby box.”

“No fucking way,” Eddie says, leaning over to get a better look at the baby.

“I thought you said it was no longer operational.”

Marcus sighs. “That’s what the realtor told me, but when I found the baby, I checked outside and it’s still open.”

“Holy crap. Did you call the cops? An ambulance?”

He shakes his head. “No–I…there was a note…I just found her. I thought it must be a joke. That’s why I came straight here.”

“A note?” I open the slip of paper he holds out to me and read the cursive there.

Please take her to Steely at the Wild Hare. She’ll know what to do with her.

“Ha, jokes on them. I can barely take care of myself. Was there anything else? Did they leave any clues? A name? Anything?”

He shakes his head.

“You look stressed for a man who worked with CPS. I’m assuming you’ve never seen a newborn this fresh?”

He chuckles and looks down at the bundle in his arms. “They were usually cleaned up by the time I got to them.”

I snort. “Is this your blanket?” I ask, fingering the crochet baby blanket she’s wrapped in. It’s yellow and kind of a hot mess in the stitching department, but it has the warmth of magic…very strong magic.

“No, this is literally how she appeared.”

I turn and point over at the bar. “Norm’s wife is a sheriff’s deputy. He can probably get someone out here quicker than a call to the non-emergency line would.”

He moves to come in, then stops as if an invisible barrier keeps him out. “I can’t bring a baby into a strip club,” he whispers.

I bite my lip to keep from laughing. “You already brought her to the door. We are a smoke-free club every day of the year. The smell bugs the werewolves. It’s still early, so there aren’t any weirdos around, and the pack that runs this place loves babies. You’ll probably have twenty wolves asking to hold her as soon as you sit at the bar. They’ve all got baby fever, I swear.”

Reluctantly, he trails behind me to the bar, baby in tow. “Hey Norm, is your wife on duty tonight?” I call out as we approach the bar. Norm looks up from his beer before his eyes flick over to Marcus and the baby.

“Yeah, you need me to get her out here?”

I nod. “Yeah, someone abandoned this baby at the old fire station.”

“Did someone say baby?” Zander Lamar asks from behind the bar. He leans over to get a good look at the baby Marcus’s holding, then looks at Marcus. “Can I hold her?”

Marcus looks at me, and I shrug. “See. I told you.”

“She’s super fresh. Are you okay with that?” I ask Zander. He merely holds his hands out to Marcus, who hands him the baby. Zander cradles her close to his chest and starts to rock as the baby blinks open its eyes and stares at him.

“Steely,” Norm says as he sets his phone down on the bar, “she’s down the street. She’ll be here in a minute.”

The baby begins to fuss as Zander walks around bouncing gently with every step. He moves her up to his shoulder, pats her back, and then stops moving. He sucks in a deep breath and his eyes flick to Marcus. He leans over the bar and calls Madison over.

“Can you go ask Zach to come out here?” She nods and heads to the back as his expression grows darker and darker. The hairs on the back of my neck prick up as I watch and wait, not sure what is setting off alarm bells.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Zach says as he comes around the bar. Zander leans closer to him so the baby is right under his nose.

“Smell this baby.”

Zach grins, “You asshole, I’m not–”

“Smell her,” Zander practically growls.

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