Page 1 of Best Kept Secret

Chapter 1

Beau

The last time I saw Mira Sen, I was balls deep inside her sister.

That was when? Two or three years ago? Longer? She'd been a kid then, and even I, who did what I wanted, not caring who thought what had been chagrined that she'd found me railing Asha in the kitchen of the apartment they shared.

"Mira, everything okay, darlin'?" I murmured and looked out to see a ratty old Toyota Corolla in the driveway, the security guard looking uncomfortable as hell because I'd told him to let her in when he'd called from the gate.

She licked her lips and kept staring at her car. It probably used to be burgundy in color but was now too dusty to make out. All the car doors were flung open, and I could only assume it didn't have air conditioning—an oversight that, in the sweltering June heat of Savannah, was practically an invitation to heatstroke.

She looked frail, and her clothes had seen better days. Her face was without makeup, and she looked exhausted.

"Hi, Beau. I'm so sorry to drop in like this."

"Not a problem. You want to come in, darlin'?" I opened the door wide, and she shook her head.

I was certain she was about to burst into tears.

"I know you told Asha that you didn't want to have anything to do with her. I get it. ButI'm desperate. I…my parents are…they already took all her money. I know you don't want her, and that's okay. You don't have to take care of her. I'll do it. I'll do everything. But I can't fight the courts. So, I just…and Asha told me you signed everything away, but I talked to a friend, and she said that doesn't mean that…." Her voice was shaky as she vomited out the word salad.

I tried to make heads or tails of what she was saying. First, she was talking fast. Second, she wasn't particularly coherent.

"Mira, honey." I put a hand on her shoulder, having a strong desire to drag her into the security and comfort of my house and…hold her.

Hold her?You asshole, she's a kid.

The devil on my right shoulder, the one who ruled my brain, was quick to point out shewasa kid. She's probably twenty-two now.

"Please, Beau." Her eyes were filled with tears, and I badly wanted to prevent them from leaking. I didn't do well with crying women. "For Asha's sake."

"Of course, yes, whatever she needs, you need."

"Really?"

Before I could answer, someone called out, "Miramashi."

Mira ran toward her car and smiled wide. All the fear on her face vanished, replaced by total joy. She leaned in, and as I walked up to her to see who was inside the car, wondering if it was Asha, I stopped in my tracks.

In Mira's arms was a child.

The little girl leaned her head on Mira's shoulder. She held a stuffed rabbit by the ear in one hand. She was in a pink dress, her hair tied in pigtails with pink silk bows. She was fucking adorable. And compared to Mira, better dressed, better fed, and healthier.

The little girl smiled at me and blinked. "Juice," she ordered.

"Yes, myShona. I have some and…Beau, can you hold her?" Mira thrust the little girl at me, and I automatically took her in my arms; I was used to holding the children of friends and relatives.

The girl in my arms grinned and poked my nose. She did it again and giggled. "You gotta sayding dongwhen I do it! Then you be a doorbell!"

I automatically saidding dongwhen she poked my nose again, and she laughed. It was the best fucking sound in the world.

Up close, I could see her eyes—big, blue, with green flecks. The rest of her was all Mira—or rather, Asha. Milk chocolate skin, chubby cheeks, dark hair—the cute button nose was a dead giveaway that she was a Sen. But those eyes? They told me she was pure Bodine. And wasn't the universe taking a piss on me because I was pretty sure she wasmine.

"How long has that juice been in the hot car?" I heldmy daughterclose as Mira poked a straw into a juice box.

"Since this morning, and I keep it in a cooler in the trunk."

I eyed the juice box suspiciously when the little girl leaned dangerously away from me to grab it. She dropped her rabbit, which Mira picked up.

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