Page 74 of Hidden By His Side

“He didn’t tell you?” Diego asked, pushing a hand back through his unruly hair with a grin that Ramiro didn’t like. “I guess that makes sense. Ram isn’t one to admit to his fetishes.”

Ramiro’s face heated under his beard, not made any better when the toddler tugged on his facial hair. “It’s not about a fetish.”

Diego clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You keep telling yourself that. Now that my hands are free, I’ll grab the equipment.”

Ramiro glared after him. Seeing Summer’s face scrunched in confusion, he distracted her the best way he could. He handed her Emma. “I should go help Diego.”

Summer didn’t look as comfortable accepting the toddler as he’d expected her to. She balanced Emma on her hip, but her hands looked awkward in their placement, and her face looked as panicked as Ramiro had felt.

She smoothed it into a forced smile, and he liked that even less. Then Emma poked the rose on Summer’s shirt, saying “pwetty” in a babyish way that was both annoying and kind of cute, and Summer’s smile turned more natural.

“I have lots of pretty clothes with flowers. Want to come see, Emma?” Summer asked, turning when the little girl nodded enthusiastically, and they headed back to his bedroom.

Not his, not anymore. Their bedroom. Summer’s things were spread throughout the space, even if she’d tucked them away to where it was harder to notice.

He should buy some new sheets for the bed. Something with flowers. She’d like that.

Ramiro went out to help Diego carry in the camera equipment he’d brought.

“Shouldn’t you let her know you’ll be spying on her here?” Diego asked, shoving a box into his arms. “Maybe she’d like it. Even give you a show.” His eyes lost focus, and he swallowed, turning away.

“Fuck you, Diego. It’s for safety.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Diego said, grabbing another box. “I know better now. That setup in her apartment was one of the earliest ones I did, when I was still figuring things out. I’m surprised the feeds lasted so long.”

“I had to adjust things over the years,” Ramiro admitted. Hayes had talked him through some of the steps for the wireless setup. “It wasn’t safe for me to be around Summer all the time, and I worried that someone would tail me there. The cameras were necessary.” He looked back toward the house. “They’re necessary here, too. I can’t stay with her every minute.” No matter how much he wanted to.

“Your security here isn’t bad.” Diego looked toward the gate. “The apartment she was in was decent, too. It was a bitch to get that body out of there unseen. How did the ex even get in there?”

Ramiro’s hands tightened on the box. Hayes had provided the name of the doorman working that night. He’d settled for getting the man fired, but still had his personal details, including an address, in case he changed his mind. Providing a harder lesson was tempting.

“I appreciate you taking care of it,” was all he said as he carried the equipment inside.

Deeper in the house, the low murmur of voices drifted to him, followed by the bubbly and bright laugh of a child. Summer’s answering laughter settled over him.

Was that what it would sound like if she kept her own child? The hairs on his arms rose as he stood transfixed. He couldn’t even see them, only hear those distant sounds that proved they were there.

“Give me that,” Diego grumbled, grabbing the box and taking the camera from the top of the heap. “You’re a mess, you know that? At least you’re thinking about it.”

Ramiro couldn’t not think about it. Kids still made him nervous, but the fact that a child grew inside the woman he loved wasn’t something he could ignore. Part of him was constantly fixated on it.

He just wasn’t sure if that fixation was a positive thing yet.

“I’ll set up your surveillance. You go get that big-ass package at the gate.” Diego eyed the room, moving to the corner with the bookcase first. A bookcase that now held some of Summer’s old paperbacks. “What the hell did you even order that’s long like that?”

Excitement slid inside Ramiro at the description, and he rushed out to grab the box. It wasn’t as large as Diego had complained. The perfect size to contain the stand he’d purchased, plus some room for foam. Ramiro ripped it open, but he didn’t move the stand to where it belonged. He went to get Summer instead.

Emma was wearing one of Summer’s flowered T-shirts. This one was light pink with a bundle of flowers in white that said Bloom Beautifully. It was too big on the toddler, and she almost tripped on the hem as she rushed toward him.

Ramiro caught her, pretending to toss her up in the air as he lifted her high. Her squeal of delight rang in his ears, too loud, but also a happy sound.

“You play a dangerous game, letting this one loose to run,” he said to Summer.

She was staring at him with the little girl in his arms, her smile trembling a little, her brow pinched as she lifted a hand to her neck. He watched her stroke there, a small motion she often did when she was nervous.

Kids made him nervous, too. “Emma plays a mean game of hide and seek. Don’t you, Emma?”

The little girl’s shouted “yes” was almost as loud as her squeal had been, and Ramiro winced.

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