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Seems I’m going to have to send a message to remind everyone on my payroll what happens when you fuck around.

“I don’t give a fuck, boyo!”I growl.“The Russians are coming for my brother and ifanythinghappens to him on your watch, you won’t like the consequences.”

“He’s in the hole,” he says, sounding confused.“Nobody can get to him down there.”

“You better make damn sure of that.You and I both know that for the right price, your guards will look the other way.”

“Fuck!”he swears.He knows I’m right because he takes bribes too.“I’ll handle it.”The line goes dead.

“Do me a solid and have Dragon look into the guards in solitary.I want to be thorough on this.”

“You got it, Boss.”I watch as Haze jogs down the iron steps and disappears through the side door.

I bow my head and rub at the ache in my shoulder.

“Your phone’s in here vibrating all over your desk.”

I shove my hand in my pocket and come out empty-handed.“Shit.”Hurrying back into the office, I grab my phone off the desk and see the missed call from Sophia.I hit call and lift my phone to my ear hoping that nothing’s wrong.It’s not like her to call so late in the day when she knows I’ll be home soon.It barely rings twice before Sophia answers, and I hear the sound of a screaming baby in the background.“Oh, thank God you called me back.”

“Mouse, turn the television down.I can barely hear you,” I say loudly.

Sophia laughs but there is no humor in it.“That’s not the television, honey.Someone dropped a baby on our doorstep.”

My heart starts to race.“Say that again?”I must have heard her wrong because it sounded like she said someone left a baby on our doorstep.I wasn’t a saint before I met Sophia, but I know for a fact I’ve always wrapped it up.My blood runs cold.Except I haven’t with Sophia.Fuck, I don’t know if she’s on birth control or… “Babe, you on the pill?”I blurt out.

“What?Oh my God.”She starts laughing hysterically, but I’m not finding any of this funny.After she gets herself under control, she puts me out of my misery.“Yes, honey.I’m on the pill.We just got married and I’m not ready for kids yet.”

I look to the heavens and whisper, “Thank you, Jesus.”It’s not that I don’t want kids, but—an image of Sophia with our baby growing in her belly flashes in my mind and I start to second-guess putting off having kids.The baby in my house screams out again and I push the thought away for now.

“I’ll be home in fifteen minutes, Mouse.Try to stay calm.We’ll figure this out.”

“Okay, honey.Be careful, I love you,” she says and then the line goes dead.

“Boss, you okay?”Kane asks with a worried look on his face.

A slow smile spreads across my own and I nod.“Someone dropped a baby off on my doorstep and split,” I explain as Sophia’s words repeat in my mind.She loves me.I feel like the luckiest bastard in the entire city.

Kane’s worried look quickly morphs into shock.“The fuck?Have you lost your damn mind?You’re smiling about a rug rat being left at your place?”he shouts.

Ignoring his outburst, I pull my keys out of my pocket and head for the door with him jogging behind me to catch up.“Wait up.This I gotta see.”

Fifteen minutes later, I walk through my front door and the sound of crying is absent.That’s a plus.

“Babe!I’m here!”I shout, closing the door behind Kane as I toe off my boots.

“Shh.”My brows hit my hairline.

I move toward the sound of her voice with my nosey treasurer right behind me and when I step into the lounge, I freeze.Sophia is nestled into the corner of the sofa with a tiny infant dressed in pink pressed against her chest.

“Come in and meet your niece.At least that’s what the note says.”She flicks her chin toward the coffee table where the worn piece of paper lies.I grab it and start to read.

Ghost,

I’ve tried writing this letter a hundred times but can never find the right words to tell you how sorry I am that I kept my pregnancy from you.I thought I was protecting Payton, but I can see now that I was wrong.I’m in a lot of trouble and I won’t let it touch our baby girl.That’s why I’m leaving her with your brother where I know she’ll be safe.I hope you can forgive me someday.

I’m sorry.

Jenny

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