Page 13 of Fiery Romance

I smile in response but, inside, I’m still on edge. “Regan, why did you go to the monkey bars? I saw the nanny telling you not to play on them.”

“I know, but I wasn’t scared, daddy.”

“Well,Iwas.”

“Your dad’s a scaredy cat, kid.” Cody reinforces my point.

“No, he’s not. He’s a superhero.” Regan plants both hands on her hips, ready to tell my brother off. “He saves people.”

“It doesn’t matter how many people I save, the scariest thing to me is you and your brother getting hurt.” I swing her into my arms and plant a kiss on her cheek. “No more monkey bars. Or climbing things without supervision, ‘kay Spiderman?”

She nods cutely. “‘Kay.”

Cody pinches Regan’s cheek and then nods at me. “You done here?”

“Yeah.”

“And the nanny?”

I shake my head.

His eyes widen. “You’re not taking Regan back to work, are you?”

“I don’t know, Cody.” My voice has a little more vehemence in it than necessary. I fasten Regan into her car seat. “Do you have a better idea?”

“Clay—”

“It’s fine. I’ll head home early. I have a run with the guys today and then I’ll—”

“A run?” His eyebrows hike.

“Relax. Nothing will happen to her.” I glance over my shoulder and notice Regan is already on her tablet.

The kid could unlock my cell phone and tap to her favorite YouTube channels at two years old. Like all children born in the internet and smartphone age, she’s a technological savant.

“I’ll keep her occupied on her tablet and make sure she stays in the car. It won’t take long.”

When I step forward, Cody grabs my arm and jerks me back. “Clay, it’s one thing to have her in the company, in your office. It’s another to take her out on duty.”

My phone starts ringing.

Lincoln.

He’s confirming the clearance for today’s operation.

“I’m late, Cody. Unless you can find another solution, we’re leaving now.”

He sighs and steps aside. “Just… be careful.”

“I always am.”

“I mean it, Clay. I have a bad feeling about this.”

Yeah, well, he should spend a day in my shoes. I live my life with a perpetual boot of doom hanging over my head.

The good news is… the worst that could happen, already has. Now, I’m dedicating my life to making sure that loss was a one-time thing. No one I love will ever be taken from me again.

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