Page 4 of Daniil
“Ouch,” I tease playfully.“Are you trying to kill your mommy?”
A bit of drool comes out of his mouth as he gives me another toothless grin.
He’s such a sweet baby, with big blue eyes and chubby cheeks.He’s still mostly bald, and the fuzzy hair on his head is white-blond, which is funny considering I’m a natural redhead.Of course, his father is blond and blue-eyed.
His father.
I try not to think about him.
I moved heaven and earth to disappear so he never finds us, but I’ve been second-guessing that decision almost since I made it.Sometimes I look at Micah’s little face and guilt washes over me when I realize how much his father is missing.
Then I remember how much danger we would be in if I allowed him to be in our lives and those feelings go away.
Shaking off the moment of melancholy, I change Micah’s diaper and put fresh clothes on him.It’s June and already scorching outside, so I choose little navy-blue shorts and a light blue onesie.We go back into my room, and I put him in his bouncy chair as I get dressed and brush my teeth.I pull a brush through my hair, put it in a ponytail, and then carry Micah to the kitchen.
Once he’s in his highchair I warm a bottle for him and make myself a cup of coffee.I’m trying to decide whether or not I want to make some oatmeal when I hear a knock at the door and glance at the clock.
Seven-thirty on a Sunday morning.
Who on earth could it be?
Unease washes over me, and I pull my Sig Sauer P365 handgun out of the cabinet where I keep it hidden, sticking it in the back of my denim shorts.Then I pick up my phone and open the security app I use.Whoever is standing there is wearing a baseball cap and—sticking his tongue out at me?
I roll my eyes and put my gun away before opening the front door.
“I almost shot you, you big lug!”I say, laughing as I hug my brother, Landon.
“Surprise!”He looks up with a grin, and I’m taken aback at the bruises covering his face.
“What happened to you?”I demand, ushering him inside.
“Went on a little mission that almost went sideways.But it’s all good.”
“Dammit, I told you not to go,” I mutter, nudging him into a chair.“Are you hurt anywhere else or just superficially?”
“A few bruised ribs, but I’m all right.I’m actually here because I need to talk to you about something else.”
I frown.“What’s going on?”
“I had a very interesting conversation about you this morning.”
“Thismorning?It’s not even eight o’clock.”
“Believe me, no one was more annoyed than me to be woken up at the ass crack of dawn.”He turns to Micah.“How’s it goin’, big guy?You miss Uncle Grim?”
I hate that he uses his nickname with the baby, but they’re buddies and he’s a great uncle.Not to mention a fabulous older brother.
He plucks Micah out of his highchair and gives him his bottle.
It’s sweet watching them together, my six-foot-four-inch brother with muscles on his muscles, who’s as badass as they come but as gentle as a lamb when it comes to his nephew.
“Are you going to tell me who called you or leave me hanging?”I demand, folding my arms across my chest.
“Well, you’re not going to be happy, so don’t shoot the messenger.”
“Ah, shit.He found me.”I sink into the nearest chair, all the air leaving my lungs in a rush.
“No, but you can’t ghost everyone you know without someone trying to find out why.Itoldyou that would come back to bite you in the ass.”
