Laughing, I scrub the tears from my jaw. Papa. I fucking love it! “That’s because her mama’s a hero.”
“Do you see it? The baby’s hair is red. The cuteness is killing me!” Cass says as she snaps a ton more pictures.
Cass’s innocent comment slices right through me like a hot spear. I swallow the bitter anger that bubbles to the surface, hating that I can’t see the fucking color of my own child’s hair. My gaze lands on Talia and I feel my lips tilt upward. I’ll hold onto the memory of her mother’s vivid red hair. At least then, I can imagine thick fiery hair framing her tiny face.
The nurses take the baby, and while they’re doing all the tests they need to do on her, she begins to wail. I hear one of the nurses say, “I don’t like the sound of that scream. It seems too high. Test her blood sugar level.”
Talia grips my arm tight and I realize she’s heard what they’re saying. “Go over there and find out what’s going on.”
I’m torn. I don’t want to leave Talia’s side, but the doctor’s with her, taking care of the afterbirth and stuff. Cass nods to me and I move over to watch the nurses, my heart jerking when one of them shakes her head after taking a blood test.
“What’s wrong?”
The round-faced nurse with kind eyes smiles as she swaddles our child in a blanket. “We’re just going to give her a bottle of glucose water. Her sugar levels were a bit low.”
My whole world narrows as I stare down at our baby’s face as she sucks hard on the bottle the nurse is holding for her. I’ve never felt more knocked-in-the-gut protective, but also clueless in how to take care of this tiny, helpless person. “Will she be okay?”
The nurse looks up. “She should be. We’ll have to check her blood every four hours to test that her blood sugar levels remain elevated for at least twelve hours.”
The baby sucked down the bottle in no time. She’s still mewling a little, but much quieter as the nurse hands her to me. “Here you go, Dad. Take her back to her mom so they can bond.”
“Hey, little one,” I say, bending my knees a couple of times. The baby immediately quiets and stares up at me. She’s so tiny in my arms, but so perfect, I can’t help but smile. “So you like to bounce, huh? Welcome to the big bad world, a place your Papa will always protect you from. Want to go see your mom?”
“Everyone is asking when they can come see mini Talia,” Cass says, looking up from her phone. I give Cass a look, and she bites her lip, mumbling, “Okaaay then. Tomorrow, it is.”
Talia’s already holding her arms out for the baby as I reach her bedside. I hand our little girl over and whisper, “She’ll be fine. They just want to watch her sugar level.” It doesn’t matter that I can only see them in shades of gray. Watching Talia push her nose against the baby’s and then seeing her laugh as the little one responds, is its own special form of pleasurable entertainment. I’m so enthralled by them, I don’t think about color at all.
“What are you going to name her?” Cass asks, her gaze pinging between Talia and me.
“Her name is Jocelyn.”
My gaze slides to Talia’s. She and I still hadn’t discussed names, but the fact she chose my mother’s name for our child puts a hard lump in my throat. I smile, my gaze never leaving hers. “Yes, Jocelyn.”
“Ooh, Jocelyn. It’s so pretty and unique,” Cass says as she touches the cap on the baby’s head.
“And since we already have a Josi in the family…” Eyes sparkling, Talia continues, “I’ll leave it to her father to come up with a nickname that suits her. Preferably one that’s not in the food category.”
Laughing, I nod. “It’ll come to me.”
Chapter Twelve
Sebastian
The female body is pretty amazing, but as far as I’m concerned, my wife’s is spectacular. Talia withstood more pain than I thought possible to bring our child into this world, making me both humbled and so fucking proud of her. It’s just the three of us and a nurse now, and my heart feels full as Talia cradles our baby’s head against her breast, while the nurse shows her breastfeeding techniques to help the baby latch on properly. I smile at my wife’s brow furrowed in concentration. I know she’s soaking it all in, determined to make sure she’s doing her part right so her body can do the rest.
I stare at this tiny person we’ve made together in awe. All consuming love and protective worry crowds my thoughts. Everything I’ve felt for Talia has now expanded outward in a protective bubble around my family. I will do whatever it takes to keep them both safe.
Movement in my periphery catches my attention. I glance up to see Cass standing in the doorway, pointing to the hall. The look on her face is serious, so I immediately join her.
“How’d Vanessa’s surgery go?”
Cass turns her phone so I can read Charlie’s message.
Vanessa’s been moved to ICU. There were complications during surgery, which made it a much bigger deal and took hours longer than it should have. For now, we wait to see how she recovers. The BLACK security guy moved with her and assures me it’s okay to go home and get some sleep for a bit. Just thought Talia might want an update. How’s she doing? Has she had the baby?
I take Cass’s phone and type out a message to Charlie.
This is Sebastian. Thank you for keeping us informed. I’m sending Den now. Please wait until he arrives before you go home and get some rest. Talia delivered our daughter Jocelyn, and mom and baby are doing well. She hasn’t been told about Vanessa’s situation yet.
Cass’s phone pings with a new message and she turns it for me to read Charlie’s response.
I’ll wait for Den to get here before I leave. Congratulations on baby Jocelyn. I can’t wait to meet her. Wait until tomorrow to tell Talia about Vanessa so she can have tonight with the baby. Her aunt wouldn’t want her to worry.
I pull out my phone and text Den.
Vanessa’s been moved to ICU after an emergency heart surgery. Please make sure she’s as safe as she can be in the new unit. I believe that one has two ways in, making it less secure than I would prefer. If you’re not too tired, I’d like you to take over guarding our door tonight while Talia and I try to get at least a couple hours of sleep. I imagine Jocelyn will keep us up a lot tonight.
Den’s response is immediate.
All is quiet. I’ll come relieve your guard after Vanessa is secured. Congratulations. Just like her mom, that little girl is going to own your heart.
I smirk and answer.
Now we get to butt heads twice as often.
Good thing mine’s harder than yours. Be there in thirty.
As I snort at his response, Calder walks up. “What’s so funny?”
Tucking my phone away, I shake my head. “Full-of-themselves employees.”
When Calder nods and thumbs back to Ben trailing behind him, I give him a stern look. “How’s your case going?”
“We interviewed the vets Ben works with in the other wing of the hospital earlier. Even after I threatened to end their participation in Ben’s program, none of them confessed to taking his script pad and ID.”
“You could’ve warned me you were going to do that.” Ben frowns at his brother and slides his hands in his slacks’ pockets. “It took me a fucking long time to get those men to trust me.”
Calder shrugs. “We bonded over military talk after. They’re good.”
“I told you it wasn’t them,” Ben says, sighing. “Any of my guys could’ve swiped stuff from my bag before now. Though this whole experience has made me realize I will have to start locking my bag up in the future, I believe the items went missing during the baby shower.”
I cut my gaze to Calder. “Has a sweep been done of our apartment?”
“Elijah did it personally,” Calder says. “No other devices were found. He did a thorough background check on all the caterers. Nothing came up questionable. They’re all squeaky clean.”
“Then shift your focus to the employees from the Tribune who attended,” I say tersely.
“Teresa has been cleaning and doing my laundry for years, but I still ran a check on her just to be sure. She’s good.”
“Okay, I’m on it.”
“I just checked on Theo,” Ben says, rubbing the back of his neck. “He’s so ticked that he can’t help, he tried to get up. I told him that if he didn’t stay in that bed at least through tomorrow, then I would tell you he’s unfit to work for a week.”
I eye Calder and Ben, gaze narrowing. “Good to know neither of you are above blackmail to get what you want.”
As the brothers frown and glance away, I look at my watch. Eleven-fifteen already? I glance back to see Talia talking to Cass, oblivious to our conversation. “Ben, I know it’s late, but I need you to stick around and check on Talia’s aunt, Vanessa Granger. She had emergency heart surgery earlier today. Just send a medical update to my phone.
“Calder, shift your attention to the Tribune employees. Do what you can tonight, then pick back up tomorrow once business hours resume. If nothing pans out, we’ll move on to relatives who attended next. No one’s above a background check. The events leading up to this—” I tick them off on my fingers “—Hang-up calls, attempts to sabotage Talia’s car, Isabel’s murder in a limo marked for us, Vanessa’s attack, a listening device in our home…” I curl my hands into fists. “Talia’s the common denominator. I want the bastard found before I bring my family home.”
“Want me to help?” Cass asks Calder from behind my shoulder. Coming around, she yawns. “Let’s grab a coffee and sit at the table in the café downstairs.”
I roll my shoulders, feeling the emotional swings of the day weighing on me. “Thanks, guys,” I say, turning to include Trevor, who’d been stoically silent behind me, his alert stance enough to let others know to stay back. “I really appreciate everyone going above and beyond right now.”
Trevor folds his hands behind his back and dips his dirty blond head to acknowledge my comment just as Den walks up. “Head back to the main floor for the night, Trevor. I’m taking over this post.”
After Trevor buttons his suit jacket, then walks away, Den looks at me. “There were areas that weren’t covered. It’s secure now.”
“You’ve got the images and names of approved nurses and doctor’s on your phone, right?”
Den nods and I lift my chin toward our room. “Come meet your youngest client.”
Talia looks up as Den walks in. “It’s about time you met Jocelyn.”
Den doesn’t speak, but he shocks the hell out of me when he briefly touches the top of Talia’s head, then moves his big hand to gently cup the baby’s head, sliding his dark thumb tenderly over her pale forehead. Even Talia gets teary, smiling her appreciation of his silent congratulations.
Looking at both of us, he says, “Get some sleep while she’s napping,” then walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.
I turn out the main light, then use my phone to light my way back. Sitting in the leather chair beside the bed, I clasp Talia’s hand. “I can tell you’re exhausted. The baby’s tucked in nice and snug in your arms. Close your eyes and get some rest. With luck, they’ll clear Jocelyn in the morning, and we’ll be able to take her home tomorrow.”
Talia sighs her exhaustion, settling against her pillow.
I try to do the same, leaning back in the leather seat, but my mind spins with worry for Talia and our baby’s safety. Who is doing this? And why? Fisting my hand, I try to settle better in the chair, then turn my head as Talia talks in a dreamy, almost asleep voice.
“When I’m trying to find connections during my investigations, I also look at timelines.”
“Shhh, try not to think about it, Talia.”
“We have another, much tinier person to protect now. It’s how my brain works. Anyway, timelines can be helpful. Why was there a gap in between? Is that their MO? Or did the person get sick and take a while to recover?”
“All good questions,” I say, stretching to adjust my back in the chair meant for a man no taller than six feet. My extra four inches aren’t quite sure how to fit on the furniture.
“Why such a long period of inactivity...” Her voice fades as she drifts off to sleep.
That’s also a lot more time for the fucker to plan. Setting my jaw, I lean back against the chair and turn my head to watch Talia and the baby sleeping in the low glow of streetlights coming through the window. They appear so peaceful and safe, like the outside world doesn’t exist and can never intrude on their bliss.
The squeak of a wheel wakes me and my eyes fly open to see the nurse wheeling a cart out. I jerk my gaze to Talia and the baby.
Only, the baby’s no longer in her arms.
My adrenaline vaulting, I quickly round the end of the bed to see Den holding the nurse up, eyeing her up and down with an intimidating stare.
“It’s time for me to run another test on the baby’s blood sugar levels. I didn’t want to disturb her parents. They both looked exhausted. It’ll only take a minute.”
“How far are you taking her?”
“It’s just down the hall and through a door.”
“I’m here,” I say, nodding to Den once I see the nurse’s face. Dark curly hair, a dimple on her left cheek, a dark mole on her right temple. She’s on the approved list. I’ve memorized every face that works this floor. “Stay with them,” I say.
Dipping his head in agreement, Den follows close behind the nurse. I hate the separation, but I know medical tests are necessary and can’t always be performed right in the room with us.
Running my fingers over my late night scruff, I glance down at my phone clenched in my hand. Three ten. How long does it take to test blood and give the baby a bottle of sugar water if necessary? The far end of the maternity unit is a five-minute walk. Ten minutes to do the blood draw and give the baby what she might need. Then five minutes back. A total of twenty minutes max. I set the timer on my phone for fifteen, then lock my jaw. My chest squeezes tighter and tighter as my gaze shifts from Talia sleeping in the room, and the door that Den, the nurse, and my child disappeared through. Hating that I can’t keep mother and child together at all times, I look at Talia once more and her comment before she fell asleep resurfaces, nagging the shit out of me. Why the long period of inactivity?
The threats were building up until the wedding, and yes Paulo and Phil were behind the initial part, but this other person is the one who moved the igniter device on the limo, which means they were watching Talia for a while and had to have seen Paulo plant the device. Then Paulo and Phil were caught and it all seemed to stop after the wedding. Why did he stop? And what changed to start it up again?
An unsettling thought hits me and my gaze narrows on the door that Den disappeared behind at the same time Calder comes running through the stairwell exit door, Cass right behind him. “Bash…” He’s breathing hard, his face creased with concern. “Most stalkers don’t stop, so why did this one wait so long to turn violent again? I think the bastard was waiting for—”
“The baby,” I say, before the words are even out of his mouth. He’s a fucking dead man! I take off running in the direction Den went. Adrenaline surging through me, I call back to Calder, “Don’t leave Talia’s side.”
The moment I burst through the door, Den frowns, then immediately steps toward the door marked “Hospital Personnel Only.” Someone pushes the door open as he reaches up, and the nurse from earlier steps through, tugging her purse on her shoulder. “Oh, you scared me!” she says on a gasp. Putting her hand to her chest, she says, “Why are you still here?”
I come to a slamming halt in front of her, my heart pounding with worry. “Where’s my child?”
The nurse takes a frightened step back, stammering, “Th—the doctor took her back to the room so her mom could feed her the bottle.”
“No one has come back to our room,” I bellow, not giving a shit if I scare the absolute fuck out of the woman.
Den immediately bolts around her, throwing open the swinging door. “Bloody
hell, there’s another exit through here,” he calls and steps forward to peer out that door, before glaring back at the nurse. “What the hell are your procedures to keep babies from being taken?”
As the woman drops her purse and runs over to the computer monitor, I grab my phone and text Calder.
Send out a message to all personnel on site. Jocelyn has been taken. They need to cover every fucking exit.
Doing it now. Should I wake Talia?
Not yet. Give us a few minutes to dig into specifics.
“There’s a barcode that gets scanned and tracked,” the nurse is saying to Den. “It’s part of the clamp that’s put on the child’s umbilical cord. It will set off alarms if the baby passes through any exits before we officially discharge them to go home.” Tapping on the keyboard, she looks up nervously as I move closer with a fierce expression. “The history is right here.” She points to the screen. “See, after leaving here, your baby went…” Trailing off, she whispers, “I can’t see her.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I demand, slamming my fist on the desk.
The woman looks at me with regret and a healthy dose of fear in her eyes. “As far as I can tell, she’s no longer in the building. At least she’s not showing up as being present.”
“Can the tracker be removed?” Den asks logical questions, while sheer, soul-sucking terror for my child has taken my brain to base, primal instincts. I will absolutely destroy the motherfucker once I get my hands on him.
My expression must be showing some of my murderous thoughts, because the nurse starts crying as she shakes her head in fast jerks. “Not without setting off three different safety alarms in our system. Once a clamp is put on, it’s there to stay until we remove it.”
As Den asks for the doctor’s name and description, I look around at the security cameras, forcing my cold stare away so the nurse doesn’t turn into a blubbering mess.
Three cameras. Squeezing my eyes shut for a second, I shake my head to get a fucking grip, then look down and text Elijah.
Reddest Black_In the Shadows Page 13
