Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 67553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
While he was doing that, I unbuckled the baby from the car seat, grabbed the bottle of milk, and picked the baby up.
The baby was tiny.
Much like my newest nephew was when he was born—Brando.
Brando wasn’t a tiny baby anymore like the one in my hands.
Unbuttoning my suit jacket, I tucked the baby into my arms, then buttoned my suit coat up over her, and walked up to the house.
Years ago, when I had this place built, I’d never intended to stay.
I’d thought that I’d follow up a lead on my missing sister, get confirmation that she wasn’t here, and then keep looking.
Turns out, my kidnapped sister was here and had been the entire time. She was being “raised” by the chief of fucking police for Dallas Police Department.
My parents had spent the better part of our childhood years searching for Marina, now known as Maven. They’d even died while still looking for her. They’d followed every lead, turned over every loose paper.
When they’d died, I’d redoubled my search.
So, of course, when she’d been found out because of her friend Athena’s new phone app, we’d been skeptical.
We’d done absolutely everything we could to find her. Legal and illegal.
If you could think it up, we’d committed the crime.
We wanted to find our sister.
So how was it that she’d arrived out of the blue, with none of our help?
Yeah, needless to say, I’d been skeptical.
But blood tests had proven it. Maven was our long-lost sister.
And since we’d found her, we’d stayed.
Over the years since we’d found her again, all of us had grown closer.
I’d also added onto this house multiple times in an attempt to make it more secure, as well as bigger for the family.
That family being a bunch of fuckin’ cops.
If you’d have asked me ten years ago if I would be willingly conversing with a bunch of cops, I’d have called you crazy.
But that was before my little sister had fallen in love with one.
Maven had met and fallen in love with Auden Carter. Auden was one of nine children. Seven of them being cops.
Then, of course, I’d gotten involved with Athena as she tried to find her own sister—the reason that she’d created the missing children’s app in the first place—and in doing so, had inadvertently invited them to be a part of our lives as well.
Needless to say, my life had changed.
And now I was carrying a fuckin’ baby in my arms into my home, and I’d have to hide that from my little sister.
It fucking sucked that I had to keep secrets from her, but it was for the best.
I didn’t want to implicate her in any way.
So again, this would be one of those things that I never told her.
“Sir?” Polina asked as she stood anxiously at the door.
“You call your daughter?” I asked.
Polina’s eyes widened. “Yes, sir.”
“Good,” I said as I turned to the side and showed her the small baby in my arms. “She still searching for a kid to adopt?”
Polina’s eyes widened comically as she said, “Yes, sir.”
“Great,” I said as I unbuttoned my suit coat. “Meet your new grandbaby.”
I handed over the kid and said, “When she gets here, go with her. Take the next two days off. Tell her that I’ll take care of the paperwork. This’ll all be done the legal way.”
“Yes, sir.” She took the child from my arms, her eyes filling with tears. “Thank you.”
I patted her on the shoulder. “I’m headed to bed.”
The moment I closed myself into my room, exhaustion washed over me.
I just hoped that no one woke me until well past daybreak.
I just doubted I’d be that lucky.
I was right.
I wasn’t.
I got a solid four until someone knocked on the door with the news that the men I’d been missing were found dead, with a note pinned to their chests with knives that said, “Go home.”
If he smells like fabric softener, he’s in a relationship.
—Brecken’s secret thoughts
BRECKEN
One month ago
“Hey, Ms. S!” A kid from the band came running in. “Watch!”
I grinned when I saw one of my favorite band students, Casey.
Casey was a senior this year, and I was sad to see him go at the end of the year.
I had five more months with him until he graduated in May and I was so incredibly sad.
He’d asked me if I had a funny prank that the seniors could pull on the school, and I’d told him about one I’d seen on social media a few weeks ago that included the band following the principal around everywhere he went for the day.
They were supposed to start over an hour ago, but the practice for band had gone long, and the teacher had been reluctant to let them go to make a ruckus with the school. When I’d promised the assistant band director that I’d be responsible for them, she’d reluctantly allowed them free rein.