Page 51 of Daddy's Claim

“Nonsense. Anything you need to know can be passed on through Cole. Take care of our girl and both of you get some rest. You look like shit.”

“Asshole. Come on, baby, let’s get you home.”

“Wait!” I lifted my head again, frantically scanning our surroundings. “What about Marissa? What’s going to happen to her?”

“Baby…” Mikey’s expression went blank, other than the fury I could still see burning in his dark eyes. “Marissa is dead.”

Grief slammed into me, pressing in on my chest at my husband’s words. “No.”

“Yes. I’m sorry, baby, it was the only way.”

Exhausted and unable to speak, I buried my face into his shoulder. And wept for the woman I’d once called a friend.

Eighteen

Mikey

The warm weight of my wife in my arms soothed the rage still threatening to boil over inside of me. She’d fallen asleep on the car ride home, and I was loath to wake her just to put her straight back to bed.

Cole and Adele were waiting for us in the entryway, identical looks of concern and relief on their faces. “Is she hurt?” Adele asked, stepping forward to brush a stray curl from Nora’s tear-stained cheek.

“She said she was fine, but I’d feel better with a professional opinion.”

“I’ll call Doc.” My cousin’s gaze shifted up to meet mine, and I saw my own anger reflected in his eyes, despite the cool tone of his voice. “Have him make a house call.”

“Thanks. I’m taking her upstairs.”

“No.” Nora’s voice was rough and raspy with sleep and I silently swore at myself for waking her. “I need to talk to you.”

Every instinct I had was pushing me toward our room, where I could coddle and pamper her until she was completely healed. But I had a feeling she wouldn’t rest until she’d spoken her peace.

“Ten minutes,” I snapped, altering our course to head for Cole’s study. “And then you’re taking a bath and going to bed.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

More unnerved than settled by the easy capitulation, I sat in one of the chairs, still cradling her to my chest.

Cole and Adele joined us, locking the door behind them before making their way to stand behind Cole’s desk together. My throat tightened at the easy display of unity. Would I ever have that with Nora? Or would she continue to fight me and defy me until the end?

Slipping an arm around his wife’s waist, Cole smiled, though it was strained at the edges. “What did you want to talk to us about, honey?”

Shifting so she was sitting up straight, Nora clasped her hands in her lap and looked up at them. “I’m the one who told Rissa about Adele being with Interpol. I’m so, so sorry Adele. It wasn’t intentional, I swear.”

The couple behind the desk shared a long look before Adele returned her attention to Nora. “I know. We figured as much as soon as Marissa, how do you say? Spilled the peas. Will you tell me why?”

“Spilled the beans,” Nora muttered before clearing her throat and straightening her spine. Pride filled me at the simple gesture. My baby girl had fucked up, but she wasn’t hiding from it. “It was an accident. We were having lunch and chatting and it just… slipped out. I know that’s no excuse, and I’ll take whatever punishment I have coming. But if I’d had any clue what she was up to, I never would have even spoken to her, I swear on my mama’s grave, Adele.”

The air around us seemed to vibrate with tension as the silence stretched on. After what felt like an eternity, Adele sighed quietly. “I believe you. I’m not sure I would have, even just a few days ago. But I do not believe you would have set out to hurt me, or our family, Nora.”

“I didn’t, I swear.” Nora’s voice was thick, alerting me another wave of tears was on the horizon. “I’m so sorry. I understand if you can’t trust me and don’t want me around. I’ll-I’ll tell Papa… something. I’m sure I can get him to let me come back home.”

“Absolutely not,” Adele said, cutting me off before I could give voice to my own outrage. “You are family,” she added, lowering her voice and pinching her fingers together in a time-honored parody of Italian speakers.

There was a moment of silence as we all stared at her before Nora snorted. It broke the tension, and soon the room was filled with laughter that bordered on maniacal.

“I really am sorry,” Nora repeated once the hilarity had died down. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you, I swear.”

“We’ll leave the details of that up to your Daddy,” Cole said, the corner of his lip lifting up in a smirk. “After all, dealing with guilty consciences is part of our job description. Isn’t that right, Adele?”