There’s nothing but silence after my last statement, only the rumble of the engine as we head down a treelined street to a cute white house flanked by the most beautiful birds-of-paradise and hibiscus bushes.

  I lean forward, getting a better look as he pulls into the driveway and stops the SUV. “This is your place?”

  “Yep.”

  “It’s so…” I smile, glancing over at the grumpy big guy, wondering how he has such a pretty yard. “…colorful.”

  “My mother designed the landscaping.”

  That makes total sense. He doesn’t look like the type to work for hours pruning bushes and planting new flowers in every shade of the rainbow.

  “Mama’s boy,” I whisper with a smile on my lips.

  But I knew this about him too. It was clear at the hospital when she came running in, ready to swoop in to protect and care for her fully grown son.

  He shrugs. “You can’t tell her no. I tried. Trust me. The woman doesn’t know what it means.”

  “Well, she did a beautiful job.”

  His place is much nicer than the shitty hotel down the street. And if the rest of the house looks anything like the outside, staying with Rocco isn’t going to be the worst thing in the world for my little girl and our safety, but I wonder how it will be for my heart.

  Carmello pulls in behind us as I hop out and my feet hit the pristine gray cement. His eyes are wide, and I can see Adaline talking her head off behind him.

  He’s probably near his breaking point because I’ve had that look on my face plenty of times, especially after hours in the car with her.

  Carmello’s door swings open, and one long, thick, denim-covered leg pokes out before the rest of his tall body follows. “Jesus,” he mutters, shutting the door and leaving Adaline inside. “The kid can talk.”

  I giggle as I walk toward him, ready to fish my girl out of his car. “Told you.”

  He grabs his head, shaking it. “You did, but you didn’t explain the length and depth of her ability to speak for hours and hours without so much as taking a breath.”

  I stop in front of him, tipping my head back, trying not to laugh in his face. “No. No. I told you she would talk the entire way.”

  “She should come with a warning label,” he says, but there’s a small smirk on his face.

  He can say what he wants, but I know Carmello well enough to know he was probably just like Adaline as a child. He’s a chatterbox, unlike his more aloof and grumpy-as-hell twin brother.

  “Mommy!” Adaline yells from inside the car. “Mommy!”

  “I better get her,” I tell him before moving around his wide body to the door.

  “I’ll grab your things and put them in Rocco’s house,” he says behind me.

  “Thank you, but I can grab them.”

  “Stop,” Carmello replies. “Just grab the kid. I got the bags.”

  I open the door to find Adaline with her arms extended and singing some song no child has any business singing.

  “Wiggle, wiggle,” Adaline chirps, almost leaping into my arms as I unbuckle her from the car seat. “You booty…”

  My hand lands on her mouth before she has a chance to continue the song. I narrow my gaze at Carmello. “What the heck were you listening to?” I ask him as soon as Adaline’s in my arms and we’re clear of his car.

  He lifts one shoulder and looks away from me, knowing full well he’s busted, but he’ll dig in. It’s one thing I learned about the Caldo men in the short amount of time I spent with them years ago. They have a hard time admitting when they’ve fucked up. And this time, he’s fucked up. “Snoop and Jason Derulo. Best song ever.”

  Adaline wiggles her bottom in my arms, shimmying down my body, and takes off as I keep my eyes pinned on Carmello. “Seriously? She’s five.”

  “Start ’em young and right, Reb. You know this. She doesn’t even know what she’s singing anyway.”

  “But everyone else will,” I explain to a man who’s never had a child.

  He waves his hand, brushing me off. “She’ll forget it before she falls asleep tonight.”

  My steely stare hardens. “Are you new? She’ll remember those words for days and days. Fuck.”

  He laughs and moves past me again, carrying the bags toward the house. “Look at them.” He ticks his head toward the corner of the house, and my eyes follow.

  Rocco’s kneeling, and Adaline’s at his side, touching his shoulder. She’s leaning forward, smelling an orange flower, while Rocco speaks so softly to her, I can’t hear their conversation.

  My heart seizes at how cute they are together.

  I know my daughter misses having a father in her life. I missed out on that experience too, and now, so is my kid.

  All because I picked shitty men.

  “Cute, huh?” Carmello smiles.

  “Precious,” I say in a sarcastic tone, but my insides are a jumbled mess.

  Watching them interact makes my chest ache. The burn is so deep, I’m not sure I’ll ever get the feeling to go away. She deserves to have a man look at her every day the way Rocco is watching her, smiling at her cute little face.

  “Lighten up,” Carmello tells me, nudging me with his elbow. “Things can only get better.”

  “Sure,” I mutter, following him toward the front door of the house.

  “Yo. I got shit to do, bro!” Carmello yells out to Rocco, who quickly rises to his feet, taking Adaline by the hand and leading her in our direction.

  I expect her to let go of him, but she adjusts her grip, only holding his hand tighter.

  They look so natural together.

  If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was his.

  They have the same fierce look.

  Same dark hair and tanned complexion.

  In a perfect world, she would have been his and not Collin’s, but nothing about my life has ever gone the easy way.

  “Wiggle. Wiggle.” Adaline’s still singing, holding on to Rocco’s hand like he’s her tether to the ground.

  “See,” I say, motioning toward her and still glaring at the smiling Carmello. “You did that.”

  Carm winks at Adaline, not helping the situation. “I’m not sorry. The kid knows good music when she hears it.”

  “Ugh,” I mumble, rolling my eyes.

  “Mommy,” Adaline whispers and grabs on to my hand, holding both Rocco’s and mine at the same time. “Is this where we live now?”

  Her eyes are big, filled with so much hope and excitement, it hurts me to be the one who has to kill all that joy.

  “We’re just visiting for a few days,” I tell her, gently squeezing her fingers.

  She tips her head back farther and peers up at Rocco. “Only a few days?” she asks him with a giant pout on her face.

  The kid is good.

  She knows how to work the guilt and her pretty face.

  I am in for a world of hurt when she gets older. Well, I am already in that world, and she hasn’t even started attending school.

  She can charm the last coins out of an old lady’s pocketbook with her smile and a please.

  Rocco places the key in the lock and casually tips his head down. I can see the second he sees her pout and gets sucked in by the cuteness. “You can stay as long as you want, princess.”

  My eyes flash with annoyance, but he’s not looking at me.

  He’s given her hope when there isn’t any, and I’ll be the one left to pick up the pieces…again.

  Her frown disappears, replaced by a huge smile. “And Mello?” She glances to my side where Rocco’s brother is standing, holding the suitcases, jostling back and forth on his feet like he has ants in his pants.

  “I’ll visit, squirt,” he tells her, giving her the sweetest, soft smile. “Good?”

  She nods. “Yep.”

  Fucking fabulous.

  Two good guys, not realizing they are going to break her heart. Rocco already broke mine, and now they both are going to do it to her.

  Rocco opens the door and goes to take a step inside, opening his fingers like he’s going to release Adaline’s hand, but she’s having none of it. She moves with him, keeping a death grip on his hand but releasing mine.

  I feel a small pang of jealousy, but I try to push it away. She must be starving for the affection only a father can give. She has me all the time, but even I get bored with myself, as I’m sure she does too, which is obvious by the way she’s clinging to both Caldo men.

  “I’m going to throw these in the spare room and head out,” Carmello tells me.

  I only nod in response, too busy looking around.

  The inside of Rocco’s home is not girlie like the outside.

  It’s rich, with deep tones of brown and black, leather furniture, and lots of wood everywhere.

  There’s not a feminine touch in sight, and since he doesn’t and has never had a girlfriend, he has his place the way he wants it.

  I like the more modern, contemporary edge. I never did frilly. I’m not into flowers, lace, throw pillows, and all the useless shit so many of my friends are. I don’t care if I have the softest throw rug; I’m just happy if I have a couch that doesn’t have a hole in the cushion.

  “Nice place,” I tell Rocco as he walks to the other end of the living room, Adaline still attached to him, and places his keys on the coffee table.

  “Thanks,” he says, peering down at Adaline and where their bodies are attached.

  Adaline yanks on his hand, and he leans over as she beckons his face closer. “I have to go potty.”

  “Down the hall, sweetie,” he tells her, ticking his head across the room. “Can you go alone?”

  She immediately nods and skips away, leaving us staring at each other in awkward silence.

  Carmello breezes out of the hallway, phone in his hand, typing away like mad. “I’m late for my date. You kids have fun tonight.”

  “You sure you don’t want to stay?” I ask, almost pleading with him not to leave me alone…leave us alone.

  “You two will be fine. You’ve had fun before.” He smirks, his eyes moving from me to his brother. “Behave.”

  Rocco shakes his head. “Food and bed. That’s all I care about. I’m exhausted.”

  My belly immediately growls at the mention of food, and Rocco’s eyes slide to me, missing nothing.

  “Pizza!” Adaline exclaims as she comes back down the hall, always wanting pizza. She’d eat it every day without complaint if I allowed her.

  “Pizza it is.” Rocco doesn’t realize it, but he just cemented his awesomeness even more in Adaline’s eyes.

  “Later,” Carmello calls out before slamming the door behind him, leaving us alone.

  “Bath and bed right afterward, Adaline,” I tell her.

  “Okay, Mom,” she groans, sounding sad and defeated but looking up at Rocco like he’s going to rescue her.

  But he shakes his head, killing her dreams. “Bedtime for all of us. We all need our rest.”

  “Fine.” She kicks her little pink tennis shoes against his dark hardwood before lifting her big doe eyes to him. “Pizza?”

  “You got it,” he says with a smile, sucked right in.

  Two hours later, our bellies are full, and I’m cuddled in bed with Adaline. This is the first night I’m not afraid or filled with worry as I close my eyes.

  We’re safe.

  Beau is hopefully hundreds of miles away, not giving two shits that we aren’t there anymore.

  I rub Adaline’s cheek with the backs of my fingers until we both drift to sleep.

  I roll over, and sunshine hits my face, the warmth against my skin unmistakable. I turn, expecting to see my little girl next to me, but instead, I find nothing but an empty space and a dented pillow.

  I rocket upward, a knot starting in my stomach before the panic follows up my throat.

  Jumping up, I start tearing the blankets off the bed before looking over the edge, praying she’s on the floor fast asleep.

  But she’s not.

  The room is empty.

  Oh God.

  Oh God.

  Oh God.

  My heart races, and a cold sweat breaks out across the back of my neck.

  There’s nothing more terrifying than not knowing where your child is, and I am there.

  “Adaline,” I whisper, not sure what time it is or if Rocco is still asleep, but freaking the fuck out.

  Walking quickly, I open every door, glance around, call out her name, and when I come up empty, I move on to the next.

  “Adaline, baby. Where are you?” I say a little louder this time as I make my way down the hallway to the living room, hoping she’s passed out on the couch.

  Each step causes my heart to race a little faster and my stomach to twist a little tighter.

  But the living room is empty too.

  She’s nowhere. Gone. Poof.

  Fuck!

  What if Beau found us and took her?

  The reality of that being a possibility makes my knees weak, almost giving out underneath me, but I catch myself on the edge of the couch, trying to breathe.

  He didn’t find us.

  We’re safe.

  I remind myself, repeating those words as I continue my search, calling out for Adaline over and over again, waiting for her reply.

  But the house is dead silent.

  As I turn, I notice the sliding glass door to the pool area is open, and my heart comes to a screeching halt, and my chest fills with nothing but emptiness.

  Adaline doesn’t know how to swim.

  Oh my God!

  I didn’t even think about the fact that there’s a pool only a few feet away and I have to have a talk with her about going out there without me. I run forward, pushing the sliding glass door open farther and rush toward the pool.

  It’s empty.

  I glance around, my hands and body shaking in fear and only getting worse with every step I take.

  What if she’s not here?

  What if he did find us and he took her in the middle of the night without me even waking up?

  I run inside, making a mad dash for Rocco’s room and don’t even knock.

  I open the door and immediately come to a dead stop and cover my mouth.

  Oh shit.

  Rocco’s lying there, his eyes open, mouthing, “Help me,” with Adaline curled against his bare chest, sound asleep.

  9

  Rocco

  Rebel’s eyes widen as soon as they find Adaline.

  “Help,” I whisper to her, needing a rescue.

  I’ve been lying here for damn near an hour, not moving, too scared to wake the kid.

  I don’t know how she got here or why she is in my bed, but when I opened my eyes, I was in utter shock.

  The last thing I wanted to do was scare the child. I didn’t know if she’d wake up in a panic or cry out for her mother. And I knew I didn’t want to piss off Rebel either.

  So, I lay here and waited.

  The minutes ticked by as I studied the little girl’s face.

  The dip of her nose, the plumpness of her cheeks, just like her mother’s.

  Everything about her is a carbon copy of Rebel’s beauty.

  I don’t know what her father looked like, but I know she didn’t get a damn thing from him…thank God.

  Rebel walks into the room, her eyes moving from me back to Adaline, the color returning to her face. “How did this happen?”

  “I don’t know,” I whisper, remaining completely still. “She was just here when I woke up.”

  “She was just here?” she asks, repeating my words.

  “Like I said…she was just here.”

  I peer down, soaking in the little girl fisting her pink blanket in her hand and curled against my chest.

  “I don’t understand.” Rebel leans over and stares down at Adaline too.

  “Me either, sugar. I went to bed alone and never thought I’d wake up the opposite.”

  “I didn’t even feel her get out of bed. I almost had a heart attack when I woke up.”

  “Makes two of us.” I smile but remain frozen, almost too scared to breathe, even though the kid hasn’t moved, even with our whispering. “While I love the chitchat, I could use a little help, Reb. Got nothing on under this sheet, sugar.”

  Rebel’s mouth falls open, and her eyes dip to my lower half. “What?”

  “Naked as the day I was born, babe. You remember what I look like underneath this, yeah?”

  Rebel’s mouth opens and closes, but her eyes narrow, flashing with…lust? She definitely remembers. How could she forget? I fucked her every way possible and as many times as I could before…

  “She sleeps heavy. Don’t worry. You can move.” Rebel slides her arms under Adaline’s small body and pulls her away gently.

  “Mommy,” Adaline whispers, her voice deeper than usual.

  Sleeps heavy, my ass.

  “Hey, baby. Let’s get you back to bed,” Rebel says sweetly, kissing the little girl’s puffy pink cheeks.

  There’s a part of me that goes all soft on the inside seeing this side of Rebel.

  I’d never thought of her as a mom, but then again, who thinks of someone that way when you’re so young?

  I never would’ve expected her to walk back into my life, ten years after the accident, with a little girl in tow.

  Adaline rubs her eyes with one hand, wiping away the sleep. “This is bed.”

  “This is Rocco’s bed, honey. Not ours.”

  “It’s so soft,” she tells her mom, trying to inch out of her arms to slide back onto the pillow top.

  Can’t argue with the kid.

  I spent a fuckton on the best mattress I could find. I don’t do shitty, hard beds just as much as I don’t do relationships. The spare room has a crappy mattress because if anyone stays over, I don’t want them to be too comfortable and want to overstay their very short welcome.

  Rebel drags her backward, and Adaline collapses, making herself harder to move. “Come on, sleepyhead.”