“Got it.” And then I trace along the length of her nose, swooping off the end to drop a tap on her chin. “Love you, kiddo.”
Her eyes go round. “You did it.”
“Is that okay?”
She lunges forward to wrap me in a hug I’d willingly suffocate from. “I love you sooooo much. Will you let me call you Mommy soon?”
I hold her tight, squeezing my eyes shut against the watery sting. “Really soon.”
Ronnie pulls away and her expression is almost blinding enough to blot out the trouble behind us. “Thanks for loving me and Daddy.”
“Thanks for showing me how,” I whisper.
“Welcome,” she chirps and begins backing toward the doors. “Gotta go! Byeeeee.”
My reason for compassion trots off, turning once more to wave at me. I return the gesture and up the ante by forming a heart with my hands. Ronnie giggles while trying to copy the action. When she disappears around the corner, red tints my vision.
I stand and whirl to confront the dumbass duo. The edges that little girl has softened now sharpen into deadly points. My shoulders square as I strut forward with malicious intent. These morons are messing with the wrong bitch.
“Rough week at the office? Damn.” My cringe is way over the top while I inspect the damage to their mean mugs.
The older one who likes to believe he’s in charge grunts at me. “That was touching, Frankie. She clearly means a lot to you.”
My expression hardens into stone. “Leave her out of this.”
“I don’t think we will,” he drawls. “Unless you cooperate.”
“Are you threatening me?” I tip my head back and let a shrill cackle fly free. “Good fucking luck with that.”
His beady eyes narrow. “We’ve got a couple men that were just locked up in county thanks to Dennis Benson and his sleazy cop buddies.”
“Awwww, did they forget about you? That must be really upsetting.”
“Didn’t take ‘em but a day to join forces with your brother.”
“How unfortunate for them,” I sigh. The legal system should really pick up the pace and move my brother to maximum security prison already.
“Walker seems to think you’ll come to your senses and agree to this job. You owe us. Veronica will stay out of harm’s way.”
“She will regardless,” I snap. If they don’t think I’ll end their miserable existences to protect hers, they’re more stupid than I originally thought.
“Just one job,” he coaxes.
“As a start, right? That’s how you lure me.” I study my nails, cleaning an imaginary smudge off the middle one. “You need to learn to respect a woman’s wishes. I’m not interested.”
The criminal well beyond his prime scrubs at the greasy whiskers on his jaw. “We brought someone to convince you.”
When the two step aside, the air crackles around me for a second. Just as suddenly, my body bows under the brutal force of the unexpected attack. I just got sucker punched straight in the gut. That’s the only way to describe Jaxon Steele appearing like a mirage.
“Hey, Frankie.” The man who I used to consider a partner in actual crime smirks as if I’m the problem.
Memories are a tidal wave crashing over me until I struggle to breathe. I haven’t let him cross my mind after wallowing at Sip in the Stacks, licking my wounds like a neglected stray. My gaze flicks over him now. Based on appearances alone, I landed in a much cushier spot.
“Are you fucking serious? You abandoned me and teamed up with these losers?”
His shrug couldn’t care less about my outrage. “They had more to offer.”
“Ouch,” I hiss. “That’d burn if I didn’t label you as a traitor.”