“Okay.” Her eyelids fluttered and he knew she was fading. He grabbed the sippy cup from her hand and helped her settle into the bed, pulling the weighted blanket up further. “I don’t want to wake you up, though.”
He kissed her cheek. “Sh, baby. That’s what I’m here for. To be there if you need me. Just go to sleep now.”
Her breathing deepened and he stood and watched her for a while. Her hair was still tied up in a messy knot on top of her head. He should have brushed that out for her.
Tomorrow. Right now, she needed rest. So did he. He just needed to take care of a few things first. He reached for the camera baby monitor, turning it on. He clipped the monitor onto his belt. He wouldn’t leave her without having eyes on her.
She frowned in her sleep and on instinct he reached for the doll, placing it in her hand. She settled, rubbing the doll’s foot under her nose. Shoot, she didn’t have her body pillow. He grabbed one of the pillows off the bed and peeled back the blankets, carefully. He moved her upper leg up and slid the pillow between her legs, then tucked her back in.
An idea was forming. Even if they didn’t have to stay here past tonight, maybe he could convince her to remain here for a while. It would give them a chance to get to know each other without anyone’s interference.
11
Zeke secured the cabin, made certain all the alarms were on. Then after checking the monitor, he moved onto the back porch. The moonlight glinted off the lake as he pulled out the burner cell.
Seemed Reyes was as paranoid as ever. Who the hell did he think would be listening in on their conversation? There was only one contact number on the phone and he pressed on it. It rang four times before it was answered.
“Took your time,” Reyes rasped.
Zeke raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t realize I was keeping you up. If you think beauty sleep is going to help your ugly mug this late in the piece, you’ve been misinformed.”
Beat of silence then Reyes let out a low bark of laughter. “Still a smart-mouthed asshole, huh? Some things never change.”
Actually, he thought he was completely different from the boy who’d been shuffled from foster home to foster home. He’d finally found a home, people who cared about him, someone he needed, wanted.
“Some things don’t.”
“Yeah, I hear ya. Guess I can’t blame you for taking your time, when you’ve got a fine piece like that in your bed.”
“She’s not a piece,” Zeke said hotly.
Reyes let out another bark of laughter and Zeke knew he’d given him what he’d been aiming for. More proof Eden was important.
“I told you I had claimed her. You don’t need to test my feelings for her.”
“She didn’t seem so sure.”
“She will be.”
“Yep, some things never change. Still cocky. Still think you can have any chick you want.”
“She’s not a chick. And she’s the only one I want. I’m serious about her, Reyes. And I will do whatever it
takes to keep her safe. From every and any threat.” He wasn’t the teenage idiot he’d once been. He didn’t chase every high he could find just to feel alive.
More silence. He knew Reyes was getting his message. He didn’t care about their history when it came to Eden. Reyes needed to understand that if he was a threat, Zeke would take him down.
“I hear you, Jonas.”
The use of his last name didn’t escape him. Reyes wasn’t happy. This wasn’t some sort of reunion of brothers. But that didn’t matter. Zeke hadn’t seen Reyes in years. He was grateful to the other man for calling him about Eden. But he knew there had to be an ulterior motive.
“I need that money back,” Reyes told him. “I don’t hurt innocents. However, that doesn’t make my need any less. And the person whose money it is, they don’t fuck around. My whole club is at risk and that doesn’t make me happy. Once I learned who she was, I called you because I figured we could work something out. They don’t have the scruples I do, Zeke. They won’t hesitate to use her to get the money back. And then she’ll become collateral damage.”
“Who is it?”
Reyes sighed. “Ever hear of Fergus Bartolli?”
Fuck. Yes.