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Not gradually.
All at once.
Emma looked down.
Her daughter was staring at Caleb.
The baby’s wet lashes clung together. Her lower lip trembled. Then she reached one small hand toward him.
Caleb broke.
A sound came out of him that was almost a sob. He covered his mouth, turning his face away.
Emma should not have felt anything.
But she did.
That made her angrier.
Roman looked away from the mirror.
The sedan turned onto a quiet street near the river, where warehouses stood dark against the snow. Dominic’s phone buzzed.
He answered, listened, then looked at Roman.
“Call came in from the club. Novak’s people hit the office after we left.”
Roman’s face hardened. “Casualties?”
“Two wounded. No dead.”
“And?”
Dominic hesitated.
Roman glanced at him. “Say it.”
“They took the diaper bag.”
Emma’s stomach dropped.
“The diaper bag?” Caleb whispered.
Roman swore.
Emma clutched Lily. “Why would they take that?”
No one answered.
Then Caleb looked at her with horror dawning in his eyes.
“What?” she demanded.
“The lamb was only the decoy,” he said.
Roman slammed the brakes so hard the car fishtailed.
Dominic braced against the dash.
Emma’s heart leapt into her throat.
Roman turned in his seat. “What did you say?”
Caleb’s face had gone white. “I couldn’t risk the real ledger being found. Not in the charm. Not where Novak would look.”
Roman stared at him.
Caleb looked at Lily.
Emma’s voice went thin. “Where is it?”
Caleb swallowed.
“In the lining of the diaper bag.”
The silence that followed was worse than gunfire.
Dominic looked like he might kill him himself.
Roman’s voice was almost calm. “You used your infant daughter’s diaper bag to hide Novak’s ledger.”
“I didn’t know where else to put it.”
Emma slapped him.
The sound cracked through the car.
Caleb did not defend himself.
Lily startled and began to cry again.
Emma shook with fury. “Everything that has happened to her tonight is because of you.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t. You still think this is a war story. It’s not. It’s her life.”
Roman turned back to the wheel.
“Where would Novak take it?” he asked.
Caleb wiped blood from his lip. “If he has the bag, he’ll go to the exchange point.”
“What exchange point?”
Caleb’s eyes met Roman’s in the mirror.
“The old Callahan house.”
Roman stopped breathing.
Dominic muttered, “Oh, hell.”
Emma looked between them. “What house?”
Roman did not answer.
His hands tightened on the wheel until his knuckles blanched.
Caleb’s voice was quiet. “Dad’s house.”
The car seemed to grow colder.
Roman stared through the windshield at the falling snow.
Then his phone rang.
No one moved.
Roman answered.
A man’s voice came through on speaker, smooth and amused.
“Roman. I hear you finally found your niece.”
Roman’s eyes turned black.
Novak.
Emma knew without being told.
The voice continued. “Beautiful child. Caleb always did have expensive taste in weaknesses.”
Roman said nothing.
Novak chuckled. “Come home, Roman. Bring the girl, bring the mother, bring your little runaway brother. Midnight. No police, though I know you prefer solving family matters privately.”
Caleb leaned forward. “You have the ledger. Let them go.”
Novak’s tone brightened. “Caleb. Still alive. Still disappointing.”
Emma held Lily tighter.
Roman spoke at last. “Touch anyone in my family, and I’ll burn your world down.”
A pause.
Then Novak laughed softly.
“Your family?” he said. “Roman, that’s why I called.”
The line crackled.
When Novak spoke again, his voice lost its amusement.
“Ask Caleb who Lily really belongs to.”
The call ended.
Emma looked at Caleb.
Roman looked at Caleb.
Even Dominic looked back.
Caleb’s face had gone ashen.
Emma’s voice was barely a whisper. “What does he mean?”
Caleb closed his eyes.
Roman reached slowly into his coat.
“Answer her.”
Caleb opened his eyes, and in them Emma saw the last secret, the one darker than abandonment, darker than lies, darker than the men hunting them through the snow.
“I was going to tell you,” he said.
Roman’s voice was lethal. “Tell us now.”
Caleb looked at Lily, then at Emma.
“I’m not her father,” he whispered.
Emma could not move.
The world became soundless.
Caleb’s mouth trembled.
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