“Me too. And we’ll need help because I didn’t find a trace of Beth outside. I guess she came by car, but the surveillance cameras can confirm that. And if she did, the plate might give us the lead we need.”
James nodded. “That’s another thing to check.”
Mercy was about to offer her help when Abbie stirred. She went from a faint whimper to her little voice exploding in a full-blown cry.
“Whoa, easy, little one. What’s going on?”
With a faint air of panic, James went back to the conference room where the bag Bethany had left still sat.
Mercy picked it up, placing it on the table. “What do you need? A diaper?”
After a sniff, James shook his head. “Nope. She’s probably hungry.”
Mercy found the baby formula and began to read the instructions when James stopped her. “I know how it works. It’ll be faster if I do it. Let’s switch.”
And just like that, Mercy had an armful of screaming cherub, her little face red and angry as if she was being boiled alive. James disappeared, and panic replaced him as Mercy’s heart raced as if she held a live nuke. Her childhood hadn’t included even one baby, her unusual life keeping her away from them as a child. For the first time in a very long time, she felt helpless as she rocked Abbie, walking around as James did earlier to soothe the infant. Her body took on that natural rocking motion she’d seen countless people do when holding a child, her voice high pitched as she talked to the baby like she could possibly understand her desperation.
She was about to run to the kitchen when James came back with a baby bottle. Relieved, she was ready to hand back his niece when his cell phone rang again and mouthing an apology, he handed her the bottle before vanishing once more.
As soon as she latched on, Abbie became eerily focused, her pale eyes still full of tears, looking up at Mercy’s. Fascinated, the connection brought up the memories of her own grandmother when she was a little girl. Deep in the bayous of Louisiana, her Cajun family had always been poor, but the house had always been full of music until her grandmother had died and life had changed, becoming unrecognizable. Yet she remembered an old French lullaby her grandmother used to sing.
The melody came back naturally as she settled in one of the comfy chairs around the conference table and started singing. The words felt rusty at first, but soon, the rhythm of each syllable replaced chaos with a meditative serenity, an unexpected bubble around them both. As she sang, Mercy allowed herself to dream a little, to fantasize about what-might-have-beens. With a mix of calmness and yearning, she observed the baby slowly emptying the bottle, her eyelids drooping.
Abbie continued to suckle even as the bottle emptied and, with one big sigh, she went slack in sleep, releasing the bottle. With a smile, Mercy put the bottle on the table, and saw James, immobile, his green eyes almost burning her with the desire she saw in them. With his blond hair, he always had a debonair, surfer look about him, but right then, it was impossible to decipher his expression.
Mercy stood, and James moved, rounding the table before placing a towel on his shoulder and taking his niece in his arms, his big hand firmly tapping the baby’s back until she burped. All this time, he remained close, so close Mercy wanted to lean toward him. Only sound reason and common sense screaming in her head had her stepping back and replacing the firm mask of the honed agent she wore so well.
“Any new information?” Her voice sounded heated, but Mercy decided to ignore it. The important thing was to douse the heat between them and do it quickly.
“Alex is on his way to get Imari, but our hacker is already hard at work. She accessed our feeds and discovered my sister had a rental, but it wasn’t under her name. The credit card name on the contract was one Cody E. Hull, aka Scorpion. He’s the President of the Havoc Henchmen, an MC whose territory varies depending on the state and their influence, but for the time being, they’re mostly up north.”
With her head focused on the task at hand, Mercy’s brain was now rolling full speed. “Heard about them when I was in New Orleans, but they weren’t on our radar as much as other clubs. Always considered them as up-and-coming, but they were searching for their big break, their way of becoming a respected group, one of the major league players.”
James nodded, continuously rubbing Abbie’s back while moving around. “That’s not good news. I seriously hope that Scorpion isn’t the baby’s father.”
It was evident her coworker wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea.
“It may be the case, but what I’m more interested in is if Scorpion knows about it, or if she did it behind his back. And in either case, why? MCs are possessive and protective of their families, even to violent ends.”
When they locked gazes, it was clear the man before her had resolved to protect this newfound member of his family, even if it meant putting his own life on the line. The lightness she was used to seeing was gone, and for the very first time, Mercy appreciated the warrior he truly was.
Voices coming from the lobby distracted her as Emme and Shane arrived. The look on her bosses’ faces as they zoomed in on James holding his niece might have been comical if the situation wasn’t so dire.
Emme was the first to unfreeze and step toward James. “This your niece? Sorry, but with your reputation, I never thought I’d see you with a baby in your arms.” Emme smiled, caressing Abbie’s plump, rosy cheek.
Shane crossed his arms and sighed. “For my part, I was more worried about having one of your conquests drop a baby in a basket in front of the agency.”
Mercy worked at keeping a neutral expression. Shane’s words reminded her of the man’s nickname: Romeo. He flirted with every woman he came in contact with, but she’d forgotten for a moment. She’d almost faltered and considered becoming another notch on his belt, an image that acted like a cold shower and finished straightening her thoughts and emotions—no dreaming about this man.
As James updated the newcomers, Mercy knew that the mission, whatever it was, would always come first. Even if she’d only known her less than an hour, it was clear in her heart that she wanted to protect the little angel and make sure Abbie was returned to the loving arms of her mother.
“It’s clear your sister left you her child because she’s in danger. It’s the only reason why a woman, a new mother, would act the way she did.” Emme’s statement sounded correct, and that increased the level of danger in Mercy’s mind.
James sighed, rubbing his cheek against his niece’s head. “I fear for Beth, but I won’t break the promise I made to her. I’ll protect Abbie while she can’t. However, I can’t wait and see. I need to know what’s happening to Beth. What pushed her to leave her baby.”
Shane nodded. “I totally agree with you. Your sister and her baby are your family, and consequently, ours. We protect our family, always. Our resources and team are at your disposal. Well, except Malco and Frida until they return from their trip.”
Emme nodded and smiled. “We’ll find your sister and figure out this whole mystery. I think that while we wait for Alex and Imari to do their thing, safety is a priority. Let’s assume that whoever is after your sister will be after her daughter, and you, too. A baby makes you more vulnerable. I suggest you find a temporary home and make sure your name isn’t tied to it. Also, you need help with security. I can ask the team who’d be available to act as your second set of eyes.”