So that’s what he did.
Completely.
Terribly.
And I felt every moment of it deep in my soul.
He eventually quieted, then fell asleep.
But I knew it wasn’t over.
It would be something he’d have to endure over and over again, especially in those moments where he momentarily forgot his new reality. I didn’t even know if there would be a time where it wouldn’t hurt like hell, because even two years after losing my brother, the pain was as raw now as it had been back then.
It wasn’t until Jace turned in his sleep and burrowed against my body that I finally felt my own tension ease a bit. I fell asleep, but woke up a short time later when Willa started crying. Thankfully, Jace slept on and that proved to be the case the second time Willa woke up a few hours before dawn. Not surprisingly, when my head hit the pillow, I was out within seconds, and when I woke up again, it was light outside.
And the bed was empty.
I sat up and looked toward the bathroom, expecting to see Jace in there, but it was empty. I finally noticed that the French doors that closed off the bedroom from the living room were shut.
I’d left them open the night before so I could hear Willa.
I climbed out of bed and hurried to the doors. I eased them open and froze at the sight that greeted me.
Jace was standing in front of the large window that overlooked the city. He was wearing just a pair of sweatpants and had Willa pressed up against his chest. I could see the baby’s face – she was out cold, but her cheek was resting on the butterfly tattoo her mother had designed. Jace was gently patting her on the back and shifting his weight back and forth on his feet.
I’d never seen a more beautiful sight.
I felt tears sting my eyes when I realized Jace was talking to Willa. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the fact that he was being so gentle with her…
“Hey,” Jace said softly, and I looked up to see him watching me.
“Morning,” I said, my voice cracking a bit. “Everything okay?” I asked.
His eyes held mine and I felt my heart lurch because I finally saw Jace in them… my Jace.
Jace sent me a warm smile and nodded.
And I knew in that moment that everything would be okay.
“I was just explaining to my niece here that this waking up before the sun even rises isn’t going to work for us.”
Us.
I breathed a sigh of relief. We were still an us.
“What did she say?” I asked.
“We’re still in the negotiation process,” Jace explained, keeping his voice low. “But I think she’ll see my side of things soon.”
“I have no doubt,” I said. “Did you feed her?” I asked.
He nodded and pulled his phone from his pocket. “Thank God for the internet.”
“No shit,” I said. “Um, poop, I mean. No poop.”
Jace chuckled. “I think you have time to practice the substitute swear words.”
I crossed my arms. “Does that mean you’re keeping her?” I asked. I’d meant to save the conversation for a better time, but I was desperate to know what role the baby would play in his life.
And I wanted to know that I would play a role in both their lives.
Jace held out his hand to me. I walked toward him and took it. He tipped my head up and kissed me. “I’m keeping both of you,” he said. “Willa’s not the only one who needs a family.”
I leaned into his side and stared out the window.
“Do you want that, Caleb?” Jace asked.
Did I want to spend the rest of my days with the man I’d been searching my entire life for and the baby who’d manage to steal my heart with one look from her innocent blue eyes?
Hell yeah, I did.
“You bet your ascot I do,” I said.
Jace chuckled. “That was a good one,” he said.
We held there for a moment before I asked, “What are we going to do, Jace?”
I knew Jace wouldn’t be satisfied until he both recovered his sister’s body and punished the man who’d taken her from him, and like me, I knew he was probably worried about Silver. But spending even another second in the dangerous city scared the hell out of me. Whoever this Ivan guy was, he seemed to have far-reaching power and I wasn’t sure to what lengths he’d go to get Willa back. In theory, Jace could send me and Willa back to the States and stay behind to deal with Ivan, but that terrified me even more.
“We’re going to go home,” Jace murmured.
I breathed a sigh of relief and pressed my forehead against his chest. I felt him kiss the top of my head.
“I just don’t know how we’re going to do it,” Jace said softly. “I think I’ll need a passport to get Willa out of the country, but I don’t have any contacts here.”