Page 16 of Stolen Hearts

A light rap on the door made him jerk his gaze away from the screen. Without waiting for him to answer, Willow walked in. She moved straight to the desk and leaned one hip against it, staring at him unwaveringly.

His eyes slipped shut. “Do you know?”

“Know what?”

He looked at her. “Who the father of Rhae’s baby is?”

She tipped her head, studying him. “I’m not at liberty to say.”

He let out another growl and stabbed the keyboard, closing out all the windows and eliminating all trace that he had hacked those systems.

“You can’t tell your own brother? Where’s the loyalty?”

“My word matters.” Her comment fell between them like a lead weight, one that anchored to his feet and dragged him under the dark waters.

He dashed his hand over his face. “Great. So why are you here?”

She reached into her back pocket and pulled out some paper items. “When you were gone, I went through some of the family pictures. You know, the ones just stuffed in boxes.”

He stared at her blankly. “Who knew you had a masochistic streak.”

She set the photos on the desk in front of him. “Here’s a few of yours. Thought you might want them.”

“Sure, I’ll look through them,” he said offhandedly, mind already moving away from the conversation.

She planted a hand on the desk in front of him, demanding his attention. “You should look at them now.”

He snagged the photos and stared at the first one. “Wonderful.” Him in only a diaper. He flipped to the next. “Great.” Him wearing little cowboy boots—and a diaper. Then the next. “Fucking fantastic. Me in the bathtub with a washcloth over my wiener. Though I was a handsome little devil.”

“Yup. That’s you at nine months.”

He opened his mouth to speak…and snapped it shut again.

The date on Navy’s birth certificate wavered in his mind’s eye. The baby was also around nine months old.

Willow whipped out her phone. “And check out these pictures.” She tapped the screen with a fingertip. “This is my Navy album.”

“I don’t really feel like—” He started to wave her off, then jerked his stare back to hers. “You have a whole Navy album?”

She nodded, dark braid sliding over her shoulder. “Uh-huh. She’s really damn cute.” Her thumb flicked over the screen, and she enlarged one of the photos of the baby sitting on the sun-drenched grass, her chubby fist filled with a tuft she’d just ripped out by the roots.Navy’s cheeks were flushed, her little mouth parted in a toothless grin as if the act of destruction was the most delightful thing in the world.

Denver’s throat went dry. Christ, he could barely stand to look at the child. Yet he couldn’t tear his gaze away either. His chest felt like it was collapsing inward, every breath a jagged, impossible feat.

Navy. Rhae’s daughter. His mind snarled around the idea, clawing for purchase but sliding off, unable to fully grasp it. She was real. Right there in pixels and sunlight and tiny clenched fists.

A bad taste hit the back of his throat, bitter, unrelenting.

“Will you look at thosegray eyes?”Willow’s voice was reverent and entirely too knowing.

Denver’s hand shot out, snatching the phone from her grasp before he could think twice. He brought it closer, staring at Navy’s face until the world blurred around the edges.

Gray eyes. Not just gray—stormy, like slate washed clean by rain. Every Malone had eyes like that.

He swallowed, pulse thrumming in his ears. Fingers shaking, he flicked through the images on Willow’s phone, pausing at each one. Navy laughing, Navy curled up in Rhae’s arms, Navy swaddled in a blanket with a ridiculous bow stuck to her head. His gaze snagged on one of her clutching a tiny stuffed lion, her expression so damn serious it almost broke him.

Everything clicked into place like tumblers on a lock. His knees felt unsteady, and he was glad he was sitting down.

His mind replayed every second he’d spent with Rhae, every kiss, every whispered promise. The ache in his gut expanded, gnawing through him until he thought he might shatter from the inside out.

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