Page 31 of Tangled
Chad shook his head. “Doesn’t appear that way.”
Silence descended on the room with the exception of Jasper and Will, who were laughing at something only the two of them understood.
“Does that mean Petrov wasn’t hired by the Wolf?” Scarlett asked. She’d known Gracie’s life was more complex than she’d shared, but it seemed to be getting more complicated by the hour.
“Or is Katz up here to finish the job Petrov didn’t?” Brad asked, his hand tightening on hers.
“While the latter is possible,” Sabina said, “I doubt it. If the Wolf was willing to send Katz, why not send him in the first place? I think it’s far more likely that the father of Gracie’s baby is the one who hired Petrov and that person isn’t the Wolf.”
“Which means Katz is here for some other reason. Like to find incriminating evidence that Gracie might have had on the Wolf. Evidence they now think Scarlett has,” Ethan said.
“If you’re right, Sabina, then that means we have at least three distinct people involved—the Wolf, whoever sent Kimmie, and the baby’s father, whoisn’tthe Wolf,” Scarlett said. “And all are either looking for something they think she had—and that I now have—or are looking for me because they think I know something.” Several people nodded. She leaned back against the couch, then, after a beat, shifted and leaned into Brad. He put his arm around her and pulled her close.
“At the risk of sounding like a cliché, I don’t know anything,” she said. “I wish I did, but I don’t.”
“I suspect that we’ll find out what they’re all looking for once we find the deleted files from Gracie’s phone,” Sabina said. “It shouldn’t take us more than a day or two.”
“Then, when we know, we can decide what to do about it. The first objective is to keep you safe, though,” Chad said. “After that is justice for Gracie.”
For the second time that night, Scarlett found herself blinking back tears. “Thank you. I guess I didn’t expect all this when I came up here.”
“You mean the help?” Kara said.
Scarlett nodded as she dabbed her eyes. “You told me time and again how close the family is and how much they look out for each other. I guess I just never expected to be a part of that,” she replied.
Ethan snorted. “You’re carrying Brad’s baby. Of course you’re a part of this. But even if that weren’t the case, you’re still Kara’s best friend. And you’d still be a part of it.”
She gave a watery laugh. “You know you all are a little crazy. And a little weird, too. But good. You don’t need me to tell you this, but I’ve seen enough bad in the world that I want to—what you have as a family is special, and that you recognize it, appreciate it, and foster it, is even more so. We may encounter some bumps down the road as we navigate through everything, but thank you. For your help, for your support, and for welcoming me.”
“On that note, I’m going to kick you all out now,” Brad said, letting go of her hand and rising. “Some people are growing a baby and need their rest.” She rolled her eyes at his pronouncement, but he wasn’t wrong. Chad’s announcement had overshadowed the fatigue she’d felt a few minutes earlier. Now that the shock had worn off, it was back with vengeance.
Thankfully, no one seemed to mind the abrupt dismissal. Especially not since Will and Jasper looked on the precipice of war over a specific block that looked exactly like all the others.
“Ryder is going to follow Katz since we already know Kimmie Garza is staying at the bed-and-breakfast in town,” Chad said as he gathered their things.
“You’ll keep us posted?” Brad asked.
“Of course,” Ethan answered.
A few minutes later, everyone had gone, and it was the two of them. Well, the two of them and the tiny human growing inside her.
“Other than tired, are you feeling okay?” Brad asked, standing in front of her.
She assessed her body, then nodded. “Just the fatigue. I feel like I’ve hit a brick wall.”
A look of concern flashed across his face. “Go on to bed, I’ll take care of everything here.”
She glanced around. They’d cleaned up after dinner so there wasn’t much, but still, coffee cups littered the living room, and the dessert plates needed to be put in the dishwasher.
“It’s not a problem,” Brad said. “I promise. Go get some rest.”
“How are you taking this all in such stride?” she asked, the question emerging before she had a chance to think about it.
He hesitated, then smiled. “Honestly, inside, I’m not. I’m not freaking out about you or the baby. Or even finding Gracie’s killer—I trust Chad and Sabina and their teams to take care of that. But I am worried about your safety. And a little concerned that you’ll wake up one day before they find the killer and decide it’s too confining to be here and that you want to leave.” He hesitated again. “I’m also a little nervous about whether I’ll be a good dad.”
He had nothing to worry about on any of those fronts, not where she was concerned. “I recognize the value of a safe harbor, Brad, and that’s what you’re giving me here,” she said. “I’m too tired to leave anyway, but even if that wasn’t the case, I’m feelingsafe, not confined. And as to being a good dad, I have zero doubts you will be, but what matters more is what you think. Although, in my experience, having some trepidation can be a good thing. It can make us better. Make us want to try harder.”
He chuckled. “At this rate, then, I’ll be the best father there is.”
