André sighed. “I don’t need to explain to you why not knowing is in your best interest.”
I only refrained from telling him to fuck off because Siren was probably listening. A few minutes later, we pulled up to my house. The driver entered the gate code and André made me and Siren and Maddie wait in the SUV while his men did a perimeter search and he checked the house. Neither Siren nor I spoke a word.
Five minutes later, André popped his head in the car. “All clear.”
I helped Siren out then lifted a sleeping Maddie into my arms. The second her warm little body was against my chest, all the shit anger running loose in my head became background noise.
“Thank you.” Siren hugged André and he stiffened.
“No problem, ma’am.” He pulled back, looking uncomfortable as hell. “You’re welcome.”
If I wasn’t ass tired, I would’ve laughed. “Send Kendall home. I’ll deal with Candle.”
André nodded, but he didn’t look happy. He pulled Maddie’s car seat out and set it by the front door. Before he got back in the SUV, I stopped him.
“Any chance I can get some coverage for a week or so? Till shit blows over?” I knew I’d been taking up all his time and he needed to get back to his business, but I wasn’t comfortable leaving Siren and Maddie unprotected while I was at the shop or getting supplies.
André nodded. “I’ll leave this team on perimeter after they take me to get a car.”
“Thanks. Bill me.” He wouldn’t, but I knew his bank account number.
“Later.” He got in the SUV and I ushered Siren inside the house.
Upstairs, I handed Maddie to Siren. “I’ll get a bath going.”
“Okay. I’m going to see if I can get her to eat something.”
I nodded and set the alarm. A couple of weeks ago, there would’ve been only one reason I’d be awake at three in the morning. Drawing a bath for a one-and-a-half-year-old wasn’t even on my radar.
I went through the motions of filling the tub then I stripped my clothes off and pulled on clean boxers. Everything about my house was exactly as I’d left it but nothing felt the same. When I could no longer stall, I headed to the kitchen.
Siren’s back to me, Maddie’s filthy body sitting on my counter, I stole a moment to look at them. And shit got real. A mother with a broken wrist, a stab wound and a scar up her back was feeding her thin, dirty child bites of cheese from my fridge. For a second, I almost wished they’d had a better life raft than me.
Steeling myself, I pasted on a smile. “Bath’s ready.”
Maddie looked at me first then Siren turned with a tired smile and my heart skipped a beat.
“I think she remembers me.” Siren’s eyes softened as a quiet joy spread across her face. Maddie leaned into her Siren’s chest as if she understood what her mother was saying. I’d never seen a woman look more beautiful than Siren did in that moment.
I rubbed a hand over my chest, feeling like an impostor. “Bath time.” I tried to smile.
“Come on, Maddie girl, let’s get you cleaned up before bed.” Siren hugged Maddie tight and lifted her up.
Shit. “I don’t have a crib.” Was she too old for a crib?
“She can sleep with us.”
Us. I sucked in a breath and silently followed them into the bathroom. I watched in fascination as Siren bathed Maddie. The whole time she had her in the water, she quietly spoke to her, gently explaining how they’d been apart but now they were together and they’d be together forever.
My heart was shredded just listening to it but I couldn’t ignore the pride I had for Siren and her coping skills. Not to mention the small child who patiently sat as her mother scrubbed weeks’ worth of dirt off her at three o’clock in the morning like it was normal as hell.
When Siren lifted Maddie out of the bath and dried her off, I was looking at a different child. Her blonde hair was almost white and her eyes stood out even more on her flawless pale face. She was angelic and sweet and she stole my fucking heart.
I reached out and took her hand. “Feel better, baby girl?”
She leaned into Siren but when she didn’t pull away from my touch, I smiled in triumph.
“Will you hold her while I grab the diapers?”
“I’ll get ’em.” I turned to go and Siren touched my arm.
“I’d like her to get used to you, too.”
Damn. Seriously real. Then in the next breath the thought I’d been pushing away forced itself into my sleep-deprived brain. If Siren walked, this house would never be the same. I’d never be the same. Two hours in the presence of these two together and I never wanted to go back to my old life.