“Daddy’s friend?” Sinclair’s eyes light up.
“She’s not a friend,” Sullivan clips, glancing up from his phone. “She happened to be here yesterday, helping with Molly, that’s all.”
“Is she your new nanny? It’s about time you got one. I know Arabella loves Molly, but you can’t expect her to work full time for you and help you out in the evenings too.”
Sullivan shakes his head, his eyes tracking to me. He hasn’t asked me or the boys to run any checks on anyone. And I know he would have if he’d taken on a new nanny.
“I’m not hiring a nanny. Tate was here and I had to make a call. I was in the room the entire time. I wouldn’t leave Molly with someone I barely know.” He grunts.
Sinclair’s face drops and she wrinkles her nose up, looking disgusted. “I didn’t realize your friends from The Lanceford came here too.”
“They don’t.” Sullivan pockets his phone. “Like I said, Tate isn’t a friend, and she won’t be coming back.” He tilts his head, gesturing toward Molly. “Let’s leave it at that, shall we, Sis?”
Sinclair huffs. “Whatever.”
Molly giggles as Sinclair sinks her face into her neck and alternates between blowing raspberries and kissing it.
“I’ve got to go, Molly-kins,” she says. “I love you lots. Look after Daddy, okay?”
“Okay,” Molly replies, grinning as Sinclair hands her another cookie.
Sinclair kisses her round cheek, then stands, looking at me.
“Come on, grumpy lion. You could do with an early night after your new friendship with my hallway floor. I promise I’ll stay in.” She raises her brows, saying it quietly enough that Sullivan can’t hear.
I stand and hold her gaze for a beat. “You were supposed to stay in last night.”
She sighs. “You don’t need to worry about Julian. And I mean it, I’ll stay home tonight. I promise, okay?”
She won’t tell me who he is, that much is clear. But she won’t need to. I’ll find him anyway. And if she thinks I won’t, then she’s underestimating exactly what her being under my protection means. Because not only will I find Julian, but if I deem him to be a threat to her in any way, then not only will she never see him again. No one will.
She hugs Sullivan and he retrieves my gun. I push the magazine inside it before tucking it into my holster. Sinclair watches me the entire time with a frown.
“You done, Brute?”
I meet her fiery gaze.
“Lead the way, Princess.”
“Did Sullivan ask you to run a check on a woman named Tate?”
Killian and Jenson’s blank faces confirm he didn’t.
I lean back in my seat, my grip on my beer tightening. Sinclair’s spending the night at Halliday and Sterling’s place.Girl’s night, she said. Sterling chuckled when I dropped her off, saying he was going to get some work done in his home office while the two women talk weddings and babies. He told me he’d take care of them both and gave us all the night off.
I’ve been away from her for two hours and the knots in my neck are embedding themselves deeper.
Sterling can handle himself. They’re in good hands with him should anything happen. I know that. And yet… I pull out my phone and bring up my tracking app. Sinclair and Monty’s dots are together, placing them in Sterling and Halliday’s penthouse.
I purse my lips as I place my phone on the table.
“Why?” Killian asks.
I tune back in, shaking my head. “Don’t worry about it.”
Sullivan’s not one to take security lightly, so whoever this Tate is, he trusts her to be in his home and around Molly. I’d still feel calmer if he’d let me run a check on her, though.
“Why are we talking about work?” Jenson says, lifting his beer and swigging from the bottle.
