Ellen seemed unfazed by the fact that a criminal had taken shots at one of her children. She tightened the belt on her robe. “I’d better put on a pot of coffee and start making sandwiches. It’s gonna be a long night.” She paused, brushing a hand over the top of Peyton’s head in a comforting and motherly gesture. “I’m so glad you’re okay, hon. The last few days have been a lot to take in. If you need to talk, or even just vent, I’m always available.”
Her kindness tugged hard at Peyton's heart. For most of her life, Nana Grace had been her foundation. The one person she trusted without reservation. She'd had Dawson too—loved him fiercely—but a spouse differed from a family. Peyton hadnever fully let the Grahams become hers. She'd kept a careful distance, always aware that she'd married into their world but didn't quite belong to it. A girl from a broken home, raised by her grandmother, surrounded by a family so whole it sometimes made her feel lacking.
That decision had been a mistake. It’d left her isolated and alone after Nana Grace died. Not because the Grahams wouldn’t have helped. She knew now they would have. In a heartbeat. But because Peyton had never given them permission to.
“I’m scared.” She gently touched Grace’s cheek. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt, and it feels like there’s no way to stop it. Lilia’s still missing and I’m terrified about what that means. Dawson and I…” She swallowed hard, not knowing if she was ready to talk about their kiss. “It’s complicated. And on top of everything else, I’m the guardian of this beautiful baby girl, and what if…what if it’s permanent? What will I do? Can I really raise her by myself? I could barely handle one night alone with her in a hotel room. And after Samuel…”
“Oh, hon.” Ellen sat on the vanity bench next to her. “It probably doesn’t feel this way, but you’re actually doing an amazing job with Grace. When Dawson was first born, I nearly dropped him on his head.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Peyton laughed. “No, you didn’t.”
“Hand to God. A nurse caught him, thank goodness, but taking care of a child is terrifying for everyone. I’d love to lie to you and say it gets easier, but honestly, it doesn’t. But you learn. To trust yourself, to ask for help, and most importantly, to rely on God. Because our kids, they aren’t really ours. They belong to Him. We just have them on loan.”
Ellen again smoothed a hand over Peyton’s hair. “Keep talking to the good Lord, hon. He’s listening and He will helpyou see your way ahead, even when everything feels scary and uncertain.”
“I will.” Peyton's faith was unwavering now, hard-won and rebuilt from the ashes of the darkest years of her life. She knew God was with her. Believed it with every ounce of her being. But knowing something in your heart and hearing it spoken aloud by someone who loved you were two different kinds of comfort.
She smiled at Ellen. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, sweetie.” Ellen gave her a sideways hug.
Peyton’s cell phone rang, interrupting the tender moment. Grace, startled by the loud noise, jolted and then began crying. Ellen deftly took the baby so Peyton could quickly fish her phone out of her pocket. Unknown Caller flashed on the screen.
Lilia? Peyton’s stomach lurched as she answered the call. “Hughes.”
“I heard you’ve been looking for me. It needs to stop.”
The rough male voice spilling from the speaker was unfamiliar. Peyton gripped her cell phone tighter. “Who is this?”
“The guy from the hotel.”
Marvis. Peyton’s blood chilled. She met Ellen’s questioning gaze and mouthed, “Get Dawson.” As Ellen hurried from the bathroom, Peyton focused back on the criminal. She put the call on speaker. “You’ve got a lot of nerve calling me after what you did. You tried to kidnap a child.”
“I was under orders, and didn’t realize I was tangling with a cop. Look, I’m not the bad guy here. You’ve got bigger problems on your hands. Cade is going to kill you.”
Peyton glanced up as Dawson appeared in the doorway. He clearly caught the last sentence in the exchange because his brows lifted. She scrambled for something to write on, and her gaze landed on a lipstick tube. She jotted Marvis on the mirror.
“Did you hear me?”
“Sorry, I’m in shock.” She needed to keep Marvis talking. “Cade swears he has nothing to do with this.”
“And you believe him? You’re dumber than I thought.”
“Why does he want to kill me?”
“Because he doesn’t want you looking for Lilia. She stole something valuable from him, and Cade needs it to stay buried. He’s working hard to cover his tracks, but things are falling apart quickly. There are people inside the Iron Serpents who are questioning his judgment and think he shouldn’t be our leader anymore.”
Suspicion prickled her. “Are you one of those people?”
“It don’t matter whether I am or not. The point is you need to focus your attention on Cade and stay away from me. I’m not the bad guy here.”
“Then come into the Knoxville Police Department and help us stop Cade.”
He laughed bitterly. “Lady, he’s got eyes and ears everywhere. I’ll be dead before I hit a holding cell.”
“We can protect you.”
“You can’t even protect yourself. Stop looking for Lilia. You won’t find her.”
