Silas goes quiet a beat. “That’s the question.”
“Any idea?”
“Could be leverage. Could be inheritance. Could be something in Sophie’s files—clinic records. Could be Ford’s enemies want the kid. Could be Ford wants him for reasons Kayley doesn’t know.”
My hands curl into fists inside my jacket pockets. “I want everything on Renshaw. Addresses, contacts, financials. I want his whole life on my desk.”
“You’ll have it,” Silas says. “And Gavin—be careful. If Ford’s tied into private ops, that means he’s not just one guy. It’s a network.”
“I know,” I say, voice hard. “And if they tested the perimeter last night, they’re getting bolder.”
Silas pauses. “You keeping Kayley with you?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” he says simply. “Because you’re already too attached.”
I don’t deny it.
“I’ll call you when I have more,” Silas says.
“Do it.”
I end the call and go back inside, jaw set.
The truth is taking shape, and I don’t like what I see.
A dirty cop.
A private ops father.
Threats.
A baby someone is willing to hunt.
This isn’t random.
This is deliberate.
And that means it’s going to escalate.
Kayley wakesup not long after, hair wild, eyes sleepy, wrapped in my sheet like it’s a shield.
For one brief second, she looks peaceful.
Then her gaze flicks to the bassinet, to Aidan, and the worry rushes back into her face like a tide.
“He’s okay,” I say before she can ask. “Woke up hungry. I fed him.”
Her brows lift. “You did?”
“Yeah,” I say, trying to sound casual even though my chest feels tight with something warm. “He’s got a strong set of lungs. We’re going to have to teach him inside voices.”
Kayley laughs softly, the sound surprised out of her, and it punches straight through me.
Then she looks at me—really looks—and something changes in her expression. Like she’s seeing me differently this morning.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she says.
