Still, she was exhausted.
But that was going to remain her little secret. “It’s…a…yes, I guess it is kind of like a castle. The lady who lives here, she usedto be a cop like your daddy and Aunt Heather. Then she married Neighbor Alex’s cousin and moved here to live with him.”
“Oh.” Raine looked up at her, that nervous look in her big brown eyes that made Hope want to just scoop her up and hold her. “Do they have any little girls?”
“No. But I think there is a little boy here.”
“Oh. No girls. Me play with Milan and Frankie and Nalla then.”
“That sounds like a good idea. You can play with Milan and Frankie and Nalla until Daddy comes to get you.”
She would kind of like Raine’s daddy to get there and just explain to Hope what was happening and everything. All she knew was that a bunch of limos from this place had shown up at her house, and collected them all like Pokemon cards. And now they were here.
And…all she knew was that it had something to do withHeather.
Hope was trying not to freak out again. But somehow, it was always Heather.
She had sent everything she had collected in the last fourteen months to Madison’s server. And they had discussed what she had found long into the night that night. Everyone knew now.
It did feel like some of burden had been lifted off her shoulders, though. She didn’t have a secret any longer. Someone who actually went after the bad guys had it now.
And it wasn’t her sister.
Yes, she was happy about that, too. Major Crimes knew. And that meant they could protect Heather.
That was all Hope had really wanted.
“So…what exactly is going on?” Hope asked.
83
Dom had followedthe limo from the hospital to the Barratts’ home. He had been there multiple times before—and had been told a suite on their fifth floor would be waiting for him as long as he needed. His father and Cherise and Max were staying, too.
Now, he sat in the front family room where most of the Barratts’ guests ended up sooner or later. Madison was there. She’d plunked herself down right next to him. No one had even blinked. Even when he’d slipped his arm behind her shoulders before he’d thought about how it would appear.
Now they waited for the star of their little show to tell them what she knew. But they were waiting.
For the moment,thiswas far more important.
Heather’s little girl had found her.
That took priority right now. They all understood that.
Heather held her baby in one arm, Hope next to her to help her stay up. Heather looked rough—but she’d be okay eventually. She just needed to build her strength back.
Frankie had been brought in by Heather’s niece Crispin. Crispin had seen her aunt and started crying, too. Frankie had taken one look at her mother and squealed. “Mommy, here youis! Here you is! We founded you. Mommy can’t stay away from her Frankie forever ever again. My just missed you too much. Too much, Mommy. Too much.”
Then she was climbing into her mother’s lap and just clinging.
“Never again. Mommy promises, baby. Mommy promises.” Heather just held her children close and cried.
Hell, even Dom’s allergies kicked in again. So did that asshat Mac Barratt’s, and everyone else’s in the room. It was a high pollen count day, for sure.
The toll this job took on those who loved a cop—no. That was something he and Madison were going to have to talk about. He wouldn’t want the woman he loved to ever have that kind of pain.
Madison leaned her head against his shoulder. As if she understood what he was thinking. “It’s worth it, you know. The love. We’re never given any guarantees, Dom. No matter what the job is. Look at what Gunnar went through. Or Marc Deane.”
He knew what she meant. Gunnar’s first wife had been killed by a drugged out driver. Governor Deane’s wife had died of an aneurysm during childbirth. “But the job—it ups the odds.”
